I have 5 tattoos, all on my lower/upper arms. I've always considered getting a gaming related tattoo, whether it be a favorite game of mine like Fallout or something more generic like a D-Pad. What are your thoughts on video game tattoos? If you have any, share some pictures!
Nothing against em, make sure it's something you want on you forever. I only have 1 very large tattoo covering a large part of my leg from the knee down. I have considered a gaming tattoo but there is nothing that means that much to me in the gaming world besides CS/D2 taking up most of my Middle School and High School life and WoW prior to actually becoming an adult.
If you love games and want to express that to the world, nothing is wrong with a game tattoo. Personally, I'm with @Subject2Change. As much as I love games, I can't think of any that I like enough to get a tattoo of.
If it's iconic (like mario, the nintendo 8 bit controller or something else) it could work but then again with the wrong design or putting it in the wrong spot it could go wrong. If nothing else just put it up on your shoulder/back area so you have some room to work with & don't have to deal with comments on it from people who don't play video games. For something like fallout 3 & I was going that route of getting a gaming themed tattoo, I'd go with one of the pipboy images (from either the perks or some of the art in fallout 3 or new vegas), then again that's me & you might go with something else, just pick something you like & you can always get an artist or yourself to draw it up on yourself with a sharpie or body paint to get a customized fake tattoo for a couple days to just play around with what you want or where to go with it & see what you think. GLHB!
If games are important to you, then yeah go for it. Getting a game tattoo has always been in my plans as games have been a huge part of my life for so long.
Just don't get any GTA release dates. You'll kick yourself in the ass for that one.
I think any pop culture themed tattoos are dumb. The tattoo will last a life time, but the fad you are currently crazy for will not. I personally think just random tattoos on a person are ugly as all hell, but if it has some special meaning to you then knock yourself out. It's your body. Just try to think about what you will think of it in 20-30 years time. I have always wanted to get a Brotherhood of NOD symbol tattoo on me somewhere because it has a deep personal meaning to me, but instead of running out to get it done as soon as I was old enough to I instead promised myself that if by the time I'm 30 I still wanted it I would get it. 4.6 more years to go!
Christ... now I feel old and sad. Thanks a lot OP.
If you do get something I'd make it something really subtle. For example, I was thinking of getting the weak spot on the colossus from shadow of the colossus, unless someone asks they'd never know. Still not sure if I'll get it but I think it'll work.
If you're gonna get a tattoo referencing something specific in culture, get something that people who are also fans will get but non-fans will still think looks cool. There's nothing worse than having to explain what your tattoo is referencing and your only response is "Video Games"
I have a pretty ok tattoo of a metroid spawn on the inside of my right arm. When people ask about it I just say something like, 'yeah it's from a videogame'. If I were to get another tattoo it would be a horse tattoo that takes up my entire back.
I love the idea of getting a subtle gaming tattoo. I'd love to do it some day. Nothing that's like a character or a game logo or anything that literally screams "VIDJA GAEMS!!!!!!!". But something more subtle that just looks like a normal tattoo to the uninformed, but has a gaming background. I'm thinking the design on the Aperture Science would look cool. But I don't know. I'm not going to rush into it, a tattoo is for life.
If it means anything to you. The most important thing for me is music, so I'm getting a music-related tattoo. If video games spawned the same feelings for me as music does, I'd get a gaming tattoo. Though I'm against any logos, catchphrases etc. Original tattoos all the way!
I think if it's a piece of art that looks cool in its own right and just happens to be from or inspired by a game then it's ok. I think anything like a D-pad (anything which just says "OH HEY DID YOU KNOW I LIKE GAMES??") is lame as fuck.
Well first you have to consider this: If you're asking for the opinions of others about whether or not you should get a video game tattoo, then isn't it already apparent that you shouldn't? Getting tattooed is something you do as an ultimate form of expression to commemorate something sentimental to you. If you have to ask if others think a certain tattoo is cool or not to be blazoned onto your skin, then you're obviously more concerned with outward appearances, meaning that you let the judgement of others dictate the way that you live. That isn't very cool.
I love the idea of getting a subtle gaming tattoo. I'd love to do it some day. Nothing that's like a character or a game logo or anything that literally screams "VIDJA GAEMS!!!!!!!". But something more subtle that just looks like a normal tattoo to the uninformed, but has a gaming background.
There was this guy I quoted a while back. I looked it up to post again, great bit of advice.
