The short version of this thought is this: I am feeling a need to come away from less scrupulous things, and focus more on what has a pleasant air to it. Or alternatively, create such friendly, not objectively harrowing pleasantry through modifications of sources normally entrenched in less friendly paraphernalia ("stuff").

I write this discourse coming from having lightly browsed through the Windows 10 app store. It contains free and buyable products that are like what you would find when using a tablet or phone, the brunt of which are typically casual, and easier on the senses than many of the more so harrowing games found on popular gaming consoles like those of the Sony and Microsoft brand, and on a service like Valve's Steam. It's become an issue to me that the lesser aurally intense games, or at least aurally intense games that lean more towards the friendlier sides of presentations, are what I prefer more so. This isn't to completely exclude what many gamers call "real games", but simply to note that I find myself preferring far less violent and offensive media.

Steam, Sony's PS3, PS4, PS Vita, and Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Xbox One aren't completely devoid of more so casualized experiences, and in the cases of many PC games you can omit some violence or transmogrify the overall experience for a result that's less on the violent side of things. Still, I hold true to my stance on censorship in media, where I would prefer that reality wasn't as shunned as it can be these days, but this isn't to completely dismiss appropriation outright. There's a place for everything in media, but as per that notion, the "place" of some things isn't in a more publicised light.

I can easily see myself regulating my gaming interests to the Windows 10 app store. It should be noted that such a thing as this did not exist in so readily perusable a form in the days of old. If you were looking to delve into that which a child could absorb to their benefit in all harmlessness, you were more likely to pursue early childhood physical books, tapes, CDs, and other media meant either for a young audience, or for families. Now we have such an online infrastructure worldwide that people everywhere can casually browse through a multitude of things they can enjoy free of charge, unless they opt to pay for the more premium experiences amongst these. It's an amazing advent, and great overall that we have even come this far with technology.

There's the notion of that some entertainment is less suitable for younger audiences. I'm an uncle. I'm also a resident of a household of six (counting my nephew), all my immediate family. It's not as simple to call myself enjoying video games like, say, Devil May Cry 4 or Dead Space 2 or a game from the Resident Evil series when there is an 8-year-old little one running around. However, it's more so that I would "clean up my act" for my own sake than his, as I believe children shouldn't be entirely shielded from things that a good parent or parental figure can dole out to them in small bits, noting that what is seen is either fiction or reality. Still though, despite a previous post of mine about exposing children to a particular survival horror video game at a young age, I would also prefer not to scar a child less prepared for such a thing. Moderation is important. It would be abusive to force an altercation that was entirely needless.

What are your thoughts on casual video games and apps? Do you find them unecessary? Do you find them a pleasant alternative? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this. :)

I think it's time I returned to that 1980s spirit of moderate wistfulness...