How "into" gaming are you

[revolutionaification]

You act like gaming is like buying porn, which it isn't.

Games tend to be geared toward a more mature audience anyway, with motion gaming tending to be pretty much the only area where it doesn't dominate.

Playing games is a way to relax and do something that doesn't involving your own reality. It's no different from a book or a movie, the only difference is that you get to interact with it directly.

There are two ways to look at this:

1. People need to stop being ignorant.
2. People need to stop caring what other people think about them.

You only add to the idea that gaming is socially unacceptable by conforming to the idea that it is. I know plenty of people who go to game stores who are aged from 25 - 34 without judgement. Hell, my parents are gamers, and I'm pretty sure they've grown up.

Basically, this. I see no shame in expressing my interests, though it seems that I'm quite a bit younger than the majority of posters here. Perhaps it's just my age, but really, I don't feel like this viewpoint is going to change.

I regularly go into gaming stores, even if I don't buy anything. I like just looking around, discussing new releases with people who'll give me a genuine opinion on whether a games worth buying, and yeah, I'll admit it, checking out the guys who come in. If I know we've got something in common then that just makes him all the more attractive.

It's the same with comic book stores. I'll often pop into the one I go to whenever I'm in town, and though I'm less likely to leave without buying, occasionally it'll just be to chat with the guys working there. We're on good terms now after my induction in the comic book world, hell, it's a first name basis with a few.

As for conventions, if there was one near me I'd be at it before you could say 'nerd'. Sadly, I'm not really old enough to travel too far alone for one, and to be honest, most of my friends aren't into gaming enough to come with me. As soon as I can though, I'll be getting myself to one.

And clothing? Well, the past couple of years I've become more fashion conscious. I've given up my accidental tomboy look in favour of something more feminine. But that doesn't mean I'll abandon my own tastes: I'd happily wear any form of gaming apparel if it was stylish enough. And by that, all I really mean is not a baggy, bloke's t-shirt. My N7 hoody is easily one of my comfiest pieces of clothing and all to often is it borrowed by my boyfriend, regardless of the fact it's too short for him.

In short, NO SHAME!

 

[Rawne1980]

31 here and I go to shops to buy games.

I see a lot of adults buying games aswell, we sometimes even talk about it .... in public .... *gasp*.

Must just be a UK thing where blokes aren't ashamed to admit we're kids at heart.

Our women know we're big kids, they still love us for it.

We really don't give a fuck.

If a person is ashamed of playing a computer game like it's a big dirty secret on par with masturbating into a pair of high heels then thats a bit pathetic.

As for me and the blokes I know. We go to the football, we drink beer, we used to engage in bar fights (our women prefer us not to get arrested anymore .... no idea why), we have kids of our own and at the end of the day we still play computer games.

Hardly anything worthy of being ashamed of. If a bloke can't admit he's never going to grow up and has to feign maturity then thats a rather pathetic bloke.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Many gamers don't want to admit it, but if you're an adult who plays video games it DOES affect the way people perceive you. And it's even worse if you're really "into" it.

Come on gamers, can we be honest about the true nature of gaming please? It's not a socially acceptable medium for adults to engage in.

Why not?
And who cares what other people think. Fuck them. Playing games in my 30s may be one of the things that make me unusual (but it doesn't because most guys my age play games) but it certainly isn't the only thing that's unusual about me. Not everyone identifies me as "a gamer."
And I don't care if I'm unusual. It's one of the reasons I don't live in poverty anymore. You can't go around living your life based on stigmas that others may or may not be laying on you because at that point you're not living your own life anymore.

That said, I'm not as into gaming this gen as I was lat gen. There are a lot fewer games this gen that are worth the high price. It just seems that rather than coming up with new and interesting games, devs/pubs are mostly just trying to come up with new and interesting ways to farm money off their fans.

 

[PatrickXD]

My dad has no shame wearing his CoD Black Ops T-shirt, or walking into a game store to pick up a new title. He treats gaming the same way he treats any other hobby, and why is it so different?
I'm the same, having taken my opinions from him.

 

[Ando85]

I'm also 26, I'm highly into gaming and don't care what people think. I frequent the local Gamestop and they know me by name.

I don't wear the apparel though. I just wear plain black shirts every single day. I discovered the reason behind this. I used to wear a lot of offensive band shirts with the philosophy that I don't care what people think. But, then I realized something. If I don't care what people think why would I even bother advertising anything by wearing a shirt with something on it?

