Ben-DutkaIn the past, I've written about how the mainstream public sees the video game industry and those who partake of the hobby. I've often spoken about encounters I've had with the confused, the surprised, the skeptical, and of course, the ignorant. I've also been quick to defend some of the ignorant; they're often only dazed and confused because the media never helps, and the advancement of this industry has been more than a little rapid. I don't get mad at everyone who still thinks it's 1995; hell, as far as I'm concerned, it's still 2005.
But I would be very interested to know how you guys answer the question, "wait, that's in a video game ?" You know, when a discussion concerning the latest greatest game falls on unknowing ears and the person in question still thinks all video games include Mario. As we get older, we relate to people differently and above all else, we become used to people who are entirely clueless about our favorite hobby. Obviously, this scenario can include absolutely anyone; I'm certain all of you have run into the aforementioned "dazed and confused" before, and I'm wondering how you responded. What did you say? Were you offended and angry? Were you sympathetic and understanding? Were you sarcastic and all like, "jesus, welcome to 2009?" Have you adapted; i.e., have you changed how you reply?
For my part, I always believed the most intelligent and mature response is to be sympathetic and understanding. Most of the time, it's just not that person's fault. They were never exposed to it so how could they remain up to speed? On the other hand, I absolutely cannot abide those who believe they're experts on a subject they know nothing about and I despise them even more if they choose to accept every last stereotype as irrefutable fact. …sometimes, it just seems illogical when I'm standing directly in front of them and don't fit a single solitary stereotype normally associated with gamers. So I freely admit to becoming a little irritated when there's talk about sexual content in a game and someone goes, "who cares about drawings or blocks having sex?" If they say it with a certain level of know-it-all scorn, I have difficulty being polite.
Thankfully, I have noticed that younger people are a little more open-minded about this kind of thing. The middle-aged are about as close-minded as they can possibly be; if they don't know something, it doesn't exist. Not sure how this superiority complex came out of the goddamn drug-riddled '60s generation, but whatever. Cute chicks can be bitchy at first but they're often quite malleable – in a variety of ways – and I'm easily swayed by a nice smile…so maybe I'm all talk about standing up for one's beliefs and being polite and all that. Maybe all I need is a specific "something" in front of me and I'll crumble…ah, but I don't think so. I'd like to think that by the age of 31, I have other things going for me these days.
So, let's hear it. How about you? How do you deal with this whole thing? It'll be interesting to read the responses; I bet all of you have had very unique experiences, especially if you're a little older like me.
You know, ive never really run into that situation, where I live (in the middle of nowhere) theres not a whole lot to do, so a lot of us play video games just to pass the time, so I can talk with a lot of people around where I live about video games, it truly is a good time killer. The shocking part of it is that the majority of kids here live on a farm, including myself, and we play pretty hardcore. The poulation for my town is only 323 people, so yeah its small. But we really are a tight nit community, and a lot of us will get together for massive gaming competetitions, it's really just a whole bunch of friends killing time gaming, and a hobby we really enjoy.
Last edited by JMO_INDY on 10/30/2009 10:08:06 PM
Interesting, you see I'm in the same situation, but its almost the polar opposite. People in my close nit farm community not only shun gamers but are down right hostel towards us. Mostly I have always hide my hobby and thought how sad and backwoods my town really is to hate gamers. Thankfully, I no longer live there, doesn't change that fact that I did grow up there.
Well this comunity is really open to new ideas to keep the kids including myself busy and out of trouble, so the parents really dont mind if we play games like COD4 because it has multiplayer and that lasts longer, so the parents really aren't concerned if it has violence.We really just needed an outlet that kept us out of trouble, and gaming has done that for us. So the grumpy old man next door isn't yelling at us to get off of his lawn per say. O and Happy Halloween everybody.
Last edited by JMO_INDY on 10/31/2009 12:08:55 PM
nice gd droppage ben, we have every right to react offensively when they attempt to belittle or otherwise insult us as gamers. we dont pick on them for their hobbies/passions in life or else id tell all the tiger woods wannabes what they can do with their 9 irons! what we do deserves just as much respect after all we are all here to have fun. lifes short do what you want and love what you do, dont be a gamerhater am i right?
I think you are right, although everyone is entitled to their oppinion, they dont need to go around hating on us and calling us nerds for doing something we enjoy dearly. Gaming is a social activity with all kinds of different ethnicities and races, it truly is a huge family of people just doing what they love.
