Howdy

I’m James and I took this course because I like games. My first gaming experience was when I was seven; my dad brought home a computer with some games and after spending all day playing Space Quest 4 I became a dedicated gamer. I am scared to think how many hours I have spent gaming over my lifetime, and there is no way I could count the amount of different games I have played, but I have enjoyed playing all of them. However not everyone has the same view on gaming that I do.

While there is no denying that I am a gamer, it is still not something I go around publicly broadcasting. Perhaps this is because if I tell someone I am a gamer they will automatically assume that I am a nerd who lives in my mums basement, have acne, dress up as an elf from my favourite fantasy game, and that one day I am going to go on a Grand Theft Auto inspired killing spree.

As mentioned in the lecture there are usually more people who say they play games, than people who say they are gamers. I am going to guess that it is because of these stereotypes and a negative public image that people do not admit to being gamers. On the other hand the gaming industry is still growing rapidly and games are becoming more and more popular so perhaps in the near future we will see less of these stereotypes. I think this would be a good thing because games are fun and I will probably keep playing them throughout my life even though I have less time to play them, as I grow older.

As a side note I liked the reference to game and console cultists in the lecture. Has anyone experienced this? I know someone who absolutely loves his Xbox and endless amusement ensues when you insult his holy console.