A Bunch of Pixels

[Greenskull]

You know what bugs me? When people say things like "Why would you go through all this trouble for a bunch of pixels?"

Prime example: armour in Halo. I've heard countless people state that you aren't very smart if you seek after such a thing. This also applies to any other unlockables in a game, even achievements.

This is where I get ticked off. How is getting an award in a video game any different than getting an award for, say, a sport? Sports are hobbies. Gaming is a hobby. If you accomplish something at your hobby of choice then you've done something to make yourself truly happy. You display your "trophy" proudly on a "shelf".

I can understand people not caring about such things, but that doesn't give them to right to put other people down for caring. If I got an award at something that isn't my main hobby, let's use school as an example, I don't really care. It's a "whatever" kind of thing. But there are people out there who DO care A LOT. In gaming, I am one of those people.

When I got recon in Halo 3 before it became available to the general public I was ecstatic. I accomplished the toughest thing you could accomplish. I gained a trophy that not many others had. It's like climbing Mt. Everest. If you were one of the people who did that you'd feel great. There are countless people who have tried and failed. There are few who have actually performed such a feat. That's how I felt when I rocked my Recon in matchmaking.

Just as a little bit of a tangent here, this also applies to avatar clothing. There are quite a few people on these forums who are apposed to spending money on "a bunch of pixels." You know what? If I want to dress my virtual self in fancy threads I will do just that. Nobody has a right to tell me otherwise.

So that was my little rant. I'm sure many of you achievement hunters and completionists know exactly how I feel.

- Greenskull

[PredArtagnan]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.

[Greenskull]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.
well said

[RUL Horizontal]

It mostly has to do with what others can physically see you've accomplished... If you actually climbed Mt. Everest, you would be famous in real life because you did something in real life. In the gaming world, you would be famous in the gaming world, like your fame in matchmaking with your recon armor.

It's mostly just what your friends see and understand themselves, if they played the game themselves, they would understand.

Also playing video games is 'lazy' to a lot of people, especially the ones who've accomplished things.

[Juxtapose]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.

The house, the car, etc. are assets and investments that contribute to your overall financial portfolio and are part of what will allow you to provide for your family.

Alcohol and clubs, though I'm not a huge fan of clubs myself, have a strong potential for opening up interactions with the opposite sex. And I'm talking about more than intercourse.

If you're seriously comparing avatar clothes to a house, car, etc. it simply tells me you have yet to truly learn and truly appreciate the value of money.

[Greenskull]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.

The house, the car, etc. are assets and investments that contribute to your overall financial portfolio and are part of what will allow you to provide for your family.

Alcohol and clubs, though I'm not a huge fan of clubs myself, have a strong potential for opening up interactions with the opposite sex. And I'm talking about more than intercourse.

If you're seriously comparing avatar clothes to a house, car, etc. it simply tells me you have yet to truly learn and truly appreciate the value of money.My arguement is made clear right there. Money doesn't buy happiness. You are obvously a person that values money. I used to think I did, but I don't. I don't care about investments or anything of the sort. I want to be happy in my gaming world. I want to have "assets" in games as apposed to real life. I value my gaming awards just as you value money.

[Harflin]

Win thread is win

[Nova102]

Win rant is win

Fix'd

[Juxtapose]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.

The house, the car, etc. are assets and investments that contribute to your overall financial portfolio and are part of what will allow you to provide for your family.

Alcohol and clubs, though I'm not a huge fan of clubs myself, have a strong potential for opening up interactions with the opposite sex. And I'm talking about more than intercourse.

If you're seriously comparing avatar clothes to a house, car, etc. it simply tells me you have yet to truly learn and truly appreciate the value of money.My arguement is made clear right there. Money doesn't buy happiness. You are obvously a person that values money. I used to think I did, but I don't. I don't care about investments or anything of the sort. I want to be happy in my gaming world. I want to have "assets" in games as apposed to real life. I value my gaming awards just as you value money.

No dude, money doesn't buy happiness, it contributes towards the essentials of life that provides happiness, security, and peace of mind.

You've never had to pay a mortgage payment, or worry about having food on the table, or worry about loosing your job because of the drastic effects that will have on your kids. Hell, I haven't even had to worry about that last one yet, but someday I probably will.

And in times like those, you _will_ care about your investments, as they'll be able to support you when you need them. Your recon armour, as cool as it is, won't.

There is nothing wrong at all with gaming awards. I enjoy earning them, I love collecting Achievements, but to say that they're more valuable than a home is nothing but naivete.

I understand where you're coming from, and the basis of your, and the others, arguments, but you've taken it to very unrealistic proportions.

Don't believe me. Go and ask Sinnix. I recently read about the troubles he had last fall with his job loss. It sounded quite terrifying, and no amount of avatar clothes could help him then.

