What games should be allowed for adults?

[~Anastasia~]

Here's a highly relevant example of a popular game right now, in Oct 2018, among a range of all ages -- Fortnite.

What is Fortnite: Battle Royale?
In short, it’s a mass online brawl [with guns, axes, found weapons] where 100 players leap out of a flying bus on to a small island and then fight each other until only one is left. [meaning everyone else has been killed in the game, usually by being shot]
Fortnite: a parents' guide to the most popular video game in schools

Is this okay for a 9 yr old, or an 15 yr old... Or a 22 yr old?

No, no, and also no, in my view, in that the goal is to kill all the other players, who are depicted as people --

About 2 minutes should be enough to show you how it works:

Ugh. THAT is what all the kids are talking about?

Some students asked me if I played. And no, I wouldn't. That's horrific, to my mind.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

In the end I feel its all about what the Holy Spirit tells a person is to much for them.

Some people can't handle gore. Some can't handle sex...etc. For example I love RPGs/OPen World video games. Theres a game called "The Witcher" and the guy is basically a drunk who has lots of graphic sex in game. So I don't play it. Theres Farcry 5, which is focused on a christian cult out west. Despite it being a cult group, I still won't play the game.

I'm fine with killing humans in a game. I mean I have no want to ever even harm a person in real life. That said I don't care for games where torture is part of it. Like cutting off fingers and what not. Seems pointless.

Since playing games isn't a sin its why I say its up to the person. However if you play a game and feel guilty then the Holy Spirit is telling you not to play.

In the case of Fortnite, its a REALLY mellow game in terms of killing people. Its more like a cartoony kill. No blood or anything. You just comically fall over. Now if you play a game like PUBG, its the same sort of game but realistic in terms of weapons and death. That kids shouldn't play.

Irony of all this is yesterday when I was at a Gamestop store there was a millennial aged mom with her son who looked to be around 8. He wanted to buy a game. The mom asked the worked "Can my son buy this game with his gift card?". The worker said hesitantly "Yes he can, but you do realize its a M (mature only) rated game right?". She said "I know, thats fine he plays those kind of games all the time!".

The worker let out an obviously uncomfortable giggle of awkwardness and said "Ok.". I think the game was GTA V. I play GTA but there is NO way I'd let a 8 year old play it. I wouldn't even let a young teen play it. Its not really gory per say but its a mature storyline(s) and not meant for kids.

 

[Your Brother In Christ]

Here's a highly relevant example of a popular game right now, in Oct 2018, among many grade levels, so that it includes not only adult players but also many under 18 of course -- Fortnite.

What is Fortnite: Battle Royale?
In short, it’s a mass online brawl [with guns, axes, found weapons] where 100 players leap out of a flying bus on to a small island and then fight each other until only one is left. [meaning everyone else has been killed in the game, usually by being shot]
Fortnite: a parents' guide to the most popular video game in schools

Is this okay for a 9 yr old, or an 15 yr old... Or a 22 yr old?

No, no, and also no, in my view, in that the goal is to kill all the other players, who are depicted as people --

About 2 minutes should be enough to show you how it works:

Thank you for showing us this extremely relevant video. I'm quite familiar with the game I do just like it for other reasons of a personal matter.

What do you find unacceptable about it is it the it is a free-for-all or you're killing other player's characters.

Another example would be Battlefield 1 or Call of Duty.

 

[~Anastasia~]

In the end I feel its all about what the Holy Spirit tells a person is to much for them.

Some people can't handle gore. Some can't handle sex...etc. For example I love RPGs/OPen World video games. Theres a game called "The Witcher" and the guy is basically a drunk who has lots of graphic sex in game. So I don't play it. Theres Farcry 5, which is focused on a christian cult out west. Despite it being a cult group, I still won't play the game.

I'm fine with killing humans in a game. I mean I have no want to ever even harm a person in real life. That said I don't care for games where torture is part of it. Like cutting off fingers and what not. Seems pointless.

Since playing games isn't a sin its why I say its up to the person. However if you play a game and feel guilty then the Holy Spirit is telling you not to play.

In the case of Fortnite, its a REALLY mellow game in terms of killing people. Its more like a cartoony kill. No blood or anything. You just comically fall over. Now if you play a game like PUBG, its the same sort of game but realistic in terms of weapons and death. That kids shouldn't play.

Irony of all this is yesterday when I was at a Gamestop store there was a millennial aged mom with her son who looked to be around 8. He wanted to buy a game. The mom asked the worked "Can my son buy this game with his gift card?". The worker said hesitantly "Yes he can, but you do realize its a M (mature only) rated game right?". She said "I know, thats fine he plays those kind of games all the time!".

The worker let out an obviously uncomfortable giggle of awkwardness and said "Ok.". I think the game was GTA V. I play GTA but there is NO way I'd let a 8 year old play it. I wouldn't even let a young teen play it. Its not really gory per say but its a mature storyline(s) and not meant for kids.

