Games are a waste of time. Right?

I spend a lot of time thinking about odd things, which sometimes is sufficient to get me blocked on something without any real reason – except that I thought about it too much.

Games, for example.

So I have this iPhone thingy. And I have a Mac thingy, plus an internet thingy. Sometimes I visit my Facebook thingy, but usually that’s just when I want to know what Cliff from third grade is having for dinner tonight.

Brisket. Mmmmboy. Maybe I’ll just shut up about the vegan thing for one night and comment because he has a handsome family who happens to enjoy beef. That’s nice.

If you’ve spent any time on Facebook (or Twitter), you’ve probably heard of Farmville and Mafia Wars. Ow, my head. Stop. No, really. If I hear once more about how much digital produce you’ve grown while on the phone with your boss, I’m gonna get seriously cranky. Er. Crankier.

Hey, I’m not above sin in the world of pointless games. As a young lad, my weekend existence consisted of stealing the change off my dad’s dresser so I could sneak across the road (“Don’t let me catch you crossing that road!”) and play hours of video games at 7-Eleven.

He did say don’t let me catch you – not don’t do it. Right?

When our family first plugged that Atari 2600 into the TV (we got cable the same year), I spent my waking hours in one of three places: School (thinking about TV), in front of the TV, and slightly left of the TV. I admit, there were times I was in the dining room craning my neck to see the TV, but mostly it was those three main locations.

When I got older, I started creating content for the TV, which took over my life, too – just in a more productive way. Suddenly at almost-forty, I find myself looking down upon video games from the lofty position of [Booming god-like voice] “I AM CREATORPANTS” instead of, “Dude, Fun. Check it out.”

Kind of sad. Kind of okay. Kind of hypocritical when you think about how much time I spend bent over my iPhone answering e-mails and having conversations at the Twitter bar.

So I don’t own a TV but I’m not immune to similar distractions. And, even though I place it all neatly under the category “Big Business Creatorpants,” it’s still just games.

Games.

Words. Words? Words.

When I saw Words with Friends mentions popping up in the Twitter bar (Havi’s term, and please read this post because it’s dead on), I groaned and shut it out (see Rantypants above). Another way to waste my time.

Sparky Crankypants says (in super-official Dad voice), “Games are a waste of time.”

Then the holidays came and I was consciously taking a break from work (well, sorta). We played Scrabble at home one night and I kind of missed getting my head into something that wasn’t The Business. So when I was lazing about (well, sorta) one night I tried it out. I got hooked immediately and still play a few games of Words just about every day.

So why this game and not Farmville or Mafia Wars or Pac-Man for the iPhone? I’ve never played Farmville, so how can I judge? I have no logical answer for this, except that most of the people I notice playing it really hate their jobs and spend most of Monday through Friday in apparent agony (TGIF!). I don’t blame them for feeling that way (I’m sure they’re justified in hating their jobs). I just don’t want to feel that again, so I’ve steered clear.

It’s possible that Farmville and Mafia Wars players have sound reasons for getting sucked into those worlds. I’m not a psychiatrist, I just think about stuff. Obviously.

So, because I’m also a total geek about my business,* I had to think of a way this fit into my plans for global domination.

*Read: “because I needed a justification for this post”

Why Words with Friends is not a waste of time. For me.

Words is people

When you play a game with someone, you get to know them better. This is kind of like Twitter, but competing in a simple game opens you up to the other person in ways you can’t disguise. You can compose a very thoughtful tweet and sound like a genius, but if you play a terrible game of Words, there’s no hiding (or at least you can joke about being unlucky, which makes you irresistibly genuine).

Words is a waker-upper

When I play Words, I get sucked out of my World of Running a Business and into real life. It’s similar to what happens when my 2-year old starts telling me stories about how he jumps his motorcycle over the house. Oh. Life. Happening now. Right. Here I am!

Words is an edumacator

I learn new words. Like Qi. See, I thought Qi was spelled, “Chi,” which it is in some places but “Qi” in others. Qi is a lot of points when you don’t have a “u.” There’s another one, but it’s my secret weapon so I’m not gonna tell you. Anyway, I’m learning new words at 39. It sounds goofy, but I like getting smarter. I’m sure I can use this in my design somewhere. I’ll let you know when i figure that out.

Games are awesome

Games are awesome again. Because I decided they are (“I’m the Decider!”).

So I’m not going to berate anyone for playing Farmville or Mafia Wars anymore. I’m not going to play them (please don’t send me invites please don’t send me invites, please don’t…), but I’ll shut up about it.

Time to go play my other favorite game, Quarterly Taxes. It’s not as fun as Words with Friends, but it keeps me out of jail. Which is, of course… part of the game.

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