Life as a gamer, a forum goer, a nerd?

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Ooh, this is a great topic. I've been wanting to rant with some Aussies about this.

I'm a 20-year old female who works full time in office administration. In my opinion, I don't fit into any stereotypes at all. I consider myself a geek, but not in the "socially-accepted" sense.

I've loved video games ever since I was a kid, but beyond my family and friends of family, I never really had a lot of friends who shared my gaming interests. So I like to refer to myself as a bit of a "closet gamer". I have one friend IRL who doesn't think I'm weird because I play video games and spend so much time on my website/forums instead of myspace or facebook. Probably because she's not only very down-to-earth, but her boyfriend owns a few GameTraders (yay, home-delivered games!).

I love to party, whenever I can get some girl friends to go out dancing with me. Not just "go out and get completely wasted" (which still happens), but I literally love to dance for hours and hours. I'm very confident when I go out; being amongst people. I'm just not confident in allowing myself to talk to guys after a few drinks. This is because I start to blabber about all my internet/gaming knowledge, and they either look at me funny, or get really turned on.

And, onto the physical - no, I'm not fat, or hideous. I'm tall, blonde and thin. I'm a bit lazy, so I've started doing yoga. Since I drive and don't walk to my bus stop anymore, you know. Good old P's.

I'll stop here since I've written a novel for my second post, but that might be a slightly different perspective for some of you. Feel free to comment.

Jim Dash · Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:27 pm�� Post subject:

Yeah Dani you definately don't fit under any stereotypes. And the fact that you hit the town in Adelaide is a definate plus for you.

I guess the whole issue here is the fact that gamers/forumers/plumbers (?) are all stereotyped in different ways. I don't think its totally about being 'down to earth' but more relevant to the way society is. What we see on TV and in movies affects this, as well as the people around us.

If anything, this thread shows that while we may all share common interests, we are all very different. And that's not a bad thing at all, but a destruction ball ready to break the stereotype set.

LeonJ · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 11:11 am�� Post subject:

I figure playing videogames is the same as watching TV. Watching 'brain-dead' televison for hours is worse then an interacting with game I feel.

Although I play a lot of videogames, I'm very active with gym 3 times a week and play competetive sports and follow AFL religiously. I go out drinking at least once a week. I keep my 'geek'side private from most of my friends as it's a bit of a nerd taboo. I don't really have many real life mates I talk to about gaming so my really only outlet is fourms.

With any 'hobby' there will always be a stigma. If you are a car nut, you most likely will be shelfed as a bogan.
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Timmaaah · Posted: Thu Nov 01, 2007 1:39 pm�� Post subject:

i have a heap of friends that are into games, one of them i know comes to this site for info. I don't have a problem discussing this kinda stuff with them, but then i have other friends that don't have any interest in gaming what so ever so the topic never comes up. however I'm not going to hide the fact gamer/forumer/nerd if it ever come up... it's who i am

on the other side of the argument i play up to 4 sports a week and usually go out on the town on Friday and Saturday nights with my mates

i don't feel that i get stereotyped at all because i could fit under few different categories

personally i just try to find a good balance of it all... which at times can be hard with all these games i want to get coming out in the next few weeks!
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jesta · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 12:41 pm�� Post subject:

I can no longer mention to anyone that i like stargate. everyone i know laughs at me rigeriously. at work, we might get onto the convo about TV shows, and the usual comes up, NCIS, Numbers, House, Idol. The "popular" shows. I used to input in these convos but everyone just makes jokes at me now.

Ive only got one mate that we talk to each other about games. Other than him, there literally is no one to talk to. Everyone else thinks its a waste of time.

I agree with dani, with the not fitting into any stereotypes. I play leauge, soccer, go to a gym regularly and do the whole party scene. I even get paid out at Footy.... 'a front rower with a brain??' then they laugh.

meh, makes life interesting not fitting with one group of people. you get lots of different perspectives on a vastly large number of topics.

Aftershock · Posted: Fri Nov 02, 2007 2:22 pm�� Post subject:

I've got a couple of mates at school with whom i talk about gaming a fair bit, but not forums.

Otherwise, its not something i talk about. It just something we three (kings) do on our own, we/i dont talk about it to others much.
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does it really matter?

Sin Ogaris · Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 6:13 pm�� Post subject:

Wait wait, Dani, back up a sec. There are places to go out in Adelaide? Who woulda thunk it.

Anyway, everyone has their little quirks these days. My sisters bag me out for being on this forum, yet one uses Myspace religiously and the other, Facebook. Go figure. Everyone is a nerd these days. as soon as you start getting excited about a higher megapixel camera in your mobile phone you're pretty much a geek.

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Quin · Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:26 am�� Post subject:

Depends which group, really.

My closest friends are PALGN members anyway.

My halls flatmates all know that i'm probably the geekiest out of them (Which is how I ended up with the nickname "The Clever One" despite having terrible A-Level grades), and I occasonally play UT2K4 with one of them. I don't really have a problem with it or them.

On my uni course, I'm probably the only "geek" out of the entire group, but there's only 13 of us, so statistics work against there.

In the anime society, widescale participation in online communities and MMOs is perfectly normal. As is cosplay and so on and so forth. In just a month of meetings I've heard quite a lot of internet memes used in normal conversation.

