Xbox 360 Game News, Reviews, and Columns - XboxFocus

The Gamers I Hate

by June 25th 2008 12:22 AM CDT5 Comments

Maybe it's just me, but some gamers are starting to get pretty annoying. I've been in this industry for a while now and have been playing games since I could hold a controller. I've spent more money on this hobby then I probably should have and yet despite of that face, I'm proud of it. It's just that recently I find myself despising some of my fellow gamers more than relating with them.

I hate gamers who fall into the trap of using terms like “hardcore” and “nongamers” to differentiate themselves with other people who play games. Your games have bigger budgets and usually more blood and violence, therefore you are more of a gamer than others. How ridiculous would it sound if you take the same approach to movies, a media gaming has been trying to compare to as of late?

Quantity wise you may play more video games than the middle aged woman who logs multiple hours into Tetris and Solitaire on a daily basis, but don't degrade her for it. It wasn't too long ago that we gamers wanted others playing games. Isn't it ironic how we're turning them away when we find they don't want to play the same things we do. A term like “gaming enthusiast” would make more sense for people who play a vast amount of titles, and would be a hell of a lot more mature than “hardcore”; which sounds like it was pulled off the elementary school playground.

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I hate Portal references. This one's nit picky. I had to get it out of the way. The cake is a lie. I get it. Let's move on.

I hate gamers who enjoy paying for Xbox Live. I know you're out there because every time I suggest Live should be free you're like “i love paying for xbox live lol” and/or “$50 isn't that much”. You know what's even less? Free. But I forgot: since Xbox Live has more people that justifies $50 more than PSN. You are a consumer, why the hell are defending the corporation every time someone suggests something to help you? We only pay for it because of people like you. They can't be using the money for dedicated servers (don't have any), DLC (pay extra for most of that), friends lists (PC's been doing it free forever now), regulation (still as many whiny kids and cursing frats as ever), etc. I have to pay for when I want to play online however because for every person rightfully complaining there are two who drink the Kool-Aid and enjoy being ripped.

I hate the mob mentality of gamers. People are quick to jump on bandwagons and God help you if you're not willing to go along for the ride. Rock Band is better than Guitar Hero? Roll with it. EA is the spawn of Satan? You betcha. Casual gaming marks the end of humanity as we know it? Naturally. And if you disagree you're a fanboy. If that's what you think, cool, I'd love to discuss it with you sometime.

But if you're just going with the crowd because you have a league of similar uninformed lackeys backing you up then I really have no time or respect for your opinion. What happened to the good old days when people thought things independently, instead of pulling opinions out of the community bucket? Or did those days even exsist at all?

Where did the disconnect between us happen? These days I read drivel from so-called professional journalists that sounds downright childish (here's looking at you Destructoid) and come out of the article hating my hobby momentarily. Maybe it's because everyone's so predictable? You know how everyone's going to react to anything, and you can see the automatic responses coming a mile away. It's no longer fun to talk about games.

Maybe it's because the people think the industry is like a comic book with heroes and villains, when it's really just a business and everyone's trying to make money? Whatever it is I find myself pissed more often then entertained by other gamers. Stop worrying about NPD numbers, Jack Thompson, stock quotes, etc. Let's just play some games.

I mean really; it's just games, people.