Is it a stretch to say that Gamers are *Prejudiced against eachother*? *fixed*

[kitsunefather]

Humans, as a basic nature, combine themselves into groups and identify the groups of others; nation, skin color, religion, sexual orientation, hair color, personality traits, hobbies, co-workers, friends, enemies, any means to create an association.

No, gamers aren't racist, they're human.

If you are arguing that groups of gamers discriminate against one another, you are talking about elitism more than anything resembling racism. I personally know several people who hate the X-Box because it allowed people who "aren't gamers" to start calling themselves that because they play Halo. Same people think game designers should be creating games for the technology that will be cutting edge in six months, rather than games that are more available to everyone. They feel that only people who have computers built for running high-end games are gamers.

I, however, feel that anyone who identifies themself as a gamer has rights on the name. I don't think there's a reference or skillset requirement to enjoy playing games enough to consider it your primary hobby.

To the original post, however:

Newb. Scrub. Troll. Little Kid. Old Person. Computer Gamer. Pirate Fag. Stop-Having-Fun-Guy. Nintendo Gamer. Playstation Gamer. Microsoft Gamer. Nostalgia Gamer. Console I've Forgotten Gamer. "IDORT". Casual Gamer. Casual-Hater-Gamer. Female Gamer. Games-For-Pleasure. Games-For-Art. RPG (both Western and Eastern) Gamer. "Realism" Gamer. "Fantasy" Gamer.

How is using any of these different then the broader term gamer? Aren't you just assigning a group name and defining it how you like, same as the source of any of those names?

Does gamer mean "hardcore" who spends hours a day in online multiplayer? Or does it apply to anyone who associates themself as one? If you want an actual discussion on the notion of discrimination in the community, it'd be a lot easier if you defined the borders of that community.

Edit
TL;DR
What do you mean by gamer?

 

[magnuslion]

Too bad that actual Trolls would use it sarcastically to try to seem less trollish and instantly discredit it, but I think there should be a button or phrase or something to make it so that you can identify yourself as not a troll. I suppose I'll just have to use my words right. Last discussion thread I wanted to be able to give and recieve input and share thoughts on got locked before I could finish typing it (granted, it was about MLP...)

Also going to ask, most likely invane, for us to have a decent discussion. I'm not looking for flames. I'm looking for genuine input. Heck, I might save this thread and see if I can use it for a college essay in psychology. That'd be awesome.

Filler aside. Newb. Scrub. Troll. Little Kid. Old Person. Computer Gamer. Pirate Fag. Stop-Having-Fun-Guy. Nintendo Gamer. Playstation Gamer. Microsoft Gamer. Nostalgia Gamer. Console I've Forgotten Gamer. "IDORT". Casual Gamer. Casual-Hater-Gamer. Female Gamer. Games-For-Pleasure. Games-For-Art. RPG (both Western and Eastern) Gamer. "Realism" Gamer. "Fantasy" Gamer.

I'm sure I've made my point in the number of terms people use to divide eacho9ther into little groups. It's obvious that people are going to like different things, and like doing the same thing in different ways. But people don't seem to be doing that, at least not as healthily as they should be. I'll be quite honest when I say (although there is indeed a lack of thousands of years of horrid crimes involved) that people who identify others with terms like these honestly sound racist.

Why? Am I just imagining things? Or am I a bit late to the party? I did a quick search over Racism and Gamers, and while there's regular racism with actual back grounds of players, and issues towards racism in games, but I don't think I see anyone else already noting what I'm going for here. And I do know it is a bit of a stretch.. maybe the word prejudice might be a bit better. At the same time, the judgemental way people label eachother, insult eachother, and attempt to devalue eachother, seems barely different, if at all, to regular "oh, you have skin of a different color, so you're inferior to me" racism...

what the hell does any of this have to do with race? what you are talking about is superiority complex, which nearly every human being I have ever met has in at least one or two situations. you cannot simply replace race with videogame preference and then refer to that as "racism".

are gamers racist? I am sure a lot of them are. I am personally not.

except against Gnomes. Fuck Gnomes.

 

[kitsunefather]

Fuck Gnomes.

Agreed.

 

[Cain_Zeros]

Prejudice would in fact be the better term to use. None of the terms you listed refer to race, they refer to types of gamer. However yes, a lot of gamers do think their way is best and anyone who does it differently sucks and is a moron.

 

[BlackLurker]

Prejudice would in fact be the better term to use. None of the terms you listed refer to race, they refer to types of gamer. However yes, a lot of gamers do think their way is best and anyone who does it differently sucks and is a moron.

I get your, and several others, point. And I've changed my 1st post a little bit.

I can't respond to most things because of the slant the way I worded my thoughts caused, but I'd like to ask if you guys can read over the thoughts in the light I'm hoping I'm providing, and then recoment.

 

[Manji187]

Would it be a stretch to say that human beings in general are prejudiced against eachother?

 

[Sigma Van Lockheart]

Yea that?s true I?m PC gamer and I hate anyone under the age of 12 on the mic I think less of a console gamers and I despise CoD players (everything after 4 that is) But everything else I?m alright with even F2P players in fact I help them but those 3 i hate. Yet this is the same in anything People hate people who are not the same as them.

 

[Sigma Van Lockheart]

Yea that?s true I?m PC gamer and I hate anyone under the age of 12 on the mic I think less of a console gamers and I despise CoD players (everything after 4 that is) But everything else I?m alright with even F2P players in fact I help them but those 3 i hate. Yet this is the same in anything People hate people who are not the same as them.

You hate people because of their choice in hardware?

What the fuck?

