I also play Racquetball (Actually, I don't. I was just acknowledging Catatonic's comment.)
Hey Matt - I honestly do not consider gaming to be a hobby. I do believe that the work a gamer puts into an MMO or something like Diablo II (a game in which I logged quite a bit of time several years ago) to create an item, customize a character, adds a bit of uniqueness to the game. It adds a way for players to distinguish themselves by using their creativity to build user-based content. What would some other examples of hobby-like gaming be? Creating Mii characters on your Wii? Those can certainly be creative. What about building levels and scenarios in something like Little Big Planet? That entire game is based on user-made content. Does the gameplay and creativity involved in Little Big Planet make a LBPer one that has a hobby?
What defines a hobby? It is simply a continuous pursuit of an art/craft? Does it have to be acknowledged by the masses as a hobby to be considered a hobby?
When people ask me what my hobbies are, I typically answer things like "I collect toys, rebuild arcade machines, modify game consoles (i.e. other electronic projects), build model kits, continue to build and improve my home theater, etc..." I do not state that I play video games as I would actually file that under interests.
If watching sports isn't a hobby - if it is simply a form of entertainment - then is Fantasy Football a hobby because of one's involvement.
The user-created Wikipedia has much broader form of the definition of hobby (in fact, you are redirected to it if you type pastime). It mentions games (it shows some art of two guys playing cards). It also mentions reading as a hobby. What an interesting idea! While it takes absolutely no creativity to read, it does require the reader to be able to picture what is going on in his or her head. The greater the imagination of the reader, the more likely (imo) that reader is to enjoy something like a work of fiction.
So I suppose it does come down to what someone defines a hobby to be. Does it require creativity and something tangible in the end, or is it simply "an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation?" That is quite a large gap. My first hobby was doing artwork and building model cars. Since my definition of the word was founded on this, I suppose my opinion of the word sides closer to the creation of something tangible - or even a computer program - more than sides with that of a simple blanket term for one's interests.
I also play Racquetball (Actually, I don't. I was just acknowledging Catatonic's comment.)
Hey Matt - I honestly do not consider gaming to be a hobby. I do believe that the work a gamer puts into an MMO or something like Diablo II (a game in which I logged quite a bit of time several years ago) to create an item, customize a character, adds a bit of uniqueness to the game. It adds a way for players to distinguish themselves by using their creativity to build user-based content. What would some other examples of hobby-like gaming be? Creating Mii characters on your Wii? Those can certainly be creative. What about building levels and scenarios in something like Little Big Planet? That entire game is based on user-made content. Does the gameplay and creativity involved in Little Big Planet make a LBPer one that has a hobby?
What defines a hobby? It is simply a continuous pursuit of an art/craft? Does it have to be acknowledged by the masses as a hobby to be considered a hobby?
When people ask me what my hobbies are, I typically answer things like "I collect toys, rebuild arcade machines, modify game consoles (i.e. other electronic projects), build model kits, continue to build and improve my home theater, etc..." I do not state that I play video games as I would actually file that under interests.
If watching sports isn't a hobby - if it is simply a form of entertainment - then is Fantasy Football a hobby because of one's involvement.
The user-created Wikipedia has much broader form of the definition of hobby (in fact, you are redirected to it if you type pastime). It mentions games (it shows some art of two guys playing cards). It also mentions reading as a hobby. What an interesting idea! While it takes absolutely no creativity to read, it does require the reader to be able to picture what is going on in his or her head. The greater the imagination of the reader, the more likely (imo) that reader is to enjoy something like a work of fiction.
So I suppose it does come down to what someone defines a hobby to be. Does it require creativity and something tangible in the end, or is it simply "an activity or interest that is undertaken for pleasure or relaxation?" That is quite a large gap. My first hobby was doing artwork and building model cars. Since my definition of the word was founded on this, I suppose my opinion of the word sides closer to the creation of something tangible - or even a computer program - more than sides with that of a simple blanket term for one's interests.
Chris Kennedy, Editor
Location: Houston, Texas, USA
Email: chris@armchairarcade.com