 

[___________________]

Men do what they want. That is all.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Speaking as a 25 year old, I couldn't give two shits (or even one!) what other people think about my gaming habits. I will talk about it in public and just as casually as if I'm talking about bread or some TV show. The people at my local gamestop know my name and we talk about games, and I own some gaming apparel. At the moment I'm saving money to get Adam Jensen's trenchcoat because that is one badass trenchcoat, my gender be damned!

I would love to go to conventions but there are none near me and it's too expensive for me at the moment (saving for coat- priorities).

 

[lolmynamewastaken]

i think it really is socially acceptable, just people are tossers about it, its just a pass time like say horse riding or walking or even football... every hobby or activity will get mocked some how though i guess.
OT: i'm in a part of the world wear gaming gear is hard to get hold of (as in t shirts and shit) so i don't really have any as i've never come across any i like, but i would buy/wear them if they were there...
as for conventions, i would love to go, but the nearest one is always like "YAY ANIME!" so im just like fuck that shit and avoid it.

 

[karloss01]

Let's face it, by the time you're my age (26) if you're still playing video games you get slapped with the rightly-deserved stigma: you have yet to grow up.

Have to say this irks me a bit. (Warning - wall of text incoming)

The statement above may have been correct back in the 80s/early 90s but in today?s society (mine being the UK) gaming is a social media that is played by people from all sorts of backgrounds. And many play for a variety of reasons, be it to let off some steam after a day of work, hang out with friends who can?t be there physically because of other issues or playing together as families.

The most popular games are those that are aimed towards a more mature audience, being either pegi 16+ or pegi 18, most of the top played games on Xbox, PS3 and PC reflect this. While Nintendo went towards making gaming acceptable to all ages through the marketing of child friendly games that also appeal to adults as well. Not to mention all the exercise and DDR games that are turning up.

I am 22, currently in collage again so that I can one day work in the gaming industry. Why? Because I want to help build worlds and stories that people can explore and be inspired by what I and others create. I know people of all ages that play video games, my grand dad plays tiger woods pro tour games on his PC because he likes golf, a friend?s brother who is training to become a doctor who plays Killzone 3 when he?s not studying.

Some of my friends? dads play with them online or when they are back from Uni at Fifa and Call of duty, mothers who play the Nintendo DS while relaxing in the living rooms. My younger sister who does night shifts at a bar plays Left 4 dead 2 and saints row 2, hell even my teachers play video games (one is 54).

Gaming has becomes much akin to other media like Movies, books and music, there is something for everyone no mater their age, gender, preferences, background etc.

The "yet to grow up" stigma is dead, and has been for a number of years, If people still think that then perhaps they are the ones who need to grow up.

 

[krazykidd]

Do you wear the apparel? Go to the conferences? Go to game stores to buy games? etc?

Even though I like video games, I would NEVER wear the game apparel (t-shirts, etc) or go to the conferences and I even try to refrain from going into game stores in broad daylight.

Let's face it, by the time you're my age (26) if you're still playing video games you get slapped with the rightly-deserved stigma: you have yet to grow up.

Many gamers don't want to admit it, but if you're an adult who plays video games it DOES affect the way people perceive you. And it's even worse if you're really "into" it.

Come on gamers, can we be honest about the true nature of gaming please? It's not a socially acceptable medium for adults to engage in.

Ya, systems like the Wii are socially acceptable for their family-friendly non-engaging appeal, but that's about it.

I'm very into gaming . As in playing actually games, i always buy my games in store because i don't really trust buying shit over the internet yet. As for wearing game apparel , the only one i wear is the shirt that came in the Catherine 'love is over ' edition , because you couldn't tell if you haven't played catherine so it's more of a insider thing, but other than that i wouldn't be caught dead in one of those.

Although it's very true that it isn't a very socially acceptable medium for adults. It's worst for visible minorites like myself ( i am black ) , so it's not very cool telling people that i like JRPG and stuff. The occasional grand theft auto , or CoD would pass but to be an actual fan of Role playing much less Japenese role playing games, would get me laughed at ( hell my avatar is Noa from legend of legaia ). So i tend to keep my gaming habits to myself. Which also means that i can't have a conversation with a person for more than 2 minutes, because all i know is about video games. I've been playing video games since i was 3 , and now i am 22. I couldn't go to a videogame conference even if i wanted to , because the idea of being the only black guy there scared the shit outta me . I would love to go to a videogame/ anime convention but , i don't have the courage to do it .

