Back in my Day… | The Progression of Game Culture

Get off my lawn!

Sit around my fellow gamers, Grandpa Gamer has a story to tell. It’s a story about gaming in its heyday; a tale of magic and wonder that only people who grew up with the hobby know about. It is no secret that the perception of gamers has come a long way since its inception. No longer are we looked at as geeky, overweight children who simply won’t grow up. Things have changed, but not always for the better. We still sometimes act as if we are children. The Internet has given us the power of speech, and unfortunately, that voice is sometimes reminiscent of the nasally, spoiled children people used to associate us with.

If this was the new Dante, somehow someone would still complain.


Gaming is a hobby, much like anything else, but its patrons are some of the most vocal on the internet. With the advances in the field, so comes the sense of entitlement common of some vocal minorities out there. DLC is now a common practice, but sometimes gamers see it as a manipulation by money-hungry publishers to withhold content that “should have been included.” Endings are not how we see fit, so petitions are passed, and people spend more time complaining about the games than actually playing them.

This is where the stereotype comes from. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. If you want your passion to be respected much like cinemaphiles and sports fans, then you need to reflect that attitude. Whining about what you are entitled to or initiating a petition because you don’t like the new look of a certain character is an act derived of pure immaturity. When games were in their infancy we dealt with what we got. There were no forums to complain on, no Twitter to broadcast our bitching. Instead, we were left to writing snail mail to the developers, or hoping our missives were printed in the Nintendo Power of old. Instant feedback is an awesome creation, but one that also comes with its share of problems.

Is it wrong to charge you for something you technically already own?


Before I get on a tangent and start sounding like one of those pretentious people that think retro gaming is the only good gaming, let me clarify. I love this hobby. It is why I run this site, it is why I play (almost) every game released, and it is why I have the passion to write articles such as this. I personally have no problem with most of what is happening right now. I think iPhone gaming is great, with casual players finding the joy of the hobby. DLC can be an awesome tool. Sure, it is abused from time to time, but it keeps us playing games for months longer than we would have ever imagined when everything came on cartridges. All of these things can be improved, but incessant complaining and feeling like we are “owed” something is the cry of a spoiled child that does more harm than good.

Gaming is a wonderful hobby that delivers a new supply of entertainment on a weekly basis. The amount of complaining I see is completely insane. When I was a kid, it was basically once a month (or less) that I got a chance to sample a new game, whether I was buying or renting. Then, I also had to wait for a monthly magazine to tell me what I might enjoy. Even then we had to trust the words and pictures, as videos were a luxury. In every generation, there are games that will disappoint, endings lackluster. We have it so good right now that the vocal minority of complainers are only accomplishing one thing: enforcing the stereotype that games are for kids. Whiny, spoiled kids.

Written by
Ken is the Editor-in-Chief of this hole in the wall and he loves to troll for the fun of it. He also enjoys long walks through Arkham Asylum and the cool air of Shadow Moses Island. His turn-ons include Mortal Kombat, Metal Gear Solid and StarCraft.

2 Comments

  1. the downfall of the gaming industry began in the very moment when the first game was built on modular basis. meaning not the whole product was put together anymore by great minds, but rather soulles clusters modelled different parts of a game. while this method is cost-reducing, it also reduces the overall quality of the product. while it is okay to build e.g. cars in that manner, games should not be put together like that.

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