Fantasy Video Games – Distraction or Inspiration?

Getting all involved in playing video games would definitely take me away from my writing. My mind needs to focus on the task at hand, and once I get into the mind of a character, I need to stay in that frame of mind. 

Video games can render people immune to entertainment that doesn't require them to sit on the edges of their seats and get thrill after thrill. While they may inspire, they can also distract their players from really important things in life.

Nice article :-) thanks. I played Lord of the Rings Online for a long while, but not during a period in my life when writing was a feature, so I did not tend to have that eye for the little bits of inspiration the game could have given. There are certainly many elements in the game that could do. It is now pretty huge after over five years expansion. I think there is a danger that these highly addictive games will rob us of time. As writers who aspire to be published we need to devote ALOT of time into two things...writing (500 words a day is my current goal and I am not there yet) and reading other authors stories, one of the best ways to get insight into creative writing. Many hours gaming is many hours not doing the above two things. However, as your article reveals Antonio, the gaming worlds and storylines themselves can provide ideas and material, so I guess we can trade off some of those hours we should be reading :) hmmm...now what was my login password ??

Well, for some reason, I've never been interested in this kind of thing, so wasting time on it has never been a problem for me. I can imagine that such games might be fun, even though I can't really relate to them too well, but I believe that people who spent plenty of time sitting down, writing (and reading) might be better served with doing something that "grounds them in realitly" in between. For me, cooking, working in the garden, or taking walks all work quite well. ;) If the rest of free time is used for something fantasy-related as well, I do see the danger of losing contact to reality (and suffer from a lack of physical exercise.) But that's just my opinion, everyone should do as they please.

Well for me playing games does help with inspiration. I perfer Final Fantasy and Suikoden.....I also enjoy a game series Persona. I don't see it was wasting time expecially if you are stuck or in a slump. Doing missions or killing bad guys helps a great deal. If I don't feel like playing a video game and I'm stuck I watch my sister play, listen to music, watch movies, talk to friends that are writers as well, all sorts of things. My problem with writing doesn't tend to be playing games instead of writing, its getting started and keep going. I am currently attempt NaNoWriMo this month and at this point it doesn't look like I'll meet the requirements at the end....but I'm gonna try.

I find video games to be both inspiring and stress relieving. I also partake in table-top gaming, such as White Wolf, D&D, and Shadowrun, which I feel can serve a similar purpose.  For sheet epic-osity, I think Morrowind and  Baldur's Gate II (including Throne of Baal), should be considered.  They both contain sprawling worlds, excellent story-lines, and memorable characters.  Although I think there may be a degree of danger to allowing these things to overtake your lives, I have run in to the same problem with books.  However, I find myself admiring the beautiful scenery painted in some of these games and wanting to incorporate more detail into my writing and story telling (but not as much as your mention in your "5 Keys to Crap-tastic Writing" article). I'm reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis about "sin," in which he said that not everything that can lead to sin is sinful, but for "weaker" people, they should avoid these activities, while others should be free to explore or indulge in these things as long as they don't become a problem.  Therefore, if video games are a distraction, avoid them...if they are inspiration, partake.  This may be obvious, but I feel worth noting. 

Awesome article!  I find personally that some RPGs sort of serve the same purpose as reading books.  If you are reading a lot and getting tons of story, it's about the same as reading, which most writers will say, is his or her main source of inspiration.  I think any new media that helps people read can be a good thing.  Personally, I like more open-ended games such as the Elder Scrolls games or Fallout, in which you can travel around and guide your own destiny.  Sometimes I've even included characters I've created in games in some of my stories.  So I think it's a good way to not only get future ideas but also the perfect way to unwind in between writing sessions.

I started reading this article, but then I found myself playing Skyrim some more. Nice website by the way - I enjoy the articles.

Morrowind was my inspiration when I was 13 years old. Haven't looked back since, and since I finished my first draft a month or so ago, my "break" has been in Skyrim.

I have to say that I am torn in my opinion whether video games are a help or a hinderance to writing... or at least the writing lifestyle.  I confess that I am an avid gamer; bound to Guild Wars, World of Warcraft and the Elder Scroll games for Xbox 360.  I have also been a long time roleplay gamer since my early 20s.  All of these I have spent many an hour finding inspirational themes and encounters and great entertainment.  And now in my early 40s, I find that I have barely written anything and barely fulfilled any of my own dreams of fantasy writing!!  Thus, I have a love/hate relationship going here and I agree with Lawrence above that a delicate balance has to be made and walked and a focus on what you will make you truly happy... Wow, I sounded just like my dad there!  I am getting so damn old!!!