I read a brilliant book called "I am legend" this weekend. It was brilliant, so brilliant in fact, that i'm going to spoil the end for you on the slim chance you go out and read it for yourself. Basically, all the way through the book - and it's only short so no worries there - you think that 'everything will turn out for the best' as is the way in these books. But this one goes, 'sack that' and just turns it all on it's head and the vampires end up 'winning'. Although 'winning' doesn't really fit what they do, 'survive' is more like it. Best of all though is that the main character dies at the end. Not in a crappy Amtrack Wars kind of way, but in a clever, well thought out way. A brilliant read, and it only takes one day.
Here's a thing. If I spend a week reading a book then I am considered somewhat intellectual. It is not considered time wasted. Yet, if I spend a week playing a computer game, this is somehow a puerile way to pass time and seen as a pointless venture. Yet computer games are more fun. You get to actually BE the guy in the story. You have a hand in how it works out in the end. Surely that is more intellectually stimulating than a book. You have to think about your actions and make descioins which have consequences for the future story. A book just takes you by the hand and you have to only read, not think.
Judging by this is could be argued that playing a computer game - and i'm thinking more RPG here than a space shoot em up - could be considered more intellectually demanding, and therefore stimulating, than a computer game.
Now I'm not knocking books here. I like to read. Just saying, the pompus view of computer games 'rotting minds' doesn't hold anymore. Embrace the future people. Play games.