NME recently published an article about the power struggle between games and music, and quickly conversations shifted to the topic of music games versus real ones and the differing opinions about those. Some prominent rockers whined that music games stop kids from getting into real rock bands, while others hold to the idea that such games are ideal for people who plan not to be rock stars, and experience the feeling just for fun.
The Guardian continued forward with this topic, closing the article with a rather incendiary quote from Q Radio presenter David Quantick:
“Games are not rock ‘n’ roll, they’re metal – aggressive, loud, violent and scared of women. You can’t dance to a game or have sex to it. games are still for nerds. Rock ‘n’ roll is about fucking, games are about wanking. Rock music makes you leave the house and meet drugs, games make you stay in and smell of your own piss.”
You want to stab this guy in the face, right? I can’t say I blame you — the disdainful, almost casual tone reeks of holier-than-thou bigotry. On the other fan, Quantick is not exactly the nice type — he was taken to court after writing what was called a hypocritical, racist article about the singer Morrissey. There’s more to think about here than just cheap insults though — do people really still see gamers this way?
The industry has undeniably outgrown appealing to just “nerds and wankers” –after grossing 17.9 billion in 2007, its safe to say that games have grown to a point where the appeal is more widespread, especially with Nintendo’s recent actions to gain new demographics.
Sometimes, I get to a point in my mind where I believe our beloved hobby is more socially acceptable than ever. Comments like this, however, make me think I may be gravely mistaken, and that’s a sad idea to have to consider. Do you still get flak from people about your gaming habits?
