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A few months back I was socializing with a couple of lads from my college. We were loungingaround waiting for the next class to begin, and chatting about nothing in particular. The question was casually raised, “What’re you doing over the weekend then?”
“Not a lot”, I replied, “Playing footy on the Saturday, and probably playing some PC games”. Instantly a look of disgust came across their faces. "Playing computer games?", they asked incredulously, "Don't you have a LIFE?" One of them went on to relate how he was working both mornings, taking the girlfriend out somewhere, and clubbing in the evenings. "I don't have time for computer games", he said, almost contempteously, "Those are for geeks".
It was the last bit that really stung, he called me a geek. No gamers like to be called geeks, even if it is the result of mass-stereotyping. I consoled myself with the thought that he was wrong, and dismissed it from my mind. Last week however, the same feelings of bitter unfairness brought the memory back in a flood. It happened when I was strolling round my hometown with a rather nice female aquaintance of mine. I invited her back to my house, and she accepted, "But what are we going to do there", she asked. I lightly suggested the first thing that came to my mind, "We could play some PC games".
The frown of disappointmnt that crossed her face showed only too clearly my blunder. "I don't play PC games", she said, her eyebrows arched. I desperately tried to redeem myself, "You'll love this one I've got, honest. It's called Deus Ex and it's one of the most innovative games of recent times, in fact.......". But her attention was already lost. "I think I'd better get on with my homework actually", she said, and moved off in the direction of her home. I just stood there helplessly. She turned back to face me after a few paces to deliver a parting retort, "I'll let you go home and play your little geeky games all by yourself".
Her last remark wasn't intended to hurt or spite me, but it hit home more powerfully than she shall ever know. Once again my life had been hurt by the frustrating idea that many people have which says that gamers are geeks that have no life. I was wallowing in the self-pity of it all when a thought struck me; what if they were right? Maybe gamers really are the stereotypically spotty, four-eyed teenagers that are despised by the public and so bury themselves in a virtual life as an escapism. Maybe........., Maybe gamers aren't stereotyped at all. Maybe the gamers themselves invented the idea of calling it stereotyping so they could have a clear consciense about themselves. Maybe.....Whooooaaaaaa!!! Calm down a bit. I stopped my imagination flying away and went home to think things through.
The dictionary definition reads as follows. 'Geek - A boring or unnattractive social misfit.'
I wouldn't class myself as boring or unnattractive, and certainly not a social misfit. Phew, panic over. I'm not a geek. Come to think of it I am neither spotty nor four-eyed either. Certainly not a geek then. So how did the idea that gamers are geeks evolve? It would be extremely hard to narrow it down a single person, but there certainly are key figures in society who have borne the idea along heavily. Prince Charles for a start.
Last year, the venerable Prince Charlie spouted the following, "One of the great battles we face today is to persuade our children away from the computer games towards what can only be described as worthwhile books. None of us can underestimate the importance of books in an age dominated by the computer screen and the constant wish for immediate gratification. Why can't the Millenium Commission or the lottery think about an even more imaginative scheme which would enable many more children to witness the best theatre, music and other performing arts? We have got the money through the lottery, I think many new generations of schoolchildren would be allowed access. Just allow them to experience it."
So Prinny of the Wales is telling us that we should leave our computers behind us and focus on more beneficial material like theatre and literature. This is the man who regularly engages in his favoured pastime of deer-hunting. Yet this heartless slaughter doen't stop him lecturing Britain on the bad effects of 'gasp' virtual killing.
Also, he announced this just after a government survey revealed, 'Children who regularly play computer games enjoy many benefits, including better co-ordination and concentration, a wider circle of friends and improved general social adjustment.'
The fact that old Charlie has never actually played any games, despite always being eager to expound his unwanted views at any opportunity only infuriates true gamers. As we know, many games require a huge amount of skill and dedication to master, but it just depresses you when he disregards this as 'immediate gratification'.
The real problem is that his views are widely respected by most British residents. So to have him publicly slaag off computer games can only have a terribly detrimental effect on the population. Now parents who were going to buy their son an x-box or PS2 for his birthday may suddenly feel moved to act, and buy their son an encyclopaedia or something else like that.
It's this sort of negative publicity that the struggling games industry can do without.
Anyone who was previously against computer games would feel strengthened in their beliefs.
Anyone who had no opinion about computer games would tend to agree with the revered opinions of Prince Charles.
Anyone who was a computer gaming fan would feel frustrated at their helplessness, but otherwise unaffected.
