So maybe my perspective will come as a bit unique, as I have taught high-school English the last 4 years.
From my experience, games are great in moderation (we'll get back to that bold part in a minute). They teach kids how to multitask in different scenarios, force them to think in different ways about situations, and - as you pointed out - can often be a great way to encourage collaboration. My school has elementary (>10 year olds) in it, too, and some of the teachers have actually taken to using Minecraft as a tool to encourage them to work together, in addition to some other things. Games are not as bad as the media may make it out to be.
That said, I don't think the media is exactly focusing on the negativity of games too much any more. There are far more studies out there that show the positive side effects, and I think that other than some of your older individuals who are set in their ways, most people understand these benefits to some extent.
Now, let's get back to that in moderation part from before. Like I said, games are a great tool, but they also come with the downside of that addicting quality. Some of my students every year tell me that they just go home and play video games or watch Netflix until they go to bed, which is not a good thing as they often neglect schoolwork or other extracurriculars as a result. It's become a problem where parents see it as a method of 'taking care' of their children; rather than spending time with them by talking with them about their day or helping them with classwork, they have them sit in front of a computer or television and stare at it for 5 (or more) hours. It's always clear which kids these are, as they tend to develop ADD/ADHD or start exhibiting really aggressive qualities early-on. Now, just to be clear, I'm not saying that video games=aggression (a la Grand Theft Auto), but I am saying that parental neglect + too many games = negative behaviors.
There are also arguments that could be made for different types of games and how they encourage negative behaviors or don't offer positive elements. Games like Minecraft are clearly in the "more positive than negative" category, but some games like Call of Duty or GTA might be argued otherwise. I'm not gonna get into that, though.
In the end, games - like any other new form of technology - is something that is best taken in moderation. Some people don't use enough of it, while others rely on it to a point of obsession/addiction. So long as parents - and from them, the children - are smart about the types of games they play and how long they do so, I see no reason for the "anti-gaming" stigma to exist.
TL;DR Games are good in moderation. Go outside and get some exercise every once in a while.
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It was not great lol
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Eons ago, I made a Minecraft map so awful, it nearly broke the Yogscast. Tomorrow @9am (US Central time), I will go back to that abomination and see if I can even get through it myself...
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I was just working on finishing my sea wall and constructing a proper lighthouse/tower, but a strange message interrupted things...
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Streaming in 10 minutes!
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It didn't go super well.
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This just sounds unnecessary and possibly overpowered. A weapon that does slightly-decent damage close-up and a lot of damage from afar? It effectively renders bows/tridents unnecessary.
It just sounds redundant.
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Honestly, the sword blocking was buggy and unintuitive. Shields are powerful given how little materials are needed to craft them, but aren't as overpowered as you claim - like Jancrash said, there are a lot of ways to damage players even if they have a shield, and shields are limited in only protecting what's in front of you.
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Streaming in an hour! Short stream today.
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As a person just getting back into Minecraft again...this update looks amazing! The Nether has always felt a little empty and lackluster, and it really seems like they've knocked it out of the ballpark to add content that is both unique and balanced. Can't wait for it to finally be released!
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I agree. This is one of those items that has such potential, but has been hindered. I understand a concern about griefing, but that concern would exist regardless of its portability.
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Good morning! HS English teacher here.
Just finished up a livestream where I answered questions from students from previous years. If there are any questions YOU'D like to have answered, let me know! Depending on the appropriate-ness, I may just answer them on the next stream/video.
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Going live in 5 minutes! Will be on for about an hour.
Today I'm answering some of my students' questions from previous AMAs.
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Going live in about an hour!
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Going live in about 10 minutes! Will be streaming for about an hour.