Gaming isn't immature, dood.

[Angelus-Mortis]

I agree, they are missing out.

Using video games as a means of learning a new language (in this case, German), even if indirectly, is both fun and to me, highly successful. I've even gotten people thinking I went to Germany when I've never even been there yet.

Admittedly, Terranigma in German was one of the easiest games from which to get new words and understand grammar construction. I think it was a combination of not being too wordy, and not being too abstract.

[Fazermint]

Video games are fine as hobbies. They're fine even if they're violent because we all know video games aren't real.

This. Anyone that is unable to distinguish between games and reality are just dumb, there isn't any more to it.

In one of the super awesome [insert more sarcasm] dinner chats with the family of my girlfriend, the topic stranded on games again. My gf's dad said he played a game once, and became addicted to it and thought it was real. Sir, I can't help you're that stupid... Seriously, does it require that much brain power to tell yourself it's a game?

[Angelus-Mortis]

Well, with consoles like the PS3, it's actually much easier to delude yourself into thinking the video game might be real than a decade ago; who'd imagine a blocky, pixely 8-bit Link would be real? But that's usually just a flitting moment; I think most people can pull themselves back into reality after having experienced the cool textures and the realistic looking polygons on the PS3. I suppose having grown up around 16-bit and 8-bit consoles does help a bit.

The only exception to this are young children. And that's why parents should pay more attention to what their children are doing instead of blaming video game companies for producing violent games. Don't put the blame on an industry because you have no responsibility as a parent.