One Reason Why It's Cool to Admit You're a Gamer

I read an article from Cracked titled “5 Reasons It's Still Not Cool to Admit You're a Gamer”, written by David Wong. The author clearly exists in some parallel universe were anyone who ever touched a gamepad is cursed with eternal virginity. Half his arguments are statements about the game industry that “real people” wouldn't even be aware of. I mean, do your non-gaming friends know what the hell DRM and DLC even are!?

Ign's GameScoop podcast has a segment called “Knockin' Boots”. This is were the listeners email in their questions regarding love and sex. The segment is actually pretty funny, and surprisingly enlightening. However, a user asked if he should “break it” to his girlfriend that he plays games. Is that code for he's having a homosexual affair? Doing drugs? He's a Taliban spy sent to America? Or deep-down is he ashamed to own a Playstation?

Why would anyone hide a hobby? Unless of course that hobby includes teddy bears and tea-parties. We all have our secrets. However, videogames are socially acceptable and often times utilized as a social tool. Not many of my friends are hardcore gamers by a longshot, but they all own a 360 and they all play games. I'm puzzled as to why anyone would be embarrassed to be a gamer. Lets take the obvious, impressing females. No, your date doesn't care about that purple drop you looted in WoW last night, but you being a gamer isn't going to be a deal-breaker if she was thinking about giving you some.

I've dated a lot of attractive girls in my life. I never dated a “gamer girl”, but all of them were actually interested in learning to play games. Or at least didn't care about how I spent my free time. Females typically have a mind set that outside the Wii, videogames are just a guy-thing. Our girls go shopping, we play Halo. Tell your love-interest you enjoy gaming, but like any subject she may not care about, don't go on about it.

I'm probably more into games than anyone that knows me has ever met. I love reading reviews and news and my life is planed with a job in game journalism in mind. I mean, who else would piss-away four years of education for that? Who else goes to war to get that? However, I'm not a loser. I'm healthy, in-shape, I'm social, I go to parties most weekends, and I'm getting married to an attractive girl who has a GiantBomb-signed Dsi and wears the Vinny shirt to college time to time. Not because she gives a shit about games, but just wants to include herself in my hobby.

There exists a type of person that makes us look bad. It's that guy. You know, that guy. That guy who wears his faded black “For the Horde!” T-Shirt, reads Manga at school and doesn't have good hygiene. There's also that muscle-head guy who always shows-off how many push-ups he can do in 2 minutes (I can do 83), that guy who talks about his car too much (I have an 01' Eclipse GT), and that guy who drinks too much (I drank like 2 whole cases a couple of weeks ago). So every activity has its assholes.  

I read an article from Cracked titled “5 Reasons It's Still Not Cool to Admit You're a Gamer”, written by David Wong. The author clearly exists in some parallel universe were anyone who ever touched a gamepad is cursed with eternal virginity. Half his arguments are statements about the game industry that “real people” wouldn't even be aware of. I mean, do your non-gaming friends know what the hell DRM and DLC even are!?

Ign's GameScoop podcast has a segment called “Knockin' Boots”. This is were the listeners email in their questions regarding love and sex. The segment is actually pretty funny, and surprisingly enlightening. However, a user asked if he should “break it” to his girlfriend that he plays games. Is that code for he's having a homosexual affair? Doing drugs? He's a Taliban spy sent to America? Or deep-down is he ashamed to own a Playstation?

Why would anyone hide a hobby? Unless of course that hobby includes teddy bears and tea-parties. We all have our secrets. However, videogames are socially acceptable and often times utilized as a social tool. Not many of my friends are hardcore gamers by a longshot, but they all own a 360 and they all play games. I'm puzzled as to why anyone would be embarrassed to be a gamer. Lets take the obvious, impressing females. No, your date doesn't care about that purple drop you looted in WoW last night, but you being a gamer isn't going to be a deal-breaker if she was thinking about giving you some.

I've dated a lot of attractive girls in my life. I never dated a “gamer girl”, but all of them were actually interested in learning to play games. Or at least didn't care about how I spent my free time. Females typically have a mind set that outside the Wii, videogames are just a guy-thing. Our girls go shopping, we play Halo. Tell your love-interest you enjoy gaming, but like any subject she may not care about, don't go on about it.

I'm probably more into games than anyone that knows me has ever met. I love reading reviews and news and my life is planed with a job in game journalism in mind. I mean, who else would piss-away four years of education for that? Who else goes to war to get that? However, I'm not a loser. I'm healthy, in-shape, I'm social, I go to parties most weekends, and I'm getting married to an attractive girl who has a GiantBomb-signed Dsi and wears the Vinny shirt to college time to time. Not because she gives a shit about games, but just wants to include herself in my hobby.

