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gamers = people who play games. same thing
- Thread starter darz1
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Is it a generalisation that when a woman speaks up in an online multiplayer game, she will get harassed? Same for anyone else part of marginalised groups. Or how quickly gamers want to shut down any political talk when it doesnt affect them directly. You wouldn't be baffled if you have been reading this thread properly and can be empathic for others' struggles in gaming communities.
Don't you dare question our feelings and opinions on discrimination that females or minorities receive, just because we have an opinion of what "Gamer" means.
You are insinuating that those of us who think Gamer should only be associated with its literal dictionary definition, are not caring of struggles of females and minorities?
As said before, you can do whatever you want, but just because you don't want to face reality don't be surprised that people give you weird looks for using the term Gamer.
Neither am I, so can still safely say the situation hasn't changed just because you don't live in America.
So we should send death threats to the Konami twitter and the guy that just got outta school and happened to land a job at Konami? This is why im not a fucking gamer. Gamers are people that think this type of harassment is ok.
How dare you use the word "America" in a deragatory way rather than it just being a place where people live.
Matt Lees wrote a fantastic piece in the Guardian about GG. Country makes no difference, I would argue.
And you should know this already with other words - the use of "gay" in the schoolyard (and dictionary) is vastly different to what 2 men in a loving relationship would mean by it.
Edit: Also, I'm sorry, but L O L at "niche internet phenomenon" - check the number of mainstream links in my post, and tell me that's "niche".
Providing well reasoned and educated explanations is unfortunately not landing quite well here and Polygatari has already made his mind up - ironically acting in a very typical "Gamer" way.
I know, but it's a Sunday night where I am, and this is as good a use of my time as any. :D
User Banned (2 days): Inflammatory false comparison and history of dismissive behaviour.
Still a generalization. You focus on the worst and wanna change the meaning of the word to reflect that. Like if someone sees an African American teen gang and wants now the term "African American" to refer exclusively that, instead of, you know, the sea of other people that are of that ethnicity.
Sorry, but until you are able to prove a correlation between the category and the behavior, other than 'it' s a category so big that of course assholes will also be a part of it' it's a simple generalization that doesn't hold to scrutiny.
Also, you are free to give the meaning you want to words, just don't pretend the rest of the world must follow you in this behavior.
So the reality is what era decides and not what the definition given by the organizations created to monitor and update the meaning of words say?
OK.
yes, proudly tell people you're a gamer. i don't think any one here is going to stop you.
i'd recommend not comparing it to an ethnicity while you're at it. or do, whatever.
i'd recommend not comparing it to an ethnicity while you're at it. or do, whatever.
Other people can refer to themselves whichever way they want, but I'd rather say I'm a person who enjoys playing games every now and then than risk being associated with online 'gamer' culture. The embarrassing hysteria with Diablo is just the latest in a long series of events -- predating GG even -- that underscore my feelings on this subject. It's not "self-hate," as some seem to call it, but really just embarrassment for the vocal fan culture and toxicity that gives the hobby a bad image.
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I'm from the UK too, so I do know exactly what people mean when they use the term "gamer". It's not just someone that plays video games.....
Yes. Because this is how the world works. Patriarchy used to mean one thing, but through feminist usage it now means another. There's so many instances of words changing through usage, and dictionaries catching up.
And I get that this is hard to understand - I know someone who gets incredibly upset when I use a word whose colloquial meaning is different to the dictionary definitions - but it's not an Era thing, and we're not saying we're the sole arbiters. Language changes through time, culture and usage, and has done forever.
If someone tells you they voted Republican now that has different implications today than twenty, thirty years ago -- even if they argue that they're just voting for fiscal responsibility or whatever. A socialist party in the US is looked at differently than one in Europe. Associations to words and concepts are shaped by their usage and context. For some, like myself, processes like these have poisoned the term gamer.
With regards to Blizzard announcement and the reaction, it is not the reason why "gamers" carries a negative connotation. There is a discussion to be had about expressing disappointment by a bunch of hyper passionate fans but that disappointment is not steeped in and is a separate from a culture of harassment of women, racial minorities and LGBTQ members.
