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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 4909747" data-attributes="member: 59082">I don't see how the two equate. In my mind at least, young adult fiction sales rising does not equal video games not having a deleterious effect on imagination. They might have some relation but it is not a direct correspondence, at least no more than, say, something like this: "They say obesity is on the rise but people are eating 25% more carrots, so how can obesity be on the rise?"Actually, that's not what I'm saying, that people playing video games means they aren't reading. I work at a small private high school and the "king of the nerds" (his friends' term, not mine) last year was a voracious reader, who could down a 600-page fantasy novel in a night or two. Of course the problem with him at least is that he didn't retain anything, or at least anything of depth. And that's partly my point. He might be able to tell me what the general plot of the story was, but he could definitely not tell me about anything of depth or meaning.Atari 2600 was a very different beast than World of Warcraft is. But my guess is that Atari 2600 didn't satisfy your "imaginative urge," thus your interest in RPGs. I'm about your age and I didn't grow up with video games in the house, although I did occasionally go to the arcade (remember those?!). I also never got into video games, except for a few bouts with baseball simulators (although I always preferred the kind in which you managed a team). I'm probably in the minority, though.That's good to hear. And it may be that more young gamers are emerging than I thought. I certainly hope so! Last year at my very artsy school of about 100 high school students, there was a group of about five boys that were super into computer games/MMOs (others came in and played every once in awhile, but there were 4-5 hardcore gamers). There was another group of 3 or 4 who were playing a very intense D&D campaign. Surprisingly there was very little crossover. Some among the computer gamers tried to get a D&D game going but it soon fizzled and died. The D&D players went all year (and stole some of my dice, but that is another topic!).I know, this is pretty anecdotal. But it was interesting watching the different trajectories, as well as how their respective games impacted them. The D&D players were always very inspired about it, they would regale me with stories about the campaign and their characters (for better or worse). They also all tended to be healthy and basically socially active. The computer game players never really talked about their games, except with each other. The only time they would do anything other than gaming was when they would watch Anime. I eventually convinced them to come out into the lounge and play Magic: the Gathering. They also all tended towards the unhealthy side. Again, this could be seen as one small instance. But, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. I've observed other instances and there are some remarkably consistent trends along the lines of what I just described.I don't want to give the impression that I think video games are "The Devil" and that they should be completely disavowed. I just think they can be extremely addictive and should be played in moderation (if at all). So you're saying that stamp collecting is still a big hobby? That thousands upon thousands of teenage boys have albums at home where they insert their new and prized stamp? I have a hard time believe that. I'm not saying that it doesn't exist, but that it is a greying hobby (like RPGs--just a bit greyer!), and that whoever is buying collectible stamps is either using them to mail things with or has been buying stamps for eons.Again, that's not my point. My point is that if there was a bell curve of the age of model railroaders (or stamp collectors), the "bulge" would be a much older age group than RPGs, which would be older than video gamers. These "bulges" tend to age. I don't know what the median age for any of these groups is, but I'd guess it is over 50 for model railroading and stamp collecting, and over 30 for RPGs. I think RPGs saw three main "baby booms," one in the late 70s/early 80s with AD&D (the 35+ crowd), one in the early 90s with Vampire and Mage (the 25-35ish crowd), and one in the early 00s with 3E (the 15-25ish crowd). Is there another boom occuring with 4E? I don't know. Only time will tell.I hope so, too. But I'm wondering if there will be any young players.All of which doesn't go against my viewpoint, partially because just about everything you mention tends towards the derivative and simulative. On one hand I hear your point: video games have inspired an enormous amount of fan art, fan fiction, and other "creative" activities. But again, how deep does it go? A computer generated picture of one's computer game character...is that art? I suppose on some level. And I do appreciate that technology has allowed anyone who wants to produce art of various kinds (I am not a luddite by any means of the imagination). I am just wondering what sort of dumbing down effect this might be having. It might be as harmless as what happened with the OGL when the RPG market was flooded with lousy products. And to that I would say, so what? More power to someone if they want to create something, no matter how good or bad it is. On the other hand, I am wondering if this capacity for everything to create some kind of art easily is in any way prohibiting greater creativity and depth. Quantity vs. quality. Sure, MMOs allow people to play in a fantasy landscape, but one that is simulative, and one that is basically soul-less. To put it another way, if someone creates fan art around a video game, are they also capable of creating art of their own making? And that is not derivative of their MMO of choice? In other words, are MMOs "filling up" peoples' imaginations so that they aren't able to create anything of their own? That might be a bit extreme but I think in extreme cases that is what happens, and that the general trend is in that direction. I hope I'm wrong.</blockquote>

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