Nerdfighters are doing it for themselves.

I was always under the impression that gaming gained its negative representation in the media because its very nature causes it to –generally- be a solo activity and, as such is given a ‘bad rep’ from the media as it is not able to be experienced in quite the same way by one person as by another. This is in opposition to other medium such as film which is the same to anyone who observes it (that is that the film itself is the same, though the entire experience has variables).

But this theory has been challenged by the popularity of YouTube channels set up by already notable vloggers in which they video themselves playing a popular video game and make –often amusing- commentary on their progress.

One such vlogger is Hank Green (one half of the brother team ‘The Vlogbrothers’ who have risen to fame amongst the YouTube community to be one the Top 100 Most Subscribed channels) who, since November of last year, has been recording himself playing the popular game Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. This has been quite a well-liked endeavour already gaining himself 15,000+ subscribers to his channel ‘HankGames’. But he is by far not the only YouTuber gaining recognition for what must seem to the mass media to be an odd concept, Toby Turner (another Top 100 Most Subscribed) has a similar channel called ‘TobyGames’ has accumulated an admirable 100,000+ subscribers!

While all of these numbers pale in comparison to that of mainstream television’s viewership, these YouTubers are making the first baby steps required to crack-away the stigma attached to video games and those who play them.

Along the same vein of improving the stereotype surrounding those who participate in ‘nerdy’ activities be it reading, writing, being a part of fandoms, or video game playing. The Vlogbrothers (aptly named as they are two brothers who have spent the past four years vlogging back and forwards to each other) have been using their ‘YouTube fame’ to “improve world suck” with the first order of business being that they refer to themselves as “Nerdfighters” a name which is designed to take the negative association away from the term ‘nerd’ and allow people to wear the title proudly rather than have it be a put-down.