Bitter Rivalry of the Week: Video Games vs. Work

/ bensbitterblog
So much of a better waste than science and medicine.

So much of a better waste than science and medicine.

Just like in the video games we play, there is a constant battle of my time between playing video games and doing some sort of work. When crossing the battlefield of time wasters, who will be King of the Hill?

The Battle of the Bad Back: My lower back is constantly hurting me. But what is the cause? Mostly the bad front, but what puts more strain on it? Working for 8 hours, I used to have to sit for hours doing complicated things like typing, and reading boring things on screens and answering things like phones, stupid questions and meeting requests. When playing video games, I can sit comfortably in nice chair, lay slightly down with a pillow, or wear comfortable things like sweats, that fit just perfectly, so which one wins the Battle of Bad Back?

The Battle of Productivity: At work, I was constantly being asked to do things that weren’t my job (except under the little stipulation of “other duties as assigned”), but really no one ever assigned them to me, so technically I should never have done them. Then there was attending meetings? Productive? Not so much. Unless, I was somehow learning something, or finding out new information for me to directly help a customer, this would fall under negative productivity, because work I was actually supposed to be doing was sitting undone, while I was listening to others drone on about something that would never help them or me. Video games productivity? Well, I am constantly learning new ways to problem solve, I am learning manual dexterity, and by constantly working at something, I gain achievements, and I am reaching to higher heights.

When asking the boss if you can leave early...

When asking the boss if you can leave early…

The Boss Battles: At every job, you have some sort of boss. Some person you work for 8 hours or more a day. You don’t get to choose who they are, and you don’t get to understand their personality before starting a job. A lot of times, the boss changes pretty soon after you start, creating a sort of false advertising. You spend your life either trying to suck up to this individual, or trying to avoid them. Trying to prove yourself to them, or rebelling against them while trying to keep your job. They have this power to make your life miserable and lots of times do. They hold the power of raises in their unsteady hands. In video games, you have the chance to confront them head to head. They are standing in your way. They have weak spots, and you can exploit them. And if you don’t, you often times die. But luckily in video games, you have the chance to respawn and learn more about the bosses. And get more power ups to help you defeat them. And when you beat them, you always get a crap ton of gold, and silver, treasures, maps, and even more power ups (ie a hefty raise).

So what do you guys think? Who wins the Bitter Battles? What ways does work win? What ways do video games win? What other ways do video games and work battle?

ARRRGGGHHHHH

Bitter Video Game Battle Ben

40 thoughts on “Bitter Rivalry of the Week: Video Games vs. Work”

    • Such a great motivation. I’m old school too. I remember playing Super Mario Bros. in the arcade. And then hoping and praying that I would be able to play it at home and my dreams coming true when the NES came out and my parents got it for me for Christmas. Still remember beating Bowser at the end for the first time.

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  4. Why not make playing video games your work? I hear it’s quite lucrative for some people. At COmic Con there’s also always a Game Corner with “gamer celebrities” who show you how to play well (aka they just show you had terrible you are).

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  5. Yeah, I feel ya on this. Many people say video games are a waste of time but I never feel as accomplished and productive as when I’m playing them. I can solve every villager’s problem and save the universe every time.

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      • So true. Work is more about looking productive. Argh, I remember finishing my work, doing other people’s work, then getting bored… picking up a stack of folders and just wandering around the building like I was doing something productive. I’m not sure why work makes everything as boring (“professional”) as possible. Surely they could spice things up and motivate people.

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  6. Work does not win. EVER. Video games, hands down. Or watching movies. Or reading a book. At least when I do those activities no one is bugging me to go to a pointless meeting or do other people’s work for them.

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  7. Well, seeing as Work = More Money, while Video Gaming = Less Money, that battle’s pretty much a no-brainer.
    The coolest part about work is being able to us my skills and talents to make a positive difference for other people. Also, all that hard work makes video games seem more fun and relaxing at the end of a productive day.

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  8. My husband was telling me there are YouTube channels of guys playing video games and they have such a huge following that they make six figures a year from all the advertising. Six figures a year to play video games. You should look into that.

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    • Oh yeah. I thought the link will land me to a certain page, turns out it landed me to google search console with a keyword “reality is broken”. Anyhow, I read the description at goodreads and I couldn’t agree more with Jane McGonigal. Well, our everyday life is already a battle and I believe each gamer knows it perfectly so I guess the book is written not only for gamers but most especially for those who aren’t playing games for them to understand people like us.

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      • Yeah, I ended up buying her book and listening to her TED talks and they are amazing. People really don’t understand why games are so amazing, and her research and talks about them makes games so much more than what people think they are.

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