I’m sure that you have either heard about or played the game “Spend Money” (also known as Microsoft Flight Simulator X), where you spend money to buy planes, clothes, and other items. A new player to this gaming genre may be somewhat confused by its confusing interface, full of a variety of aircraft, clothing, and other options at a price tag that is much lower than many other similar games. Its user interface is not smooth, nor are its buttons made for quick reference. So does this silly game live up to its name?
It most certainly has its fun aspects. The thing that irritates players more than anything is its total cost. To purchase a plane, refuel it, buy new clothes, etc., you’re looking at about one or two hundred dollars. Add in the cost of using the airports, and the total comes to about one or two hundred grand.
If you were to play the game for that amount, imagine how many dumbass gamers there would be. Not only that, but those players wouldn’t get very far. Bill Gates might be a brilliant computer genius, but he is nowhere near a genius when balancing his checkbook. But still, his company Microsoft deserves thanks for making the silly game of “Spend Money.” As indie games become increasingly popular and the overall gaming industry grows, we should continue to support these creative developers with additional indie game titles such as Microsoft Flight Simulator X, Guitar Hero, and Xbox Live Arcade.
When I first learned about this silly game, my immediate response was, “why on Earth would people spend money on something like that?” If it were any more expensive, I would have been tempted to throw a checkbook away and never touch it again. But then again, what kind of waste is a mere $50, if for no other reason than that you can sit back, relax, and let your imagination run free. I’m writing this article so that you may want to know about how indie games have changed the way we spend our hard-earned money.
What is the total cost of the airplane that took off from Andrews Air Force Base to Boston when the game was released in 1997? Bill Gates estimated that it would take him and his crew about ninety billion bucks to get from Los Angeles to Boston using fuel and expenses. Now, imagine if that plane had crashed into the ocean, and all those men were lost forever. That’s almost what Bill Gates estimated would be the cost of Microsoft Flight Simulator X.
Now, what does this have to do with the ridiculousness of video games? Quite a lot. Video games are a fad, and there is much evidence to suggest that they are a waste of time and lots of money. People spend three to four hours playing these games, yet they have absolutely no social value.
Now then, how do you think all those politicians got elected? Did they spend the same amount of money that Bill Gates did on Microsoft Flight Simulator X? No, because their main constituents didn’t play the games, and they don’t care about them. It is relatively simple to figure out why they are the sitting politicians and why there isn’t a solitary game developer insight.
Video games, in my opinion, are a gigantic waste of time and an absolute waste of money. As a result, our culture is being distracted by a fad that has permeated every sector of our society. Our politicians spend their entire political campaign dollars on advertising, while the game industry spends millions of dollars marketing their products. It’s a neck-deep philosophical debate, but I believe that we should put games into a box and send them to children. Send all the kids off to college and leave the video games at home.
