General publics impression of us "gamers"

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Punknoodle

Punknoodle

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I'm just having a bit of a thought I'd like to get your opinions on, I'm posting it in this section as it involves all of us who are REALLY looking forward to GT5 and have invested time and money into getting a rich experience.

I have noticed over time that the general public does not fully "accept" the experience you can get whilst playing a playstation game. I am not a hardcore gamer. I used to play a lot, but now I only play my PS3 for around 2 hours a week, if that (down to working, having a 4 yr old, etc), although this number will go up exponentially now that GT5 is near, and I have finally build my seat: https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=119733

Which brings me to my point - whilst building my seat, I had conversations about the design, materials etc with a couple of my work mates, and even though they both own consoles, the idea to them that I was building a setup in which to play GT5 with my wheel was incredibly "geeky".

Let alone what my partner thinks. She is embarrassed that I've built it and doesn't want her friends to see it!

Why does gaming have such a stigma? I mean we are talking here of not really a game, but a simulation which is generated by a gaming console. OK, so I'm entirely innocent of this stereotyping myself - I think "nerd alert" when I see images of people or hear stories of people who play WoW for 20 hours a day etc, but that is extreme. I'm talking here, of grown adults, male or female, who like to unwind / enjoy themselves playing a game on the TV. Why else would there be games with an R18 rating?

This is why I think that dude Lucas is doing a great job for the community, winning races with the only racing experience to date coming from Gran Turismo. This is also why I had a smile on my face watching Vince Vaughn in "The Breakup" playing his PS2 all the time :)

Anyway, ramble over...thoughts?
 
I've had a similar experience, the difference I think is becuase they cannot see themselves playing a 'computer'. But if they're interested in something as much as we are of GT5 and you sat them down to play their equivalent I imagine their opinion would change.

Similar story when a friend first discovered The Sims, and again when the missus discovered PKR poker on the PC

They distance themselves because they believe they can't get any enjoyment out of a topic they're interested in which just happens to be really well done on a gaming console. My 2 pence!
 
Well people will jump all over the things that others enjoy,as long as its something they dont partake in.
Just as I dont get into golf,I dont get how some folks if you talk to them for any length of time the subject comes around to golf. But to each his or her own. I think that video gaming can be a very consuming recreation,as I guess any hobby can be.My wife has to bring me back to Earth many times. But for me gaming has been a true joy,I hardly ever watch TV anymore,and gaming keeps my mind sharp and occupied.and away from other less productive things. So if I'm a geek sooo what, I gain a lot of pleasure from gaming and thats the best any of us can hope for.
 
Moved out of the GT5 forum into a more relevant one.
 
Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of guy to really give a stuff if someone has a problem with me or my interests, its just something that I've noticed and not fully understood...
 
I have the same problem, it gets seen as wierd to sit in front of the TV, on the sofa, playing GT5P with a wheel and wheel stand pro. In retort to my wife I ask why is it any wierder than sitting on the sofa watching some inane sitcom. At least playing GT5P is interactive!
 
It just looks wierd really, it seems childish and ive thought about the same thing before too.

I don't really know why though, maybe because it's not a real life car
 
marky5244
At least playing GT5P is interactive!
Click to expand...

Although it's very accepted to be a gamer these days, if anyone ever questions me spending money on games, or saying, oh why don't you read books/watch a dvd. I ask them how much a book or DVD costs, then ask how many hours you get out of it. Then I point out how I've had hundreds of hours out of games I've payed £30 for, and suddenly who's money is well spent. A new DVD costs around £10, you get about 8 hours max out of it with extras, a new game costs £40, and you can get literally hundreds of hours if you choose wisely, and you're interacting with the game, being involved. A book similarly, costs around £10 when new, you get alot more hours from this then a DVD, but once it's read, re-reading it will never be much of a thrill, and it's life ends and becomes useless once you're done. A game persists as it's ever changing, if you spend wisely, like myself, and buy only the games you KNOW will have longevity, you're spending money much more wisely then alot of people do on DVDs and books.

They can't pull out the 'get out more card' on me, as I'm perhaps one of the most social people of those I know, granted I'm quiet around new people, but I soon churp up and infact games have increased my confidence when talking to strangers thanks to the old Socoms on PS2. They've also increased my intellect helping me to learn how to present a good structured argument (thanks to GTP for helping on that one as well), my knowledge of those from other countries, the list goes on. The fact is, gaming is no longer cooping up in a dark room with only the sound of a game or a bunch of 'geeks' playing multiplayer against another group. It's a social experience now, even in the most serious of clan matches, there's room to have a laugh and a few jokes.
 
I think there is a lasting impression on the more serious gamers that is still stuck there no matter what. When I went to Evolution Champship Series
There were tons of people just stuck in one room from 11am to 2 am.


Man, I love that day.
 
Hi friends,
To play game stick with games its depend on your interest.
as per my view i alway go to pool parler for games andd enjoyment.
i think games are refreshment for me. when i feel upset or boring i use to play game.
I don't care of people what they think about me...👍
 
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You know, I too am a gamer like you guys.:) Thing is, I may not have many of the games that are out now but I do know this. About what Dragonistic said earlier, I agree with that.👍👍 I mean, most people don't think of gaming as a way of social means but that's not true! After all, GTplanet is a perfect example of how gaming IS social! Because we not only talk about the 5 Gran Turismo games that have been created, we also talk about other games as well! And after all, is not a forum a place to be social despite it being over the internet?
You know, I think that you guys may just be the ones I've been looking for lately. The ones STILL loyal to the Light side of the Gaming Force, even after all this time...
 