No I do not hate them for playing on a console some of my friends only play console games what I hate is the PS3 or 360 arguments that they always have and reason does not cut it.

 

[TPiddy]

I think there are two types of gamers I inherently don't like.... the first being the gamer that only plays the same games every year.... think Madden, CoD, etc....

The second.... would be the screaming 12 year old....

Actually, there's a 3rd.... the guy who spews nothing but hatred from his mic all day long...

 

[Richard Hannay]

I think the distaste different "sects" of gamers have for one another is often emphasized by a shared persecution complex, especially here on the Escapist, where we're constantly aware of the latest "violent/sexual content is corrupting society" rant from a pundit, the latest attempt to curtail gaming through legislation, etc. We're constantly being made aware of threats to the gaming aspect of our lives--"hobby," "passion," whatever you want to call it--and at times it can be hard not to feel under siege, if only subconsciously.

And as any zombie movie will show you, being under siege puts people on edge. Even gamers who might normally have a "live and let live" philosophy regarding the other "sects" can start to feel that these others are harming gamers and gaming as a whole, weakening gaming itself against the external threats of alarmist media and popular opinion.

If you've ever played a multiplayer game or screen a gamer rant in written or video form and thought, "This person makes us all look bad," or "What a gamer stereotype," then you get what I mean. I don't think this has happened to everyone, of course, but I'd wager it happens enough to amplify divisions that exist between gamers because of other differences.

 

[Richardplex]

Yea that?s true I?m PC gamer and I hate anyone under the age of 12 on the mic I think less of a console gamers and I despise CoD players (everything after 4 that is) But everything else I?m alright with even F2P players in fact I help them but those 3 i hate. Yet this is the same in anything People hate people who are not the same as them.

You hate people because of their choice in hardware?

What the fuck?

No I do not hate them for playing on a console some of my friends only play console games what I hate is the PS3 or 360 arguments that they always have and reason does not cut it.

From my experience, Pc master race vs consoles arguments are far more common. And you hate CoD players because... they have fun on a game that you have nothing to do with? I've never understood why people think CoD hating is the cool thing to do.

OT: We have to categorise everything, it's human nature. Even when things don't fit in our categories *looks at the monotremes* we still try. Although there is hatred among different groups, it's true. JRPGs versus WRPGs. CRPGs vs pen 'n' paper 'real' RPGs. CoD players vs the world. Casuals vs hardcores. Children gamers with mics vs gamers who's voices have broken. Aforementioned PC master race vs the lowly console gamers. Et Cetera. Though I would say that just liking one category isn't enough to automatically dislike another, the dislike must already be there.

 

[hippolyte]

I've never understood why people think CoD hating is the cool thing to do.

It's mainstream and popular, making it evil. I'm not a fan of the game myself but I'm not a fan of MOST FPS games in general. People get upset when games they are very fond of don't get as much recognition or perform as well commercially as a game they see as inferior. If CoD wasn't as popular as it is, then there wouldn't be anywhere near as much hate.

 

[veloper]

It's simple really.

Many gamers aren't happy with the direction the industry is taking gaming; such complaints as more cinematic experiences coming at the expense of real gameplay, or the decline/death of certain genres like simulation and SRPGs.
Everyone has their own preferences.

Somebody who doesn't think it through would blame it all on the industry, but the game companies are just making what sells; it's what they do to survive.
So gamers exclude gamers instead.
It also sends the message that not every gamer is the average gamer and that enthousiasts are in the market for something different from mainstream.

 

[Richardplex]

I've never understood why people think CoD hating is the cool thing to do.

It's mainstream and popular, making it evil. I'm not a fan of the game myself but I'm not a fan of MOST FPS games in general. People get upset when games they are very fond of don't get as much recognition or perform as well commercially as a game they see as inferior. If CoD wasn't as popular as it is, then there wouldn't be anywhere near as much hate.

Maybe, but that should be aimed at the industry, not the players. It's illogical to hate somehow who is only playing something they are finding fun. Though I'm attempting to apply logic to why people dislike people, probably a foolish undertaking.

 

[hippolyte]

I've never understood why people think CoD hating is the cool thing to do.

It's mainstream and popular, making it evil. I'm not a fan of the game myself but I'm not a fan of MOST FPS games in general. People get upset when games they are very fond of don't get as much recognition or perform as well commercially as a game they see as inferior. If CoD wasn't as popular as it is, then there wouldn't be anywhere near as much hate.

Maybe, but that should be aimed at the industry, not the players. It's illogical to hate somehow who is only playing something they are finding fun. Though I'm attempting to apply logic to why people dislike people, probably a foolish undertaking.

It's not as much the person as it is what they represent I guess. They represent the community of players that make games like CoD more popular than games they see as more deserving of the recognition. It just turns into resentment after awhile.

 

[Richardplex]

I've never understood why people think CoD hating is the cool thing to do.

It's mainstream and popular, making it evil. I'm not a fan of the game myself but I'm not a fan of MOST FPS games in general. People get upset when games they are very fond of don't get as much recognition or perform as well commercially as a game they see as inferior. If CoD wasn't as popular as it is, then there wouldn't be anywhere near as much hate.

Maybe, but that should be aimed at the industry, not the players. It's illogical to hate somehow who is only playing something they are finding fun. Though I'm attempting to apply logic to why people dislike people, probably a foolish undertaking.

It's not as much the person as it is what they represent I guess. They represent the community of players that make games like CoD more popular than games they see as more deserving of the recognition. It just turns into resentment after awhile.

True, and I can see where they are coming from, with games like Child of Eden having such terrible sales apparently, resent would be a more accurate term I think.