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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say men playing video games is childish?

444 replies

PampersNotPampered · 16/10/2015 13:21

My DP is the most wonderful person, and the video games don't annoy me to an extent of anger, but they do raise my eyebrow a lot.

DP is only 22 but I think this is still too old to be playing games, although I understand men more than twice his age do. I once asked DP ''aren't you a little old for those?" And his reply was a very calm 'no, it's a stress reliever and my boss plays it too' (his boss is 44 with a wife and 2 DCs).

What cringes me out the most is him swearing and talking to other players over the zombie games etc, who are mores often that not less than half his age or not much older than half his age! Yes, really.

I understand that I'm lucky he's the type to ask 'do you want me to come off this?' And often I just say no darling. This is because I can get on with other things. Even I ask him to come off, he will and you wouldn't have known he even liked playing because he acts so normal once he's off.

My DP is a 'normal' bloke in all aspects apart from the silly video games. I just wish he'd stick to fishing instead lol.

AIBU to say grown men playing video games is a little bit eye brow raising worthy? I understand it is a stress buster, and perhaps I'm just a moody cow and need to be put in my place by fellow MNetters.

OP posts:
Cnmorgan13 · 17/10/2015 13:04

Bugger, did I just miss a huge bioware convo!?!? Damn!

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 17/10/2015 14:14

Morgan if you wish to discuss Bioware. This Quarian Admiral is available Grin

JacobFryesTopHatLackey · 17/10/2015 14:27

toria someone else looking forward to syndicate! Yaaay! And uncharted 4.

Wrt tombraider it will eventually be released on PS4. The exclusivity to xbox is timed.

LeftMyRidingCropInTheMortuary · 17/10/2015 14:59

waves at Lorelei - yes, I'm just having a giraffe! (laugh!) Grin

lorelei9 · 17/10/2015 15:45

thanks Left - phew Grin

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 15:54

Jacob- I am loathe to buy an xbox in reality as I went through several 360s as they kept dying and I vowed to never buy another microsoft console again!

Its whether I have the resolve to wait a year for the PS4 version. I am a big Tomb Raider fan. Sad

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 16:00

Loved the Uncharted series too, Naughty Dog is an excellent games developer. The Jak and Daxter series, Uncharted and the masterpiece which is The Last of Us. Uncharted 4 looks amazing, I can't wait!

I loved all the Assassins Creeds, bar the one with Connor in it. I have never been so bored playing a game in my life! He was such a sanctminious twat! Black Flag redeemed the series for me. Unity was very enjoyable. Syndicate looks great, but should I be a naughty girl and buy the Charing Cross edition even though its way more money, but you get a figurine.....!! ????

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 17/10/2015 16:05

I'm playing Uncharted 3 atm. Killing pirates in that boat graveyard is starting to get on my tits.

JacobFryesTopHatLackey · 17/10/2015 16:23

toria I think I love you. I'm playing the last of us whilst the dses nap. My God, what a game! And agree with everything you've said about AC

And I couldn't possibly comment on the Charing cross edition. I ordered the Big Ben edition myself. Ubisoft own my heart and soul.

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 16:51

I could rattle on about games for ages!

The Last of Us is the best game I have ever played (and I have played a lot) - completed it 3 times now and I will play it through again sometime. Its bloody brilliant. Enjoy!

Where did you preorder the Big Ben Edition from? Game are doing the Charing Cross one. I am jealous now!

Ahhhh, Ubisoft, I think they must have my soul too! Wink

JacobFryesTopHatLackey · 17/10/2015 16:58

The uplay store toria. It's exclusive to them.
big Ben edition there was much debate in my house over which edition we'd order.

The last of us is bloody hard going. Fucking bloaters, I hate them. And clickers.

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 17:37

I may have just ordered the Big Ben edition. I blame you Wink

Urgh, Bloaters! I will never forget running full tilt into one of those fuckers, shat my pants! Molotovs are your friend when it comes to Clickers, I like to lob in a brick, watch them scuttle over to investigate and then lob in a molotov and watch them burn! Never gets old Grin

Kacie123 · 17/10/2015 17:48

To the people who find them "childish", would you still do so if they were called Virtual Reality Simulations or something? Gaming is a huge industry very much aimed at adults and it sates a need in people to achieve and explore when they might not be able to do that in real life for whatever reason.

I really love how many games these days are practically works of art with soundtracks, quests, characters and so on. Maybe not the random shoot-em-ups but they have merit too. It's also interesting how games recently have become more ethically complex as well.