Another example is that of Chris Moyles, who runs a radio show on Radio 1 between the times of 3 and 6 pm. He is frequently advertising the Chris Moyles Chat Forum, where fans can listen to him as well talk to each other. The problem is that he refers to it as the 'Geek Room'. If that wasn't bad enough, he devotes some time each week on a 'comedy link' in which he and Dave pretend to be geeks in the chat room. They ask each other blatantly stupid and ridiculous questions, lending further to the geek idea. His criticisms are directed to PC users rather than gamers, but that still includes a good deal of us. This show is broadcast to an average audience of over 6 MILLION listeners. Still wondering why most people are prejudiced against gamers?
A major lieutenant in the gaming stereotypers army is the newspapers. There was extensive newspaper coverage in particular at the release of Soldier of Fortune and GTA3. The excessive violence caused widespread disgust among critics, and they descibed the users of these games as 'murderous sickos and psychopathic geeks'. This wrongly serves to enforce people's ideas of gamers as geeks.
Since this country has such big names preaching to us about how bad videogames and the geeks who play them are, what do we have to fight back with?
The answer?............absolutely NOTHING. Apart from maybe ELSPA, the gaming industry has absolutely nothing with which to fight against the typical idea of a gamer that is implanted in everyone's minds. This is one of the reasons that the stereotyping for the image of gamers still remains. It's because we have no-one in a high enough position to even question it.
But if we aren't geeks, what are we?
Standard humans is the answer. We are no better and no worse than every other human on this planet. People go clubbing, collect stamps, read, drive, drink and do many other crazy things for hobbies, we game for a hobby. In fact our hobby does least damage to other people, because it doesn't require us to get drunk, wake neighbours, spend lots of money, it's not dangerous and only requires as much time as we want to put into it. Prince Charles should be extolling the virtues of videogaming.
After considering this matter thoroughly, I have concluded that although the minority of the population that is gamers can't do anything about the bad name that has been created for them, they can at least realise the truth of the matter. The truth being that gamers are not to be looked down upon. In fact the government survey mentioned earlier pointed out that gamers are exactly the opposite of the 'geek' image, maybe even superior in some regards to non-gamers. But I mean, who's going to listen to a poxy survey when you can listen to bigwigs such as Prince Charles and the Daily Mail?
So the solution is for gamers to be proud of what they are. Not be embarrassed as though their gaming hobby is some of physical defect. Eventually, as we are entering a high-tech age, the world will learn what is in gaming, and it could well become a major spectator sport. The terribly unfair stereotype of gamers as 'geeks' should soon disappear.
Stand firm fellow gamers, this period of pressure being inflicted upon us by a non-understanding world will soon be over, and we will emerge as the supreme winners. When you tell stories to your grandchildren in the future, you will always be proud to tell them that you were among the first of the TRUE Gamers.
Brew
“Not a lot”, I replied, “Playing footy on the Saturday, and probably playing some PC games”. Instantly a look of disgust came across their faces. "Playing computer games?", they asked incredulously, "Don't you have a LIFE?" One of them went on to relate how he was working both mornings, taking the girlfriend out somewhere, and clubbing in the evenings. "I don't have time for computer games", he said, almost contempteously, "Those are for geeks".
It was the last bit that really stung, he called me a geek. No gamers like to be called geeks, even if it is the result of mass-stereotyping. I consoled myself with the thought that he was wrong, and dismissed it from my mind. Last week however, the same feelings of bitter unfairness brought the memory back in a flood. It happened when I was strolling round my hometown with a rather nice female aquaintance of mine. I invited her back to my house, and she accepted, "But what are we going to do there", she asked. I lightly suggested the first thing that came to my mind, "We could play some PC games".
The frown of disappointmnt that crossed her face showed only too clearly my blunder. "I don't play PC games", she said, her eyebrows arched. I desperately tried to redeem myself, "You'll love this one I've got, honest. It's called Deus Ex and it's one of the most innovative games of recent times, in fact.......". But her attention was already lost. "I think I'd better get on with my homework actually", she said, and moved off in the direction of her home. I just stood there helplessly. She turned back to face me after a few paces to deliver a parting retort, "I'll let you go home and play your little geeky games all by yourself".
Her last remark wasn't intended to hurt or spite me, but it hit home more powerfully than she shall ever know. Once again my life had been hurt by the frustrating idea that many people have which says that gamers are geeks that have no life. I was wallowing in the self-pity of it all when a thought struck me; what if they were right? Maybe gamers really are the stereotypically spotty, four-eyed teenagers that are despised by the public and so bury themselves in a virtual life as an escapism. Maybe........., Maybe gamers aren't stereotyped at all. Maybe the gamers themselves invented the idea of calling it stereotyping so they could have a clear consciense about themselves. Maybe.....Whooooaaaaaa!!! Calm down a bit. I stopped my imagination flying away and went home to think things through.
The dictionary definition reads as follows. 'Geek - A boring or unnattractive social misfit.'