There exists a type of person that makes us look bad. It's that guy. You know, that guy. That guy who wears his faded black “For the Horde!” T-Shirt, reads Manga at school and doesn't have good hygiene. There's also that muscle-head guy who always shows-off how many push-ups he can do in 2 minutes (I can do 83), that guy who talks about his car too much (I have an 01' Eclipse GT), and that guy who drinks too much (I drank like 2 whole cases a couple of weeks ago). So every activity has its assholes.  

Although I'm still the exception to the reality, I've never dated any girls to date... I wonder why?

must resist urge to cool story bro you...

Here's a reason: it's intellectually stimulating. *goes on to suck the cock of the game industry, particularly those of my favorite games*

Technically you realize that it's the number 4 in that article (well, 17-year-old douchebags, anyways) that would have a problem with the number 5.  Why should you be so obsessed with being 'normal'?  People that care about that sort of stuff aren't worth your time anyways.

" Although I'm still the exception to the reality, I've never dated any girls to date... I wonder why? "

Uhhhhh David Wong wrote John dies at the end.   So I can forgive him for this article. 

" @Snipzor said:

" Although I'm still the exception to the reality, I've never dated any girls to date... I wonder why? "

Your videogame habits aren't the reason.  "

" @Snipzor said:

" Although I'm still the exception to the reality, I've never dated any girls to date... I wonder why? "

Your videogame habits aren't the reason.  "

Your a retard if you think gamers cant get females. WTF? Only simple minded people think that. I have a beautiful girl(check out my page if you dont beleive me) and she plays games and reads manga. Doing none of those activities makes you any less than anyone else. Heres a question, what do you "cool" people like to do for fun? 

what do you "cool" people like to do for fun?

then you got lucky?

" @EpicSteve said:

" @Snipzor said:

" Although I'm still the exception to the reality, I've never dated any girls to date... I wonder why? "

Your videogame habits aren't the reason.  "

Also not being a lesbian is another ;) "

The funny thing about Wong's article is that his '5 Reasons' can be attributed to all aspects of "geek culture". Comic book fans, anime fans, etc. all get stereotyped of being socially awkward, and elitist snobs when it comes to their hobby. Some people might think that comics and games both have poor stories compared to novels as well.

" @EpicSteve: I think you linked a picture of your girlfriend twice.  "

I read this cracked article this morning.  I liked it.  I like David Wong.  I agree that if you admit to people who don't play games that you consider yourself a "gamer" then you are setting yourself up for ridicule.  I don't talk about games to anyone but those that I play games with.  I don't reference video games in my daily conversations.  There is definitely a stigma attached to playing video games, and I aim to avoid that stigma.  I'm sorry if it offends you that such a stigma exists.  
 
P.S.  I'm married and have a child.  My wife obviously knows that I like to play video games.  What I will choose to do as far as games are concerned as my daughter gets older is an issue that I think about a lot.  The most likely scenario is that she will never know that I ever touched a video game.  Because video games are for children, right?

I read your post and didn't find a reason on why it's cool to admit that you're a gamer. Anybody?

" I read this cracked article this morning.  I liked it.  I like David Wong.  I agree that if you admit to people who don't play games that you consider yourself a "gamer" then you are setting yourself up for ridicule.  I don't talk about games to anyone but those that I play games with.  I don't reference video games in my daily conversations.  There is definitely a stigma attached to playing video games, and I aim to avoid that stigma.  I'm sorry if it offends you that such a stigma exists.    P.S.  I'm married and have a child.  My wife obviously knows that I like to play video games.  What I will choose to do as far as games are concerned as my daughter gets older is an issue that I think about a lot.  The most likely scenario is that she will never know that I ever touched a video game.  Because video games are for children, right? "

" then you got lucky? "

This is exactly why Steve is epic. This and a few other things.

I'm proud to admit I'm a gamer because people automatically think I'm a computer expert and believe I can steal their IP address and stuff.

" I read your post and didn't find a reason on why it's cool to admit that you're a gamer. Anybody? "

" @Fuzz_Butt said:

" I read your post and didn't find a reason on why it's cool to admit that you're a gamer. Anybody? "

''most people don't  give a fuck about what you do with your time''  ...was that a accurate summary? :P "

Well, the characteristics that were described in that article most likely represent 101% of the Giantbomb community.
 
