After reading a number of early morning blog posts left over in my RSS reader from yesterday, I found myself wondering: Why do gamers put so much emphasis in what we and others are playing. Especially others. Why do we even care? Every day I read a post from one or more authors that includes some sort of semi derogatory remark condoning a group of players simply because of how they choose to spend their time. Or, to be more precise, where they choose to spend their time.
There are those who have made up their minds that everyone who plays a free to play game must be a certain ‘class’ of gamer. How dare they actually enjoy ‘the grind’ that comes with a lot of these games. Don’t they know that in the long run they’ll pay more for their “free” game then some people will pay for their monthly subscription?! Then there are the WoW gamers. Don’t even get me started on these people. I have heard everything from how close minded they are to how stupid they must be, simply because of where they choose to spend their time. It’s as though we as gamers have moved into certain categories and stereotypes not based on who we are, but because of where we play.You ask a fellow blogger their game of choice and suddenly your opinion of them shifts slightly.
So I ask again – why does this aspect of a person even matter. Why are we so keen to judge someone based on a persons decision to spend their free time where they wish. I have even heard people go so far as to say they do not like a particular person because they play certain games that they are not fond of. Really? Are we so shallow that we are now making character judgements based on video games?
I simply don’t understand it.
In my opinion it doesn’t matter where you play, so long as you have fun. In fact voicing my opinion about any other ‘type’ of gamer is a moot point because when it comes to how others are spending their time – my opinion doesn’t matter! It’s their time, their money, and what I think of the matter is completely irrelevant. I refuse to classify a person based on whether they’re playing EQ2, EQ, VG, LotRo, WoW, WAR, DDO, Darkfall, Wizard101, Runes of Magic, EVE, Alganon, Fallen Earth, Lineage II, Allods, Champions, STO, Free Realms, Aion, FFXIV, SWG, Guild Wars, AoC, or any other game.
Go play, and enjoy. Don’t like it? Move on and find something you DO enjoy. It’s a game. They’re supposed to be fun. There are SO many games out there and despite what others would say about them all cloning one another there are always unique factors to each and every game – you may be surprised at what you end up playing and enjoying. I implore gamers to make their own decisions about what they like and don’t like, and refuse to be classified into a category of gamer simply because of where they spend their time.
Exactly. I even go beyond the gaming. I don’t see a difference in me playing a game and someone who rushes home to watch the next episode of “Lost” or “Glee” or a sporting event. As I’ve told friends who’ve critiqued my enjoyment of online gaming “your version of sitting on your *ss staring at a screen is no different than mine.”
I did read one blog where a WoW-gamer decided to review the free to play games, including EQ2. She didn’t get past the character creation screen in that one and decided the whole game was a wash because of it. Because of how poor her basis of review was, I actually went out and got the game. I like it. I think it’s people like this that give the WoW community a bad name.
I think it’s a way of establishing what group these people are in, and I don’t mean the ones that people who write like this write ABOUT. Think about high school, or even Hollywood portrayals of high school. Note the conformity in public, anguish in private. I think it’s the same in many cases with these bloggers.
It’s easy to say “I’m one of you!” but actions speak louder then words. If a blogger denegrates a group of people, he or she is appealing to OTHERS who like to denegrate a group of people as a way of trying to gain acceptance. Picture thes bloggers standing around the schoolyard, trading insults about the people they see passing by. They feed off of one another, and none of them would ever break ranks or risk looking weak or stupid.
I’m 100% in agreement with you. I like to know what people are playing because often times I find that I’d rather be INCLUSIVE then exclusive. If a group of people are doing something and are enjoying it I might enjoy it also, and I know that if Ido,then I’ll be in good company.
Very well said. :)
My mind keeps going back to certain bloggers who do this. While I personally think it’s okay to criticize a game if you’ve played it, it’s one thing to have rational talking points and another thing to be all smug or high and mighty because you’re playing X game and others are playing “Not X Game.”
I wish more bloggers, or even people in general could be just NICE (or at least diplomatic) about the way they say things though.