New to Site! Need the Giantbombers HELP!

Hey everybody. I have been a Giantbomb fan for the last 3 years or so but have never signed up until now. I regularly cruise the site as well as the forums and have gotten to know many of the users just based on reading responses to forums. (kinda creepy I am aware) However i signed up today in a promise to no longer just creep but to contribute to the excellence that is Giantbomb. Unfortunately I must appeal to the community in my first post ever. I am working on an assignment where I must analyze gamer language (I know been there done that topic) and I was going to search the forums for examples but I figured you guys could speed up the process by giving me examples as well as where you got them and why you use them. I'm asking a lot I know but any little bit helps.

Thanks

@D_Bones: I don't know what "gamer language" means. Could you throw out some examples you've seen?

Oh, and welcome to the site!

@D_Bones: Just be your self duder, welcome to the site proper.

Gamer language. You mean like "Noob", "Frags", and "360 QUICKSCOPE MLG FAGZ"? And don't forget the eternally enduring "xXxSmoke weed 420xXx"

The first two were serious examples though, seriously. Also welcome to the site official-like.

I don't use them myself, but like many subcultures out there, gamers form(ed) their own spin on language and came up with various lingoes in order to establish their own sense of identity within their community... at least, that would be my guess.

I really hope you don't mean things like "pwned" because no one I've come across (at least I hope) uses those words unless they're online. And even then they are weird to see on forums.

In a previous assignment I had to speak about how gamers use their language and knowledge to keep in-group ties. Some of my examples included short-forms that outsiders would not be able to recognize for example genres such as FPS, RPG, TBS etc. I'm looking for more current slang terms not outdated ones that gamers no longer use i.e. noob or pwn

@D_Bones: Maybe you could look into game-specific language. Apart from that, I don't know that people use any different language. Games that have a "professional sport" side, like fighting games and Starcraft, are the richest in terms of having their own language.

Fighting games vocabulary is fun and weird

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:Glossary_of_fighting_games

I speak as I always do. I see no reason why I would revert to some kind of sub-english just because I'm talking about video games.

@D_Bones: Whats TBS?

I think your assumption is a bit flawed though, I don't think 'gamers' use anagram's to 'keep in-group ties' and to exclude non gamers. Its just easier and quicker to shorten repeatable things that gets used a lot like genres. It's organic, like how the term MOBA (massive online battle arena) is becoming a thing, that genre is getting more popular so people are using it more. Also with gamer slang I think there's a blurred line between internet speak and gamer speak and one might not be the same or associated with the other.

P.S. Anyone who talks like that IRL is actually a 'noob'.

@BrockNRolla said:

I speak as I always do. I see no reason why I would revert to some kind of sub-english just because I'm talking about video games.

Same here. Yea, there may be specialized terms for certain things (strategy RPG, cheesing, grinding, etc.), but for the most part, I don't really alter my language (at least consciously).

@D_Bones: Just be your self duder, welcome to the site proper.

@punkxblaze said:

Gamer language. You mean like "Noob", "Frags", and "360 QUICKSCOPE MLG FAGZ"? And don't forget the eternally enduring "xXxSmoke weed 420xXx"

The first two were serious examples though, seriously. Also welcome to the site official-like.

R1GHT 0n BraH

Also, welcome duder!

@RazielCuts: Turn Based Strategy? Also, I don't really use any specific language

Haven't gotten the quoting thing down yet but RazielCuts raised one of the points that I have the option of arguing about. The fact that internet speak, tech language and gamer language is intertwined and influence one another. Also the essay is less about how gamers actually speak in person (I would only ever use very basic terms IRL) but how they communicate to one another either through videogames themselves (online) or in a community just for them (Giantbomb and other videogame sites).

Welcome to the site duder!

Friends of mine actively use words and phrases we've made up while playing videogames in real life. But its not standard silly haxor shit. More or less inside jokes that have come from gaming, like for some reason Making noises that abstractly resemble videogame concepts (like the melee in a game, or noise of a character) to add to a situation. it probably sounds really dumb without understanding what the fuck im talking about, but thats the best way i can explain it.

We take those phrases online and offline. I think different communities of people will have different ways to communicate. My group happens to use ridiculous phrases and sounds. Others could be very dudebro, or anything inbetween.

the groups gamers fall in will drastically change the way they communicate. Also how often they play different types of games (casual gamer vs mmo player vs MLG shooter player will all communicate differently)

@Video_Game_King said:

@BrockNRolla said:

I speak as I always do. I see no reason why I would revert to some kind of sub-english just because I'm talking about video games.

Same here. Yea, there may be specialized terms for certain things (strategy RPG, cheesing, grinding, etc.), but for the most part, I don't really alter my language (at least consciously).

That's a good point. There are obviously terms that are content specific like RPG, kiting, or grinding, but those are simply terms necessary to discuss the topics. Just as "Cinematography" is a word no one would ever use outside of a discussion about film.

Just go on Halo:Reach. You'll hear 10 year olds screeching out gamer words left and right.

I appreciate all of your help so far duders as most of the other outside research I am gathering is still talking about Mortal Kombat negatively influencing youth...ugh. Oh and sorry for my own ignorance but could you elaborate on what kiting is? I believe I know the basic concept however I need to confirm.

@benson: Thanks to you, I think that I will now say "curly mustache" every time I accomplish anything in a game.

