Mindstream

I am a gamer.

I have been playing games most of my life. Some of my earliest childhood memories involve games. The Game of Life inspired me to learn how to read (My dad was sick of reading things to me and refused to play whenever I wanted until I learned to do it myself). Games even taught me how to read. The Talking Teacher taught me spelling and math and reading at a level almost twice my actual age. My spelling hasn’t progressed much since then, but everything else laid out a rich foundation that I still use today.

I started gaming young as well. I remember playing something that I’m pretty sure was Pitfall on an old console and tv at my grandmother’s house. I remember playing Super Mario Bros. Level 4-2 (or was it 2-4, it was the first scrolling level) I played Altered Beast for the Genesis, was never very good at platformers and those kind of games, but I was there for them.

I snuck under my bed to watch my older brother play Dungeons and Dragons, and was absolutely elated when I was allowed to (still in the single-digits age wise) play the TMNT RPG made by Palladium.

I have since designed several RPG systems, programmed a handful of not very good games in ancient programming languages, and spent what could easily be considered most of my life playing games.

Yet, there are people who had the gall to tell me I am not a gamer.

I know. It’s insanity, right? I mean, I’ve spent most of my life immersed in some form of gaming or another I gravitate toward Pencil and Paper RPG’s, board games, card games, and other somewhat abstract games. Why? Becuase these are what has proven to hold my attention. I have written a couple of text based games, and played on MUD’s back in the day using stolen computer and internet time. Those are the games I miss.

I earned the nickname ‘The Blind Lemming’  playing Half Life. I earned this becuase I have the survival instincts of a blind lemming. I later earned the nickname ‘Passive Assassin’ when it was realized that most of my ‘kills’ were through secondary damage on AvP. I rarely actually killed someone of my own free ability. I didn’t mind, I had fun for the most part and it was good times with friends.

I am being told I am not a real gamer becuase my console of choice is the Wii. A large chunk of the reason I bought the wii shortly after it came out  and waited a few years to pick up the other ‘next gen consoles’ was because of the game selection. I don’t really go for the mini-game packs, everyone is so keen on berating. Rather, I enjoy the first party titles, specifically Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (which I bought slightly before the actual console) Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Paper Mario came with the system when I bought it used and I very much enjoyed it. I’m *still* slogging my way through Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. I enjoy it, but it didn’t capture my the same way Wind Waker did, it’s been pre-empted twice once by wii-fit and again by wii-fit plus. Yes, I’m fat. Yes I’m trying to do something about it.

Because of this. I’m told I’m not a gamer. I’ve never played HALO, although I do now own all them. The same can likely be said for just about any popular game for either the 360 or PS3. If I don’t actually own them, I do plan on purchasing them sometime, eventually. The only actual game that required a disk I’ve played on my 360 was Soul Calibur 4. I’m a big fan of fighting games, I know I should play Street Fighter 4, I’m waiting until the new one comes out this spring.

Again. I’m not good at FPS games. It took me the better part of a day to beat Portal. My friends have beaten it in a handful of hours. They made fun of me the whole time. I rather did enjoy the experience.  But since I don’t spend days on end playing other games such as TF2, HALO, COD, and what other mas of capital letters is the popular game now…. I’m not a gamer.

You may begin to understand why this irks me slightly.

I was reading a (somewhat dated) article saying how this or that development company will never develop games for the wii, since real gamers don’t play it. For some reason that raised my hackles a bit. Now I can understand them not making games for the wii becuase their target audience (American 18-30’s) tend to play other systems (Xbox 360), that is a perfectly reasonably choice. Not making a game for the best selling system worldwide is a bit debatable. If they’re so confidant they can make the best and shiniest games around, then why can’t they just as easily make the best and shiniest game for the Wii as well. But what would I know, I’m obviously not a gamer.

