Are gamers chronic loners

[billd91]

13 years and 25 days, to be exact, married at 35, two children.

And I can't get my time off with gaming, as my wife is player in all my groups for 14 years!

I've been married a shade over 14, 2 kids. My wife plays in our Sunday game and our alternate Saturdays game. But I do get a night off each week for the Thursday game. I encourage her to take time with her other friends too. A good relationship needs a little lone rec time (work time does NOT count).

 

[Achan hiArusa]

Though an uncontrolled, self-reporting survey is fraught with problems, the percentages have been surprising stable since I posted it.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

Though an uncontrolled, self-reporting survey is fraught with problems, the percentages have been surprising stable since I posted it.

Well, the poll wasn't about D&D editions, so there was no reason for any faction to hack it.

I think the results aren't terribly surprising, actually. Roughly half are (or have been) married, and and half are not. I suspect it's really just showing an age divide: the marrieds are the older ones, while the singles are the younger ones, with a fair bit of overlap in the middle. Past ENWorld age polls (here, here, here, here) typically show a nice distribution around age 30 or so. Compare that to average first marriage age (for men) around 30 in UK and Australia, and 27 in USA. So the poll *might* be suggesting that ENWorlders wait a bit longer than average to marry-- which is fairly typical for the better educated &/or affluent element of a population, anyway.

But really I think it's just showing that ENWorlders (and presumably other gamers, judging by comments about groups) are, in fact, very normal. And honestly, I think this is to be expected, given research that RPGers tend to be among the most well-adjusted people out there!

As for me: currently single, and have had a handful of SOs (but none of them gamer girls, sadly).

 

[ZephyrTR]

Living with girlfriend -- after she moved in with me she asked me to teach her to DM. She's a big tabletop gamer, but like... Carcassone and Catan and Apples to Apples, not pen and paper. Guess I've corrupted her thoroughly.

 

[DragoonLance]

In just my usual group of players: My wife and I both play, my sister and her husband both play, my in-laws both play (my father-in-law has played since D&D existed,) and at least two sets of their married friends play or did when they were together plus their kids all play RPGs. I also run a game for my sons. The last time I played with mostly single guys and just one girl gamer was college.

 

[Agamon]

Erm, loser? If you aren't married, you're a social pariah? Really? What is this, 1950?

I have enough friends that juggling them in my schedule can be a challenge. And more than a few are female. I tried the relationship thing in college and found I prefer making my own personal decsions without requiring outside input. Call me selfish, whatever, but throwing out a blanket loser label is a bit much.

 

[Achan hiArusa]

I didn't see anyone use the label "loser" unless you misread "loner." But I still run into the perception that pen and paper gamers are 40 year virgins who live with their mothers and the last person I got this from was a WOW gamergirl who is currently living with her parents (though hot she is still between boyfriends). This poll isn't meant to be insulting, but rather to show that gamers are some strange subset of humanity that fits Hollywood or any other kind of stereotype.

 

[Agamon]

I didn't see anyone use the label "loser" unless you misread "loner." But I still run into the perception that pen and paper gamers are 40 year virgins who live with their mothers and the last person I got this from was a WOW gamergirl who is currently living with her parents (though hot she is still between boyfriends). This poll isn't meant to be insulting, but rather to show that gamers are some strange subset of humanity that fits Hollywood or any other kind of stereotype.

LOL, whoops. Not only did I meread that, I turned into that guy that I usually make fun of, getting upset at something he read posted on the intenet. My bad, man, I do feel like a loser now.

That said, I'm not married, but I don't resemble Steve Carells's character either, and I don't game with any either (but I do suspect there may a few that frequent the FLGS, but I can't be sure).

 

[Iron Sky]

Our group:
3 Single w/ past SO
4 Married (2 husbands whose wives don't play, 1 husband and wife)

 

[I'm A Banana]

Gamers aren't chronic loners.

Human beings aren't chronic loners, by and large.

Hollywood stereotypes exist for narrative reflection, not really for accurate portrayal.

Though I keep hearing about the Big Bang Theory and a fairly stable relationship therein...