You might have noticed the new online magazine called "The Escapist" that launched a few days ago, since it was mentioned on Slashdot and all. I found it to be quite an interesting read, though what caught my attention the most was that Tycho from Penny-Arcade had contributed an article to the line up. The magazine is more focused towards articles that cover attitudes towards gaming, and discussion of gaming in general, as opposed to news or reviews. I found it to be a nice change of pace, though I do have a "craving" for decent articles about gaming, and this hit the spot.
Tycho's article is one that discusses the transition of gaming, from basically a geeky pastime to a full fledge mainstream multi-million dollar business. I completely agree with the points that are made though out the article. It's a very hard topic to try and discuss because there are a fair few positive and negative marks against "mainstream gaming". You only have to read a few dedicated gaming forums, to see that many people these days think that a majority of game companies have given up their creative soul in search of the dollar. Constant IP resurfacing, and brand/franchise raping really is enough after awhile, especially when it the same old game just redressed at the end of the day. In reality, what it is, is fucking boring. Sometimes you just think that creativity is dead, and no one wants to take a gamble with a new product. This is one of the worst points of mainstream gaming.
Though on the opposite side of the fence, you have to also allow for mainstream gaming bringing in revenue and help fund some of the better games that are around. There are many great, creative titles that have been made, and possibly with thanks to game studios and publishes having the money to do so. Though these days there does seem to be a lot less "Original" titles, and so many more sequels and re-hashes.
The other article that I found intriguing was "Gamer Like Me" by Jennifer Buckendorff. The article basically discusses and asks, what constitutes someone being a "gamer". Now in my mind it's pretty easy to decide if someone is a gamer or not, it's just hard to explain it.
If you own a console, maybe a few games and occasionally play them, I wouldn't consider that person a gamer, as you wouldn't consider someone who owns a few DVD's a movie buff. Also someone who just plays a single game for hours on end, for instance The Sims, I also wouldn't call a gamer. Now this is where it gets more difficult, where do you draw the line between someone who is a gamer, someone who isn't and someone who is hardcore. Which is also this article tends to go a bit awry. I would say someone is a gamer who is passionate about gaming, spends a fair bit of time playing games, buys games that interest them in a variety of genre's and spends sometime talking about games and checking out the latest news. In the article Jennifer makes a point of someone, who would rather play games and refuse to watch a DVD, that's more of a hardcore trait if anything.
Now someone who is a hardcore gamer, would be very passionate and knowable about gaming. They would also own multiple consoles, and probably import games. Being up to date on everything in the gaming scene is a priority, and experimenting and taking a risk with a new or unknown game is a thrill. I would go as far to say that someone who is a hardcore gamer always want's to know more, is always willing to learn and read about something they may not possibly know about. It's becomes your main interest, and you develop a true passion for gaming.
Though at the end of the day, being a gamer isn't about how much money you have to spend on games, or even what you own. It's about being passionate about it, and enjoying it.
