Go Play (Secret Gamer Code Shhhhhh)

[Umbran]

But, isn't the whole point that it isn't obvious that it's "gamer sign"? What matters is that we know what it means. Much like the now-ubiquitous Jesus-fish was originally, it's supposed to mean nothing to people who aren't already in the know. Hence spreading the meme amongst the existing gamer populace.

The Jesus-fish is an excellent example - the symbol is a direct reference to the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Non-Christians didn't understand the relevance, but the symbol was still picked from within the culture. Those who used the symbol did not have to go through loops of logic to understand why it meant them.

The play button is not part of gamer culture. That's my point. The connection between the symbol and gaming here is completely artificial. The as noted above, the A_V people use something that's at least related to audio and video. Pick an obscure thing from within gamer culture, and I'd not gripe. A d20, or "Krusk Lives!", or a stylized paper and pencil - something that outsiders wouldn't understand, but actually means something in context to me.

 

[bento]

The Jesus-fish is an excellent example - the symbol is a direct reference to the miracle of the loaves and the fishes. Non-Christians didn't understand the relevance, but the symbol was still picked from within the culture. Those who used the symbol did not have to go through loops of logic to understand why it meant them.

Sorry, but the fish symbol comes from early Christian history and is intertwined with the Greek language. It does not have to do with the feeding the multitudes story from the Bible. According to the all knowing Wikipedia:

It is believed that societies of Christians in the early Roman Empire, prior to the Edict of Milan, protected their congregations by keeping their meetings secret. In order to point the way to ever-changing meeting places, they developed a symbol which adherents would readily recognize, and which they could scratch on rocks, walls and the like, in advance of a meeting. Another story suggests that the ichthys was used as a sort of secret handshake: one person would draw with a staff a single curve, (half of the ichthys) in the sand, and another person could confirm their identity as a Christian by completing the symbol. Alternatively, one would draw the symbol, and another person would confirm their faith by drawing an eye on it.

Ichthys (ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It compiles to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Saviour" or "Jesus Christ God's Son and Saviour", in ancient Greek "Ἰησοὺς Χριστὸς Θεoὺ ῾Υιὸς Σωτήρ"

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ichthys

 

[JustKim]

This could be the next step for gamers, being able to identify each other purely by sight. A simple Go Play logo could be placed as a bumper sticker on your car, or on your notebook or laptop. it's an instant icebreaker "I see the go-play, you game? so do I! What do you play?" No more having to edge sideways into gaming with people who might be gamers. it's a simple way for us to tell each other from non-gamers... kinda like people who wear masonic pins...

That is not going to happen!
Umbran is right, the symbol does not represent gaming. Actually, the triangle it goes well beyond the VCR play button, and is already used for a number of "secret societies", notably gay pride and freemasonry. You will never be able to identify other gamers with a green triangle.

But even if you do, what then? This gamer brotherhood conveniently overlooks the stigma gamers have for other gamers. I'm not even talking about someone you wouldn't want to be seen talking to (which is a harsh reality), but about someone who plays a game you would never want to talk about. Some gamers hate D&D and its fans (and some 2E fans hate 3.X fans). Some gamers hate World of Darkness and its fans (and some OWoD fans hate NWoD fans). Some gamers hate Rolemaster and its fans. Some gamers hate GURPS and its fans. Then you have MMORPGs, card games, wargames, miniature games, etcetera, etcetera. If you play FATAL, a green triangle may not be sufficient to buy you fellowship.

 

[xnosipjpqmhd]

I would consider putting a very discreet dodecahedron (i.e. d20 without the #s) on my car. I will not put a white-on-green triangle on my car.

Conversely, if I saw a dodecahedron on someone else's car, I would immediately recognize it for what it is (and presumably means). If a car drove past bearing a white-on-green triangle, I would probably fail to notice it at all.

 

[buzz]

This gamer brotherhood conveniently overlooks the stigma gamers have for other gamers.

There's a brotherhood?

If you're asking whether having a secret sign is going to preclude the existence of jackasses, well, it's not. But the jackasses exist already, so I don't see why it matters.

"Conveniently overlooks"? Sheesh.

 

[Psion]

I'm on board, as you can see.

 

[JustKim]

"Conveniently overlooks"? Sheesh.

Yes indeed. While inviting all gamers to join hands and come together under the green triangle, it overlooks the fact that most gamers hate other types of gamers, and this is convenient for the premise of a unified community or "brotherhood", as you also took issue with.

Be careful who you call jackasses, because most gamers are guilty of this. There's pretty much a mutual loathing across the board between D&D players and WoD players, for example. On WoD boards you will see D&D bashed as the inferior system for simpletons, and vice versa. I've seen a number of players in WoD games try to bond with horror stories of D&D games, and vice versa. There was a store out here (now out of business) that carried WoD books but stopped carrying D&D because the owner didn't want to attract those kinds of players.

Stories like this abound between dozens of systems, media and methods. A more realistic use of the green triangle is to identify which people should be egged for playing the system you don't approve of.

 

[babomb]

I'm with Umbran. This would be a great symbol for the Brotherhood of Betamax, but not role-players. The symbol ought to represent something from RPGs or at the very least not incorporate iconography already widely-used for something else.

I would consider putting a very discreet dodecahedron (i.e. d20 without the #s) on my car.

A dodecahedron is a d12; a d20 is an icosahedron.

 

[Psion]

Yes indeed. While inviting all gamers to join hands and come together under the green triangle, it overlooks the fact that most gamers hate other types of gamers, and this is convenient for the premise of a unified community or "brotherhood", as you also took issue with.

Like all things about the internet, negativity gets amplified. Simply because it gives the vocal axe-grinders a sounding board.

IRL, I find that people don't don't get this stressed out. I game with WoD gamers. Heck, I play with nWoD. I've chewed the fat with folks at the indie game booth about d20 psionic powers. I've tossed anecdotes with fellow enworlders about GM-less gaming. In 4 years of enworld game days and gencons, I finally played a game of D&D with fellow enworlders, usually playing other games instead.

Heck, I found ENWorlds resident OD&D preacher, Diaglo, to be a wonderful roomie and a fun guy to hang with. As francisca put it, as gamers we have more collectively in common than we have different.

And even inasmuch as this mutual loathing exists, it doesn't mean I have to sit back and take part of it.

 

[buzz]

While inviting all gamers to join hands and come together under the green triangle, it overlooks the fact that most gamers hate other types of gamers, and this is convenient for the premise of a unified community or "brotherhood", as you also took issue with.

I can't even come up with words to respond appropriately to this. I'm very sorry that gamers are such horrible, undesirable poeple in your experience, and that you feel your experience is true for all gamers, everywhere. I sincerely hope you meet some normal gamers someday.