I think the author must have been channelling my mom from 30 years ago. I eventually won the argument with mom about the value of video games by making a profession out of bending computers to my will. The author should "waste" about 20 minutes watching "Jane McGonigal: How Gaming Can Make a Better World" to understand why Google's Pac-Man might have been an epic win rather than a tragic waste.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_be...