The Psyche Of Gamer Haters
I’m always shocked by the sheer number of haters towards video games. There’s always that one person in every group who due to their contractual obligations by Haterade must not only dislike games, but would be more than happy if you put down the controller for good. It’s a phenomenon that I thought would go away with time. Games have expanded, have become more mature and more of an “everyone” thing. Yet Negative Nancys still go about their merry way. After independent research, my findings suggest that gaming’s RPH (or Raw Hate Percentage) is significantly above movies and television; somewhere below pornography and making cocaine.
But I wanted to know what fuels these Gamer Haters. I wanted to know what makes them tick and the source behind their bad stigma towards video games. I conducted my own anonymous interview with one Gamer Hater who’s been actively hating for over 20 years. We will call her “Mom.”
Now, Mom presented a prime opportunity for study as she has a husband in addition to a son that plays video games. Both subjects play for a few hours a day and she has made it clear she finds it counterproductive, despite extended TV sessions herself. I was ready to shed light on the hypocrisy and show her the error of her ways.
“How do you feel about video games?”
“I feel like they’re very counterproductive and mostly a waste of time. I think they’re addictive.”
Bingo.
“Could there be anything in or about a video game that would possibly interest you?”
“Not really.”
“I see. Let me ask: what makes video games worse to you then, say, a passive activity such as watching TV or a movie for an extended amount time.” I’ve got her now.
“TV and movies can be done in moderation and don’t require as much time or attention as video games. The very nature of video games makes them addictive so if given the choice I think it’s better if someone doesn’t.”
Well, fuck. She’s pretty right on with that one.
Games are made to be addictive. If you don’t want to keep playing into the wee hours of the night they’re not doing their job. My thinking has always been that if it’s a more engaging activity than watching TV it must be better, but maybe that’s the very problem.
Plenty of women play video games (It’s 2010. This isn’t another girl gamer article, I swear) and it’s no big deal. But the percentage of women who don’t play games outweighs the men who don’t however, despite women playing in large numbers these days. I think it’s safe to say though that while women aren’t necessarily Gamer Haters, Gamer Haters are mostly women. Perhaps it’s the apparent addiction that turns them off from playing video games. My fellow male gamers must share the blame for this monster, though. There would be no reason to hate if the guys weren’t doing something to encourage it.
We have to be better at projecting the hobby in a good light. It’s hard for anyone who doesn’t play games to understand why you can’t pause or turn off an online deathmatch when they’re trying to get you to do something else. No matter how you slice it, what you’re saying is that the game is more important then whatever they’re trying to get you to do at that very moment. It’s not hard to imagine getting peeved at being one-upped by Master Chief on the totem pole of Importantness.
Haters are annoying, no doubt, but for fuck’s sake please don’t give them any extra incentive like unpausable Team Fortress matches when you’re supposed to be raising your kids or having sex with your girlfriend. Game responsibly. Future generations of gamers will thank you for it.
**Tune in next week for–wait, tommorow? I have another column due tommorow? Fuck. Tune in tommorow.**
About the Author
Jaleel is an editor on The DamnLag and author of "Combo Breaker". A video game journalist since 2004, he's had to churn out every cliche article imaginable. Combo Breaker is his initiative to inject real, investigative journalism into the industry. Just don't ever tell him he's wrong (he probably wouldn't believe you anyway).
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