7 Things Gamers Are Sick of Hearing
Even though gaming is one of the largest industries in the world, it is still met with a lot of criticism. For those avid gamers out there, and even for those who only play occasionally, these criticisms often come in the form of passive aggressive comments that we’re all just sick of hearing.
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“You should turn a light on, it’s so dark in here”
There are many reasons why someone would play a game in the dark. When playing horror games, for example, it’s almost necessary to turn off the lights and close the curtains because it helps to immerse us into the gameplay.
Perhaps this particular gamer has light-sensitive eyes, or maybe they’ve been playing for a few hours and the stakes have been too high to worry about room lighting. Mostly, however, playing video games in the dark is sometimes crucial and the reason for this can be summarised in one word: glare.
You try manoeuvring round 20 explosives or firing a clean head shot when there’s a big white blur in the way. Glare can be a gamer’s worst nightmare and it is the thin line between a perfect run and another game over. Next time you go to say “turn a light on” to someone playing a game, just think about how you’d like it if whenever you watched a movie, your living room light decided to take centre stage on your screen. Yeah. Annoying.
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“These types of games are too violent”
Sure, games can be violent, without a doubt. But violence in video games isn’t as big of a problem as you may think. The argument that games breed violence is rooted in the belief that gamers can’t distinguish between reality and the virtual world because of gameplay immersion. But gamers never forget they’re playing a game since it’s our imagination that’s being immersed, not our awareness of the outside world.
Many people believe that gamers are more likely to be violent than non-gamers because they actively replicate violent actions. But people play games to escape reality, not copy it. Fact is, there has been a lot more violence caused by non-game-related issues than there has been caused by games; and just because someone likes to blow up a few cars in GTA, it doesn’t mean they’re going to go on a road rampage in real life.
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“It’s a beautiful day – you should go outside”
Despite popular belief, gamers do venture into the outside world – to go to work, or school, or to the shop to buy a new game…
Video games aren’t the new biohazardous virus. We’re not about to turn into rotting, incoherent zombies just because we spend a few more hours indoors than we do outdoors. So what if we’ve been inside all morning? At least we’re not out there being violent, right?
The stereotypical go-to image of a gamer is someone who hasn’t left their dark room in two weeks and looks pale or sickly because of it. Being told to go outside isn’t anything new for someone who plays video games, so if they’re told to do it constantly they’re just going to zone you out and probably focus on their game more. But we know where you’re coming from – a breath of fresh air is good for the soul. But so is playing a new fantasy RPG for 6 hours straight. It’s all relative when you think about it.
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“So you don’t play any real games, do you?”
Some things gamers are sick of hearing come from gamers themselves. These types of gamers think that, if you’re not playing their preferred genre, then you must just spend your life playing imaginary games with an imaginary controller whilst looking at an imaginary screen.
These types of comments can be the worst. At least being nagged about going outside or turning a light on come from places of genuine concern. But someone shrugging and complacently telling you that you don’t play “real” games comes from a place of sheer pride. No matter how many facts you lay before these types of gamers, they won’t change their opinion that if you’re not playing Halo or Call of Duty, you’re not playing anything at all.
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“Pause it real quick”
This is a comment that gamers are sick of hearing because if we reply by saying no, we’re made to feel irrational or inconsiderate or too obsessed with the game. For non-gamers, being denied a pause is blasphemy because, well, it’s there to use, right? Yes, you can pause games – but that doesn’t mean it can be done at any time, and it doesn’t mean every type of game.
If you’re in the middle of fighting the big bad boss with only one life remaining, or if you’ve finally got to that level you’ve been working towards and it’s filled with ways to kill you, pausing the game could go horribly wrong – if you’re even able to reach the pause button, that is.
And while it might not physically kill us to “pause the game real quick,” it could kill our character and render all those hours of hard work completely useless. But the most frustrating thing about being asked to pause a game is when it’s a multiplayer. Non-gamers don’t always understand that multiplayers can’t be paused – and when it’s explained that pausing one would cause literal chaos, it’s usually still our fault for “having a problem.”
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“Don’t you ever get bored of this?”
For non-gamers, playing the same game or the same level over and over again may sound a bit boring or pointless. But have you ever rewatched a movie or TV show that you love, or listened to the same song on repeat?
Like every other form of media, gaming is an escapism. It’s also all about progression, so even if you’ve played the same level 20 times over, you will play it for a 21st time just so you can get the power crystal that will unlock a new ability.
But gaming is also a hobby and for many people, very nostalgic, so asking someone whether they ever get bored of it is kind of like asking Jean Claude Van Damme whether he ever gets bored of doing the splits: no, because it’s awesome.
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“My console is better than your console”
Whether it’s an argument about whether Xbox, Playstation or Nintendo is the better console, and which one has the better exclusive games, or an argument about PC games vs. the rest, console wars are some of the most dangerous arguments you can enter into. Everyone thinks their favourite console or platform is the best one, and to hell with anyone who says otherwise.
This topic can open the floodgates in gaming forums, igniting the passion in hundreds of keyboard warriors who have gone over their answers to this debate a million times in the shower before scripting them out perfectly.
The majority of gamers don’t really care which console others use and see the difference as a case of personal preference. But for those who do, opening up this Pandora’s box could be a big mistake.
So those were the 7 things that gamers are sick of hearing. Did any specific one resonate with you, or are you guilty of saying one or two of these phrases yourself? If you’re a gamer and you hear this stuff way too often, stick your headphones on and crank up the volume. Or just say “sure” to everything they say and see how long it takes for their head to explode.
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