 

[Arina Love]

i don't care about stigmas i wear my gamer and anime shirts all the time and game in public whenever i wait for something or in transport. it's my hobby and if people have problem with it or view me for less than i am just because i'm otaku and gamer, well than fuck them i wouldn't even want to try to get along with trash people like that. oh and i'm regular and known attendee on local gaming and anime conventions.

 

[SomeBrianDude]

Let's face it, by the time you're my age (26) if you're still playing video games you get slapped with the rightly-deserved stigma: you have yet to grow up.

I might be alone in this (I'm fairly certain I'm not, but you never know), but when I tell someone I'm a gamer, they generally don't bat an eyelid. No exaggeration, they don't usually give a fuck. What stigma there is left attached to gaming is negligible, at worst, and at best, simply not there. If society hates video games as much as you seem to think it does do you honestly think it would be the most lucrative entertainment medium in the world? If gaming is only for kids (or those under the age of 26) why is the average gamer aged 37, and the average game buyer aged 41? (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8564342/Average-video-gamer-is-37.html)

Obviously I can only speak from my own perspective on this, people from round your way might actually care how you spend your free time and what you spend your money on, but why do you care if they do? You're not committing a crime, and it's not like your perceived social norm of adults refraining from playing video games is giving anyone any benefit. If people simply never did what was considered to be socially unacceptable, then none of us would read silently. We would all still be shouting texts at the top of our voices just to prove to all within earshot we could decipher the symbols on the page.

You act like gaming is like buying porn, which it isn't.

This made me laugh, as at my old job people bought porn with less shame than the OP seems to buy games with. They would just walk up to the cash desk, gallus as they come, with a copy of 'Deepthroat' or some other such classic and not even hide it between other, non-porn DVDs. They almost made pure sleaze look classy.

 

[Coreless]

I guess I fall into the dedicated gamer crowd I've been gaming since I was like 5 years old, I'm now 27 and couldn't see myself not being into gaming. Gaming is my past time, I grew up learning how to use DOS and Windows on my own so I could play Doom and Wolfenstein. I really couldn't give two sh*ts about what people think of it, at the same time I don't wear game related clothing or go to conferences or anything so most of the time people really don't know I play unless I tell them which most of the time I don't.

I haven't been to any game stores in a while since I use steam but I don't see anything wrong with walking into a store to buy a game why should someone feel wrong about it....that is just crazy. I work, I can use my money for whatever I feel like, there are worse ways to spend your free time and your money so I'm glad my hobby is affordable and not detrimental to my health like say drugs and alcohol.

 

[nothingspringstomind]

Right, so i'm 25 and apparently still a man-boy?

Y'know what? i'm good with that.

The happiest people on this planet are those that do not lose their sense of childishness.

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

I'm 29 and VERY into gaming, comics and technology. I was born in the early 1980's so I have grown up with all things thundercats and space invaders. When I tell men they are like 'OMG that's so adorable.' Then they realise I'm actually, in reality, a huge nerd and don't want to know. I have a theory that 30 year old men don't really want a girlfriend with a collection of Batman comics no matter how much they think they do.

I'm getting a tatoo of a space invader on my ankle for my 30th birthday :3

The happiest people on this planet are those that do not lose their sense of childishness.

Quoted for truth.

 

[LordDPS]

I'm really into games but i can't go to any of the Cons or buy the cool Merchandise because i can't afford to.

 

[DestinyDriven]

1: I would wear gaming apparel of my all time favourite games if they actually made some for females...

2: I don't go to conferences, I don't know of any and I would have to go on my own anyway, I don't know anyone but my sister who likes games, and I don't think she would be interested in conferences.

And heck, many things I like and enjoy are not socially acceptable, so I don't care what someone thinks of me liking games. I don't think I could handle hiding big parts of myself just to please others. I am not hurting anyone with my likes and preferences, so why is it bad?

 

[Thaius]

Let's face it, by the time you're my age (26) if you're still playing video games you get slapped with the rightly-deserved stigma: you have yet to grow up.

See, except that is woefully incorrect.

The only reason that stigma exists is because video games are considered "toys." They are not. They are an art form. We are no more rightfully looked down upon for playing video games than we would be for watching movies, or reading novels, or looking at paintings and photography. That stigma is based on ignorance, both of video games and of aesthetics, and I will proudly continue playing and studying this incredible interactive art form long after you think I should have "grown out of it," because it is not something to grow out of, and never will be.

EDIT: That also goes for the apparel and such. I'll have a coffee table with a special edition hardcover game guide, or artbook, or something. I'll wear shirts for incredible games. My desktop wallpaper will be similarly themed. Again, because any stigma against that is founded in ignorance and will all but disappear in the coming years.