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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ShinHakkaider" data-source="post: 2392033" data-attributes="member: 9213">This is Bull.Gamestores don't reinforce gamers. Gamers Reinforce Gamers.Gamestores don't make Gamers. Games and other GAMERS make gamers. I started playing D&D back in 1982 or 83 and didnt step foot inside an actual gamestore until 1986-87. Everyone that I gamed with in that time I met at school or lived in my neighborhood. Even now there are other places to meet gamers i.e. NerdNYC.com (an example because I'm in NYC) or any number of online groups. Even if you don't have a computer, if you really wanted to find gamers you could post in community centers, libraries & local schools to find players. Is it easier for some people to hang out at the local gamestore to pickup other gamers, of course. But personally I wouldnt. I'd be concerned that I'd run into the same kind of cynical/obsessive people that would scream at me for not supporting my local gamestore or that it's MY fault that WOTC raises the price of thier books because I buy from Amazon where it's CHEAPER. Seriously, my LGS offers me NOTHING past the availabilty of product. Immediate availabilty is not enough to warrant me paying sometimes $10 more for something that I can wait and order from Amazon. I know for certain that there are times that I windup buying MORE off of Amazon because the prices are cheaper. And as for middle market publishers or whatever as long as they have PDF's available, I'd rather buy those becasue I know that they probably get more of my money that way than than through me buying from my LGS. So if my LGS offered me something MORE than that availability then I'd consider frequenting them again. If the owner were even less of a jerk, I'd consider shopping there again. But I'm not going to start shopping there becasue a few message board talking heads start screaming about I should support becasue if you donnt it'd mean that YOU HELPED KILL OUR HOBBY. F**k that noise. Dont depend on gamestores to bring new people in, get off of the fricking computer and start teaching some 13-14 year olds THE GAME. I have a group of friends that I've been gaming off and on with for almost 15 years. But inbetween then I've introduced so many different people to RPG's and those were the gropus and people that meant the most to me. watching them GET IT, watching it CLICK and watching them have FUN with it. None of these people I met in a game store, I'm talking people as young a 12 and as old as 45. So yeah, ours is a niche hobby, but it's a hobby with the benfit of an ungodly amount of exposure in the media  compared to other niche hobbies. I mention D&D to people and they at least know what the hell it is I'm talking about. I've used D&D as a "gateway" to other games, like Top Secret, Marvel Superheores, Champions, Star Wars, GURPS, Mekton and Paranoia. I know cats that I introduced to gaming  back in HS who never gamed again and I know d00ds who are still gaming to this day and are teaching thier kids to game. So all this garbage about the gamestore is the end all be all to getting new gamers is garbage. Youre taliking about inbreeding, I'm talkling about getting new blood. I've seen people walk into a gamestore thinking it was something else, look around, realize where they are and walk out. I've walked into gamestores and be assaulted with the stench of gamer funk and walked out.  GAMERS are the end all be all to "introing" new gamers. Your Gamestore may be great and if it does what you need it to do for you then FANTASTIC, keep supporting it. But dont expect everybody's gamestore to be everything to everyone. It's up to guys like you and me to keep it moving.</blockquote>

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