@McGhee_the_Insomniac said:
I use to want a tattoo, but I'm glad I didn't. I use to be a hardcore Christian, graduated from a Evangelical Bible college, and was going to go into the ministry. Ten years later and I'm now an atheist. Going years back I use to really want some kind of Christian tattoo. How stupid would I feel today with some fucking Greek phrase from the Bible on my arm?
Tattoos never change, but you do. Or you should. If you aren't changing and growing as a person, you've got a problem.
Get a tattoo if you like, just think about it really hard I guess.
Seem to be in a minority here, but my left arm mostly consists of gaming related tattoos. So if you find something you like, just go for it... I might add some pictures later, although the sleeve is not done yet and actually I wanted to wait till it's done before I take some pictures of it.
P. S. I might mention that I am not one of those every tattoo stands for something in my life or has a deeper meaning to it types, which you tend to see a lot in those tattoo related reality soaps... If I'll like the design and know that I don't get bored after a few years I go for it. But as I can enjoy/appreciate some "destroyer lines" on walls... you should take my stance on tattoos, art etc with a grain of salt ;)
Well first you have to consider this: If you're asking for the opinions of others about whether or not you should get a video game tattoo, then isn't it already apparent that you shouldn't? Getting tattooed is something you do as an ultimate form of expression to commemorate something sentimental to you. If you have to ask if others think a certain tattoo is cool or not to be blazoned onto your skin, then you're obviously more concerned with outward appearances, meaning that you let the judgement of others dictate the way that you live. That isn't very cool.
If you truly didn't care about outward appearances or the judgement of others then you wouldn't be concerned with tattoos or any other form of expressing yourself in the first place. You express yourself to others, not to yourself - that's why it's called an expression.
I've seen someone with a tattoo of, I guess a Mario level (8bit) tattooed around his waist. So if you walked around him you saw a few Iconic Mario things, a few enemy types, a few set pieces, and Mario, breaking some blocks. Its cool. But its all up to you. Do you want your body marked with someone's idea forever? I have a tattoo that was a drawing from my brother... and one that was a fuck you to the Marine Corps.... Both are badass... but my brothers is far better than the other one.. I was thinking about getting an EVE tat somewhere, just a tiny one, because that game is epic.
@Jimbo: You're right in certain cases, however, it would vary amongst different individuals as motivation for getting a tattoo is idiosyncratic. Personally for me, I view a permanent marking on my body as the greatest form of dedication to something meaningful to me (in my case my old ODA number). I have it located directly over my heart, always obscured by clothing, and only my wife, my SF brothers, and myself know it exists. But like I said, that's just me, and that's my reasoning for getting tattooed.
And when you say "that you expresses yourself to others, not to yourself", and that that's why it's called an expression, you're only speaking of a possible direction of expression. Many artists and musicians paint or play music simply to express their emotions at any given time, and those works aren't ever presented to the public. It's entirely possible to be expressive, and not necessitate that the expression be for the sake of others.
But in the end, I'm also wrong since I assumed the topic author's intentions of getting a tattoo were the same as mine.
Right, but you're expressing that dedication to your wife and your 'SF brothers'. You're communicating to the people closest to you how much it means to you, because -quite naturally- you care about what they think of you. If you didn't care what others thought you wouldn't need the tattoo, because you already know how much it means to you. When you talk to people about it, you tell them it's directly over your heart, again to convey the importance you place on it. Whether consciously or subconsciously, I think you care about it and what it says about you.
I take your point about a musician playing to themselves (though I don't know whether I'd call it expressive to do so). I just think there's a contradiction between saying a tattoo is the ultimate form of expression and then suggesting it's not cool to consider how others might judge it. Personally, I think getting a tattoo just for the sake of looking cool is a totally legit reason, and if that is the motivation then it's just plain good sense to ask if people think it's cool before getting it done rather than afterwards.
Depends entirely what you're getting of course. In my opinion, one should either be able to stand for it for the rest of ones life (I have runes on my right arm, which is fine due to my ancestry) or it may symbolise something that you never want to forget - a reminder that growing up too much perhaps wouldn't be a good thing for you.
I can't wait to get a tattoo so I can be unique, just like everyone else!
I have nothing against tattoos and dig chicks with tatts, but I don't give enough of a shit about anything in the world to have it stuck on my body for the rest of my life. Further, I'm from Portland, so having a tattoo is about as original as drinking coffee, beer, going to strip clubs, or wearing flannel.
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