Weeklong Countdown - Top 5 Threats to Gamers
This week, I decided I'd take the blog into a different direction (temporarily). I just got done reading about two different car accidents, and each of them are being blamed on one of my favorite new games for the Xbox 360: Need For Speed: Most Wanted. The apparent ignorance of the media's claims overwhelmed me, but it made me think, "what threats do we as gamers face in America today?" So this week, I'm doing a countdown of the top 5 threats I perceive American gamers facing in today's world of "Blame first, understand later." With the help of Luke from Game Naked, I hope to not only open the eyes of gamers, but to better educate non-gamers as to what is going on in our world, and hopefully eliminate some of the misconceptions floating around about our little corner of society.
#5 on my list of threats to gamers and gamedom in general is "game zealots." By "zealot," I'm not referring to the console-specific fanboys; as annoying as they can be, the only threat they really pose to the gaming community is to our sanity. No, the infamous Game Zealot makes himself known all-too-well when gaming hits the mainstream news.
Allow me to provide an example situation in which you might have run into a Game Zealot (all quotes are fictional, although the general scenario may be taken from real life).
News Article: "Today, Miami-based attorney Jack Thompson issued a statement regarding the recent suicide of a 'gamer.' From Thompson, (insert a quote here)."
Game Zealot: "That is ridiculous. So because I play games, I'm depressed and want to commit suicide? How about this, Jack? I'm going to hunt you down and kill you."
A Game Zealot may not even be that well-spoken. His e-threat may also come out a little something like this: "Jack Thomson is a n00b. Hes st00pid and I will pWn h1m liek teh n00b he si. Ur gonna die Jack Tompson!"
At first glimpse, the rabid rantings of a Game Zealot may seem like just heated, over-emotional responses to... anything. However, this type of gamer poses a very real threat to the rest of us, those of us who are completely normal, level-headed, and productive members of society.
The problem they pose is simple: they are quick to display an open aggression/hostility towards something they disagree with. Its that quick temper and public threat of hostility that only feeds non-gamers' view that we as gamers are made more violent by our frequent video game playing. How can we, as a community, refute claims that games can cause people to become physically violent while gamers are quick to hop on the internet and threaten people with their very lives? Sure, we're talking about the internet, where nothing can or should be taken at face value, but that doesn't change the fact that the gaming community has to effectively battle an internal struggle. We can't make any progress because some of us are refuting the claims that we're all homicidal/suicidal/irresponsible, while just as many gamers are displaying the exact behavior that they say we all exhibit.
Sure, we as gamers get painted in a bad light nearly every day, but we all need to learn to curb any irrational reactions we may have to these baseless accusations, stand up, and show the rest of the world that they're wrong.
#5 on my list of threats to gamers and gamedom in general is "game zealots." By "zealot," I'm not referring to the console-specific fanboys; as annoying as they can be, the only threat they really pose to the gaming community is to our sanity. No, the infamous Game Zealot makes himself known all-too-well when gaming hits the mainstream news.
Allow me to provide an example situation in which you might have run into a Game Zealot (all quotes are fictional, although the general scenario may be taken from real life).
News Article: "Today, Miami-based attorney Jack Thompson issued a statement regarding the recent suicide of a 'gamer.' From Thompson, (insert a quote here)."
Game Zealot: "That is ridiculous. So because I play games, I'm depressed and want to commit suicide? How about this, Jack? I'm going to hunt you down and kill you."
A Game Zealot may not even be that well-spoken. His e-threat may also come out a little something like this: "Jack Thomson is a n00b. Hes st00pid and I will pWn h1m liek teh n00b he si. Ur gonna die Jack Tompson!"
At first glimpse, the rabid rantings of a Game Zealot may seem like just heated, over-emotional responses to... anything. However, this type of gamer poses a very real threat to the rest of us, those of us who are completely normal, level-headed, and productive members of society.
The problem they pose is simple: they are quick to display an open aggression/hostility towards something they disagree with. Its that quick temper and public threat of hostility that only feeds non-gamers' view that we as gamers are made more violent by our frequent video game playing. How can we, as a community, refute claims that games can cause people to become physically violent while gamers are quick to hop on the internet and threaten people with their very lives? Sure, we're talking about the internet, where nothing can or should be taken at face value, but that doesn't change the fact that the gaming community has to effectively battle an internal struggle. We can't make any progress because some of us are refuting the claims that we're all homicidal/suicidal/irresponsible, while just as many gamers are displaying the exact behavior that they say we all exhibit.
Sure, we as gamers get painted in a bad light nearly every day, but we all need to learn to curb any irrational reactions we may have to these baseless accusations, stand up, and show the rest of the world that they're wrong.
posted by IcarusFountain at
10:44 AM
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