To my family, both parents were interested in my articles when I wrote for PALGN a while back. Mum calls it "Geek pride" (Thanks for that). Dad usually makes passing remarks about my sci-fi games (He used to play the original Elite way way back).
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shadeslayer · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:05 pm�� Post subject:

Everyone in the town knows I been playing games since I was 5.

(the town's fairly small though)
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Sinthesys · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:41 pm�� Post subject:

All my close friends know I like gaming, but I don't really consider myself a geek anyway, I just like some geeky stuff (the geekiest thing being forums).

That said, I usually try to gauge how people will recieve certain interests and personality traits when talking to them so I can adjust the way I interact with them accordingly.
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BumJab · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:34 pm�� Post subject:

To the average person I'm probably a geek when they find out the kind of things I'm interested in. In normal conversation I'll give no indication though and don't fit any of the physical stereotypes.

I have other interests/hobbies though like cars and hillwalking/hiking.

At the end of the day though, I did a physics degree, so that can be a giveaway when you find out things like that. It does mean though that
I know there's a hell of a lot worse out there than me, just from seeing some of the other people on my course.

Married with a 1yr old daughter doesn't fit the stereotypes either.
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unlachs · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:21 pm�� Post subject:

i wouldnt have any problems with letting people i know im into gaming/gaming forums...not that there'd be many conversations where it would be fitting to say "hey guess what guys, i chat on PALGN!"

these days, gaming and foruming can't really be considered 'geeky' at all..because just about everybody plays games or chats on forums
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Nexus · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:23 pm�� Post subject:

I'm very open to friends and family about being a gamer. I'm lucky in a way because a lot of my friends are also gamers but I wouldn't say that they have the same level of interest in games as I do. It's hard talking about recent news, reviews, game sales and more indepth topics because they don't follow the industry as closely. When I do talk to them about such topics I can tell that they are not as engaged in what I am say and sometimes just dismiss it. That's why I come to PALGN when I can. It's a lot easier to get other people's opinions about different topics from a group of people who'd are more intune with the industry. I don't usually tell people that I am a forum go-er not because I am embarassed about it but I just don't see a reason to do so. Besides I think a lot of my friends assume I'm on forums a bit.

I really do like debating and discussing about games. I do prefer to talk to people about games in person instead of over the internet just because of the ambiguity it can bring.
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Samboy · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:32 pm�� Post subject:

iv got quite alot of gamer friends, and my parents are both gamers (moreso my stepdad then mum, be she has a go, and plays online games alot [mostly americas army, online FPS]), so im in a pretty gamer/gaming oriented lifestyle
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Peveus · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:49 pm�� Post subject:

I don't know anybody in person who plays games (I know, wtf right?) but I have plenty of friends. Sadly my only gaming friends are online. ;_;
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GroovySamurai · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 5:51 pm�� Post subject:

I spose I've been pretty lucky so far because everyone I know I've been able to talk about games too, my friends aren't really gamers but they still love to come over and play some Guitar Hero or play Halo and that includes my mates girlfriends who actually have some pretty good skills heh.

I actually thought when I started TAFE this year the people there wouldn't like games at all but it turns out alot of people in my class have 360s or DSs and love to casually talk about games but there all really cool also and are big drinkers and party goers which is pretty sweet.

The only problem is I've got only one hardcore gamer mate and hes hardly ever online 360 so I never get a chance to really do much co-op or multiplayer online with him but he comes over a fair bit so thats pretty cool.

So yeah basically I just talk casually about games and movies and I've never had any problems with people socially accpeting me because of that. I spose it just must be due to my wonderful personality

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Peveus · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 6:00 pm�� Post subject:

GroovySamurai · Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm�� Post subject:

arbok · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 7:18 pm�� Post subject:

To answer the OP's question, I don't openly tell people Im part of a gaming community, but if they ask, i won't lie. There's nothing to be ashamed of if you're being yourself. All my friends know that I game like a nutcase.

However what annoys me is that I can never seem to meet anyone that wants to game or talk about gaming with. That's why I listen to like about 10 hours of podcasts on gaming a week and frequent these forums. Someday I'd like to start up my own podcast with some fellow forum gamers, which would solve this problem.

The people that do play games that I know of don't really follow the gaming scene that much or try to keep it a bit of a secret.

Its frustrates me so much, and it extends beyond gaming because any hobby that I pick, whether it be movies, anime, board games, sport, video games, I generally don't know anyone to talk about with. Plus the missus won't put up with me yapping on about my favourite game either.
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Puddingfork · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:27 pm�� Post subject:

Dane Oss · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:30 pm�� Post subject:

I train to be an Mixed Martial Artisit (may be known as Ultimate fighting or cage fighting to you guys) and you wouldn't believe that most of the people at my training camp play video games and post on forums, I was quite shocked at first as everyone just seemed like they were tough as nails and would kick trees in there spare time.

I bet there are so many other people out there that play video games and post on forums it's just a matter of them losing there ego and admitting it.

People don't wanna admit it due to the sterotypical gamer showed in movies and tv shows.
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Vervain · Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 9:53 pm�� Post subject:

All of my friends know I'm a gamer and forum goer. I'll sit there and tell about the funny posts that my 'friends' at PALGN put up and stuff. A few of my friends are gamers but the good majority aren't and quite frankly they couldn't care less if I'm a gamer or not.
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