University gives a good insight into the life of a gamer. I'm a gamer, hardcore compared to the average student here, but I'm one of the most talkative on my hall, and talk to plenty of people out on the other halls to, and people on my course.

This is shocking as I'm very nervous when meeting new people in general anyway, yet it's me who's thriving most and yet I'm not out drunk every night or going into clubs all the time. I spend more time sat in on my games, chilling with a couple of beers, then I do out there at parties, and somehow I'm meeting more new people then the rest seem to. Without me half my flat might not even know each other yet as it was me who got everyone in one room on my first day here.
 
Wow, that's amazing! Anyway, you've ever been to a gaming tournament before? I have.
 
Participated in a few small events... back whent eh CounterStrike craze brought lots of kids into the gamer world.

Living in Asia, the "stigma" is a lot less... MMORPGs and online shooters here are as widely accepted as Facebook and video-chat.

The older generation still thinks games are a waste of time... but for me, it's just the same as any hobby... a total waste of time, but a good way to relax... and yes... a good game is definitely worth more than a bad DVD... anyday.
 
Korea is still big in StarCraft from what I hear. ( and a few famous MMOs like Ragnarok Online)
Japan still has its fighting scene that is still big and continually growing
 
I think name itself implies you [all gamers] are playing something that is not quite tangible, not real, a fantasy. Like any hobby or activity, there's always the few that take things too far, for better or for worse, which ruins the image people have in their heads of the average enthusiast.

There's still a disdain for video games by an older generation; mostly because we grow up and have families of our own, or take on larger social responsibilities and take on goals that are more time consuming. People in the their 40s are less likely to be video game fanatics, because they have usually not grown up with a computer or a gaming console in the household all their life. A younger generation doesn't see this as a "problem".

To me, I find them to be rather uncreative in a way; but if used in moderation, an occasionally healthy escape from reality. That, and I get dizzy and nauseous playing most games for more than 15 minutes.

As for a cockpit setup in the household, most wives don't-want-that-[tool/gadget]-around-the-house when company arrives.
 
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gtmaster08
Wow, that's amazing! Anyway, you've ever been to a gaming tournament before? I have.
Click to expand...

I have to, and currently run my own gaming group (although not particularly serious or competitive, just a group of gamers having fun). I used to compete in Socom 2 tournaments with a few clans that recruited me.
I also competed in some privately run tournaments on Burnout 3 and Midnight Club 3.

Pupik
That, and I get dizzy and nauseous playing most games for more than 15 minutes.

As for a cockpit setup in the household, most wives don't-want-that-[tool/gadget]-around-the-house when company arrives.
Click to expand...

Speaking as the younger generation, I'd say you're right, most people up to and including my girlfriend see my wheel and although they won't admit it I can tell they want a go on it. However if I was a few years older (and them) I'm sure they'd think I was a 'geek'/child for having such equipment in my bedroom.
 
I'm a younger gamer (in the teens), so when people see my setup for GT they don't really think I'm weird. That's the beauty of being young :D
 
Pupik sums it up well on the last page, "gamers" is an implication of partaking in something that is a fantasy.

I'm lucky enough to work in the Gaming Industry, I'm a gamer too, obviously, don't particularly think I'm a hardcore gamer, as I'll often have enough of it and take a break from it all and have gone several months losing interest. I'm also learning (education + other jobs) in Hospitality. About as two different industries you'll get and I vary rarely have met people with an interest in gaming be it at college or work, mainly because of the the hours in Hospitality that people work, and it has such a huge social post-work side to it.

There is a massive stigma to gaming, people assume that because you're a gamer that you're anti-social, you're a nerd and you play in dark rooms by yourself! Yet, the truth of most gaming is very different with most gamers. I've made some very good friends through it, including here at GTP thanks to the UKGTP's I've attended and met a group of nice people. I get ridiculed by some people, that kind of wry smile when I say "I work for a computer game developer" (at one point this year, you could say I was working for three...), yet when I explain the business side of Gaming (which I love, as it's so huge), people change their mind quickly. When I mention working for a small developer (and I explain how small we are) with a niche market who have over 100,000 customers per year, they kind of go "wow". Gaming is huge and people just don't realise it, it's the biggest entertainment industry in the world and is hugely popular all the time, because as mentioned before, provides good value for money. Our game costs £15, I know of people who have spent 1,000 hours on it. Find me another entertainment industry like that, you'll struggle to get 10 hours for £15 in most that I can think of! Imagine listening to a CD you bought, 3 times a day, every day, for a whole year!

Interestingly, I was watching Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe the other night (if you live in the UK, watch it on BBC iPlayer) and it went through Gaming's development over the years and noted how the 90s had quite a big TV showing for Gaming, it's pretty much dead now, save for Bravo!

There is a huge stigma, it'll always be there, there is also a misnomer on the age of gamers. I know quite a few gamers in their 50s, have had customers myself in their 60s and 70s. I think being open minded is a big factor in accepting "gamers", and you'll genuinely find people who don't like gamers will often belittle other groups, if you will.
 
I only play games because I can neither partake in a similar experience in real life (Gran Turismo is an example, I am 14 and I have no money) or it cannot happen with me (CoD4, I rather like my life.)

When I am close to 20, my dream job would be engineering cars, tuning cars, and racing cars. If my life goes the way I want, you will hear my name when watching racing on TV. But, as of now, it's simply not possible. So I simulate my dream as close as possible, via racing games.
 

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