There, I said it. I just can't do it, after all that's happened in the past few years. Before, calling yourself a gamer carried a stigma I was okay with, even if it was untrue. You know, the nerdy, lack-of-social-skills kid with Power Ranger underwear. Now, whew, now is much worse, if you pay any kind of attention to what these guys are saying. These self-important, bull-headed, argumentative, testosterone-driven assholes are nothing like me (thankfully). I will call these guys hardcore. Okay, there are plenty of good ones, but they're not nearly as loud as the ones demanding attention and respect for the biggest entertainment industry in the world. There is plenty more to this, though.
The only reason that video games are any bigger than movies or music is revenue. There's simply more money flowing through the industry. This is not because of the number of people who play video games compares at all to even people who read books. About 40% of US households even own a console, while anyone can tell you that nearly everyone, if not everyone, has a DVD player. Despite this, hardcore demand recognition as a mainstream media, to have truly arrived, when, despite recent efforts of Nintendo and other companies, it just hasn't happened yet. Making things worse is the usual reaction to things that sell well that hardcore don't like. It will be something along the lines of the game is too casual, a fad, simple, or the worst offense, not a game. Why would anyone celebrate the mainstream, diverse media industry in one breath while hate anything not directly aimed at pleasing them in another?
I don't demand any respect for games, or the games industry; I would much rather let games stand on their own merits. After all, there is plenty to like about games, as long as you use them to enjoy yourself.
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