Why Do People Look Down on Gamers?

[BodomBeachChild]

'Cause if you play games yer obviously a kid still or a person who has never grown up. Working in the restaurant industry we get a lot of gamers because we need a way to blow off a lot of steam. Our co-workers general think we live in some child fantasy. But when we start talking in depth about multithemed stories like Red Dead or Metal Gear they're thrown back a bit. Nongamers tend to view games as just that, a game. Not an emotional, surreal journey of fun you take when you get time off.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

Well our industry isn't exactly mature.

What's wrong with RapeLay? I'd argue garbage like A Serbian Film is far worse.

 

[Cyclone of Mystery]

Work at Gamestop for an afternoon and you'll understand why.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

You could just rip them apart. I find it fun. They really don't have a leg to stand on. Question them and their argument falls apart. I'm a very vocal gamer.

Can?t you just let them have their opinion? What does arguing with them accomplish beyond making them hate you more?

When they scoff at me when I'm having a conversation with a friend, I call fair game. A "You play video games?" is also fair game. I don't pick fights, but some opinions and actions need to be corrected.

That doesn?t really sound like they were picking a fight.

If you can't present one good reason why someone shouldn't do thing and you hold that opinion, it is pretty bad.

 

[DugMachine]

Because we take seriously whats are considered toys by society.

Right on the money. Nobody will ever see video games as a legitimate hobby and view us as immature for playing such childish "games". Okay I take that back. We will probably be accepted in time as the older generations like our grandparents and parents die out and all that remains are the generations that grew up playing them.

 

[Nouw]

Stereotypes.

Every single group of people are looked down about somehow.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

You could just rip them apart. I find it fun. They really don't have a leg to stand on. Question them and their argument falls apart. I'm a very vocal gamer.

Can?t you just let them have their opinion? What does arguing with them accomplish beyond making them hate you more?

When they scoff at me when I'm having a conversation with a friend, I call fair game. A "You play video games?" is also fair game. I don't pick fights, but some opinions and actions need to be corrected.

That doesn?t really sound like they were picking a fight.

If you can't present one good reason why someone shouldn't do thing and you hold that opinion, it is pretty bad.

Even if they were picking a fight antagonizing them isn?t going to change anything. They will still look down and mock you for playing games. All you?ll get out of it is a sore throat.

Even if they do, they don't make their opinions vocal anymore. A minor victory, but I can play my PSP in peace.

 

[khaimera]

Because a lot of us ARE the stereotype. I know some gamers who are as lovely and fun as the day is long, and working in a games shop for 4 years has given me the chance to meet hundreds of them.

I've met hundreds more, though, of outspoken 'IM SO LEET LAWRL' doofheaded gamers, who stink of a lack of any concept of hygiene, buy masses of junkfood and Monster and spank money on new games they very probably didn't earn through their own means. This obnoxious component sours a lot of people towards us.

That said, they have a right to be just as the rest of us do, it's just their eschewing of social norms and so-called 'respectable behviour' that does us all poorly. The more articulate of us aren't as noticeable.

I feel for you man. Everytime I walk into a game stop it smells like shit. It really bothers me.

I take a shower before I go in (to break the stereotype) and after (to get the smell off)

On topic: Its because we are seen as still playing with kid's toys. Its not true of course, but the masses still see it that way. It will change eventually, though.

 

[WaReloaded]

I get in that situation where people ask me 'Trezu what did you do on the weekend'? and i would say 'oh i Watched LOTR and Read some Books and played some Video Games, I was having a real lazy week lol'. then they seem to talk down to me about everyday stuff.


But i just never understood that. But Apparently from other people they say it happens to them too when they bring it up. But i have no understanding of why?

Why are we looked Down Upon?
Should we just Not talk about Games?
Lets say Julia Gillard our Prime Minister, said that she plays Call Of Duty would you take her less seriously as a Prime Minister?

Hell i would Vote for her if she played video games i want to shoot the Prime Minister in Killzone what can i say. But Sometimes a Video Game can open people's eyes its happened.

I don't and haven't taken Julia Gillard seriously, ever.
Haha.

But to answer your question, I continue to talk about the things I do in my everyday life (which obviously includes Gaming) with people who don't Game, the way I see it is that if I pay attention and respect what someone else says, they should return the favour to me. Generally, it works out.

 

[Kagim]

Because we take seriously whats are considered toys by society.

Right on the money. Nobody will ever see video games as a legitimate hobby and view us as immature for playing such childish "games". Okay I take that back. We will probably be accepted in time as the older generations like our grandparents and parents die out and all that remains are the generations that grew up playing them.

Or.

Maybe.

Just... Maybe...

Your exaggerating, horribly, and painfully.

I know it's the cool to be persecuted these days, but your not. The average person plays video games. Those grandparents your talking about? They play games. Those parents? They play video games.

There is no grand persecution of video games. Nobody gives a fuck. If someone gives you shit about playing video games they either.

1)Don't like you and are just fucking with you to watch you bleep and moan.
2)You probably never shut up about video games when you are around them and they are sick of hearing it.

Very, very rarely, does someone who doesn't fall under those two categories generally hate you immediately by you mentioning for the first time ever that you like games.

