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Hello all my fellow city data peoples. I hope that today is treating you well. I have a question that I am interested in your thoughts about. I know that people who play video games often catch a lot of flack from the general public b/c in their cultural views video games aren't something adults should do. However I notice at work a lot that I hear many of the guys talking about their players on their fantasy football teams. How does building a character in a game such as say Fallout 3 or NV differ from building a fantasy team out of sports players? Is it simply built into our culture that it's acceptable to be into sports as a hobby but not video games? How is everyone playing Candy Crush on a cell phone on their couch while the tv is on in the background relatively different than playing a game of Left 4 Dead on a console?
The short version? It's not. The long version is video games are still a fairly new form of entertainment, and as we know humans tend to hate on the new and unknown. Just like so many forms of entertainment before it, itll be hated on for a while, until people get used to it more and then it will be fine. One would think that 20+ years would be enough to get rid of the flak that gamers get, but sadly not.
The avg person who gives me a bit of stick about playing games watches honey boo boo and thinks Duck Dynasty isnt scripted. I take what that kind of person says with a pinch of salt.
I think more people are starting to become more accepting of adults who play video games. I am in my mid-20s and generally, no one my age rips on people who play video games. And if you do, you're not in the majority. Older generations are more likely to be the ones who say something and the reason (I think) for this is that the younger generations have grown up with video games. It's just a normal part of our lives. Be it Candy Crush Saga or Fallout 3. I also think people are starting to realize that video games do not make you stupid - it actually has the opposite effect if you ask me.
Location: Born & Raised DC > Carolinas > Seattle > Denver
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^^ Fallout 3...such a great game!
I just turned 32 and play video games almost daily. My wife plays a lot, too. We don't care what other people think, as we're productive members of society who pay our taxes. lol
Some people like to work on cars, some people like to collect stamps. I like shooting people in the face on Battlefield 4.
Here in the part of North Carolina that I live in people are very accepting of video gaming as a legitimate hobby on par with watching or playing sports.
I think it might be the people you're hanging around with. Video gaming seems pretty normal in general nowadays. And the statistic is 35+ years. Atari 2600 was released in the 70s.
I honestly don't know anybody that doesn't play some kind of video game including my 64 year old Mother. These people may not consider themselves "gamers" in the traditional sense who in their minds sit in front of several monitors, multiple joysticks, mice, keyboards, and sport elaborate headsets. My Mom's vice is Gems Journey, her husband plays strategy games (formerly Wow), my housemate is a former Zoo World addict (he's 76) that has since moved onto Sudoku of all things, I play Wow at 45. One friend likes to brag that he's "different" from everybody else because his vice is Facebook (he's 68), but to me it's worst actually. A lot of my work buddies (20s/30s/40s) are console gamers, FPS mostly. To summarize, all of us are well beyond the typical age bracket associated with gaming, and all of us spent at least several hours of the day doing it.
Because of the stigma the OP alluded to, I stopped informing people of it. I mostly play at night or when I'm home on weekends so nobody really has to know. Can always fiddle around on a tablet or smartphone when around other people, since that seems to be more acceptable.
I think being a "gamer" is a mindset anyway. Of all these people I mentioned only the youngest of the crowd would meet the definition of the stereotype. Which is? Well, one guy is famous for engaging nongamers in COD type discussions and never seems to get the hint as they slowly back out of the room. He also discusses new releases like it's the second coming, even those of us that play aren't losing sleep over it like he is. He's lost several jobs, lost even more girlfriends...and you get the picture here. Most important is he proudly proclaims his "gamer" identity and that's all that matters if that's what works for him.
Apparently video game is a 15 billion dollar industry. It poises to over take the movie industry of Hollywood, maybe it already has. A popular game is sold more than 10 million copies at a time. There're plenty of popular games out there. So you do the math. There're more than 10 million gamers worldwide playing all kinds of games. We're already in the 4th generation of game console, not including the beta version decades ago.
IMO Video games is never intended for little kids despite the fact that many are playing. The subject matter of the majority of games is mostly mature. The average age of a typical gamer is late 30-ish. In fact, a lot people in their 50's and 60's are also playing video games like everybody else. So it is never too old to play as long as you enjoy it. It is no difference than playing bridge or any card games. It's just new technology, new medium.
The problem is, unlike movies, video game is still not a mainstream entertainment in spite its long history. The fact that it is getting a lot of bad press doesn't help. Many non-gamers are still very ignorant and prejudicial towards video games and gamers in general. They assume, presume, make false judgement without ever touching a game console, let alone playing through a game.
The most typical complaint is "Oh, video games are so violent, horrible.....", but the fact is video game is no more and no less violent than a Hollywood movie, a TV show, or war related/crime news on the newspaper. The real world is much more so than what is portraying in a video game. People let their kids watch the news everyday which reports on REAL violent crimes and worse. How is it any benign or better?
I think those who are against video game in general have actually misunderstood what it really is, which is just a little game and nothing else. They're taking it way too seriously. I suppose they're also shocked in a way by the realistic looking high quality graphic it demonstrates, which make them believe it has the power to corrupt reality and those who play them, which I think is a silly thought.
A game is a game is a game, take it easy, people.
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lol
