WOTC ad - insulting to gamers?

[Teflon Billy]

Just D&D, Console, PC gaming, board gaming, or all of it?

Call it Tabletop RPG'ing/Wargaming

Hell, call it anything that can draw a crowd at a RPG Convention as that is my 40,000/year strong sample size

Most people who try and claim that the steretype doesn't apply are talking about their group, or the folks they know.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

When you also become more sensitive to the others who seriously dislike this kind of portrayment, maybe some people will take your goading to heart.

Well, as far as I can tell, the reason people are getting bent out of shape about the add is because they don't want to be lumped in with "those people". They don't want people to think they are a loser because they play D&D.

Well, I have news for you people...I AM "those people". I hate being insulted by you, but that hasn't stopped people from doing it yet. If I choose to spend most of the week playing MMORPGs only to spend the weekend playing D&D and happen to live in my parent's garage (for free, I might add with a 54" TV and high speed cable internet account for free) that's my choice and I hate people insinuating that I'm somehow a lesser lifeform because of it.

You are no better or worse than I am...and I know more people that are like me than people who are like you. So, I like the ad, it's funny.

 

[The Persian]

And why does it matter if they do not wish to be in that group? Does it impact your enjoyment of the game, does it deter you from seeking others out?

Oh and one more thing, i never made presumptions about you, in particular, and unless that comment about one not being better than another is a wide sweeping generalization, it's also bad to make assumptions about another person, you're unsure about their quality of life as well.

There's no need to attack others if they do dislike that ad, some may enjoy others in the same vein, some may not...i haven't heard one person in this thread seriously nag or assault others if they thought it was funny.

 

[ThirdWizard]

This ad ranks up there with the SNL geek dating line skit, though the SNL skit is still better.

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

Seriously, explain to me what the big deal is about the advertisement? His computer isn't sitting on top of a pile of hacked up baby parts. He's not naked. He's some obvious pervert. He doesn't look like he should be living under a bridge. He's playing an MMORPG not dwelling in some of the more disgusting sections of the internet. He's bathed recently and obviously knows how to wash his clothing.

It's not like showed some grotesquely fat man with buck teeth, coke bottle glasses, acne, a beard with french fries stuck in it, with his "D&D MAKES YOU A MAN!" T-shirt spotted with food stains, sitting in front of a computer with sad posters tacked around it and the captionof the ad reading: "Quit being a complete loser, yes, you, reading this, right now, stop being a total waste of flesh, and play D&D, or we'll come to your house and erase your harddrive, causing you to kill yourself when you lose your 54th level elf!"

I really, really, can't understand the freak out. Do people actually LOOK for stuff to be offended by?

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

And why does it matter if they do not wish to be in that group? Does it impact your enjoyment of the game, does it deter you from seeking others out?

I don't really believe anyone is better than anyone else at all. It doesn't affect me at all what you do. I just don't like being insulted.

It's unlikely directed at you in particular, however, the attitude seems to be "I'm not one of those losers who sits on their computer all day long, I hate those people and I wouldn't want other people thinking that I'm one of them because they will lose all respect for me, and rightfully so."

I can understand "Hey, I'm not like the guy there, seems like the missed the target with their ad". I can even agree there are some people out there who don't fit the stereotype.

But if the exact same ad had some handsome, muscled guy surrounded by women, with a large amount of money in his hands and it said "Play D&D, you'll get women and cash". I'd think the ad was lying, but I wouldn't be complaining that the ad was insulting to gamers. Heck, I've met a couple people like that and I didn't like them very much, but that doesn't immediately make me lump all strong guys with money into a category of people I wouldn't want to be associated with.

 

[The Persian]

Then to draw a parallel, Carmen Electra, or other beautiful women, i think even John Carmack's wife, who all proclaim to love video games, or be "geeks", and some go to Cons, like QuakeCons, they certainly don't fit the "stereotype" as far as looks, does that mean we should laugh or find that odd?

 

[The Persian]

Seriously, explain to me what the big deal is about the advertisement? His computer isn't sitting on top of a pile of hacked up baby parts. He's not naked. He's some obvious pervert. He doesn't look like he should be living under a bridge. He's playing an MMORPG not dwelling in some of the more disgusting sections of the internet. He's bathed recently and obviously knows how to wash his clothing.

It's not like showed some grotesquely fat man with buck teeth, coke bottle glasses, acne, a beard with french fries stuck in it, with his "D&D MAKES YOU A MAN!" T-shirt spotted with food stains, sitting in front of a computer with sad posters tacked around it and the captionof the ad reading: "Quit being a complete loser, yes, you, reading this, right now, stop being a total waste of flesh, and play D&D, or we'll come to your house and erase your harddrive, causing you to kill yourself when you lose your 54th level elf!"

I really, really, can't understand the freak out. Do people actually LOOK for stuff to be offended by?

So you had to go to some kind of odd extreme to discredit another person's view, to alienate it or make it look slightly absurd? Please, i'm sure you're more intelligent than that.

 

[Teflon Billy]

Have you abandoned our discussion in favor of Mr. Oakheart's?

 

[Teflon Billy]

Well, I have news for you people...I AM "those people". I hate being insulted by you, but that hasn't stopped people from doing it yet. If I choose to spend most of the week playing MMORPGs only to spend the weekend playing D&D and happen to live in my parent's garage (for free, I might add with a 54" TV and high speed cable internet account for free)...

Your parents sound like saints.