How "into" gaming are you

[DanielBrown]

Wear regular/metalhead clothes, would never go to conventions and I order my games online from another country. I'm not fighting for my life to avoid being seen as a person who plays videogames though.
As for the so called stigma... I haven't experienced it. I'm only 21 years old, but I know a lot of people who are older than me that still plays videogames. Also got a lot of internet friends who actively play with their girl/boyfriend. Most of them are between 30-40 years old afaik and I've even played with people above the age of 70(76 being the record!).
Gaming is much more accepted these days so why treat it like you're doing something illegal?

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

I'm having major reconstructive surgery to alter my appearance to look exactly like Garrus.

I know the risks, But the priiiize.

 

[Kae]

I love games and it's pretty much the only reason why someone ever talked to me at school, but lately the closest thing to gaming I've don is hang out here, I just simply don't have the time (or a system) to play anymore, in fact the newest game I've played is Metal Gear Solid 4 and that was around 2 or 2.5 years ago, so I don't really do much gaming anymore though I would like to.

 

[Lawnmooer]

Do I wear the apparel? Well I'm currently wearing a Gears of War 2 T-shirt... (I also own a Star Trek online one but thats all my game related clothing (Though I do have some comic based items...))

Do I go to conferences? No. Not that I really could what with not being able to drive yet and living rediculously far from anywhere (So far that theres barely any public transport to speak of)

Do I go to game stores? Yes, whenever I'm in town and have spare time (I.E. The hours I have to spend waiting for the next bus home) I tend to browse through Game and Gamestation occasionally buying something if I have the money.

I do believe I'm "into" gaming, especially since when I'm at home I'm either playing games or reading game forums. With the occasional break to talk about games for hours with my brother.

I don't actually care if people know I like games, in fact I try to advertise that I do (By wearing T-shirts or mentioning games casually) in order to find other gamers to talk to. I've never felt ashamed of being a gamer, nor can I think of why someone should, no matter what age they are.

 

[Wuggy]

I can see your point OP. But I have a problem with one thing:

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.

Why is it "rightly-deserved"? Why is not playing games a sign of maturity? Seems to me that gaming is a form of entertainment the same as movies or books.

To answer your question, however, I guess I'm "moderately" into gaming. I don't attend conventions(or to be completely honest, I have, but I was an representative of the press). But that doesn't mean that I couldn't possibly see myself attending a gaming convention at a point of my life. I don't wear gaming apparel apart from a Human Revolution shirt, but I won that in a contest. I don't go to stores to buy games, but that's mostly because I use Steam whenever I can.

 

[Al-Bundy-da-G]

I'm having major reconstructive surgery to alter my appearance to look exactly like Garrus.

I know the risks, But the priiiize.

What prize? Being in the middle of some calibrations for the rest of your life? :3

Yea laugh it up, but when you're in the middle of a reaper assault and your BFG can't shoot straight due to no calibrating, don't come crying to me. I'll be busy.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I have some gaming tattoos. I've attended a few minor cons, and two midnight releases. I've introduced girlfriends to gaming, because it took up a good portion of my free time. I'm an engineer who went to a conference, and convinced several of the similarly-aged people there, all of us the young professional types, into wandering off and going to a gaming party I was invited to. I'll let you make of that what you will.

 

[Savagezion]

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

I have a few gaming shirts and have some I still want. I have yet to go to a conference but I totally would. I go to game stores to buy games... I figured that one was a default one so everyone would have something to say yes to... sadly you are serious.

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 am 32. That stigma is NOT rightly deserved. It is our generations responsibility to throw that stigma out. It is bogus. What exactly do you think "grown-ups" are "supposed" to do? Sit in their study with a pipe in their robe and a good book? Maybe in 1875. Sit at a desk with one hand on their forehead going over cliche paperwork in front of a computer? That is unhealthy and a good way to insure you will health problems in your 50s.

The fact is that stigma about video games is just a stigma. What adults did before video games was sit around watching John Wayne movies - or just action movies in general. (Mostly endulging fantasy) Some sat around and watching Sandford and Son. They sat around the boob tube watching shit. We sit around playing shit and watching shit.

I don't wear my Guild Wars shirt to job interviews. I wear it to Walmart or the theatre or a barbeque. The same places I see average people wearing Budweiser shirts, Dallas Cowboy shirts, or Nike shirts. Any place where a T-Shirt is acceptable apparel probably isn't a place where someone important to my life is going to hold it against me.

Most, if not all, hobbies have an affiliation with someone's childhood. Welcome to adulthood.

 

[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.

Um...I'm fairly certain that, in a few years when I hit 30, I'll be a-okay with dating a girl who has a collection of Batman comics. Hmm, yes. Yes indeed.

A space invader tat, huh? Of which? The tank, one of the aliens, or perhaps the stately UFO?

Like this one but smaller :3 Pew pew pew.

I ordered 1-3 of the new Batman comics from The 'all new 52' among other characters. Looking forward to them.

 

[GeorgW]

I have no shame about being a gamer, and neither should you, OP.
That said, I don't go to conventions or anything like that. I hate to say it, but sometimes there's an odd feeling about the people there. It's not just gamers, I just have a problem with fanboys in general.

 

[Tourmeta]

You just sound embarrassed to be honest, there's no "evil sin" in gaming as some people believe.

I'm very into it, I love going to stores, don't have any game shirts though. I'm also hoping to start going to such events soon
Gamescom would be rad.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Love to play them, hell I even made some on my own, but they aren't the overarching focus to my life.

 

[Tazzy da Devil]

I'm very into gaming. I'm on a first name basis with all the employees of my local game store. I look for game shirts, but they don't make them for girls, so the only one I have is the Bob-omb T-shirt that I stole from my brother. I'd like to go to events, but whenever one comes around (which isn't often), I usually have no money. Last time one rolled around, I blew all my money on a PSP instead.

 

[thirion1850]

Being quite frank here - I can barely be referred to as a gamer when compared to actual ones. I spend most of my time self-educating, roleplaying and writing. But, hey, when Skyrim comes out and I finally upgrade my PC, I plan to devote some good time to that! Odds are, it will probably live up to my expectations since any brand shiny new AAA release would be a bit of a treat for me. ^^"

 

[Violator[xL]]

I've never been to conferences and I probably never will. I used to go to LAN parties but I think it's too much effort for very little actual gameplay.
I stopped reading gamesmagazines.
I still play with my clanmates, nothing more than public servers though.

So. I'm very into gaming itself, the rest /care

 

[EeveeElectro]

Honestly, there's no point having a hobby if you're going to be ashamed.
I don't see what's so bad about it, it's no different to painting or reading, it's something that makes you happy.

The only gaming shirts I own are a pac-man one, a Little Big planet one and a Mario one.
I haven't played a game in ages though... I've been trying to pack to move and the fact the boyfriend is on the 360 pretty much all of the time. I might carry on with FFVI at some point today.