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[mas8705]

Can you explain? That sounds really cool, good for you!

The main thing was that I was trying to get into the Library to work for the city. I know how to do all the things for a librarian assistant, but the kicker was that with my know how of being a "Gamer" I can basically supply the entertainment for Teens to enjoy on a weekly basis if I wanted to (and if it is scheduled). As such, that was my kicker to getting picked so that I could help out the guy who runs the teen hangout.

Can't think of that many jobs where "knowledge of video games" can be seen as a plus, but heck knows that I had landed a good one and been thankful for the last six months. ^_^

 

[NYmanutd]

No, im not. I mean i dont game as much i used to before my 4 years old son was born but its because obvious reasons. Cant wait to play Knack 2 with him though.

 

[Ponn]

For me its less about feeling ashamed to be a gamer and more of I just don't feel like I relate to the current general makeup of "Gamers".

 

[cLOUDo]

nevah.gif

 

[Mr Git]

The term is loaded with fiery shite thanks to thousands of woman hating thundercunts and generally the worst personified bile the Internet can throw up - so no I avoid it. I prefer and use the term 'player of games' even if it's more syllables.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

I am not ashamed at all. About the "gamer" labelling, I think there's nothing wrong with it to define those who plays a bit more than casually.

I'm sure that in every single community out there, game related or not, you will find a bunch of "bad" people. That's something we just cannot escape.

 

[Vegivo]

Hell no. Gaming is a part of me. It’s a hobby I enjoy and will continue to.

 

[thefil]

Somewhat. Not in a public sense, as I'm not embarassed to admit I play games as a major hobby. But privately I feel like I would be a better person doing better things if I didn't have this compulsion to play 5 to 25 hours of games a week.

 

[Strike]

No. It's one of my favorite hobbies.

 

[Northeastmonk]

For me its less about feeling ashamed to be a gamer and more of I just don't feel like I relate to the current general makeup of "Gamers".

Right. I've always been self defined by the games I've played/are playing. I rented games almost every weekend as a kid. I was also the only kid on the block with a console around launch. I always thought gaming was somewhat underground in terms of hardcore fans. Mainly because Japanese imports were cool and not that many people locally knew what I was into.

Fast forward to midnight launches at EB in the late 90's and early 2000's. Then on to downloading digitally in 2014 and up.

I remember the 360 coming out and Microsoft's slogan was "Jump In". Sure I was 19/20 when this happened, but it had everything. Marketing was the feel good, "I want to play that game", good graphics type of marketing. Games were again, getting better or at least had a larger following of people. I could wear a Turok shirt and still feel good about it cause they were "bringing it back".

Last gen had its highs and lows, but toward the end mobile got a lot better, tablets became a thing, indie games got bigger than some AAA games, MOBA and F2P/P2W became a thing. Online celebrities were making money for just streaming the same game we bought for $60.

My point is, I bought into it and I enjoyed it. I've always enjoyed it. Now it has the similar feeling, but I'm not enjoying some parts of it. I'm not enjoying what is bringing in the billions of dollars on the side. I'm not enjoying what gets millions of views on Twitch or even YouTube. I'm enjoying the hottest AAA game, but it lasts me maybe a couple weeks to a month at best.

That's ok because there's always going to be books we don't like or movies that don't appeal to us. It just feels like we followed the golden trail to Oz. Like I followed gaming up until I found something I didn't enjoy.

I thought when I knew what each shooter felt like on 360 or how each action game felt on PS2/3 made me enjoy gaming more. Now a days I see a lot of similar games and game types and they don't interest me. I enjoy sequels, but I feel like lost sometimes.

I enjoy gaming, but I see what you're saying. The marketing for gaming was also something I enjoyed. Now a days there's so much saturation. There's games out there that are getting millions of players and I feel like I don't exist. If that makes sense?

I feel like I'm still a gamer. That I still buy games, but I feel like the industry is trying to grab more and more people than keep the ones they do have. Which to my understanding is how you market your product. Sonic Mania is bringing back retro Sonic. That's great and all, but there's also hundreds or thousands of game designers making games that aren't for me.

I feel like I'm being selfish or I'm not considering the whole business side of things. But another part feels like the gaming moments I once held dear to my heart are getting further and further apart. It only matters if I pick and choose a single game to focus on and ignore the rest of the gaming world. It makes sense, but on a larger corporate/commercial market. Lol sorry if this is just one giant rant. It's been on my mind for some time now.