Incidentally DH finished Assassins Creed Black Flag last night, we're on the lookout for a new epic quest. Any recommendations appreciated Smile

bruffin · 17/10/2015 18:01

Im looking at unchartered, we have the nathan drake collection on ps4 for a few days so will try ot first

JCDenton · 17/10/2015 18:06

I play games, don't see it as any different to watching a film, really. I prefer to play games because they make me think more than TV or film but I don't think films are stupid.

Lots of people have hobbies I wouldn't enjoy but I don't judge them, I try to think about all the positive things they get from them. Someone mentioned fishing before, not for me but I can see why someone would take it up and enjoy it.

Those throwing around terms like 'manchild' and act superior about stereotypes of grunting gamers in darkened rooms are far more childish than any gamer I know. Glad to see they're in the minority.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 17/10/2015 18:06

Bruffin, definitely play the collection. I'm playing it now and the first game is still awesome despite coming out 8 years ago.

JacobFryesTopHatLackey · 17/10/2015 18:09

Grin I do hope Jacob retains his character through most of it. I did enjoy unity but it kinda lost its soul and personality when Arno became a fully fledged assassin. It's like they knocked all the charisma out of him. It was still a decent, enjoyable game but it lost the heart that black flag and the ezio entries had.

I'm quite excited about the new AC comics that are set during the Salem witch trials too. Have you seen them?

I remember that first bloater you come across, I had to lower the difficulty on that. I kept being caught by the runners circling that thing! I do want to get the American dream graphic novel that goes with last of us.

kacie what about shadow of mordor or one of the other AC titles?

jorahmormont · 17/10/2015 18:15

My people!!!

DP and I are both gamers. We both love minecraft. Both play Assassin's Creed (he just bought III from Cex and isn't too sure on it, we loved Black Flag. I'm partway through Rogue and I have Unity to play, but we're so excited for Syndicate!!

Also love the Arkham series, but I was a little disappointed with Arkham Knight. We both love GTA, I wish the people who slate it without even trying it would pay more attention to the satire, it's brilliantly written. Occasionally play CoD but not add often anymore, DP got fed up because I'm so much better at it than him Grin

OH does table top gaming - he goes to the soc at uni and they play Magic The Gathering and similar games. I just can't get into it.

I like watching gamers too - we love Yogscast, Vanoss Gaming and Achievement Hunters. Yogscast are so funny.

jorahmormont · 17/10/2015 18:19

Anyone played Alien: Isolation? One of the scariest games I have ever played, the intelligent AI is amazing but terrifying. DP didn't trust it, he thinks the next step is robots getting emotions and taking over the world to kill us all Grin got to admit when I found out that the AI learns as you play, I felt the same!!

2rebecca · 17/10/2015 18:29

I don't get the watching games thing. My son does that. There was 1 Yogscast thing I watched that was really funny where they all went camping. Just watching them play games is pretty boring though. I only watch people play games when I'm stuck as I can't be bothered spending an hour trying to do the same thing over and over again. I gave up with early Lara Croft PS1 games because I couldn't jump across the blocks and dive under the shutting door quickly enough.
I love Christopher Brookmyre's novels and got an early version of his Bedlam game but got stuck in an FPS game and gave up.
I'm not hardcore enough. When it stops progressing I lose interest. I've no interest in perfecting my button pressing.

jorahmormont · 17/10/2015 18:37

I don't tend to watch the games unless it's something I'm interested in (Until Dawn, Syndicate etc) it's the conversations they have while they're playing that are hilarious and make it worth watching.

Some playthroughs are really interesting though - Everybody's Gone To The Rapture, Until Dawn etc.

2rebecca · 17/10/2015 18:43

Agree there's a stand-up comedy element to Yogscast. Simon was really funny in the camping one. Just checked and it was the Don't starve challenge ep 1 which had no gaming in it just them pratting around going camping.

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 18:47

Jacob - I haven't seen the comics, no. I am a bit out of the loop with a lot of things these days!

Ah, Alien Isolation. Poo your pants in space! The cyborg things freaked me out way more than the alien though. Not the scariest game I have played. That accolade goes to Silent Hill. I honestly thought I might need professional help after that one!

I am a big Resi fan. Resident Evil 4 is on my list of best games of all time. It made me squeal like a proper girl! love the films too, they are a guilty pleasure!

Dead Space is a good series too. Cliched scares most of the time, but I love the claustrophic feel of the game. And when you know you have to go through a door, but I really don't want to!

Toria2014 · 17/10/2015 18:48

Is Until Dawn any good? Want to play it, but I am not into gore porn, so was hoping there wasn't too much in it.

TaliZorahVasNormandy · 17/10/2015 18:54

Until Dawn looks good but I know it will scare the shit out of me. I couldnt play Thief because it freaked me out.