But that article is pretty shitty. He basically made arguments for shooters, yet, did not mention Half-Life, System Shock, even Bioshock which were all fantastic story-wise. He mentioned one MMO.  He didn't even mention the many, many other genres of games either. 
 
Unless you live in some small town, being a gamer is "cooler" than ever. I have people constantly ask me about games because they are becoming more accepted. As much as I, and others, don't like to admit, the Wii is a large part of that.

I'm sorry I fit into typical gamer stereotypes that make the rest of you look bad.  I apologize.

" I'm sorry I fit into typical gamer stereotypes that make the rest of you look bad.  I apologize. "

Maybe in the 90's it made you look like a nerd, however these days videogames are part of popular culture. Rappers plays videogames and almost everyone had a ps2, now alot of ppl has a wii, 360. It's normal and expected that ppl are gamers, games are like entertainment, very much like movies are.

Do things you enjoy and stop being such a girl about perceptions.

Fuck people.

Congrats on getting married man. That's awesome. Nice post, thanks again for your service. When do you ship out to Afghanistan....unfortunately it looks like Korea's going to hell also. 

The stereotype that all gamers are fat, short and have no friends is completely untrue from my perspective.
 
12-18-I know a lot of people under this category who are extremely popular. These are probably the most hated of people online and are regarded as the basis of gamers worldwide. Not everyone is like this. Saying that every gamer is like this is like saying every black person is a delinquent. It simply isn't true for a lot of these people. Let's take for example a friend of mine called Will. He plays a fair amount of Playstation daily, yet he's in the football team, the basketball team, and he has a huge amount of friends. We (as in, our school) all regard him highly. So what if he plays MW2 an hour or so a day? He has a hobby and it doesn't deter from anything else.
19-25-I guess my brother is a good example of this. Not only is he a big gamer, he also has parents who do not want him to have a girlfriend (because they want to arrange a marriage for him later). Yet he plays, and now, as well as being in the cricket team and table tennis team for his university, he has a girlfriend.

I just told a whole team of football players that I'm a gamer!!...They then pillaged my property and raped my woman....I don't feel cool at all.

lol @ Larp. 
 
I've never personally run into a person that looks down on gamers either. That would be the same as someone looking down on someone for fishing, or playing basketball, or collecting something. It doesn't make any sense.

" I just told a whole team of football players that I'm a gamer!!...They then pillaged my property and raped my woman....I don't feel cool at all. "

cool story brah

Some people just confuse the hell out of me. 
 
Seriously, just be yourself. If you want to dress in trashy video game t-shirts and play games all day, fucking do it. NO ONE is stopping you. As long as you can afford to pay for it and keep a good financial standing, the government couldn't care less what the fuck you do. 
 
In high school, I was fairly popular. This is coming from someone who was #2 in his graduating class, AND got Valedictorian because I took higher level classes than #1. People were well aware that I played video games, I wore Halo t-shirts and other various things. However, I balanced out that hobby by doing sports like cross country and track. I acted how I wanted to act, said what I wanted to say, and did what I wanted to do, and no one had a problem with it. I don't really like people much, I thought most of the kids were "squares" as me and my sister call them, but that didn't stop me from being in relationships and having friends. Being a gamer does NOT mean you have to be a social outcast. It's just that stereotype that is pissing me off. When I took the bus to meets during track season, video games was the number one topic.
 
This dude and so many others are full of shit when they say gamers can't have lives. If you want to sit inside all day, play games, and get fat, you're still a person. I'm still going to treat you like one.

" lol @ Larp.  I've never personally run into a person that looks down on gamers either. That would be the same as someone looking down on someone for fishing, or playing basketball, or collecting something. It doesn't make any sense. "

I love my hobby and I wear it proud.
 

I wish I was cool.

I don't have any friends or any of the sort, and I am well kinda ugly I guess. And I frequently play games.

Thing is, video games has nothing to do with the fact that I am a ugly loner, and people who for some reason still thinks so are either:

A) Idiots.

B) People insecure about themselves.

C) Old people.

D) All of the above.

My eyes left the article wondering how this topic is even relevant. Also, the title of this blog is misleading; no where in the article do you actually address why being a gamer is "cool". You do, however, address why you think gaming is socially acceptable.

" The funny thing about Wong's article is that his '5 Reasons' can be attributed to all aspects of "geek culture". Comic book fans, anime fans, etc. all get stereotyped of being socially awkward, and elitist snobs when it comes to their hobby. Some people might think that comics and games both have poor stories compared to novels as well. "