What I dont like about playing video games

As you may, or may not, know: I enjoy playing video games. I’ve enjoyed doing it ever since I was given a Super Nintendo back in 1995ish. And as I got older, I became better as did the games. Now I’ve got a library of around 100 games spanning the systems I own (Super NES, Gameboy Color, N64, Gameboy Advance, PS2, XBOX 360). But I’m not going to talk about the glory and fun moments I’ve experienced in various games; In this post I’m going to talk about why playing video games sucks. So crack open that tallboy of AMP, pop open that bag of Doritos, adjust your glasses, pause your DragonForce CD, and read on.
First and foremost are stereotypes. They are bad in general, but people who play video games are slammed with the worst of the worst stereotypes. The only stereotype that I can think of that is about as bad as being labeled a “Gamer” but has nothing to do with video games is a “Hollister Clone.”
I could go on and on about stereotypes, but now is not the time.
Have you ever gone into any store that sells video games and talked to a person who works in that department? They’re 98% of the time morons who read off a script and can uselessly tell you the score of a particular game, but not why it got that score. OR, they are really really pushy and weird, like this one guy a friend and I ran into at a Kmart once. We were just looking at the pathetic selection of overpriced games Kmart has, and this crazy looking guy in his stained Kmart uniform came over and was pressuring us to buy anything he could. But the worst part was that he was so obviously reading from a script:
“Can i intrest you in a Gameboy Advance? Here at Kmart we offer over 50 unique GBA titles, and the Gameboy Advance is great for long airplane rides”
No man, not interested, we’re just looking.
“Ok”
Awkward pause as the associate just stands there, watching David and I pretend we’re looking so he goes away.
“The Playstation 3 offers the most cutting edge graphics technology any console.”
I know, and my computer is better.
“Oh you have a computer? Are you running low on computer paper or ink?”
At that point I just left and walked away.
If these are the people that folks who don’t play video games much run into when trying to get into gaming, it’s no wonder that many people are turned away from games without even playing them and that stereo types for gamers are as bad as they are.
But if you are lucky enough to leave a store with a game and enough money to afford gas for the way home, thats another thing: games are so damn expensive-$40-$50, then you are usually going to want to plop down and begin playing immediately. Unfortunately game developers for some unknown reason like to try to delay that actual commencement of game play as long as they can. There is usually some annoying “over-the-shoulder” guided tutorial that runs at baby-step pace where some person with a voice that sounds like they should be narrating on the Paint Channel tell you how to use the joystick and press a button on the controller. Oh, that’s after the 10 minute long setup your profile/character stuff. And on top of all this you get to listen to a wonderful piece of techno music that loops every 30 seconds. So much fun. My favorite part is when you are finally ready to start playing, you did the tutorial, you filled out all your information, and you’ve listened to “boom-boom sqeeky-sqeeky bang ding ding dumdum dumdum” for the 5 millionth time, and the game starts…and you are forced to watch a 5 minute cut scene where the entire back story is set up…damn.