[Greenskull]

I agree that all of that stuff is important, I'm just ranting about people saying that my choices are wrong. There is nothing wrong with spending money on what I want or being proud of what I want.

[Juxtapose]

I agree that all of that stuff is important, I'm just ranting about people saying that my choices are wrong. There is nothing wrong with spending money on what I want or being proud of what I want.

You're correct there. Your choices are your own, no one elses. There will always be people though who tell you they disagree with you, some much more strongly worded than others. That's life, and learning how to deal with those people is a part of adulthood.

A forum example: You know well enough that I tend not to get along with Legend of Myth. Nice enough guy, but he's often rubbed me the wrong way. You'll also have noted that instead of butting heads with him for dozens of posts through a thread, I usually walk away. That isn't always easy, but it's the mature and responsible way to handle someone whom I strongly disagree with. At least on the interwebz.

In the real world you don't always get to walk away, and it gets even more difficult when that person truly has power over you, like a boss or another high ranking exec. Those are situations you haven't had yet to deal with, but you will, and you'll learn and do just fine.

Back to gaming items though: Achievements and in-game rewards = yes. Avatar clothing at premium cost. Well, we all know what I think of that.

But then again, you don't have to agree with me there, now do you :D.

[Greenskull]

Well-said. Legend rubs me wrong too. He used to be a big part of RUL, until his countless promises turned out to be lies.

[Juxtapose]

Well-said. Legend rubs me wrong too. He used to be a big part of RUL, until his countless promises turned out to be lies.

Yeah, I saw he was a founding member, which surprised me 'cause I never see him around here. Now I know why.

[SMG90]

Everything is valueless until an individual gives it value.

What is a trophy anyway, but something that serves little or no functional purpose other than to remind the owner of past accomplishments, of places visited, of family and friends who have gone.

To me Recon was valueless (until Green got it and I felt slightly envious). I treasure all that I earn as symbols of my struggles and hard work. I like achievements, but I do not value them to much.

The problem with spending money on certain things is that while they can provide you with immense satisfaction, you must be aware of your financial situation. If you are in dire straights of whatever, you need to learn to prioritize.

That is why, I find Avatar clothing pointless. I am not all that rich and as a result I'd rather spend my hard earned money on something I personally see as more functional.

[i ic3 c01d i]

People waste money all the time whether it be on fast food, entertainment (especially going out to the movies), and buying expensive clothes when you could be shopping at Walmart. Just saying.

So if you choose to spend a lil bit of money on avatar items then so be it. There's nothing wrong with it at all because in all honesty, the items really don't cost much money compared to a "value" meal at wendys (which usually runs around 6 to 7 bucks!! :O.)

People are proud of many things like their sound systems in their cars, rednecks are proud of their loud trucks, Pred is proud of his funky chicken dance in spartan armor, etc etc. lol. Everyone has something to be proud of and there will be other people that will turn their cheek and scoff.

It's all a matter of opinion and noone should judge what other people are proud of considering everyone has something they are proud of as well. That's why I let people know straight up that I don't care what they think about what I do cause it's what I like.

For instance, people always give me strife because I love competitive halo games. They say I'm "obsessed" with it, but ya know what? They are ignorant as to how fun and competitive a so called "video game" can be. So I don't let it bother me too much but I'll let them know straight up that they have things that make me laugh as well.

While they're getting herpes at the club, I'm getting Recon...one achievement at a time lol. Ok that sounds sad, but ya catch my drift haha. Not saying I'm out of the social loop and all. I always make time for my son, life, and games but what I'm trying to say is noone's perfect and everyone's different. Screw the haters.

[PredArtagnan]

Expressing yourself online is just as valid as expressing yourself in any other way really.

I mean if we're looking at the overall picture here, all pursuits in life are ultimately pointless. You get a nice house, a nice car... whatever.... ultimately it's all worthless and one day it'll be gone.

My biggest gripe with the few friends I have who tell me that I'm stupid for wasting money on virtual items, is that those same friends will go out every Friday night and do the exact same routine spending money on alcohol and clubs.
Now.... how is that any better? They are pursuits which are limited to the moment. The next day, they have nothing to show for all that expenditure.

But if that's seriously what they enjoy, what right do I have to judge them and tell them otherwise? It'd just be nice if the door swung both ways.

The house, the car, etc. are assets and investments that contribute to your overall financial portfolio and are part of what will allow you to provide for your family.

Alcohol and clubs, though I'm not a huge fan of clubs myself, have a strong potential for opening up interactions with the opposite sex. And I'm talking about more than intercourse.

If you're seriously comparing avatar clothes to a house, car, etc. it simply tells me you have yet to truly learn and truly appreciate the value of money.

No, my point is that everything in life is futile. We all die, all material possessions ultimately have a time limit on them, even if it's the time limit of our own lifespan.