Pretty much what I say. Do what you love to do, provided you're not hurting anyone else. Simple.
Glad to see you're living it up on Halloween weekend like me Ben 🙂 I usually try to avoid those people like the plague. I can smell ignorance 50 miles away most of the time. The people that I've dealt with the most are the source of all the console arguments. As soon as someone who had not played a game in 15 years got an Xbox and a copy of Halo, they became instant game experts. The sh** hit the fan that day. After that, all of us loyalists who knew what good games were had to constantly defend our Playstations. Why god? I swear man, Halo is not the only game in existence. "The Xbox is gonna rule and your Playstation sucks ass." Same old argument. "There just aren't any good games on your system." Really? What else have you played? Ohhhhhhh……that's right……..NOTHING!!! Makes me angry, sad, and confused at the same time.
Yeah, I'm not doing anything this weekend. 🙂
Andy I know exactly what you mean. I HATED the Xbots who only knew ONE word – "Halo" – and if the game didn't have that word in the title, it sucked. It was right about then I knew the casuals were going to take over and make life hell for me. 😉
I hope "Halo" never makes it into the English dictionary… what a prospect!
Q!
"I am home"
This is how I handle it when people offend me about gaming
1. Grab my shotty (shotgun)
2. Blow his legs off
3. ?????
4. Profit
make video games a reality, teach him a lesson he will never forget 😛
Case in point: its 2004, I'm out with buddies drinkin and I happen to mention to my friend that just for kicks I modded DOA Xtreme volleyball for with the nudie patch. He gets this stuff and thinks its cool, but this other guys straight up says "so what?" Now behind those words I know what he was saying, and so do the rest of you. And while I'm sympathetic I also wanted to hit him because I don't care for people taking a holier than thou stance about what I do for entertainment. It's not like we weren't all hustling real women at the same time too, what I can't enjoy some game eye candy for kicks?
On the other hand I hang out with my Dad and we go to sci fi movies and he's always interested in the games, he asks me and bro about our systems all the time. He says he wishes he could play but he doesn't have the reaction time (he's 62) so ya never really know what you are going to run into out there.
These days I encourage anyone I know to check out games, but if it isn't their thing that's fine, and if they are just plain ignorant on the matter I tend to ignore it because I know that with every year that goes by they are missing out on great times and gaming is becoming more popular.
Ahem but to answer you: Whats in a game? I'll just be brief and say it is the best way I know of to tell a story, entertain, and keep you sharp.
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 10/30/2009 10:32:39 PM
Yeah, I know what you mean. It almost seems like words are worthless these days, though. Basically, if they don't SEE what you're talking about, not only will they not believe you, they'll just keep thinking you're exaggerating and they're right.
I want to take a LOT of people home, plant them on the couch and just say, "LOOK."
Tis not worth it Ben, wasting your time and your money…
Q!
"i am home"
I actually got to do something similar to that Ben. I took my ps3 to a friend's house to let them play Tekken 5 before Tekken 6 came out. But I didn't let them play it until they let me show off Uncharted and Ratchet and Clank:TOD. They are now proud owners of a ps3.
Sweet. 🙂
It's all about confidence. If you believe in what you do then it doesn't matter. Laughed at or not, you're still the same person and you didn't compromise on what makes your clock tick.
Some people are just stubborn to the bone. My roomate has talked about getting a PS3 for 2 years now. He's only getting it because it plays Blu-rays though. "I'm not gonna buy anything for it because they just don't make good games." He watched me play U2 for like 3 hours the other night and said nothing about it. Killzone was the only game he even admitted to liking and said it wasn't worth purchasing a PS3 for just one game. What a douche.
Last edited by fatelementality on 10/31/2009 10:40:01 AM
Speaking of douche. People like that could use a good old fashioned brain cleansing.
well im only 19 but there have been several times i run into ignorant people. many claiming that people who stay home playing games dont have a life. i get so frustrated when i hear these type of things because we all knnow that's not true. and the thing is that they tell me this because apparently i dont look like a gamer. now i really hate this because i play games like no other and believe me there are days i spend more than 12 hours playing especially now that i have demon souls. but you know what i have a life i work, go to school, have a girl and am about to have a child. now when i tell people these facts about myself in a defensive yet agressive manner im wrong. but who is really wrong those that believe such idiotic things about us or us when we lash out in anger? sometimes we need to be reasonable with ignorant people but then there are always times where we need to defend ourselves and all others that share the compassion i feel for my hobby and life as a gamer (PSN: BXsHotBoi)
Gaming is the coolest sh*t man ever invented. I stay home, out of trouble mind you. and play games, watch tv, and mind my own business. I think that should qualify anyone as being a model citizen.
