That no senior politician plays video games and it is one of the reasons they suck.

[JohnMcCainsDeathStare]

Something that has made me think and this is almost certainly a generational thing since Millenials and younger Gen Xers have grown up with them is that I bet most politicians don't play video game or indeed know what they are.

I think they are very important, they help problem-solving and thinking on your own, that is the simple ones like Pacman and Mario Bros. Not to mention strategy and First Person Shooters helping with tactings and in some case, working with other people. (I miss LAN parties and the huge rucks we'd have playing WarCraft 3).

But also the classics like Civilization and Alpha Centuri - remarkably sophisticated games that actually have you care about the outcome and your people, even if they are defined by lines of code. There are still quotes for Alpha Century that hit me in the feels. Not to mention a good Role Playing Game - Zelda still a good one after 30 years.

So what I'm saying is that a lack of playfullness and a lack of gaming makes politicians that are bad at being humans and bad at empathy? Unless it is mindgames shit gaming that totally sucks and is no fun at all unless you are a garbage human?

PS I know this should be in Gaming but you could stow a corpse in there and no-one would know for a week.

@TheQueef Pffft...Resto Druid!? My ret pally will sort all this shit out! :D

@AnduinsGirl Nice to see another gamer. Why do people think I lived in a bubble and ONLY played video games? I live in the real world too.

I remind my boys when they get upset that we had to play videogames in one go - save points few and far between and sometimes non-existant. But I remember making notes when playing Zelda 3 and Outpost too.

Plus the world in SimLIfe I ran overnight and found it populated by flying snails and ferns.

Millennial here. Not a clue what you’re talking about. I haven’t picked up a controller since I was 12 years old but manage to solve almost every problem. I find the gamers I have come into contact with to generally be underachievers.

Sorry but no......I can't see the link at all. Are you really suggesting that politicians lack playfulness, empathy and problem solving skills because they don't play computer games?

I've never played computer games yet I've done managed to develop all of those skills and qualities. Personally, I'd prefer a politician who was well read. Reading widely is far more effective in developing empathy and understanding of people, places and cultures.

The only two people I know who play computer games do it to avoid people, have little empathy and haven't read a book since school.

Don't know where the extra 'done' came from 🤷

I don't play video games, never have.

Oh sorry I played crash bandicoot and sonic as a kid ..

I'm still a fairly well adjusted individual.

My ex however, who played games religiously was the laziest, dirtiest, most dickish human ever. Sooo....

@Chiyo666 is exactly right.

I’m married to a politician. My kids often laugh about how crazy daddy is at home compared to when he’s being an MP in public.

He’s not a gamer. Some MPs are. The more senior politicians are fairly busy a lot of the time...

Maybe every member of the cabinet should be sent a copy of Theme Hospital to see if it improves their pandemic response.

@JohnMcCainsDeathStare Haha, I used to make notes too!
What gets me about gaming from 20/25 years ago is the bloody resilience it took. A lot of kids in my school love gaming, but they tell me they just sit there with youtube open watching someone playing, and copy that! Takes away all the problem solving. Early in my teaching career, I actually did a unit of English work based around Myst, as it's so atmospheric and beautiful. The kids adored it.

Makes me laugh that some people are snobbish about gaming but will happily ‘call out’ people who are snobbish about, say, reality TV.

It's helped me connect with other people and build my imagination.

Most people connect with other people by, y'know, actually talking to and doing things with other people - they don't have to go online to do so. You can build your imagination in so many ways, books being the prime example.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Er.......... no

YABVFU OP

It would be interesting to find out that Boris Johnson grew up on Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em or that Diane Abbott was a RapeLay fanatic, but I fail to see that either would be a better person or politician for it.

So, OP you want politicians that talk total bollocks like

Unless it is mindgames shit gaming that totally sucks and is no fun at all unless you are a garbage human?

A garbage human?

How do you know they don’t play ?

What a strange post. I have never played video games and I certainly don't "suck"!

Yup. I remind my boys that when I was girl there were no walkthroughs or long-plays to refer to. There might be someone else who had played the game but that would be up to them.

Also remember when you bought a game it was a full game and not just a key to buy more DLC...

So what I'm saying is that a lack of playfullness and a lack of gaming makes politicians that are bad at being humans and bad at empathy

😂😂😂 What the actual fuck!!!

I think I had a go of my brother's sonic and crash bandicoot way back, and yes, I think that's where my empathy for others came from. Not from just living my normal life with friends and family.

My husband does play on his ps4, not every night or anything, but when he does play on it, he turns into an angry twat when he is stuck on levels. He is a rational human being in all other ways. So go figure.

Your theory is absolute bollocks, but it did give me a laugh so nice one for that 😂😂😂

I also remember doing LARP when my not-yet-DH got some heat by incorporating StarCraft into the LARP as part of the plot. Still it was fun to play even if it was cheesy!

I’m the same age as Boris and I’ve been a gamer since early 80’s. Currently levelling characters for Shadowlands. There are lots of older gamers. I bet Boris plays too!

In terms of mindgames - it's when you play mindgames on people rather than either telling them what they need to know or simply being a shit to them 'cause you don't like them, rather than avoiding them if possble.

Been on the recieving end of that shit too many time of the 'Did you not know the arrangement of mugs was a sign of my torment'. type bullshit.

What I want are politicians who can remember that their purpose is to run the country first and personal interests a long way second. Also to tell people what they need to know and....if they don't know something say........I DON'T KNOW!

Why those three words are so hard to say is a mystery to me since that's practically my ground state.

Thing is, at least people are discussing it - perhaps maybe pick up a controller and check it out (although EA and others appear to have a war against local multiplayer because they do ACTUALLY suck)

BA ha ha ha ha ha ha! Excellent joke OP, I needed a laugh this morning.

Also, try to not use buzzfeed-esque nonsense phrases such as 'bad at being humans' if you want anyone to take your line of argument seriously. Human is a species category. The only way to be bad at it would be by being a centaur.

(Millennial here, just one with a firm grasp of the English language and a less egocentric view of the world.)

Goodness me, how on earth did all the great military tacticians - Saladin, Caesar, Rommel etc. win those battles and wars; and those great leaders, masters of diplomacy make all the changes, deals, negotiations and treaties before the age of the computer game? 🤔 In fact, there are games based on quite a few of the military leaders.

I love the sheer scale and brilliance of some of the games I’ve seen DS play: GTA5, COD etc., and love a good, artistically beautiful problem solving or adventure game myself: Room, Riven, Myst ... but I don’t for one minute think they’ve done anything to improve us other than keep us entertained.

There are lots of older gamers.

Indeed, i'm mid-40s and play regularly online with my teen. His friends think it's very cool that his mum plays fallout and red dead!