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.

Having had a senior politician for an in-law, you are out of your mind if you think they have the spare time for anything other than sleeping. Between meetings, networking events, telephone calls and travel my ex-FIL was lucky to get 5 hours of sleep a day, and every single family event was attended by members of his office to talk shop so that nothing fell through any cracks. The idea that a minister could a) sit themselves down for hours at a time to play video games and b) not be absolutely crucified for it in the press if it ever leaked is laughable.

I can’t really see Boris breaking off from his prime minister and newborn baby duties for a game of Animal Crossing or Simpsons Hit & Run.

Video game are for absolute wasters and knuckle-draggers. The ideal way to piss your life away.

Video game are for absolute wasters and knuckle-draggers. The ideal way to piss your life away

Why is this an acceptable thing to say? Why does playing video games attract people saying you are obviously a "waster and knuckle-dragger" where other hobbies don't? The same opinions wouldn't be voiced about bell ringers, or people who garden, like cross-stitch, go fishing, or are interested in Morris dancing.

It's just a hobby. Why the scorn and disdain?

"Video game are for absolute wasters and knuckle-draggers. The ideal way to piss your life away."

🎣🎣🎣🎣

Myself and my DP are bother late twenties/early 30s.

He is a big gamer, I am not.

We both work in strategy for a large financial services firm (different departments). He is more senior than me but has been in the job several years longer.

There is absolutely no way I think I’m lacking imagination from not having gamed. I would like to think I have gained a great deal of tenacity and “outside the box” thinking from having a disability that I need to work around on a daily basis.

I would say that the biggest benefit DP gets from gaming is socialising with people online. He’s met some of his closest friends there and has been able to continue this during lockdown. I have missed out on seeing friends as we would usually meet in a pub/restaurant! And no, it’s not the kind of socialising that helps at work... it’s lads banter!

I also bet LOADS of them in the HoC are playing candy crush or angry birds on their phones during a particularly boring debate.

Am feeling a bit better about allowing my 10 year old ds play GTA now.

I'm not sure I agree about your theory on politicians, OP, especially around cooperation as only a subset of gamers play online games (and LAN parties etc in days of yore). But you're braver than I am, MN does hate gamers after all!

Video game are for absolute wasters and knuckle-draggers. The ideal way to piss your life away.

Whereas as true intellectuals and upstanding members of society chat shit on MN all day.

I’m a millennial. There’s nothing you can learn from a video game that you couldn’t learn better and faster somewhere else. I’ve wasted a lot of time on video games, I can’t say I’ve learned a lot about anything. Certainly many are counterproductive to teaching strategy because they are so limited. People who claim to have learned ‘strategy’ fro games whether they’re video games or something like chess tend to be pretty crap at it outside the game. I guess part of it down to over familiarity. I’m very proficient in certain card games out of unconscious familiarity with that particular game, I find myself winning without realising what I’m doing the way most people get from a to b without concentrating on walking. I can’t say it’s particularly useful in day to day life, it would be downright detrimental if I thought that I had good strategising skills and didn’t need to learn.

People who claim to have learned ‘strategy’ fro games whether they’re video games or something like chess tend to be pretty crap at it outside the game

This is something I've read somewhere else, as people tried to make the argument that because they were good at chess they would be good at business strategy and whatever studies it cited revealed that, no, actually you're just good at chess and have no advantage over anyone else in business strategy. Irritatingly I can't remember which book I read it in, so feel free to take it with an enormous pinch of salt.

I am glad for gaming during lockdown because it means DS2 can have contact with his mates from all over the place.

Why are women so averse to video games?

Because they are a huge time drain, and most women have far too much to do.
I have been gaming since 1983, all my family including 85yo father and 78yo MIL game, but since having children... nope.
It's great fun, but oops- wtf, it's 4:37am? civilization accidents can't happen when you have small children and a FT job.

Politicians do not have time- they barely sleep some of them.

Gaming is the new pot smoking.

The gamers I’ve known have been the least resilient people I’ve met. Cannot handle real life conflict maturely. Much like the weed smokers of the 70s and 80s.

@Mucklowe

Where as posting insulting bullshit on mumsnet is always productive.

Gaming is the new pot smoking 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

You do know games were around in the 70s and 80s, right?

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

And there's a very good reason for that.

Still, this thread has whiled away a few minutes while I wait for my tea to cool so thank you, OP.

There’s the TikTok thing where people walk up to their other half naked while they are gaming (mainly in the US). Loads of it on YouTube.
I was shocked at how old the men were -a lot sat there with their hoods up with huge gaming screen set ups. Takes them ages to look away from the screen, and even then they don’t seem fussed. ☹️
Disclaimer-totally realise TikTok is evil and not always as it seems.

To be fair I could picture Boris playing civilization

If he did play Animal Crossing he could get the bus into town and get his hair cut.

If its on Tik Tok it must be true

I don't know that but there is a lack of imagination that makes me wonder if they do much that is creative and interactive in their spare time - not just games.

I once heard a commentator point out that no politician in today’s 24 hour news culture could have an interest outside politics, unlike politicians in the past. It’s not just the workload of an MP, it’s all the effort they have to make to be selected. I am sure some do like gaming but they dare not admit it. Remember all the grief David Cameron got for playing Angry Birds and Crush Candy?

Hence the disclaimer @Sonichu but there’s no doubting the ones sat there with three screens.

It's great fun, but oops- wtf, it's 4:37am? civilization accidents can't happen when you have small children and a FT job.

But it's self-discipline, isn't it? Save, switch off, go to bed. It'll still be there tomorrow. Just the same as why we don't stay up all night watching Netflix box sets or finishing a 5000 piece jigsaw - you can still do all those things, but know when it's time to switch off.