Why do we want to be taken seriously?

[cdstephens]

There's been a lot of hubbub over the years about media looking down upon us, the stereotypes that are attributed to gamers, the possibility that video games could serve to be a medium of art, the immaturity of developers when it comes to mature themes, etc. The vocal gaming community (which is separate than the non vocal majority of gamers, who frankly probably don't care about the industry's direction) seems to want to make video games and us by extension to be taken seriously by the mainstream. Me included.

My question is thus, *why* do we want to be taken seriously, particularly since there's no danger of our medium being banned or censored anymore after the recent Supreme Court decision. Do people feel that annoyed when certain news media (*cough* Fox *cough*) portrays video gamers in a negative light? Or is it because if we seek to be taken seriously then eventually we could get mature games, which we consider better? Is it because of our ego? Or is it some other reason entirely?

My personal reason is that I like emotionally compelling video games, so by supporting the "video games can be art!" ideology I feel like demand will warrant more emotionally compelling and mature video games. That's just my reason though, and I don't have a clue as to the community's reasoning as a whole.

 

[Strain42]

You're asking why we as rational human beings shouldn't behave like angry spoiled children?

I don't care how people think of me as a gamer (especially since I don't really consider myself to be one) but I do care how people think of me as a person.

And so should everyone else.

 

[y04coopa]

I have absolutely no care as to how news stations feel about me or my media of choice.

 

[SirLOLWTFBBQ]

People need to justify their hobby by calling gaming "an art form." Lulz. Really, whoever thinks of gaming as an art needs a reality check. Gamers shouldn't want to be taken seriously. They should just strive for a happy medium. I like people who realize that gamers aren't 4 years-old, and can differentiate a video game from real life. People who think we're all infants who will go on a killing spree if exposed to a recent FPS is a retard and needs to rethink his logic.

Honestly, gamers should just be happy where they are now and laugh at people who think they're a threat to society. We're not artist, and we're not sadistic muderers. Anyone who thinks otherwise should be scolded.

 

[PunkyMcGee]

I don't care. the thing is I am immature. I love a (good) poop joke. I watch cartoons. I eat cocoa puffs for breakfast.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Because we deserve to be taken seriously. We've waited long enough to be taken seriously. There are more than enough games out there that prove gaming should be taken seriously, and I for one am tired of superficial examples being used as an excuse to not take the medium seriously. That shit wouldn't fly with movies, or music, or literature. Just because gaming deserves to be seen as an 'art form', doesn't mean that every game has to be an 'art game', nor does every gamer have to be a patron of such. Are those standards applied to movies? Hell no. Movies are an accepted form of both entertainment and art, but that doesn't mean people expect every new movie to be a masterpiece from an artistic point of view. But it seems that every time a remotely mediocre or silly game is released, you get people jumping on it and saying "Ha! You see? THIS is all that gaming is." Like I said, this shit would not fly with any other medium, and we should be fed up of just rolling over and letting them convince people that their opinions are based on anything other than bullshit rhetoric.

 

[cdstephens]

I don't care. the thing is I am immature. I love a (good) poop joke. I watch cartoons. I eat cocoa puffs for breakfast.

Dude, you're completely off base.

Trix is so much better than Cocoa Puffs.

Because we deserve to be taken seriously. We've waited long enough to be taken seriously. There are more than enough games out there that prove gaming should be taken seriously, and I for one am tired of superficial examples being used as an excuse to not take the medium seriously. That shit wouldn't fly with movies, or music, or literature. Just because gaming deserves to be seen as an 'art form', doesn't mean that every game has to be an 'art game', nor does every gamer have to be a patron of such. Are those standards applied to movies? Hell no. Movies are an accepted form of both entertainment and art, but that doesn't mean people expect every new movie to be a masterpiece from an artistic point of view. But it seems that every time a remotely mediocre or silly game is released, you get people jumping on it and saying "Ha! You see? THIS is all that gaming is." Like I said, this shit would not fly with any other medium, and we should be fed up of just rolling over and letting them convince people that their opinions are based on anything other than bullshit rhetoric.

Interestingly enough, I'm pretty sure when they were first released, movies, television, rock and roll, hip hop/rap, and others were criticized when they were first released too. Off tangent point though.

Assuming the standpoint that we *do* deserve it though is true (which I do believe it is), what are the implications of the media accepting video games as just another thing people do for both art and entertainment purposes like music and movies? Will anything really change when Fox news stops covering sex and violence in video games?

 

[PunkyMcGee]

I don't care. the thing is I am immature. I love a (good) poop joke. I watch cartoons. I eat cocoa puffs for breakfast.

Dude, you're completely off base.

Trix is so much better than Cocoa Puffs.

can't eat them. those damn kids keep stealing them from me.

 

[spartan231490]

There's been a lot of hubbub over the years about media looking down upon us, the stereotypes that are attributed to gamers, the possibility that video games could serve to be a medium of art, the immaturity of developers when it comes to mature themes, etc. The vocal gaming community (which is separate than the non vocal majority of gamers, who frankly probably don't care about the industry's direction) seems to want to make video games and us by extension to be taken seriously by the mainstream. Me included.

My question is thus, *why* do we want to be taken seriously, particularly since there's no danger of our medium being banned or censored anymore after the recent Supreme Court decision. Do people feel that annoyed when certain news media (*cough* Fox *cough*) portrays video gamers in a negative light? Or is it because if we seek to be taken seriously then eventually we could get mature games, which we consider better? Is it because of our ego? Or is it some other reason entirely?

My personal reason is that I like emotionally compelling video games, so by supporting the "video games can be art!" ideology I feel like demand will warrant more emotionally compelling and mature video games. That's just my reason though, and I don't have a clue as to the community's reasoning as a whole.