Well thanks for the heads-up ... I read really good reviews of Witcher.

I'd be with you on the torture aspect too - I don't think I've ever even seen it.

I guess that's why I only have a handful of video games I like to play.

And like I said - it's going to be different for different folks. How we interact with whatever game is what really matters.

 

[~Anastasia~]

How we interact with whatever game is what really matters.

And this may be key for me. I have a good imagination and used to be immersed in reading stories, etc. I may identify more with games than someone else might. I jump when something startles me, I lean into the turns, lol. So for me, killing another person is too ... personal.

Funny how paintball is a similar concept but that didn't bother me - though I wasn't concerned as a Christian then to be fair, so it's maybe not perfectly equivalent.

 

[Halbhh]

Thank you for showing us this extremely relevant video. I'm quite familiar with the game I do just like it for other reasons of a personal matter.

What do you find unacceptable about it is it the it is a free-for-all or you're killing other player's characters.

Another example would be Battlefield 1 or Call of Duty.

It's not about for instance defensive or just war even, but is quite different in a key way. The goal isn't to defend or protect. It's not to fight for freedom or the homeland. It's just to kill.

Contrast to the earlier version of Fortnite, where I understand players team up to survive zombie attack, which is like defensive war -- you are defending against zombies in that version as the basic situation.

So the problem with Battle Royale as it appears to me is it's even worse than an unjust war -- you aren't even fighting to defend anyone -- instead, it is just mass killing. The goal is to be the one or small team who killed everyone else, right? Why? In order to be the best killer, in effect.

 

[~Anastasia~]

It's not about for instance defensive or just war even, but is quite different in a key way. The goal isn't to defend or protect.

Contrast to the earlier version of Fortnite, where I understand players team up to survive zombie attack, which is like defensive war -- you are defending against zombies in that version as the basic situation.

So the problem with Battle Royale as it appears to me is it's even worse than an unjust war -- you aren't even fighting to defend anyone -- instead, it is just mass killing. The goal is to be the one or small team who killed everyone else, right? Why? In order to be the best killer, in effect.

Right - that's the impression I get and that bothers me.

My thought was, IF I was playing a game like this, I'd be secretive. The player just runs about gathering things and blowing people away. That mindset bothers me. In games with adversaries (generally game elements) I tend to be cautious when need be. Many games let you sneak around human characters - sometimes that's a valid method to getting to the goal. Here the goal is just killing everyone. Hunger games spin-off, which while I liked the movies, they too made me feel a little sad and sick in spirit.

 

[Halbhh]

And this may be key for me. I have a good imagination and used to be immersed in reading stories, etc. I may identify more with games than someone else might. I jump when something startles me, I lean into the turns, lol. So for me, killing another person is too ... personal.

Funny how paintball is a similar concept but that didn't bother me - though I wasn't concerned as a Christian then to be fair, so it's maybe not perfectly equivalent.

Great example to think about: paintball. It's possible to play it as something very much like water balloons -- you want to splash others. But it would be possible to make it less innocent, and pretend you are killing people in order to kill. So that one is up to your imagination, what you make it. You don't have to imagine the paintball as being a bullet, and can imagine it as like a water balloon.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Great example to think about: paintball. It's possible to play it as something very much like water balloons -- you want to splash others. But it would be possible to make it less innocent, and pretend you are killing people in order to kill. So that one is up to your imagination, what you make it. You don't have to imagine the paintball as being a bullet, and can imagine it as like a water balloon.

Good response. And I guess that's how we played it. Yes, we snuck around. But splatting someone was an occasion for both of us to laugh, not secretly be pleased we'd "killed" someone. Not to mention we kept playing till everyone was well-splattered.

I think the levels we descend to in the name of competition can take a toll on our spirits. Again - it depends on the person.

 

[MournfulWatcher]

Video games pose a different question to me than board games. It's more immersive.

There are games I have no desire to play because the entire goal of the game is to kill people or to steal things or do sexual things (such as Grand theft auto). Even games like Skyrim, I didn't like that i had to kill people in that game and then their bodies would be there for you to loot. Im very cautious with any video game I play because just content like that upsets me.

To each their own. If you feel convicted not to play a game for whatever reason, don't play it.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Here is a hard question. What games should be allowed and what should not be allowed?

Video, card, board, or outdoor games like the following: hide & seek, cops & robbers, GTA, Pokemon, Skyrim, Mario Kart, fallout, Uno, Connect Four, call of duty, MTG, and so on.

Easy answer:

Go with the games and activities that are legal, safe, something you can afford, something you and maybe others enjoy, that doesn’t stand as a barrier between you and God.

In my case, that means avoiding Uno and Monopoly because those games are so frustrating that I want to scream and flip the table over. Your experiences may vary.

 

[Jon Osterman]

To each their own. If you feel convicted not to play a game for whatever reason, don't play it.

I agree with this. I think it is a personal thing that is different for different people. However...

Even games like Skyrim, I didn't like that i had to kill people in that game and then their bodies would be there for you to loot.

