Gamer stereotypes

[Tyrion Alb]

Allegedly written in Playstation magazine [taken from RA Salvatore's web site (emphasis mine)]:

"So you want to get your Dungeons and Dragons on, but you don't have a group of fellow antisocialites handy and you're not too keen on the top-down, hack-n-slash experience of the Baldur's Gates of the world. You're in luck: Forgotten Realms is a straightforward beat-em-up -- combos and all -- that's solidly grounded in the D&D rule book. <snip> No word yet on multiplayer, but we're hoping for some"

[rant]

"Group of antisocialites"? Okay now isn't that statement an oxymoron? What the hell is that all about?

And then, "No word on mulitplayer yet"? Okay, so it is okay to sit around and play videogames by yourself all day but it is not okay so sit with a group of friends for some social gaming fun? Is that really what PlayStation Magazine is insinuating?

While this writer might have meant to be tongue-in-cheek, I somehow doubt it. IMO, it just helps the "gamers are socially retarded geeks" stigma associated with RPGs.

When me and my friends all go out, no one who did not know us before would have ever guessed that we played "that D&D Game". Why not? I guess we don't "look" or "act" like what people expect gamers to "look" and "act" like? Can you tell a person is a gamer just by looking at them? Of course not. It is crap like this, written this time in a videogaming magazine, that helps perpetuate this nonsense.

[/rant]

 

[Teflon Billy]

...While this writer might have meant to be tongue-in-cheek, I somehow doubt it. IMO, it just helps the "gamers are socially retarded geeks" stigma associated with RPGs...

Dude...

 

[Dark Jezter]

I think you are overreacting a tad.

Considering that most gamers refer to themselves as geeks, I don't think a video games magazine calling them antisocialites is really much of an insult.

 

[Tyrion Alb]

Okay well, I guess my sarcasm didn't really come out correctly by the way that I wrote that up above... ...it is late.

But still, I do think that gamers, for the most part, get the short end of the stick a lot. That was just one (kind of silly) example. I'm sure that most people who game have gotten that "you do what?" stare when telling someone that they play RPGs, and that is what I was really trying to address.

By the way, "socially retarded" may be a little harsh, perhaps I should have written "socially challenged"?

 

[ThoughtBubble]

Not that far off. Sounds like 4 out of 6 of my last group. And one of the two non anti-socialites (me) is just becoming so.

 

[Flyspeck23]

At least it wasn't "a group of fellow bloodthirsty lunatics out for world domination", because then I would've felt... caught.

 

[clark411]

At least we weren't accused of regularly wearing white shoes after Labor Day.

 

[shilsen]

Not worth getting worked up over. If people judge me (or you, or anyone else) because I play RPGs, that's their problem and not mine. I regularly joke with my students about the fact that I'm supposed to be a geek and socially retarded and antisocial and so on.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

It may be slightly heavy handed but stereotypes do come from somewhere.

Though I have been fortunate in that 90% of the people I have gamed with in the past 15 years have not been antisocial freaks but when I go to cons and play or run games . . . um . . . I see where the author is coming from.

 

[Dirt]

Dude...

I'm gonna have to 2nd Mr. No-stick Billy. Dude....

Have you ever been to a gaming convention?!? We're the socially inept underbelly of society! I'll be preemptive here - for those of you who would reply that you are "normal"...that's fine, but it's a matter of statistical average. Stigmas exist for a reason.