Editorials

Who the heck wants to be a gamer? (Pt 2)

August 4, 2009, Author: Shaquil Hansford

So we’ve mentioned some of the follies in the fragile existence of a gamer (in part one). Now, let’s get on with the happy stuff! Though I’m sure if you’re reading this (it is on a gaming site) you have your own reasons to be a game freak, there are some that just encompass all people of all kinds, and we’ll go in-depth with them. So who the heck wants to be a gamer, anyway?

I want this one, and this one, and…
It may be tough when tons of amazing games are released at once, but in the same breath it’s almost great that this happens. There’s nothing like the feeling you get during the end-of-the year rush, when everyone’s pre-ordering and shopping and gaming is flourishing like no other point in the annual cycle. It’s these times when those of us that are a little older can harken back to childhood, when we would tear that plastic wrap off of what would soon be our favorite games on a Christmas day.

So what if you were poor? At least you had fun, right? Why not end the year with a bang, anyway? I know I certainly will. With games like Assassin’s Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Mass Effect 2, and… hell, you know what’s coming out. The point is that not only is there a surplus of amazing games in general, but there is an amazing flow of sequels as well. Now, I’m not someone who goes for releasing sequel after sequel after sequel (even though the Metal Gear franchise is guilty of it) but the past few years have been about the only times in all the years I’ve been gaming that anyone could jump into a series at any entry at any time. Heck, I played Resident Evil 5 and hadn’t even seen a screenshot of the first four (what?! You deserve to be fired!- Andy).

It’s the wave of the future!

Never before in the short life of gaming has there been such a comprehensive collection of both pertinent and useless information at the fingertips of each generation. Nowadays, you’re constantly plugged in to the gaming industry and it’s many faces. As I’m sure you’re glad to know, with services such as twitter, you can keep up with Peter Molyneux’s moment-to-moment life (now I’m brushing Milo’s teeth. Now I’m teaching Milo about sex. Now I’m…).

What I’m referencing is not the internet itself, but the services provided in specific. There are so many gaming sites with so many journalists saying so many things that you can definitely find your spot in the many open slots of gaming niches. Now imagine what it was like for the pro journos when they were growing up. I can tell you right now, what they were reading was a lot different from what they write now (not just the games, silly, how they write it). Ever hear of New Games Journalism? Well, read this article sometime.

The main point here is that we’ve reached a critical point in gaming. We’re so tapped in these days, so knowledgeable as readers and writers ourselves, that the two are becoming indistinguishable. With such a fine line between gamer and games journalist due to constant news feeds, we’ve bridged the gap necessary to take being a gamer from a hobby to a life choice. Now, go e-mail your favorite writer or something!

You’ll go down in history
Yes, it’s about that time kiddies: let’s talk about the big lesson from all this useless babble. As stated before, we’re at a critical point in gaming in general. Not only has gaming reached its highest level of mainstream prominence, but it’s now in better shape economically than ever. We, as gamers, have reached a golden era, but game developers are taking the fall for us.

Right now, the video games market is undergoing evolution, and we are the natural selection folks. This means that (as mentioned in more depth in part one) whatever we choose to buy the most copies of will survive, and what we don’t will sink and die along with every other game made by that developer. We now have more power over the industry than the corporate suits do, so whatever way we use it will shape the future. Hope that makes you think about it the next time you step into the game isle of your retailer.

What I’m really hoping for is that this one lucky, golden moment in gaming will just expand upon itself more and more and the entire year will be full of amazing games with the release schedule all hitting a crescendo of quality titles at the end of the year. But, we can dream, can’t we? Maybe the same year that happens, we’ll see Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft fanboys finally shaking hands and calling off the war. Then the moon will explode, and the world will be revert back to ancient civilization like in The Time Machine. But, I’m losing focus, aren’t I?

So, who the heck wants to be a gamer? Is it a yes or no question? I guess that depends on whether you’re giving a yes or no answer. Let me know what you think.

Tagged Gamer, Gaming, Heck, Microsoft, Nintendo, PS2, PS3, Sony, Wants, Who