I have a lot of family members who are closed minded about video games. They think that games have made kids lazy and they should be outside playing. I just ignore them and continue playing, because you are better off arguing at the wall than trying to convince them that games are good.
"Not sure how this superiority complex came out of the goddamn drug-riddled '60s generation."
Fu**in' straight, that's what I always thought! I have no idea how. It's a complete mystery.
I hear people and they're like "I just wish gaming was like the old days, with Pak Man". And it's like , they still make those games. Nintendo will probably never go away, they'll still be making the billionth Zelda and Mario game. Bloody games like God of War , and more cartoony "happier" games aren't mutually exclusive. Arcade-like gaming and tried-and-true console gaming can co-exist.
Nobody would ever say to themselves "Oh, I could buy flower for $15 or Metal Gear Solid for $60" . They aren't competing against each other.
I just mention my most favorite games. Maybe even show 'em a couple if I have my PS2 around.
Last edited by Ben Dutka PSXE on 10/30/2009 11:44:03 PM
I was born in 1970 and anyone who says that they want things to be like pac-man is high on crack. I used to walk for miles ( I know you heard this one ) not to school , because who would, but to play video games. I enjoyed growing up and watching videogames get to where they are now. As a kid I never imagined games would be like they are now. I'll play pac-man, but I'll take the advancement in technology along with it.
Last edited by tes37 on 10/30/2009 11:23:17 PM
man my first system was a nintendo but the first time i really started getting into gaming was wen i got my psx with mega man legends( i was the happiest kid ever that christmas lmao) and now lets compare that classic psx game to demon souls…drastic improvement is it not but still both great games when you get into each 1 we need sum old timers need to accept the improvements and just enjoy them the way we do
tes37: When they say things like that, it's purely nostalgia talking. They don't necessarily want the games that way; they want to be 8 years old again and enjoy everything that comes with that.
Nostalgia is dangerous for us gamers. For instance, I will always say – and argue to the death – that Super Mario Bros. is the greatest game of all time when in my heart of hearts, I know it was surpassed a very, very long time ago. The "golden age" of gaming was indeed something special but a lot of that luster comes from rose-tinged "look-to-the-past" glasses.
I wanna go with Goldeneye on that one. I playted that game until my thumbs bled. When I was in high school, one of my good friends lost both of his parents in an accident. He was excused from school for a whole year because of this and used Goldeneye to pass time during all of the grieving. The guy became so good at the game that he could play with his feet. He could literally take 3 of us out in deathmatch without dying once. He would use the grendade launcher and bounce those bitches from any angle. He might have just been the best Goldeneye player in existence.
tes37, I agree with what Ben is saying about the nostalgia factor. I'll admit that I still have a deep love for those old table tops, pinball machines, upright arcades from the 70s and 80s. I love the present generation but my roots are with the classics. The level of fun because it was so new to me and at that young age was amazing.
I still run into people that are ignorant about gaming but I just ignore it. You've got to pick your battles and when you meet as many ignorant people as I do, you know that you'll never be associating with them again. Quality of life includes with whom you surround yourself, right? 😉
Last edited by fluffer nutter on 11/1/2009 11:33:30 AM
I have no problem with people being ignorant about video games because it's a hobby. There are thousands of hobbies I don't have a clue about so if someone "thinks all video games include Mario" I don't reply. Because if their hobby happens to be something like collecting antiques, I am equally as ignorant.
you do have a point but i dont think its entirely about people not knowing. the real problem is people not knowing then acting like they know it all. thats what frustrates me the most
N a S a H, tried to get into knitting but it didn't work… my fingers were better at holding and playing the Sony controller… so I will stick to my video game hobby 🙂
Q!
"i am home"
It's about people who are ignorant and respond like they know everything. If they could only keep their mouths shut it would be a different story.
@bxshotboi, that's called society. LOL The stuff runs rampant everywhere. Truly disgusting isn't it?
normally i am quite good and fast in picking up cues as to whether the persons know games or not, if not, i most often will just ignore and stop talking to those people; if they somehow have some clue and willing to listen, then i will bother to explain or describe what kind of game i am playing or what's good about the game i am in, so it all depends.
the worst is when i encounter people that still thinks video gaming is just a kids thing, i will tell them they are totally biased and they do not know a thing and then will just ignore them.