And I already have security and all the other things that go along with it.
To sacrifice.... say food or shelter in pursuit of buying virtual items would be naive and stupid. But in the same respect, going out and buying a pair of shoes in place of food or shelter is just as irresponsible.

Perhaps I chose my original examples poorly, because I suppose in effect I did compare the two extremes.
That was fueled by my current distate for life in general though, more than the grounds for a sound argument.

And the friends I was referencing are all married with kids. The pursuit of the opposite sex should not be on their agenda's at all.

[zE bEE]

Now If Achievements = Money.....

Life would be great.

[The Unirocerous]

For instance, people always give me strife because I love competitive halo games. They say I'm "obsessed" with it, but ya know what? They are ignorant as to how fun and competitive a so called "video game" can be. So I don't let it bother me too much but I'll let them know straight up that they have things that make me laugh as well.

I know how you feel with the competitive gaming stuff; it's all I've really been enjoying in Halo 3 and people get mad when I only put on MLG.

On the topic: If you want to spend money on it then go ahead, if not then don't. It's all up to you. Of course it wouldn't be wise to choose real/virtual clothes and items over food and shelter, but it certainly doesn't mean you can't choose to spend money that way.

[Flamecrest]

Win rant is win

Fix'd

QFT

[RUL Horizontal]

Yeah honestly, people spend wayyyyy too much money on other useless things, why cant we do the same?

People always complain about how much I play Halo and it really gets annoying. To the point where I have to lie about it. But it actually is for something. Also it's fun, and it's better than what some other people do, like sitting on facebok all day.

[Retep]

I agree with some points within this thread a lot but at the same time parts of your argument are strange to me a little, such as the club comment I'm not trying to criticize your choices by any means but face to face human interaction is important very much so and this is why a majority would value spending money on say drinking rather then the latest DLC for a game. We as a community to certain extents are outcasted due to our choices in purchases and values with that of the social norm since gaming is still relatively foreign to most people still, and this is why you'll have people who value say a win in a real sport then a fictionalized one, I'm not saying one is more superior to the other but merely to certain core groups the value of one is far superior and respected more. Your argument with the purchasing of cars, houses, etc is also pretty poor in my opinion as your main argument is that you'll eventually die, well when you have those products you may have more security then without, which a piece of recon armor simply can't match in those respects, I'm not saying that all we should do is devalue our love of gaming but merely try and educate those who you feel don't appreciate it and see thing from their point of view as well. I guess you can say I'm in the middle since I personally value some gaming things and see why you have such anger torwards peoples ignorance ( my close friends criticize my choice of owning over 500 rock band songs) but at the same time I believe real physical objects are a bit more to boast over as you have an actuall product to show your result of success rather then a gamercard or avatar picture.

[Linton]

i don't have alot of time on my hands right now,
but i really do believe what you're saying. spending money on anything in real life will soon be worthless to you anyways. spend money on what you enjoy or like, or then it will mean nothing to you.

[unusedsniper]

No Im not an achievement hunter. I just enjoy the game the recreational way.

[Jawwi]

Spend money on what you enjoy or like, or then it will mean nothing to you.
QFT and honestly, Don't let people saying "Wow, your loser because you spend money on Avatar clothing!" I would say your a loser for drinking. Back to my point. If someone says something to you about your "recon" or "avatar Clothing" or whatever. Don't let it bother you. You got it because you like it. I can't believe it took me this long to realize o this but, you live and learn.

[Greenskull]

I agree with some points within this thread a lot but at the same time parts of your argument are strange to me a little, such as the club comment I'm not trying to criticize your choices by any means but face to face human interaction is important very much so and this is why a majority would value spending money on say drinking rather then the latest DLC for a game. We as a community to certain extents are outcasted due to our choices in purchases and values with that of the social norm since gaming is still relatively foreign to most people still, and this is why you'll have people who value say a win in a real sport then a fictionalized one, I'm not saying one is more superior to the other but merely to certain core groups the value of one is far superior and respected more. Your argument with the purchasing of cars, houses, etc is also pretty poor in my opinion as your main argument is that you'll eventually die, well when you have those products you may have more security then without, which a piece of recon armor simply can't match in those respects, I'm not saying that all we should do is devalue our love of gaming but merely try and educate those who you feel don't appreciate it and see thing from their point of view as well. I guess you can say I'm in the middle since I personally value some gaming things and see why you have such anger torwards peoples ignorance ( my close friends criticize my choice of owning over 500 rock band songs) but at the same time I believe real physical objects are a bit more to boast over as you have an actuall product to show your result of success rather then a gamercard or avatar picture.
I still disagree with it. Maybe Im just a different kind of person. In my opinion, Recon is more important than a car. Some people may say my priorities are messed up, but you know what, that's my choice.