...I disagree with this. You are not killing people in Skyrim. A graphical representation of a person you control is killing graphical representations of people controlled by the computer. You may associate that with actual killing, but it is really just playing and make-believe. It is no different from chess, except in the detail of the representation. If you strongly emotionally invest in your character, so much that you feel it is you killing someone, then I agree, you have probably taken it too far. But I think most gamers keep a level of abstraction. If I play Tombraider I do not become Lara Croft - I am only directing her actions.

This isn't dissimilar to books either. In violent books, we can emotionally invest in characters who perform wholly immoral actions, which can be harmful, but if we maintain abstraction I think we are fine. If I am reading about King David in the Bible, for example, it is important to abstract ourselves away from his actions, and not personally invest in and celebrate his murder of Uriah.

 

[pgp_protector]

one of the earliest games I've use killed about 3.7 Billion characters in the first part of the game.
Shooting games ? Had them from the Atari 2600 and on, tank games, gun fighter, missile command, space game where you blow up oncoming ships, ect

According to some given that I've plaid "violent" video games all my life, know all sorts of "fun" knowledge from my time in the military, and am a "loner" I should be on the top of the wanted list by the FBI/CIA

 

[Archivist]

Based on the fact that you and the other player(s) end up with their bodies in very compromising positions.

I don't have a problem with Twister placing people in "very compromising positions." That is part of the fun of it.

I don't play it because there is no way that my 57-year-old body could get into some of those positions.

 

[Swan7]

Ever since I fully laid down my own life for God and His ways, He has been changing my heart that reflects with everything I do. Some games I used to play I don’t anymore. Same goes for music. This is allowing the Holy Spirit/Jesus Christ to live through you.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Graphics can affect how we interact with the game.

I used to play a military strategy game I really liked. It was an overhead game with icons used to represent tanks (mostly) as well as soldiers, barricades, bombs, dogs, and many other things. We reworked the game to visually shoot war dogs from the cannons. It was hilarious. Though the thought of it in real life is terrible. I love dogs.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

I just finished playing the reboot of the Wolfenstein games and in it you kill Nazis. Its like an alternate future where nazis ruled the world after WW2. I have to say when it comes to nazis its often hard to feel for them. Its why they are commonly used in games because even those who don't want to kill someone tend to not regret killing a nazi.

That said in real life if I were fighting in WW2, it would be hard for me to kill even a nazi. They are still someones father, son...etc. Though obviously in war you don't kill because you want to, you kill because you often have no choice. Its you or the other person.

One thing I like about alot of modern games is you don't always have to kill people. Your often given the choice to play how you want. In Deus Ex Mankind Divided for example you can be all "Rambo" like or you can go the pacifist route and known people out, tranquilize them...etc. Or you can even not even do that either. Just find a way around them. Granted there may be one or two people the game may force you to kill at the end.

I personal I'm not a rambo type person. I choose the stealthy route where I don't have to kill if I don't have to. It feels good knowing I can accomplish a mission without having to kill.

Now if given a choice for my future kids I'd have them play board game and what not over video games. Unless of course there is a game that doesn't require mature things. Like City Skylines which lets you build cities and what not. I'd say Minecraft too because you can put it on Creative mode and there are no bad guys to kill. Just build away and have fun.

 

[grandvizier1006]

I could go on and on about this, but I'll sum it up by saying that it's ultimately up to you. As an adult you don't need someone else telling you what you can and can't do. You should be responsible enough to do it on your own.

 

[Ioannes]

I think it all boils down to you and how gaming makes you feel.
I've had a very long experience with large amount of videogames within a few genres, mainly rpgs and mmorpgs as well as strategic games of all subtypes.

The problem with videogames is they distance me from God in a way or another. I tried even relaxing ones where you raise crops and feel like an ascetic farmer. I played games where your moral choices decline your character. I tried games with Christian elements, historical ones. Nothing made me feel as if it was justly spent time. And distanced me from God. In the end God aided me and I was cleansed from these passions, and renounced most videogames.

I also play Pokemon and I named my team with biblical names and all. I picked mediocre ones just because I encountered them on my trip or because they looked friendly in their aesthetics. It doesn't work.

To sum up what I do now, I play only very little when I have time to spare. Before touching I game I try to force myself into doing the daily reads of Scriptures as prescribed by the Church plus free reading of some other religious text. Then I do all my prayers, and shortly before sleeping I play a bit on my Nintendo DS.

 

[Ioannes]

If I can suggest something limit your playing time to a minimum and find some other constructive hobby that isn't known to cause addiction

Board games and card games are preferable exactly because they help socializing and can hardly become an obsession. The exception are some complex board games with obscene settings and false deities or magical forces etc... I think the setting matters, at least to me. If I can choose I pick games in line with my Christian outlook on life. If there are religions in a boardgame I expect them to be either super fictional or give me the option to be Christian or even better Orthodox (as in Paradox grand strategy games).