Last edited by BigBoss4ever on 10/30/2009 11:14:25 PM
good reason to ignore them but by just ignoring them we are adding to their fuel in some sort of way. so we might as well put up a fight 😀 but hey it all depends on who your dealing with
ive never really got that, most of the people i talk to and see day to day love playing games.
im really surprised how much the stereotype of video games has changed, sure theres still the old typical thought of games but thats very rare.
just like the girls dont like violent games stereotype.
im watching a show on fox 8 called ultimate gamer, and theres 4 girls in there, all 4 are hardcore FPS fans.
hell 3 of my local EB stores are dominated buy girls, its kinda weird going in and them always giving you advice on the game your buying.
half the time i go in there i get stuck for bloody half a hour talking about the game im buying.
like today i took back borderlands and got GTA liberty city stories, and she asked me why i was taking back borderlands.
than she laughed, and said you should of got it on the 360, theres no problems with that version.
than went on for another 20 minutes about the ballad of gay tony.
shes really hot too, shame shes 27 🙁
man to hell with the age if she's single give it a shot and you are so right about chicks who are hardcore gamers.. my girl doesnt play her ps3 much but when she does she will only beat god of war 1 and 2 for the millionth time and play any other action packed game that is in third person i find that incredible
Hot 27-year-old girl gamer?
'looks around'
Where? Where she go?
Ha, you just reminded me of a girl I know that won't play a game where you kill humans. If it's aliens or monsters she's fine. But if it's DIGITAL humans, forget it. She had refused to play Gears for a while until I was like "No, you don't shoot any people in it." She was fine after that. God help us all.
theres heaps of chicks at EB that love games.
i took back GTA VCS today and she asked me if i had played the GOW3 demo yet.
so i asked her what was her favorite part, she laughed and said the head rip. obviously.
kinda creepy when a girl likes gore as much as i do
I actually don't encounter closed minded people that much
Can't say I relate to this situation much
If anything they're always surprised games have such amazing features and such
PS: Damn…Connecticut's a tough place
Well I'm still in college, in New Zealand.
With the same old groups of stereotypes. People who never play games and 'nerds' that play.
I always hang with the people that never play. These people have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about if I bring up video games. So I have to go out of my way to go to the 'library' to find people to talk about Final Fantasy and RPGs LOL.
And I'm pretty much a lone gamer. Some fairly avid gamers I talk to that aren't 'nerdy' only own an Xbox 360 haha. I've only found one PS3 owner around my town in my whole life.
Disclaimer: Nerds/geeks are awesome and I would love to be as smart as them 🙂
I am a nerd but I'm not smart LOL. Damn so I'll end up working for them in the future.
*Yeah I know the past the middle is a bit off-topic.
Being a NERD is a great privilege… we will take over the world… with Worlds help, theworldendswithNERDS!
Q!
"i am home"
Seems like New Zealand is about a decade behind the times. That sounds exactly like what it was like when I was in college over a decade ago. 😉
"And I'm pretty much a lone gamer"
Don't worry banky, I've sort of had to become a lone gamer wolf over the years, we're here for ya buddy 🙂
@ Qubex, lol, what am I the Leader of the Nerds?
Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 10/31/2009 4:18:09 PM
What that sword in your hand World, Nerds can do anything…
Q!
"i am home"
I also haven't had this question in a long time. If anything their rather not seeing the advancements in games, something I'd expect them to say 'Oh that's in a game' they rather say NOTHING.
So with me its not about 'That's in a game?' its rather pure silence cause they don't see the big deal or they say 'wow the game is so realistic' and that is all.
Somebody makes an ignorant comment I just kick them in the nads and move on. Only problem is the experience points for taking out these fools is so low.
I'm always amazed at how many gamers there are out there. My barber is a total tech freak. The people who audit our financial statements every year are really big into PC gaming. I always feel like a "casual gamer" in comparison 🙂 I totally agree about the last generation having a know-it-all attitude about everything though. They seems to be experts on every conceivable subject, even if they've never heard of it before. I dunno. Different culture I guess.
Videogame: *violence, boobs*
Someone else: Omg, they put that in a videogame!?!?!
Me: Theres worse stuff in a PG-13 movie.
Them: Thats different
Me: Give me one good reason why.
Them: Videogames are made for kids!
Me: *shows teen/mature rating on box*
Them: oh.
Makes sense…