I’ve always had trouble explaining to friends and family why I invest so much time playing video games. Most people who don’t play games see it as a waste of time. I can spend hours in front of the television, procrastinating, trying to beat a level or solve a puzzle that really has no direct benefit to me other than the short satisfaction of accomplishing an arbitrary goal set by a developer I’ve never met on the other side of the country. But in spite of the obvious detriments, I’ve always felt that video games can have positive effects. Studies have shown that physicians who play video games make better surgeons, while giving a child a Game Boy before surgery is a great way to relieve stress and calm nerves. Video games have always been a social activity for me, getting friends together on weekends for late-night sessions of Goldeneye, Mario Kart, or Super Smash Bros.
I originally intended on giving this site a positive perspective on video games. I haven’t followed through on that goal as much as I’d like. I also wanted to use this blog to keep in touch with friends and let them know what I’ve been up to. To that end, I asked my fiance to buy me a present for my 25th birthday last week. It sold out too quickly, and we stood in line this morning to finally nab a copy of Wii Fit. I tried it out for about 30 minutes this afternoon before my daily run, and decided that the only way I’d stick to using it is to force myself to log my progress. There are probably countless Wii Fit blogs that will be springing up in the window following its release last week. IGN’s WiiGetFit is a great example. But while those sites maintain their blogs to increase traffic or promote Nintendo’s newest consumer craze, I intend to post (hopefully) daily updates as a way to keep myself on track. I’ll post daily statistics, impressions of the Wii Fit features, personal notes, etc. I’m also keeping track of my running using an iPod nano and Nike+. Nike+ is a great tool that you attach to the dock connector on your iPod. It serves as a pedometer and keeps track of your distance, speed, calories burned, etc. I’ll add that info to these posts as well.
I know that the common perception of game players is that they’re lazy and lack motivation. I’ve certainly had my share of wasted afternoons. And, unfortunately, I think those lazy days are starting to show. At roughly 195lbs, I think I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. My weight has fluctuated somewhat, but with a desk job and even less activity than usual, I’m dangerously close to becoming eligible to participate in my own research on obesity. If anything can motivate me to lose the weight, it’ll be to prove to myself and my family that video games are well worth the time spent.