My account name in Warcraft III was "THgreatdragon". That was pretty gamer-y, right?

@EarlessShrimp said:

@benson: Thanks to you, I think that I will now say "curly mustache" every time I accomplish anything in a game.

This video got so popular that it was referenced in Marvel vs Capcom 3

Jank. Jank is a sweet word.

You should write an essay about how Giantbombers talk to each other.

"Mass Effect 3s ending was like the reaction to 8.8 mixed with Big Rigs"

"Totally, it was like Gerstmanngate all over again, duder."

Also interested in how internationality informs video-game english if at all. For example a japanese word related to games coming into regular use among english speaking gamers.

Welcome, duder.

There's a vast difference between proper game terms and "slang", I believe. The game terms might seem as slang to an outsider but is pretty essential in the context of the game (how else would I refer to a rocket jump, a 4 gate, camping, or feeding?). I think most of these terms started amongst the community and quickly got adopted by the developers (same with tanking, min maxing, rushing I think). They are a all useful words.

Slang is just words without much meaning other than maybe putting on an "attitude". Noobtoob, nade, res, teabag, baserape (well maybe thats kind of useful), spammer. I don't know, the lines are a bit fuzzy maybe.

@D_Bones said:

I appreciate all of your help so far duders as most of the other outside research I am gathering is still talking about Mortal Kombat negatively influencing youth...ugh. Oh and sorry for my own ignorance but could you elaborate on what kiting is? I believe I know the basic concept however I need to confirm.

so you're looking for specific vocabulary used by gamers to talk about games, right?

does that include abbreviations, portmanteaus and such or what exactly are you looking for? how detailed do you need that stuff?

There's a vast difference between proper game terms and "slang", I believe. The game terms might seem as slang to an outsider but is pretty essential in the context of the game (how else would I refer to a rocket jump, a 4 gate, camping, or feeding?). I think most of these terms started amongst the community and quickly got adopted by the developers (same with tanking, min maxing, rushing I think). They are a all useful words.

One of my main arguments is that abbreviations are commonly used across almost all different genres of gaming. It is one of the few areas where gaming language is uniform. So yes I am talking about all the short forming. I'm also trying to argue that gamer language has developed around the idea of needing to communicate with speed as much info as possible. Hence the use of abbreviations as it saves time during matches etc. Also looking for connections between tech influencing gamer language and international language influencing gamer language. Thank you kindly

Gamer language is heavily entwined with general tech and nerd jargon. Jargon being the keyword due to what it specifically means. Gamers don't have a language, but we do have a lot of jargon. 
 
Most of what you are looking for is very genre specific, though. Look up and understand basic MMO and FPS terms and you will cover the largest amount of ground. Those are the ones with the most bleed over into other genres. You may also want to understand terms like zerging, feeding,etc. from RTS'. 
 
Get that information and you'll understand what I'm talking about when I say something like, "The plan was for us to zerg the boss and simply burn him down, but the tank got one shotted because our healer was AFK. Needless to say we wiped and had to make a corpse run on what most consider to be a stupid faceroll easy encounter." Heavily filled with jargon, but isn't too far from what people actually say in MMORPGs.

I know in Starcraft there's a lot of abbreviations to quicken up the conversation for instance

AFK - away from keyboard

GG - good game

that's all i can think of for now lol. I might revisit if I can remember others.

@D_Bones: I can't really help you since most of the stuff I can think of is game specific or things people don't actually say in seriousness. That and after reading your posts I'm not entirely sure I understand exactly what you're trying to do. That said, I can hopefully explain kiting for you.

Basically, it's keeping an enemy following/chasing you but not letting them touch you. For example, in say starcraft. Most players with marines, when confronted with zerglings or zealots will shoot, run their marines away from the enemy a bit, stop and shoot again, then repeat. Make sense? Similar, if it's an NPC and after you drag them to a certain point they go back to their neutral point(and sometimes heal) that's referred to as leashing. Not sure if you knew this, but it kind of ties into kiting so I figured I'd throw it in there.

@D_Bones said:

I appreciate all of your help so far duders as most of the other outside research I am gathering is still talking about Mortal Kombat negatively influencing youth...ugh. Oh and sorry for my own ignorance but could you elaborate on what kiting is? I believe I know the basic concept however I need to confirm.

Kiting is the term related to moving around an enemy to deal damage without getting hit by it. It's mostly refered to MMORPG's. You should do some research on terminology for that kind of games, like MOBAS, MMOS, and even some team based FPS's like TF2, and Counter Strike. Those have a lot of things to learn.

Also, we gamers like to say COMBO WOMBO!!!! Every time we rape someone in a game. lol.

Funny how every new user has been a fan for x years.

Welcome to the site regardless.

or should I say:

W3LC0M3 70 7H3 5173

maybe:

01110111 01100101 01101100 01100011 01101111 01101101 01100101

or in Halo/CoD:

I [vulgarity] [vulgarity] [vulgarity] you.

Too many new people...

Welcome, also, isnt gamer language racism?

I hope you creeped me.

Hey just wanted to thank everyone who replied to my first thread when I needed help with my paper. Particular props goes to @IBurningStar: for his awesome example. My paper was returned today and thanks to you guys I got a decent mark on the paper. Thanks again!

@D_Bones: Congratulations.