Gamers R Us

Gamers R Us

          USA Today reports that 54% of Americans play video games weekly, a strong indicator of the evolving gamer culture in the country. This number is helped by the rise of interest in online social games, bolstered by increasing technological advances in smartphones and computers. Frank N. Magid Associates reports that "gaming behaviors continue an upward trend with engagement levels up year-to-year. This is a testament to the profound way the industry has evolved. We are seeing more consumers play on mobile, tablet and social platforms, while gamers with Internet connected consoles now have more options for entertainment at their fingertips in addition to strong triple A titles" (USA Today). Within this video game culture exists multiple subcultures which can be categorized by game type and gamer classification: hardcore vs. casual. The core values and beliefs of hardcore gamers consist of escapism - the power and belief that you can play as anyone you want and be whomever you want, reflected through the gamer worship and cosplay of their favorite characters.

           The gamer culture is pervasive across America with more players everyday.  Titles such as Nintendo, Playstation, Mario, and Zelda, which are now common household names, have achieved cult status amongst its fans. Massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), which are more widely participated in nowadays, have effectively made its place in the annals of the gamer culture. I've played in both worlds; the common thread being that they are both role playing games. MMO games allow you to connect with others all over the world. Hundreds of millions of players around the world play games like World of Warcraft, Starcraft, and League of Legends everyday and the number of subscribers continue to rise. These games are often presented as much more addictive due to the competitive aspect of it, as well as the lack of finality - you can never complete the game.

          With endless hours of gameplay, many popular stereotypes portrayed gamers as geeks and loners obsessed with gamer gear and figurines to try to achieve escapism from a world where they feel not as accepted. Outsiders often mistakenly label gamers, especially MMORPG ones, as anti-social, sociopathic, or socially awkward. This image is perpetuated through portrayals and idealizations in commercials and movies. Even Southpark dedicated an episode to stereotyping World of Warcraft, where Eric Cartman said "you can just hang outside in the sun all day tossing a ball around. Or you can sit at your computer and do something that matters." Despite their beliefs, this subculture has come alive like never before and continues to grow. Thanks to the internet and new technologies,  players can connect with each other from all over the world to play with each other and talk with each other, even through traditional consoles like Playstation and Xbox. Gamers of all types -successful IT workers, high schoolers, females, career people in their fifties - can participate actively in the gamer world. There is no formal handprint for what gamers look like, or what age they are; it's a unique distribution of people from all different parts of life. One thing they do share is their love for escapism and acceptance through role-playing games. 

          Gaming online once consumed my life, with countless hours of gameplay and continuous days spent with no sleep and lack of social contact. I played Final Fantasy XI online and Gunbound extensively in my highschool years. In fact, my first job interest was to be a video game tester, which at the time I had completed a course in programming as well. My life was games; when I wasn't online gaming, I played console games. I would avoid family gatherings and thought of excuses to not hang out with my friends. However, through online gaming, I met many people with the same interests as me, who were proud to be gamers.  I even developed a romantic relationship with someone in my guild after meeting her in-person. My strict parents and my overwhelming studies kept me indoors most of my teenage life.  Running into a female gamer while I was online was much simpler and made more sense.

          More than most other possible subcultures, the gamer one is very much a community, where people openly share their love for the game. Although competitive people often get together to form guilds, and help share tips and tricks online. The negative perception stems from the fact that many can play for hours and hours again without interacting with the "real world". The world they live in, however, provides plenty of social interaction. The only time when one is willing to escape the online world is at cosplaying events: Comicon or E3. People often eagerly dress up extravagantly as their favorite video game characters or they attend to collect figurines. Either way, its a place where they can meet many other people in the gamer sub-culture.

          Gamers take pride in the complexity of the games and in their skill level. It takes a lot - especially since most gamers are dedicated - to be the top and the best at something. But real-life Warcraft and League of Legends tournaments showcase the best there is out of the millions of players who understand strategy and understand every single tiny detail in a game. The level of detail placed into the creation of these games is unbelievable. Games have become more and more realistic, and a way for people to play out their fantasies in real life. Many people consider gaming to be nothing more than a time-waster or unhealthy hobby, but it's the same as literature, with more social interaction. People read a great book to escape life and to experience new worlds. Gamers, too, play to be enveloped in a different life, where the more complicated it is, the better.

            The gaming culture is becoming more well known, with some titles of the larger culture moving into mainstream media. Some games have been made into movies, such as Tomb Raider. Peter Jackson, who has directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, just signed a deal to produce a Halo movie. Many well-known movies are even being made into video games, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and all the DC comic characters. Eventually, subcultures can even become part of mainstream culture once its ideas of escapism become more and more popular. The gamer culture is part of a larger visual and pop culture, embraced and escalated by a large number of supporters. It has immense influence over entertainment and society, nearly influential today on global scale.