When you get out of high school and find out that the articles that get cherry picked and handed to you about "How much people hate gamers!" on the internet are, in fact cherry picked and integrate into society you will find nobody gives a shit about the fact you play video games. At least not until they find out you have nothing else to talk about. Then they will want you to choke on your own bile.

 

[DugMachine]

Honestly who cares. I play my games for my own enjoyment. My neighbors who are my best friends all play Live with me and we have a blast. We go out and hang out and sometimes talk about games and we keep it to ourselves.

Alot of the problem is that many gamers are the bad type of extrovert and like to spout awkward game trivia, jokes and memes that nongamers will not get for sure. There was this one kid in my class who did it all the time and i'd chuckle because I did think they were funny but I always wanted him to shut up because it created this awkward silence in the room.

Think somebody stated that in a previous post but its true nonetheless.

 

[DugMachine]

Because we take seriously whats are considered toys by society.

Right on the money. Nobody will ever see video games as a legitimate hobby and view us as immature for playing such childish "games". Okay I take that back. We will probably be accepted in time as the older generations like our grandparents and parents die out and all that remains are the generations that grew up playing them.

Or.

Maybe.

Just... Maybe...

Your exaggerating, horribly, and painfully.

I know it's the cool to be persecuted these days, but your not. The average person plays video games. Those grandparents your talking about? They play games. Those parents? They play video games.

There is no grand persecution of video games. Nobody gives a fuck. If someone gives you shit about playing video games they either.

1)Don't like you and are just fucking with you to watch you bleep and moan.
2)You probably never shut up about video games when you are around them and they are sick of hearing it.

Very, very rarely, does someone who doesn't fall under those two categories generally hate you immediately by you mentioning for the first time ever that you like games.

When you get out of high school and find out that the articles that get cherry picked and handed to you about "How much people hate gamers!" on the internet are, in fact cherry picked and integrate into society you will find nobody gives a shit about the fact you play video games. At least not until they find out you have nothing else to talk about. Then they will want you to choke on your own bile.

Oh i'm not exaggerating. I hardly ever talk about games and even then nobody gives a shit. I'm talking about parents and family members. Yes yes they play Farmville but they still see my games as childish. I'm talking about older generations not kids making fun of other kids, I could give two shits about what other kids thought of me even if I talked openly about them.

I don't get how you misinterpreted my post. I never talked about people making fun of me and you clearly haven't met the type of people who play Farmville but still look down upon people who play TF2 and Portal and such.

Double Edit: Rereading your post again and damn you seem get pissed over people who want to have their hobby legitimized and not made fun of. I'll restate it again. I never talk about games to other people, nor my family but they know I play them a lot and would rather be in my room playing on Live with some friends than spending time with them, thats why they give me a hard time. Luckily i've moved out and in college now so they can't give me a hard time anymore.

 

[Fenrisulfr]

The entire gaming community is looked down upon because of the childish people within it. I've had friends that like games, and others that are total nerds. I don't mean that they play for 20+ hours a week, but that all they know and can talk about are video games and internet related topics. They don't seem to function well in society and the rest of us have to suffer by being labeled as part of one united community in league with these... *people*.

 

[Kagim]

Oh i'm not exaggerating. I hardly ever talk about games and even then nobody gives a shit. I'm talking about parents and family members. Yes yes they play Farmville but they still see my games as childish. I'm talking about older generations not kids making fun of other kids, I could give two shits about what other kids thought of me even if I talked openly about them.

That's great, my dad plays gran theft auto, hes 43. My mum has beaten every single professor Layton to date on her DSi, she already has a 3DS before me, she 45. My grandma likes to play the original smash brothers on her n64 with me, shes 78. Hell my boss is 41 and he plays L4D and Halo:reach with his kids. So does my anecdotal evidence dismiss your anecdotal evidence. i have more of it then you after all. Believe it or not, your parents, do not represent every parent in the known universe.

Your not talking about other kids? That's great. So what your saying is your demonizing several generations of people based on the actions of your immediate family. Fan fucking tastic.

I don't get how you misinterpreted my post. I never talked about people making fun of me and you clearly haven't met the type of people who play Farmville but still look down upon people who play TF2 and Portal and such.

No, i had hoped you weren't honestly holding your own family up as an example of every single adult in your statement that they will all have to die before people will "accept you".

Oh yeah, i have met those people. They're called teenagers.

Double Edit: Rereading your post again and damn you seem get pissed over people who want to have their hobby legitimized and not made fun of.

No, i get pissed at people rushing to jump on a cross and be a martyr for no fucking reason. Deal with the fact that:
a) there will always be people who don't like you for no reason.
b) there will always be people who don't share the same intrests as you.
c) there will always be people who will think anyones hobby is silly.

I'll restate it again. I never talk about games to other people, nor my family but they know I play them a lot and would rather be in my room playing on Live with some friends than spending time with them, thats why they give me a hard time.

So they are sad there child never left the house and never had any physical human contact? You know humans need face to face stimulation right? Especially in non enclosed environments? Where you have to deal with the above problems and not be able to solve them by pressing "mute mic".

... Woah you guys, i think i figured out why so many people are whining...

Luckily i've moved out and in college now so they can't give me a hard time anymore.

And unless your parents have never paid a dime for you to run away to college that entire statement is void!

Edit:
Goodnight folks, you've been a great audience.

 

[TH3_D15HWA5H3R]

because gamers are better then them and they know it