We are not a clique, or a community. It is a stretch to call us a culture. We are as diverse and confusing as any other arbitrary segment of the population, and cannot be addressed or approached as a unit.

No one would ever think to categorize purchasers of wine as a singular component to the larger society. Anyone with half an idea of what wine entails realizes you need to take into account so many more details; are they drinking or collecting, what color, what region, dry or sweet, quality, cost, is it consumed only socically or appreciated in private…?

I won’t belabor a point made, but to address the concern of what those-who-don’t-play-games think about those-who-do, I think it’s pretty simple: you can’t change what other people think. Only they can. You can give them a reason to change. If you care at all how gamers are perceived, act accordingly.

Before anyone starts thinking differently about those people who choose to play video games, there needs to be obvious examples of the good. Anyone who walks into a game store, or into one of the thousands of multiplayer matches and lobbies in any game for any console, can find immediate and horrific examples of why gamers should be despised. But that would be as general and as wrong to assume that black people are all bad for those few thugs shilling drugs on your corner. Writing off so broad a selection of people ignores the hundreds of young black men laboring studiously in medical schools across the country, or serving in our militaries, teaching our children, or working to keep free speech free.

Whenever you fight a racial bigot, you have countless examples of why they’re wrong. So if you want to bring the fight to the gamer bigot, you have to lead from the front. Be the bright and shining star others to point to as an example of what gamers can be. And be vocal in your opposition of those who provide more ammunition to those who would write you off.

and i can tell reality from a video game, but i do really like guns more now than before i was a gamer.

Actually i think i have a fetish for them.

i think the problem is, at least in USA is that anyone has access to guns.

Add to that a whole generation wired on counter strikeish games,maybe having a shitty life in some minority community (minorities tend to have that)
and you just opened a can of whoopass,
nation wide -style ^^

cause and effect fellas, cause and effect ^^

The main reason I bought a PS2 when they came out was due to the number of multi-player games. There is nothing worse than watching someone else play when you’re itching to have ago. It allowed a group of close friends to compete without having to take up sports.

I’d always wanted to play on line and meet like minded and skilled people but the PS2 was supposed to be rubbish and I couldn’t justify the expense on broadband. I avoided PC gaming for the whole reason of OMG and NOOB, and trolls.

People need to take responsibility for there own actions we live in a society where we’re afraid to let our kids out. So people spend large amounts of cash, so 12 year old Johnny can sit in his bedroom swearing at randoms. Rather than spend time with that child, teaching and playing with them.

My girlfriend has played the odd game here and there before we got together but since I got a PSP she’s got right into. She can now really hold her own on Tekken and is starting to kick butt on R:FoM. If you’d have seen her at the beginning she just could get the hang of it. Now it’s hard to get her off it.
One thing that people don’t ways take into account is how damn hard gaming cam be. Ask a non-gamer to try and play an RPG or FPS. All you get is “I don’t want too”. When they mean “I don’t know how too”. Some people quit when things get difficult, others practice.

But with the PS3 I now have a group of people that I regularly hook up with chat and game. It’s a real confidence booster to start chatting to like minded people. If you don’t believe me try chatting to the next random stranger that walks past you in real life.

Gamers have a shared perspective on life and that’s usually fun. I’m British and I’m glad we have gun control in this country not because I think games turn people into homicidal maniacs but because some people really are cookcoo. Whether they play games or not.

Scape-goating is a brilliant way of not dealing with societies problems and not understanding something leads to prejudice.

I don’t think I saw a single mention of addiction in your essay. This should be a more worrying aspect of gaming. But in current society you can be addicted to anything from chocolate, sex, cars, spending, drugs etc. Why is there an addiction to gaming because like they above they are all enjoyable, but one person moderation is anothers abuse.

· Gaming will rot your brain!

So will watching sports. Yet, if I spent my spare time watching sports instead of gaming, I don’t think you would be telling me such things.

· Why don’t you play outside more?

Would you ask the same if, instead of gaming I spent my free time reading books?

· What are games really teaching out kids?

Again, football and basketball don’t teach anything either. Watching them is a waste of time as much as playing video games.

· It’s not like you learn anything from games!

Your knowledge of games probably doesn’t extend further than PacMan. For example, you could try playing the game “War in the Pacific” thoroughly and you’ll know more about WW2 battles than you could ever learn in school.

· Doesn’t it bother you killing things all the time in games?

Killing things? I thought they’re just 0’s and 1’s inside my computer. I can tell a difference between real life and computer monitor. Probably even you could, if you ever bothered to play video games. But I suppose you’re too afraid that games will rot your brain to actually try them.

· I wish there were games that didn’t involve fighting!

You can play a game of chess on computer. Wait, chess is also about fighting, so it makes kids violent and God knows what else.

Unfortunately, an average gamer is far more likely to respond with something like “OMG LOL WTF STFU NOOB!” than to say anything intelligent, so games indeed rot people’s brains and I’m just an exception.

One counterpoint I would have is that all too often a lot of the kids that you tell to “go out and play” rather than play Video Games are already in a position where they lack social skills and going out to play will likely not help and possibly make things even worse. That is a different issue dealing with how we raise kids (at least in the USofA).

One other thing worth noting is that Video Games can create a socializing atmosphere. A lot of geeks will hook-up and play games together offline. Even single player titles like RPGs. I remember when Final Fantasy VI was released. Neither I nor any of my friends had the $80 to pick it up at launch alone. Thus we all pitched in $20 and picked it up. We then spent the next 3 days/nights sleeping over at each other’s places playing through together and beating the game. It was a riot.

I dont watch tv anymore because off ze brainwashing :S, the net is getting worse by the day too.
Good to see that someone on this godforsaken earth is keeping it real

OT: I truly believe that i have learned some basic guerilla tactics from games like counter strike. is it harmful? no, because i would never shoot someone!, lest they piss me off xD
(luckily i cant buy a guns & ammo @ nearest HW store)

I want to clarify that I didn’t mean to imply that all gamers are peace loving hippies or anything like that. Gamers can be pure evil, but I would argue that they are not neccessarily so outside of normal societal proportions.

I would also agree that some of my points dragged on a bit and needed to be refined a little better. My writing is getting better but needs some work yet.

If anyone is interested in discussing this editoral with me in more depth, please feel free to post over at my forums.

http://emaglive.com/index.php?showtopic=1868

Thanks!

At the end of the day, games are about having fun and experiencing another forum of entertainment.

However, whilst I’d encourage people to play games, I suggest that moderation, like all things in life, is the key. Don’t screw your eyes, posture and diet; get some sunshine, exercise, interact with real people. That way, you’ll live longer, and can look forward to continuing to play games into old age.

Woo Hoo!

Here’s a thought. When we’re old, I mean OLD, will we still enjoy the games in the same way? I think so. My grandparents like the same sort of movies, the same type of music, the same sort of friends. So I’m going to be a dirty old lecherous man who plays FPS’s, racing games and listens to trance and rock. I’m gonna be fun.