This pretty much means Recon specifically. Only because it's so rare. How many people own cars? Everyone. How many people owned recon (before ODST)? Not many at all. I'm a guy who values the rarity in things more than common items.

[Tough Gandhi]

By all means spend your money the way you want and in a way that makes you happy. Money is nothing and posessions are nothing, its all about how they make you feel.

I personally do not understand why people spend money on avatar clothing and stuff like that because for me there is no satisfaction gained from having the virtual me "be cool" by rocking $4 virtual sun glasses I almost never see the guy and if I do I dont really pay attention to him. Some people really care about their avatar and spend time with them so if they get satisfaction from the purchase it was a good buy.

I buy a lot of clothes that usually arent the cheapest while cheaper things would get the job done, but its the way the clothes make me feel. I also spend an obscene amount of money on other things like movies, and junk food but that stuff helps me have a better time with friends.

In the end its about how you feel and if you care that much about people saying things because they think you waste your money you are probably a loser anyways [nja] :P

[Greenskull]

Like you said gandhi, it's how theclothes make you feel.

Avatar clothing makes me feel good. I can't settle for a lame avatar every time I start my console. So it makes me feel good and have fun dressing him up.

[Retep]

Like you said gandhi, it's how theclothes make you feel.

Avatar clothing makes me feel good. I can't settle for a lame avatar every time I start my console. So it makes me feel good and have fun dressing him up.

I completely understand what your saying I'm just saying in general people tend to value physical possessions since you can show it more and others can get a sense of value from it just by seeing it. I can see why you enjoyed having a sense of pride when you had Recon earlier then everybody else as it gave you happiness just as some limited editioned items I have do, I also get why you enjoy uniqueness with your avatar as do I with my Shades of Gaga and other items, I'm not trying to devalue what you take pride in but simply try to give you a sense of what others may think and how they see it. If you enjoy don't worry what others think about, I believe that not only with hobbies but personal favorites such as music. If you change due to others your obviously not happy with yourself same if you feel shame for a personal interest, take pride in what you like and be yourself and don't worry how others will react or their thoughts on you as a whole nor judge others based on interests just see it from their point of view.

[Juxtapose]

[quote=Retep;54104]

This pretty much means Recon specifically. Only because it's so rare. How many people own cars? Everyone. How many people owned recon (before ODST)? Not many at all. I'm a guy who values the rarity in things more than common items.

Again, I understand where you and some of the others are coming from, it's simply that your examples are far too extreme for comparison.

Recon armour vs car. Sure, recon is rarer than a car, there's no disputing that, but the car allows me to actually do things I couldn't otherwise.

With my car, I no longer need to wait for public transit to go pick up groceries, travel, go out on a date anywhere I want, etc. I can also sell that car and recoup some of its value, putting that towards another vehicle or something else.

With recon armour, sure it looks great, but I can still play Halo 3 just as well without it, and I can't use it to help me achieve any necessity of life. I could sell it, but then I'd need to sell my entire Xbox LIVE Gamertag, which wouldn't be of any use unless I'm abandoning the platform completely.

Your argument would make a lot more sense if you compare an entertainment item, like recon armour, with another entertainment item, not a home, car, food, or climbing Everest.

You screw up climbing Everest, you can die, and there won't be any respawning. Not so with any game of Halo 3.

[RUL Horizontal]

[quote=Retep;54104]

This pretty much means Recon specifically. Only because it's so rare. How many people own cars? Everyone. How many people owned recon (before ODST)? Not many at all. I'm a guy who values the rarity in things more than common items.

Again, I understand where you and some of the others are coming from, it's simply that your examples are far too extreme for comparison.

Recon armour vs car. Sure, recon is rarer than a car, there's no disputing that, but the car allows me to actually do things I couldn't otherwise.

With my car, I no longer need to wait for public transit to go pick up groceries, travel, go out on a date anywhere I want, etc. I can also sell that car and recoup some of its value, putting that towards another vehicle or something else.

With recon armour, sure it looks great, but I can still play Halo 3 just as well without it, and I can't use it to help me achieve any necessity of life. I could sell it, but then I'd need to sell my entire Xbox LIVE Gamertag, which wouldn't be of any use unless I'm abandoning the platform completely.

Your argument would make a lot more sense if you compare an entertainment item, like recon armour, with another entertainment item, not a home, car, food, or climbing Everest.

You screw up climbing Everest, you can die, and there won't be any respawning. Not so with any game of Halo 3.
I think you got 'em there.

[chipmunk832]

Ya in anyway or form it's your choice what you do i tend to spend money on both gaming stuff and real stuff but i feel more joy from getting something real like i just won a basket ball free throw, i seriously did on the 30 and got a medal it makes me feel pride and when i got recon i ahd the same feeling different but good feeling.