I wouldn't class myself as boring or unnattractive, and certainly not a social misfit. Phew, panic over. I'm not a geek. Come to think of it I am neither spotty nor four-eyed either. Certainly not a geek then. So how did the idea that gamers are geeks evolve? It would be extremely hard to narrow it down a single person, but there certainly are key figures in society who have borne the idea along heavily. Prince Charles for a start.
Last year, the venerable Prince Charlie spouted the following, "One of the great battles we face today is to persuade our children away from the computer games towards what can only be described as worthwhile books. None of us can underestimate the importance of books in an age dominated by the computer screen and the constant wish for immediate gratification. Why can't the Millenium Commission or the lottery think about an even more imaginative scheme which would enable many more children to witness the best theatre, music and other performing arts? We have got the money through the lottery, I think many new generations of schoolchildren would be allowed access. Just allow them to experience it."
So Prinny of the Wales is telling us that we should leave our computers behind us and focus on more beneficial material like theatre and literature. This is the man who regularly engages in his favoured pastime of deer-hunting. Yet this heartless slaughter doen't stop him lecturing Britain on the bad effects of 'gasp' virtual killing.
Also, he announced this just after a government survey revealed, 'Children who regularly play computer games enjoy many benefits, including better co-ordination and concentration, a wider circle of friends and improved general social adjustment.'
The fact that old Charlie has never actually played any games, despite always being eager to expound his unwanted views at any opportunity only infuriates true gamers. As we know, many games require a huge amount of skill and dedication to master, but it just depresses you when he disregards this as 'immediate gratification'.
The real problem is that his views are widely respected by most British residents. So to have him publicly slaag off computer games can only have a terribly detrimental effect on the population. Now parents who were going to buy their son an x-box or PS2 for his birthday may suddenly feel moved to act, and buy their son an encyclopaedia or something else like that.
It's this sort of negative publicity that the struggling games industry can do without.
Anyone who was previously against computer games would feel strengthened in their beliefs.
Anyone who had no opinion about computer games would tend to agree with the revered opinions of Prince Charles.
Anyone who was a computer gaming fan would feel frustrated at their helplessness, but otherwise unaffected.
Another example is that of Chris Moyles, who runs a radio show on Radio 1 between the times of 3 and 6 pm. He is frequently advertising the Chris Moyles Chat Forum, where fans can listen to him as well talk to each other. The problem is that he refers to it as the 'Geek Room'. If that wasn't bad enough, he devotes some time each week on a 'comedy link' in which he and Dave pretend to be geeks in the chat room. They ask each other blatantly stupid and ridiculous questions, lending further to the geek idea. His criticisms are directed to PC users rather than gamers, but that still includes a good deal of us. This show is broadcast to an average audience of over 6 MILLION listeners. Still wondering why most people are prejudiced against gamers?
A major lieutenant in the gaming stereotypers army is the newspapers. There was extensive newspaper coverage in particular at the release of Soldier of Fortune and GTA3. The excessive violence caused widespread disgust among critics, and they descibed the users of these games as 'murderous sickos and psychopathic geeks'. This wrongly serves to enforce people's ideas of gamers as geeks.
Since this country has such big names preaching to us about how bad videogames and the geeks who play them are, what do we have to fight back with?
The answer?............absolutely NOTHING. Apart from maybe ELSPA, the gaming industry has absolutely nothing with which to fight against the typical idea of a gamer that is implanted in everyone's minds. This is one of the reasons that the stereotyping for the image of gamers still remains. It's because we have no-one in a high enough position to even question it.
But if we aren't geeks, what are we?
Standard humans is the answer. We are no better and no worse than every other human on this planet. People go clubbing, collect stamps, read, drive, drink and do many other crazy things for hobbies, we game for a hobby. In fact our hobby does least damage to other people, because it doesn't require us to get drunk, wake neighbours, spend lots of money, it's not dangerous and only requires as much time as we want to put into it. Prince Charles should be extolling the virtues of videogaming.
After considering this matter thoroughly, I have concluded that although the minority of the population that is gamers can't do anything about the bad name that has been created for them, they can at least realise the truth of the matter. The truth being that gamers are not to be looked down upon. In fact the government survey mentioned earlier pointed out that gamers are exactly the opposite of the 'geek' image, maybe even superior in some regards to non-gamers. But I mean, who's going to listen to a poxy survey when you can listen to bigwigs such as Prince Charles and the Daily Mail?
So the solution is for gamers to be proud of what they are. Not be embarrassed as though their gaming hobby is some of physical defect. Eventually, as we are entering a high-tech age, the world will learn what is in gaming, and it could well become a major spectator sport. The terribly unfair stereotype of gamers as 'geeks' should soon disappear.
