This weeks Aberrant Gamer looks at how gaming as a community can tend to be volatile and unforgiving, and downright mean. Perhaps moreso than society generally.
I’ve noticed a trend recently. Several events such as the Jade Raymond comic, and the Resident Evil 4 trailer have shown some up bizarre reactions. It’s not just the issues themselves, or the disturbing supportive (of the negative) responses to them to them are disturbing, it’s the severe backlash against anyone that speaks out about it.
People don’t want to confront anything, they just want to let issues slide into internet oblivion. They don’t want to be accountable to societies conventions. There’s this expectation to conform to the ‘generic’ gamer (ie. white middle class hetero male gamer with no sense of social responsibilty.)
These people are defending their territory, they see gaming as theirs. Similarly I believe many are the same people that hate the Wii, because it is an inclusive technology.
I don’t really believe there is such a thing as a single gamer community. Mostly because I refuse to be lumped in with the nutcases.
I’m actually starting to think that this is because gaming is at a watershed moment. Gaming is growing up.
Those that don’t want to grow up with it feel like they need to defend their position, try drag it back into their ownership. They attack anyone that advocates a social responsible gaming future.
This is why it’s not just ‘issues’ which have provoke attacks against people. Intelligent critical thinking of games also gets attacked, some gamers just don’t want to grow up.