When people talk about the wii derisively they are quick to point out how it’s underpowered compared to it’s two rivals. This caught me as amusing for several reasons, first of all, the wii was specifically developed to target a different demographic. Nintendo realized it would be a somewhat silly move to go toe to to against two giants who have more money then they rightfully know what to do with. While I’m sure they could have produces a system comparable to the others, they chose to build a stable, reliable and less expensive system then the other companies, who indecently, lost money on every console sold, while Nintendo made a small profit. I haven’t heard of any hardware problems, in fact the Wii has used the same hardware since it came out, around the same time as the PS3. How many revisions have the other systems gone through to correct hardware malfunctions?

Anyway, the analogy I had to consoles was equating them to vehicles. They’re both an integral part of my life in general. While I may not drive cars professionally (although I have friends who do) I do drive them fairly often. The difference is I don’t really drive for pleasure, I drive becuase I live 20 miles from my workplace, and even when I lived closer, it took too long to walk to justify the energy. Again, yes, I’m fat, yes, I’m working on it, yes, I enjoy walking, just not by myself in the rain several miles then working a long shift only to have to walk back I’ve done it, I makes the actual working part very inconvenient.

I don’t drive a fancy car. In fact I bought my car used off of a coworker (much like my consoles). My car can’t go 0-60 in a few seconds. It actually takes  a bit of time, but it’ll get there. I don’t top out at 200 mp/h. In fact I’ve only ever came close to hitting about 90 while hurrying back from a long drive, although the spedometer tells me I can go to about 120 mp/h.

My car takes me from point A to point B fairly well. It’s not very fuel efficient, but it runs. I don’t have to take it to the shop every few months to get it fixed, and I didn’t have to take out a massive loan to get it. It has a functional speaker system, it’s not loaded with thumping bass, but I can hear the music I tell it to play.

The point is, my situation here is probably similar to many millions of drivers around the world. I have something that does what I want it to do. Sure, other people put themselves into bankruptcy to do the exact same thing I’m doing essentially, only they do it in a stylish new vehicle every few years (my car is almost old enough to drive itself and is by many years the newest car I’ve owned for any reasonable length of time).

Despite all this, few people will say I’m not a driver. People may say I’m not a very *good* driver, and I will be unlikely to despite the point. I am in fact licensed and have had a fairly trivial record thus far. So why is it that despite doing this thing only out of need and gaming for fun, people still don’t think I’m a gamer?

When people tell me they are a gamer, my first throught is, sweet someone to play Gunner with. Never heard of it, not surprising, how about GURPS, no? World of Darkenss? D&D? Oh, you don’t like those kind of games where you have to use your imagination? You like something you can see, don’t worry, I understand. Not everyone has the creativity to play those games, I’ve been playing them most of my life so I’m used to it, but I can see how someone who hasn’t played a lot of them might be intimidates. Something with rules then?

How about Mahjong.  No?  Shogi? Ah don’t worry, not a lot of people have played it, I’ve only found two other people willing to play it and only one who has played more than once. Well maybe. English games? Sure, Settlers of Catan? I’ll admit I’ve never played it, but want to badly. Never heard of it? Well no problem, what about anything by Fantasy Flight Games? Might I recommend Twilight Imperium? A little too long for you?

Board games not your thing? I have Magic, and a whole mess of other CCG games here? Ah, too expensive for you? I completely understand, I mean people have cards that cost more than my entire deck (and I can [sometimes] beat those people) with said cards with said deck) that’s fair.  Well I have regular playing cards (I always carry two decks with me) oh? the only game you know if Texas Hold’em? Well that’s fine, we can play something else.

Consoles you say? Oh great! I have those! I have Gunstar Heroes, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, I just picked up Smash TV. Something newer you say? Well, I have the newest Pokemon… Mario Party 8, Smash Bros Brawl, Soul Calibur (every version for every console thus far). Oh… you don’t like those games? That’s fair, well what *do* you play, I probably have it. Halo? Yeah… I have it, I’m not very good at it though, but I’ll watch you play, I’ve heard it was a good game and would love to see someone who is good at it play. Oh, the storyline sucks and you only play multiplayer? I’m sorry to hear that. Well, I have an internet connection, feel free to have fun playing with yourself, and the other nameless faceless people on the other end of the connection. Just one question though.

Why did you call yourself a gamer again?