Aren't games counter productive?

For the longest time, I tried to reign in my desire to play games so I may be productive at other things.  The problem was, no matter how much control I exerted over myself, there was not net increase in productivity.

Then it dawned upon me: I'm a Sim.  There's a progress bar that craves the entertainment provided by video games.  And that bar was empty.

So I binged, and played about 14 hours of a game in two days.  By the end of it, I was fed up, my meter completely filled, I could then do something else such as work on a web comic.  Read, work on a web comic and be happy about it, laughing as the details came together.

It seems that any rhetoric that advocates for anything in the extreme is worrisome.  A balanced life requires play in addition to work.  And work can't proceed as efficiently until neglected needs are satiated.

That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it.  Mainly since it makes me happier.  :)