What makes us different from just a gamer? Well writting in this community is certainly a start. This topic is heavily misinterpreted by parents and nongamers. Gamers have been getting a bad rep for quite some time ever since we were even recognized as a category of people (which has only been as of late). Back in the day when I'd be walking with my parents through the local mall, we'd pass by a "Electronics Boutique." Guys in about their teens were playing Street Fighter II competively on the demonstration Super Nintendo in the store. I think just about everyone who stepped in that store was amazed at the game for its supurb level of detail and color. At this point in my life, the term "gamer" did not exist. Gaming was sought out as simply a form of entertainment similar to television. No one ever calls a person a "watcher" do they? Maybe it is because very few people dislike television. Although, I know I will always watch TV, I've been slowly beginning to hate it and the influx of commercials is becoming borderline torturous.


Raccoons watching TV is just cute

Now being 21 years old and an "adult," I am fully emersed and dedicated to video game culture. Before when I was a kid, there was certainly fascination as I was obsessed with video games, but the complete understanding was somewhat missing. When I go into gamestores now, I get a little frustrated by little obnoxious kids who think they know it all. I know that I am bitter, but it seems different now. I would love to do a research or poll on how many kids actually spend time conversing and researching games rather than just jumping on their brother's copy of GTA4. I know I am using GTA4 as a scapegoat, but it seems that so many kids are playing it because they aren't supposed to. It is just strange to me, growing up playing and loving Megaman X titles and classic SNES RPGs. I was always that kid who would rather sit in at home and play Chrono Trigger than go outside on a nice sunny day. Whenever I was grounded, my punishment was the sticks being taken away for a period of time. How cruel!

I realize now that I practically spend more time involved in the gaming community than playing video games. Is this a good thing? Yes. Involvement in game communities is what breaks the barrier of what video games used to be. Of course, parents will never understand, but this is because they only saw us mindlessly sitting in front of the television. They saw no community and no interaction, which are facets of our lives that our essential to our development and intelligence. Hence why Barrack Obama recently stated that we need to get our children way from the video games and to take a step back. While he has a point, I believe he needs to dig deeper into understanding that video games have a community and level of importance that has yet to be fully recognized. Video games were independent in that they once stood alone and were the experience only learned once the game was purchased. Now, I rarely ever buy a game I never heard of. Secondly, I almost never buy a game that completely sucks. Spending 50 to 60 bucks on a video game when I was a kid was a huge deal and lengthy convincing process with my parents as to why it was going to be better than all the other games. Eventually getting a game and then having it suck was pretty hard to cope with. I had much more tolerance than I do now though, I was willing to stick with a game that sort of sucked hoping for promise later on.


Yes, I'm a little bit angry

The internet has propelled our understanding of video games to a greater level. We are almost spoiled to a point, but is a very good thing. Now we don't have to rely on a Gamestop pimple-nosed employee to tell us that a game made him get an erection last night, but rather we can absorb many different sources and decide intelligently for ourselves. This is what seperates us between the researcher (the gamer) & the lamer. We all here are the researchers, actively involved in understanding every aspect of the gaming world and how our games that we eventually buy and love come together. We respect the process of making a game and we embrace the creativity, influencing our own lives and ideas. When we play a game, we analyze everything and when something is done right, in our minds we truly thank the developer for a smart move or choice. We essentially play games because they are fun, but more importantly because we respect them more than some lame MTV television show. Video games envelop a certain level of creativity seen no where else, in any art form, and we play them because we can be actively involved in this creativity. The lamer is one who plays video games for all the wrong reasons. While many of these "lamers" are kids I only hope they will grow up to be gamers who embrace the culture rather than a weightlifting jock who only played them because he thought they were just "cool." I find myself stuck in many conversations with people who think they are gamers but really don't know shit. I try and not be an elitist but it is hard when somebody thinks as games as just some secondary whore. We all do, but most of us here are much more excited and involved. I have nothing against people who occasionally play video games or who don't really like or understand them, but if you are going to get involved, get involved the right way and understand video games, don't just play them.