 

[-SG]

I'm ashamed of all the gamer stuff (i.e. collector's editions) I have accumulated, but not of the fact that I play games.

 

[zelhawks37]

Nope. Love my hobby. Assholes span across all forms of entertainment.

 

[FUME5]

I've been playing video games almost religiously for ~35 years.

I am not a 'gamer'.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Gaming isn't even my most eyebrow-raising hobby, considering I collect Transformers. That said if you ever feel ashamed of things like harmless hobbies, labels, or pretty much anything else that is not actually damaging to others, then you probably care about what people think of you way more than you should.

 

[Grampa Simpson]

From the perspective of one becoming a lapsed video gamer, I've started putting gamersgaters in the same bucket as neo Nazis. If I didn't work in a software development house, I think my coworkers would probably put gamers in that same bucket.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

Gaming isn't even my most eyebrow-raising hobby, considering I collect Transformers. That said if you ever feel ashamed of things like harmless hobbies, labels, or pretty much anything else that is not actually damaging to others, then you probably care about what people think of you way more than you should.

Yeah. That's what I believe as well.

I'm 26 years old and if there's something life already taught me, is that people will always find something to judge others. So if people judge you cause you like videogames, watching cartoons, or whatever... let them judge. It shows way more insecurity from their side rather than yours.

 

[DerpHause]

From the perspective of one becoming a lapsed video gamer, I've started putting gamersgaters in the same bucket as neo Nazis. If I didn't work in a software development house, I think my coworkers would probably put gamers in that same bucket.

As someone who works with predominantly non-gamers I'm convinced that most non-gamers are fundamentally unaware of GG and most of the stigmas of gamer culture that most players are afraid of association with.

Most of the gamers I'm aware of would even have no hesitation calling identifying as gamers when asked without thinking about it for lack of any stigma surrounding the therm in their own minds and social lives.

 

[odhiex]

Gaming is always cool in my book. That's me as a husband, father, co-worker in a third world country.

I am just trying to not to be associated with the unhealthy lifestyles, that some people seems like to stereotyping all gamers to that.

My second rule is: not everyone loves gaming and that's okay.

 

[KiteGr]

I pity those who are not.

 

[Weltall Zero]

From the perspective of one becoming a lapsed video gamer, I've started putting gamersgaters in the same bucket as neo Nazis. If I didn't work in a software development house, I think my coworkers would probably put gamers in that same bucket.

Gamergaters and neo Nazis have been in the same bucket nearly from the start, so that perception is 100% correct. But thinking the general public does the same with gamers and gamergate is tunnel vision. Gamergate isn't nearly as prominent in the real world as we may fear or they would wish. Most people have a pretty accurate concept of what a gamer is: someone who plays games. A vile movement containin "gamer" in its name may have a marginal effect on that perception, but not nearly to the point to equating the two (even in cases where someone from the general public knows or cares what gamergate is). Much like charities like Child's Play didn't magically make angels of gamers in the general public's eye. Because, let's frank, the general public doesn't give two shits about anything gaming-related, be it Gamergate or Child's Play (sadly in the latter's case). We GAFers are used to doing a lot of tank thinking here, but GAF is as unrelated to the real world as it gets.

Being scared of GamerGate, lending them more credit, credibility and influence than they have (or deserve), giving up on gaming to them, there are all the opposite of what one should do if they oppose GamerGate. Every single of these benefits them. As with any terrorist organization, the best course of action is not doing anything extraneous that doesn't directly help stamping them out: everything else is giving them the audience they crave and need.

 

[Valonquar]

I'm not ashamed to be a gamer, but I do cringe with shame at every battlestation thread where someone has slowly turned their living room into a cross between a Gamestop store and a toy museum. This hobby wouldn't feel so childish if people didn't make it look so childish.

 

[Pachimari]

Nah, why would I. I ain't no gamer. I'm just me.

 

[Zxrophantom]

I don't run away from being a gamer because any fanatic can make a hobby toxic. You don't need to be a "gamer" or be connected to the gaming community to enjoy games tho. You enter on your own terms because media as a whole can be enjoyed in many ways.

To me the gaming community is so big that its not feasible to control or feel ownership of all of it. Just like with the internet or any large social group, you only can work from your social circles and connect with like minded groups within the community. Gaming has done a lot for me and i always try to show people the best of gaming. The ugly side of things won't go away, all we can do is call it out.