I don't care about being taken seriously, but I don't enjoy people thinking I'm a murderer or a rapist because I play video games.

 

[Callate]

Because uninformed people will still try to enforce their will upon things they don't understand and have no interest in understanding if people who do know about those things don't stand up for them.

If you think the Supreme Court deciding that video games can be classified as free speech is necessarily the final word on anyone trying to restrict them, I have to gently suggest you take a look at the history of movies, comic books, comedy, rock & roll, rap music...

 

[Zhukov]

You're seriously asking why people want to be taken seriously and not portrayed as fat manchildren who are wasting their worthless lives in their parent's basement?

Yup, looks like we've go a real mystery on our hands.

Personally, eh, I'm not hugely concerned. However, I do think that maybe, just maybe, a bit more taking-this-shit-seriosuly could lead to some more games that don't revolve around the same old stuff. "Oh wow, my numbers are so big! And now I'm killing stuff! Oh God, yes!" The endless wish fulfilment and power fantasies are getting old.

 

[cdstephens]

You're seriously asking why people want to be taken seriously and not portrayed as fat manchildren who are wasting their worthless lives in their parent's basement?

Yup, looks like we've go a real mystery on our hands.

Personally, eh, I'm not hugely concerned. However, I do think that maybe, just maybe, a bit more taking-this-shit-seriosuly could lead to some more games that don't revolve around the same old stuff. "Oh wow, my numbers are so big! And now I'm killing stuff! Oh God, yes!" The endless wish fulfilment and power fantasies are getting old.

I personally don't care about how media portrays gamers because I usually tell people how much I actually like playing video games after we become friends, unless it becomes a rather obvious conversation starter. Also, most people my age have played at least one game in their lifetime. I mean, the media informing people that gamers are obese and antisocial isn't going to affect my social life too much, especially since most friends I do make like video games in some regard. And I'm not going to get fired or denied from a job for liking video games, so there's no issue there.

 

[Johnny Impact]

Look around you at some of the ludicrously unimportant things people regard with utter seriousness:
the pit of lies and empty promises that is political campaigning;
pro baseball (along with pro football, pro soccer, you get the idea);
whatever TV show is most popular at the moment - I don't even know its name;
lawn care;
news broadcasts;
the Kardashians;
and so on, and so forth

Are we gamers really that interested in society's view of us? I might actually feel insulted if society validated games and gamers.

 

[LarenzoAOG]

I don't care. the thing is I am immature. I love a (good) poop joke. I watch cartoons. I eat cocoa puffs for breakfast.

Dude, you're completely off base.

Trix is so much better than Cocoa Puffs.

can't eat them. those damn kids keep stealing them from me.

My god, are you a rabbit? This shit is insane I am communicating with a rabbit! AWESOME!

 

[Frezz]

Why not take video games seriously? It's really disheartening that so many people are willing to leave a medium with so much potential solely in the realm of pure entertainment. Yes, games are fun, and there's nothing wrong with liking games just for their entertainment value, but to deny their artistic potential is, I think, a huge mistake. Of course it should be taken seriously! The amount of work and skill involved in the production of a game is equal to any other medium, why is it that games are somehow lesser?

It's a new medium, so I can accept that it has yet to produce many titles that might stand next to cinema or literature, but that doesn't mean it can't or won't. I'm excited about living in this era and seeing what happens with the medium that defines it. Sure, I can deal with the fact that most of the rest of the world couldn't care less, but that doesn't mean I don't wish the situation were different. Is that so wrong?

 

[shadow_Fox81]

I'm australian so for liking games i get alot of shit and i'm going to say alot more than most other nations because the way gaming continually gets vilified by our politicians, media and social comentators.

Perhaps thats why i care more, but i want to make games and i don't want to dedicate my life to something as shallow as pissing in the wind so i care about it, i want others to care about it.

I think that is the distinction between a gamer and a casual gamer, actually caring about this medium.

so like anything i believe in i will care when poeple trash it,wether they are learned or otherwise.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Personally I don't care how gamers are seen; they can say whatever they want as long as it's not interfering with my enjoyment.

But I suppose some people are tired of being called names for something that they enjoy, or being treated like criminals for it. Although that last one would probably piss anyone off.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Because people confuse "taking us seriously" with "treating us with respect".

That's what I want.

Respect.

... And personally, I think we're just about there. Games are generally accepted now. So, for the most part, I no longer care about those that bash games. We're now in the majority. Games are cool.

 

[chadachada123]

Given that the way society views a particular hobby can have drastic effects on, among other things, your chance of landing a promotion or even keeping your job, yeah, I'd say it's pretty important that we establish video games as more than just a "child's toy."

 

[lovest harding]

I want the video game community to be taken seriously, because then it will, at large, take itself seriously. I want to finally get the video game version of Schindler's List or Lovely Bones or something that can truly be considered mature. Something that doesn't shy away from the serious subjects and doesn't take death lightly. I want video games to deliver something that someone who thinks that video games are a waste of time or are only for children to look at and want to play not only because it looks fun, but because it delivers something that can't be gotten anywhere else. There's a lot of potential to go places where the person playing has to make an impossible choice that leaves them reeling about what could possibly happen (similar to some of Mass Effect's choices but without worrying about a good or evil dichotomy).
I don't want to be taken seriously because people make fun of me or look down on this hobby (if I enjoy myself, they don't really have any way of convincing my otherwise), I want games to be on the level with movies and books. I want it to be entertainment, but with the ability to delve far deeper than we've gone and honestly explore things books and movies and television can't (or at least in a way books and movies can't).