I have been a gamer for roughly 27 years of my 32 years of existence. Throughout this time, I have gamed on both the consoles and the personal computer (PC). My first gaming experiences began on a PC with Track & Field back in the early 80’s. Later, my parents purchased an Atari 2600 for me and my PC gaming became non-existent. I’m a casual gamer which means I like things to be easy, such as the controls, game play and story line. The easier it is to understand the happier and more comfortable I feel. That’s not the case for every gamer. Some like their gaming to be complicated and contain a high level of complexity.
Some gamers like to use a keyboard and mouse combination while playing. To them, the keyboard and mouse style of gaming feels natural, comfortable and more accurate. Here is where things get a little touchy. PC gamers, in general, seem to think they are better, more “old school,” more talented or faithful to gaming than their console gaming brethren. Console gamers, on the other hand, generally seem to think they are the way of the future. Console gamers consider themselves the elite of the gaming world. Now, I am not saying ALL PC gamers and console gamers think this way. It’s a generalization based on past experiences and dialog with both archetypical gamers. The gaming club I belong to, located at www.2old2play.com, is composed of both sides of this gaming warzone. The club has a large number of PC gamers and a much larger number of console gamers. They also have a nice mix of people who game on all platforms available to them.
It bothers me, deep down inside, when the opinions of the PC gamer are forced down the throats of the console gamer, and vice versa. To them, it is not about choice, but about “right and wrong.” The console gamer believes their opinions are right and PC gamers just have not figured it out yet. PC gamers almost consider a console gamer one that has betrayed the truth and honor behind gaming.
For example, we joke in 2old2play’s site chat about how Blizzard’s popular World of Warcaft (WoW) has started to decimate the ranks of the console gamers. These gamers have been migrating off the Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) to their PC/Macintosh to play this addicting Massive Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG). Some call it “WarCrack” or “Whorecraft” because of its addictive nature and ability to achieve an 8-million subscriber fan base. From time to time, though, those WoW players seem to think it is the only game on the market. If you don’t play, you’re some sort of inept gamer without a clue. They say it’s “the best game ever” and there is no reason for you not to play. Blizzard, even offers gamers a free online downloadable demo. These gamers also say those who complain about it haven’t tried it and really don’t have a viable opinion. Well, I am one of those whom have not played World of Warcraft, nor will I, and my opinion is just as viable as the next person’s opinion.
At last year’s 2old2play Chicago LANfest, I sat watched a number of play WoW and thought to myself, “this is just not for me.” I got a lot out of just watching, and I feel I don’t need to download a free demo to prove otherwise. People still continue to tell me I need to play it to make my opinion official. I, in turn, usually snap back and tell them they need to grow up and stop believing in fairy tales. Not every game is meant for every gamer. I don’t like to play sports games, nor do I like Role Playing Games (RPGs). I think they are boring and the genre does nothing for me in the way of entertainment. However, not everyone likes to play the games I enjoy playing.
To the console gamers out there, you have your issues as well. Stop telling everyone this game or that game is the end all, be all of the gaming industry like you’re an official spokesperson for the publishing firm. One game may come along which unites folks for a good long while but it will fade - get over it and move on. There will be others games that bring together friends and colleagues alike. Throughout my gaming history, I can point to a few games that have changed my life, personally. First was Defender on the Atari 2600, I spent countless hours playing the game as if it were my job. Along came Nintendo and Super Mario Brothers to provide, seemingly, endless entertainment. Later it was Nintendo 64 (N64) and Starfox/Duke Nukem. A few years later, I purchased a Microsoft Xbox and Halo, later followed by Halo 2. Today, I have an Xbox 360 and have been enamored with the Call of Duty series and Rainbow Six along with a few other select titles.
I have expressed my opinions about the games I love to play, but I don’t force people to see my opinion, agree with me or follow up with harmful words. Gamers are not ignorant simply because they do not agree with my taste in games just as I wouldn’t assume they are when they disagree with my taste in music or film. Everyone has their own thing - their niche. With every rule there are exceptions. I call it “The Smooth Rule.” One of my gaming buddies, a fan of the purepwnage Internet-distributed “mockumentary” TV series, has followed the creed of gaming: “To truly pwn, one must pwn at all games.” You know what? That’s his opinion and rightly so. I will stick with my “average” gaming skills and play the games I enjoy as a casual gamer.
Every gamer has unique tastes and will find specific genres of gaming more suited for their style. As with all social circles in our society gamers will group with other games of similar likes and interests. In the end, however, are all different, and the sooner everyone understands it, the better off we all will become. If someone doesn’t want to play a PC game, don’t be a degenerate and call them out for not wanting to. Console gamers, if someone doesn’t want to play Halo 2 or any other console game, don’t call them n00bs for not jumping online. Gamers that enjoy a specific game are not always “fanboys” of the development group or publisher that designed the game – they just happen to like the game more than others.
Gamers are not selfish for “ditching their console friends” to play an MMOG on the PC. They’re simply following their heart and playing games they really enjoy. That is the core principle behind gaming to begin with: entertain yourself and take your mind off reality. I have no desire to play World of Warcraft because I have seen all there is to see in order to formulate my opinion. I too once thought my friends left me for PC gaming and I felt betrayed a bit. I have gone as far as removing them from my Xbox Live Friends List (XBL FL) because I was upset at them for ditching me. That’s the selfish side of me, I guess. I am guilty of this and I apologize.
We are all gamers, and belong to a pretty cool social community. Don’t destroy what took a long time to build by belittling others because they don’t want to play the games they’re playing. Do what you want and enjoy every last minute of it. You may not game with all the same people in your social circle for every game title but you have one thing that outlasts the game: the friendship. Game on!
Sources:
http://www.purepwnage.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_gaming
http://www.worldofwarcraft.com
http://www.xboxlive.com