Indeed. At the end of the day, "gamer" implies being part of the "gaming culture" and that has almost always carried a negative connotation due to its toxicity. Now, while the more overt display of toxic behaviour like sexual harassment and various types of bigotry can be shut down, the more insidious issue lies with the people who propagate and perpetuate the problematic culture through:
Here are some fine examples of Gaming culture from this forum itself:
From the thread: I am disappointed by the lack of diversity depicted in Squadron 42
Much much more..
From the thread: CDP tweets trash tweet about trans people AGAIN this time from GOG (Read OP)
From the thread: Assassin's Creed Odyssey has an Alexios Problem [Loomer]
Indeed. At the end of the day, "gamer" implies being part of the "gaming culture" and that has almost always carried a negative connotation due to its toxicity. Now, while the more overt display of toxic behaviour like sexual harassment and various types of bigotry can be shut down, the more insidious issue lies with the people who propagate and perpetuate the problematic culture through:
- Silence
- Apathy
- Justification
Here are some fine examples of Gaming culture from this forum itself:
From the thread: I am disappointed by the lack of diversity depicted in Squadron 42
Much much more..
From the thread: CDP tweets trash tweet about trans people AGAIN this time from GOG (Read OP)
From the thread: Assassin's Creed Odyssey has an Alexios Problem [Loomer]
"America"? Don't you mean the United States of Trump Supporters?
Over 60 million Americans voted for Trump. So whenever I hear "I'm from the USA" or "I'm an American" I just think "Trump Supporter".
After all "American" doesn't just have a dictionary definition and 60 million of them voted for Trump so...
You might say I should split them up into "Trump supporter" or "Republican" or "Democrat" or whatever but... Nope.
#YesAllAmericans
I can hear them already "but I'm an American and I didn't vote for Trump". Ha! Nice try.
You all voted for the worst political figure the world has seen for decades, potentially ever. A sexist, racist piece of shit.
#YesAllAmericans
So therefore it's cool for people not to want to be called gamers - which the OP disagrees with.
Gaming culture, my fellow folks:
Didn't realize that this was the only thread on this entire forum, mate!
Didn't realize that this was the only thread on this entire forum, mate!
Yep, I also love fishing so I'm also a fisherman and a surfer and a bodyboarder. Just words linked too the activities I enjoy doing.
I legit went into that Twitter thread expecting "fakegamergirl" tweets from gamers. Still surprised I didn't see any.
Let us remember this gem:
Kudos to her for playing and enjoying Bayonetta but why would maker the authority on a culture that has a history of toxicity perpetrated by small groups and supported by majority?
Kudos to her for playing and enjoying Bayonetta but why would maker the authority on a culture that has a history of toxicity perpetrated by small groups and supported by majority?
You are registered to a gaming forum.
Don't want to be called a gamer.
OK.
Sweet sweet irony.
Don't want to be called a gamer.
OK.
LOL
Sweet sweet irony.
You're not talking with crazy people, you're just posting on a forum that leans very heavily to one side and you're outnumbered. I have loads of mates who play video games as their main hobby and we wouldn't cringe or think too much about someone using the the word 'gamer'. I'm from the UK.
Gaming is a young hobby after all, and it definitely went through its awkward teenage phase. Now it's fully mainsteam I think people want to distance themselves from the 'gamer' tag, that people adopted back in the days when it was an unpopular hobby and has become associated with some toxic behaviour. I'll still say I'm a gamer though, because saying 'someone who plays video games' is just irritatingly long winded, and using that in day to day conversation comes across like you're waiting for the opportunity to explain your thought process or start a debate. That in itself is cringey as fuck.
Again, Era formed partially due to the treatment of OT and communities on Gaf, so assuming everyone here plays games is not entirely accurate. People could be here for comics, LGBTQ, politics, learning Japanese, or music. *shrugs*
The conversation seems to have run its course and has begun cycling. This thread is now closed.
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