Stand firm fellow gamers, this period of pressure being inflicted upon us by a non-understanding world will soon be over, and we will emerge as the supreme winners. When you tell stories to your grandchildren in the future, you will always be proud to tell them that you were among the first of the TRUE Gamers.
Brew
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Brew wrote:
> I was strolling round my hometown with a rather nice
> female aquaintance of mine. I invited her back to my house, and she
> accepted, "But what are we going to do there", she asked. I
> lightly suggested the first thing that came to my mind, "We could
> play some PC games".
Oh dear..... THAT just proves that you must be a geek! You invite a 'rather nice female aquaintance' (Never say that again!) back to your house and you ask her to play computer games!! There is no hope for you...
> I was strolling round my hometown with a rather nice
> female aquaintance of mine. I invited her back to my house, and she
> accepted, "But what are we going to do there", she asked. I
> lightly suggested the first thing that came to my mind, "We could
> play some PC games".
Oh dear..... THAT just proves that you must be a geek! You invite a 'rather nice female aquaintance' (Never say that again!) back to your house and you ask her to play computer games!! There is no hope for you...
i dont understand how games are geeks because thier not,i fr one am not a geek.I think your friends ont understand how great gamse are,Its amazing how educational games are.The bit in MGS2 when you get told about Federal Hall being the place where George Washington became first president of the USA 200 years ago on April 30th was praticly a history lesson
I'd say alot of gamers are geeks. But then again, I think most people are geeks these days. I just see a geek as someone who prefers escapism to realism: and so has their head buried in a book, or cinema, or internet or console for the most part of their spare time.
I don't think being called a geek is really an insult these days: the height of fashion is to wear thick black rimmed specs, ill-fitting cords and a cardigan... and people often deem web-designers as a 'trendy-new media type'. There's a definite buzz of 'geek chic' in my neck of the woods. It's because everyone realises that the nerdy kid who used to spend every minute in the old school computer lab is now probably driving a Porsche, throwing huge parties in his Hoxton penthouse and dating a model from Brazil.
In my humble op, gamers are geeks, film buffs are geeks, bookworms are geeks, computer technicians are geeks, designers are geeks... the world is filled with geeks, but that's OK. As a famous geek once said "You are only a boring person if you get bored"... and as any gamer will know, boredom is easily solved.
I don't think being called a geek is really an insult these days: the height of fashion is to wear thick black rimmed specs, ill-fitting cords and a cardigan... and people often deem web-designers as a 'trendy-new media type'. There's a definite buzz of 'geek chic' in my neck of the woods. It's because everyone realises that the nerdy kid who used to spend every minute in the old school computer lab is now probably driving a Porsche, throwing huge parties in his Hoxton penthouse and dating a model from Brazil.
In my humble op, gamers are geeks, film buffs are geeks, bookworms are geeks, computer technicians are geeks, designers are geeks... the world is filled with geeks, but that's OK. As a famous geek once said "You are only a boring person if you get bored"... and as any gamer will know, boredom is easily solved.
Gamers aren't geeks. Having a multiplayer showdown on Halo with your mates is way more fun than sitting in your sh*tty local pub drinking beer that tastes like pee-pee!
You can try having a few drinks at home whilst you play Halo with your mates, but things can get a little heated. You have been warned...
You can try having a few drinks at home whilst you play Halo with your mates, but things can get a little heated. You have been warned...
I think when people call you a geek, they enerally lend from the notion that you would rather use your time in front of an un-true computer screen killing aliens, where as they would rather socialise with "real" friends. I must agree though, that nearly everyone who uses a PC/games console is not a geek, and is merely using any spare time they have to indulge in a spot of gaming.
Nice post Brew
Nice post Brew
Gamers = geeks? no way games have/will always be entertaining to everyone, nothing geeky about having a laugh with mates, I guess if you lock yourself in your room for a couple of weeks trying to complete an FF game that could be quite geeky, quite rare me would have thought though.
Theatre club actually. Only geeks joined the Ballet Club
ha ha *snort* ha ha
ha ha *snort* ha ha
doublezero wrote:
Not only am i head of the chess club, but my mum says i'm the best
> looking guy at my uni!
Lol - and the the after school ballet club no doubt too
Not only am i head of the chess club, but my mum says i'm the best
> looking guy at my uni!
Lol - and the the after school ballet club no doubt too
I'm 19. I've been playing games all my life and i'm definitely not a geek!
Not only am i head of the chess club, but my mum says i'm the best looking guy at my uni!
Not only am i head of the chess club, but my mum says i'm the best looking guy at my uni!
Big post. I think the playstation really turned the image on its head, now almost everyone has got a PSone or PS2 and can relate to the non-geekyness of gaming. It really pushed it into the mainstream, your friends are clearly retarded since they cannot see that playing games isn't geeky anymore.
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