Game Recognize Game

A few of the folks who have sat in neighboring cubes to mine at work are moving locations due to their department restructuring. I stopped past “Joe’s” cube, one of the middle managers in a different department to offer my moving condolences. As we are talking, I spy him take a bulky item from a back cubicle shelf, then quickly shove it in a box. But that sort of thing doesn’t get past me it just piques my interest.

I raised an eyebrow and asked, “Joe… wait a sec. What was that?”

He looked nervous, “Oh...just a toy my son gave me.” Joe’s son is four, by the way.

I grinned, “Oh how sweet…what did he get you?”

Joe pulled it out of the box and went for a nonchalant tone, “It’s just a model of a futuristic soldier.” He handed it to me to look over.

His four year old gave him this. Right.

I cocked my head, “Joe, your four year old son gave you a Master Chief statue?”

Joe grinned then sputtered, “You know Halo? I didn’t think... you play?”

I smiled and we talked game for a while. I realized that while I probably don’t show a lot of gamer/geek sign at work, I’m pretty good at spotting it.

See, this sort of thing has happened before. My favorite instance was when I went to visit my sister for lunch at one of her highly corporate jobs and she introduced me to her three-piece-suit-with-tie wearing boss at his office. As I scanned the room next to the picture of his wife and kids in his bookcase was a really nice Warhammer figurine. When I commented, he lit up and we had a conversation about miniatures and wargaming, as well as role-playing games for the next 30 minutes. My sister was equal parts impressed and disturbed. A year later she still commented “I thought it was just some statue! You know he always asks me about you now?”

I have a theory of gamer/geek affiliations. Often, those of us who are into such things show clues that can be obvious (Gamer mag posters, models or statues) or subtler clues (a Lovecraft gaming book placed in between a Chicago Manual of Style and a dictionary). You only have to look. I’ve stood at someone’s desk and watched them open a drawer that accidentally reveals a set of 4, 8, 10 and 20-sided dice, or gamer mags or strategy guides and it’s been the same sort of relieved and surprised reaction when I share my knowledge of them, ”You know? You too?”

The world has changed and continues to change. I don’t believe we have to hide our interests as vigilantly as we may have in years past, lest someone label us as some type of social outcast. Gaming and other traditionally “geek” interests are mainstream – celebrities, sports players, even some politicians though they may try to keep it under wraps. It’s no longer a guys interest as women play too (though women are gaining, men still do outnumber). I know if you work for a Fortune 500 company or in securities, or a law firm or other “serious” professions and your office is filled with gaming paraphernalia there is still a large segment of the public and possibly peer group that won’t take you seriously. So you have to keep yourself divided like Kent and Superman or Wayne and Batman. Those of our brethern in such predicaments feel they must choose to hide their love of games and/or geekery to pass as non-gamers day after day. I’m not judging you poorly for it, if this is you. I get it and I feel for you.

But I do believe it is still possible to give clues so those who do understand or have like interests can read the signs and know you are both in the same situation. Place that gaming manual in between your workbooks and binders. Place a tasteful (no T&A or zombied body parts!) arty picture from your favorite game in a frame or the figurine of your favorite battle. Keep the dice in your drawer because you never know when you may be called to roll them.

And keep an eye out for others flashing game signs. Flash one back or acknowledge if you see it so our numbers can grow.

Gamer recognize gamer.

Think this is ridiculous? Who cares what others think? Is it never appropriate to show "game sign" at work? Do you not want other gamers to find you? Do you show or spot game sign at work? Let me know.

And thanks for looking!