Stop Wasting Your Time

Recently there was a big ol' foofaraw (to make a big deal over something insignificant) over the game of Flappy Bird. It's a mobile game that got people really upset because it was really difficult. Similar to Super Meat Boy, it's difficulty is met with its ease of access. However, Super Meat Boy is lightyears ahead of Flappy Bird in every aspect. Super Meat Boy has time put into it, and has care, effort invested into it. The big deal behind Flappy Bird, is that it was so addicting to the masses and their smart phones, that it was taken down from the app store on iOS devices, never to be downloaded again. While there is indeed a big story there, the fact of the matter is, that everyone was just wasting their time over a game on their phones.

I don't have any mobile games on my phone. Maybe that might be a bad thing, as I tend to waste a lot of time sharing dumb pictures on Facebook. However, the whole intention of mobile phone apps, whether games or no, is to waste time. Usually they are played on the bus, or train, or while waiting on something, but they are not meant to have as much hours put into them as they have. There are better ways to spend your time. I'm not saying that you should put down your phone and start making art, or doing something productive like that. I'm saying that there is a lot more out there than the small and simple games that exist on your phone.

Handheld gaming has been around for a good while, and it has made some great strides to get to where it is today. The difference between mobile gaming and handheld, besides having buttons, is that handheld games are designed to be a fun experience. Most, if not all, mobile games are designed to help pass the time. Mobile games intentionally waste your time! This is an atrocity! Handheld games are meant to be a fun, and fulfilling experience. I'm not saying that because handheld games were made by teams of people that they are in fact better. There are plenty of games that are developed by one to two people, and they can be quite enjoyable. However, the design principles on which mobile games are built, are a waste of time.

There are many games out there for both handheld and mobile platforms, but which ones are really worth your time? Games can be a wholesome experience, that you feel as though something has been gained from playing it. Video games have evolved to become something much more than what they used to be. They are no longer a way to occupy your time, or babysit for you (nor should they have ever been). Games have story, and character, and themes, and music, and all the elements to be a true work of art.

Stop spending your time, and money, on these games that are intentionally designed to waste your time with these hollow experiences. Instead, play something that you can feel better about yourself for playing. Pick up an old game, or a new one, but play a game that has time and effort put into it, and have an experience, rather than letting others pass you by. Time is our most precious commodity, and all too often we waste it with our instant gratification of "social" interaction on our networking sites, or even just watching videos of other people playing video games that you yourself could be playing. Spend your time wisely, it's the most important thing you own.