Entertainment Consumers Association president and all-round nice chap Hal Halpin has penned his monthly column for Industry Gamers, talking about the importance of perception and how the general public have been allowed to think of gamers. Claiming that gamers have been too inactive when it comes to combating negative stereotypes, he believes it's time we fought back.
"Combating the negative stereotypes the gaming industry and gamers themselves face is becoming a daunting task," he argues. "We’ve allowed people to equate gaming with everything from laziness to isolationism and antisocial behavior, when so clearly it’s the opposite.
"Because we’ve permitted everyone from anti-games advocates (disbarred attorneys included) to the President of the United States of America to perpetuate those fallacies and said and done nothing, we need to take ownership of at least part of that blame; until and unless we speak up and do something about it. It’s time."
While I agree that there's a fair amount of inaction going on, I don't know how much more we lowly gamers can do. I think the onus is truly on the game industry to stand up for itself rather than wait for enthusiast press to fight its battles, like Geoff Keighley had to do during FOX News' pathetic Mass Effect slandering. Electronic Arts could have, and possibly should have, sued FOX for lying about Mass Effect's sex scenes, but it just sat back and let mainstream media bite a chunk out of the gaming industry.
There are a lot of lies being told about videogames, and the industry is letting them happen. Game publishers are ruthless and merciless when it comes to destroying competition within the industry -- why do they act like wilting flowers when it comes to tackling opposition from without?
Contest:
9:40 AM on 07.20.2009
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Childs Play. Seriously. Look at that.
I agree that if the industry cares about the perception of their consumers, they should do more to support those gamers that don't fit or resent that stereotype.
As for everything else, I think we're slowly getting better, but slowly being the key word. Games are appealing to WAY more people than ever, but it's going to be a long time until they're appreciated as an art form by the general public.
I don't know if you did that on purpose or not... but it made me laugh.
"Your done. The End. Go read a book."
Your retardation is showing.
Well, I'm 23, happily married, and my wife and I play Rock Band and Geometry Wars together and with friends. We both have jobs, do volunteer work, and contribute to society. I also game a good 3-4 hours a day. Am I breaking stereotypes yet?
Microsoft published the first Mass Effect game. Even though the EA acquisition of Bioware/Pandemic happened before the game was released, Microsoft was still the publisher in charge of the first game. Shouldn't they be the ones who should have sued?
As for the rest of the article, meh. The people who say this stuff are the older folks who don't understand video games. When these bitter old fucks depart this earth hopefully their hate and medeling in areas that they know nothing about will go with them.
For one, I agree with Jim that it's really on the companies in the industry to stand up for themselves. EA not standing up to the Fox/Mass Effect debacle is embarrassing.
Second, I feel like everything is going to work itself out anyways: Politicians won't be able to do much because everything they're trying to do is against the laws of this country and either won't pass or will eventually get overturned. More importantly, in about 10-20 years, most of the politicians/judges/business owners/professors/etc, will be gamers from the gaming generation, so the stereotype will be non-existent at that time.
I sure am combating stereotypes...heh
But that might have something to do with me having to wake up at 6 AM to call my boss and the fact that I overdid it at the gym yesterday to the point where it hurts to lift my arms above my head and look any way but forward.
In my opinion, the best way to combat negative stereotypes is to be an excellent human being who happens to be a video game player. Don't always be shouting that you love video games, let someone who respects you cause you're a good parent, or an exceptional employee find out that you play video games.
I mean, look at the Furries. They bitch, moan, and cry persecution while providing detractors with more ammunition. Not only do they refuse to reduce negative stereotypes, they even embrace them while shunning the mean, horrible outside world that can't stand them for reasons they refuse to understand.
It's up to gamers to mind their own behavior to others. A polite, well constructed counter-argument goes much farther then a "go fuck yourself!"