Sure, a lot of the mistrust between gamers and non-gamers comes from simple miscommunication, but that doesn’t mean some points aren’t valid. Below are 25 popular (and not so popular) reasons why gamers annoy those who don’t play games.
1. Halo is not a sport. That’s great that you’re really into playing online games, but they’re not a sport. Not anymore than playing Boggle competitively is. Doing something where you get physical exercise rather an avatar is the first step to playing a sport.
2. The controllers are indeed too complicated. Nintendo isn’t crazy. The controllers for the PS3 and Xbox 360 are unwieldy, especially for someone who last played a video game in the Pac-Man or Super Mario Bros. era. Manipulating it is a skill lacked by many, so why be annoyed at them?
Cosplay, if you don’t know, is the act of dressing up like your favorite video game character. Why would you do this? For conventions and Halloween, and just general fun one would guess. Anyway, London was recently the sight of “The Largest Gathering of Games Characters,” an attempt to set a Guinness world record. A lot of Marios showed up, but also some Final Fantasy characters and Mario’s former rival Sonic. Click on the image for a full sized version.
Chrono Trigger is held in reverence by most gaming fans. It was the pinnacle, in many minds, of both the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. It brought together many of the most famed artists in Japan and set them loose on making a classic. Is it flawed? Sure, but those flaws are mostly minor in the way that Pac-Man’s are. They’re easy to nitpick, but easier to ignore in the full scope of the game. This music video is cut together from the PS1 port’s anime cut scenes and it looks beautiful.
While it is certainly easy to pick apart games and gaming culture, it is just as easy to note the things done right by games. If you have a friend who just can’t wrap their mind around the idea that gaming can be good, let them settle in for five points on why gaming is not all bad for you.
They bring people together.
Say what you will about video games keeping kids indoors and away from outdoor sports and activities, it’s hard to argue that playing video games is not a group activity. Classic multiplayer titles such as Contra to modern multiplayer legends like Super Smash Bros. show that gaming is something best done with others. While the recent push into online gaming may have made many worry that gaming was soon headed back under the rock of isolation, it also welcomed new party games such as Rock Band and Buzz: The Trivia Game.
Madden Football is a party game with its own unique atmosphere surrounding it. Step foot into any college dormitory across the nation and you are likely to find a group of young men playing Madden tournaments. Just like real sports, it even invites onlookers and fans who root for either team. While real football games are in no danger of being replaced, many other social activities such as playing cards seem like relics of the past to many young people. (more…)
At the end of E3 2006 gamers were swimming in announcements for high profile titles. From Gears of War to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, amazing games were everywhere and fans were frothing at the mouth to get a hold on them.
One title that left bruises on the jaws of role-playing game fans everywhere was the debut of Final Fantasy XIII which showed off the amazing visuals and elaborate world of the latest in the series. The short video left fans wanting to know more about whom the mysterious woman only known as Lightning is and what her role in the game would be. (more…)
In a recent BBC News piece Darren Waters revealed many tidbits of joy for Sony fans. First, was some juicy details on the next Motorstorm. More importantly, though, he revealed work a super secret title within Sony that will change the face of gaming in 2009. What could the game be? Well, the one thing known is that it isn’t Killzone 2.
Still, what the mega secret title turns out to be isn’t nearly as important as what Sony has started. The first year of Sony’s console was filled with a sense of dread. The Blu-Ray format was in a brutal war and it seemed the Xbox 360 was quickly walking away with this console generation confidently in pocket. Then things began to change. A price drop for the PS3 and Blu-Ray’s winning of the HD war changed Sony’s outlook overnight. (more…)
Super Mario All-Stars While a good argument can be certainly be made for Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island (the proper Mario sequels on the system), both of those games were in many ways evolutions of the Super Mario Bros. 3 formula. Super Mario All-Stars on the other hand was a breath of fresh air by reaching back to the past. While console gaming was still young, Super Mario All-Stars marked the first major release in a special genre known to many other mediums. In music one might label it a greatest hits album. In film you would label each game a remake, or perhaps just a restoration. Whatever the case, this compilation would change how gaming looked at its past. Whenever you enjoy a retooled classic for Xbox Live Arcade, remember that it was this game that laid the groundwork. (more…)
In The Great Games column we look back at titles that have defined video games over the years and earned a special place in the history of the medium.
For many young gamers the Final Fantasy series began counting at seven. At times it seems many fans quit counting at six. Final Fantasy VI was originally released in the USA as Final Fantasy III. It was a weird numbering debacle that Square got itself into, but today the countless rereleases of the last SNES Final Fantasy have most fans corrected on their numbering.
Many fans consider every Final Fantasy a classic, so what makes this one stand out? The story begins with you in charge of a small group of soldiers setting out to investigate an unearthed ancient relic pertaining to magic. One of the members of your party is a mysterious girl. Upon arriving to the dig site there is a bit of a catastrophe before things go dim. The game then shifts you into control of a thief named Locke. Now, if you don’t already see the differences between this title and later entries in the series (hint: Locke does not look like a girl), then you haven’t played enough Final Fantasy. The rest of the story will take you across a vast world, to the end of the world (literally), and across another vast ruined world. (more…)
While presidential candidates may not be actively courting the gamer vote, that doesn’t mean some fun can’t be had with presidential politics and video games. Below each candidate has been matched up with the video game that best represents them. Disagree with a selection? Comment below with your own choice.
In 1997 Square released the seventh installment of its acclaimed RPG series and it became a worldwide sensation. Contrary to all past experience, American gamers ate up a Japanese-style RPG en masse. Its slick graphics and presentation have led many to accuse it of being more style than substance. In fact, while Final Fantasy VII is often cited as one of the best games ever made, you are likely to find just as many who decry it as the most over hyped ever. These vocal gamers often note that while Final Fantasy VII got all the headlines, much better RPGs were being released on the PlayStation-such as Suikoden. (more…)
Say what you will about video games keeping kids indoors and away from outdoor sports and activities, it’s hard to argue that playing video games is not a group activity. Classic multiplayer titles such as Contra to modern multiplayer legends like Super Smash Bros. show that gaming is something best done with others. While the recent push into online gaming may have made many worry that gaming was soon headed back under the rock of isolation, it also welcomed new party games such as Rock Band and Buzz: The Trivia Game.
At the end of E3 2006 gamers were swimming in announcements for high profile titles. From Gears of War to The Legend of 
In a 
While a good argument can be certainly be made for Super Mario World and Yoshi’s Island (the proper Mario sequels on the system), both of those games were in many ways evolutions of the Super Mario Bros. 3 formula. Super Mario All-Stars on the other hand was a breath of fresh air by reaching back to the past. While console gaming was still young, Super Mario All-Stars marked the first major release in a special genre known to many other mediums. In music one might label it a greatest hits album. In film you would label each game a remake, or perhaps just a restoration. Whatever the case, this compilation would change how gaming looked at its past. Whenever you enjoy a retooled classic for Xbox Live Arcade, remember that it was this game that laid the groundwork. 
In The Great Games column we look back at titles that have defined video games over the years and earned a special place in the history of the medium.
In 1997 Square released the seventh installment of its acclaimed RPG series and it became a worldwide sensation. Contrary to all past experience, American gamers ate up a Japanese-style RPG en masse. Its slick graphics and presentation have led many to accuse it of being more style than substance. In fact, while 
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