Did you ever have "that moment" when you were ashamed to be a gamer?

[bikingjahuty]

While I am definitely no ashamed to be a gamer nor have I ever been, it is something I typically only reveal to people I am close to and trust. Despite shows like Big Bang Theory and the whole "it's cool to be a nerd" trend, there is a huge stigma toward true nerds still. If I mention my love of video games or anime to a coworker I usually get this look like, "okay freak" from them. I think a lot of people assume nothing is wrong with you if you like video games when you're older than 25. However, unlike a lot of people over 25 I've met I feel like I'm actually an interesting person. Too many people become their mortgage, their boring job, their subscription to a news paper and lose sight of everything that made them an interesting, fun person. I will never become one of these people even if I have to take on adult responsibilities. I'm not going to be a walking corpse by the time I'm 35, I will always game, I will always watch anime, and will always live life as i see fit despite society's opinion of me.

[foxhack]

Personally, no.

Well, does being embarrassed because of other people count?

And I technically nerd out whenever I see something I like, but I tend to keep it on the down low anyway.

[fauxshot]

I'm never embarrassed to be a ga(y)mer. I'm out and proud in more ways than one, and my gaming is another badge I wear with pride. When people have the audacity to say to me, "Video games are a waste of time" I usually give one of two answers. The first one is along the lines of me asking them what they do for fun. They always mention some form of media like TV, movies, books, comics, etc. I say what I do is no different and they have their "a-ha" moment and then apologize.

The other is, "Well, I think you're a waste of life." That's usually saved for people I don't care for very much. They don't know what to say after that.

Ah yes, one of my peeves. xP

Unfortunately, our society hasn't 'evolved' to the point yet where we (generally) think of gaming as not only a playful medium, but an academic one as well. I'm taking a course about ethics and game design here at college, and I firmly believe that video games can be sold as educational, academic materials, right there beside movies, comic books, and "fine" literature. But don't get me started on that, or I'll start to rant. xD

I feel like that is when being a gamer is somewhat 'embarrassing.' I was talking to one of my Professors today, and the issue mentioned above came up. Even though He's a great Professor, and I know He was listening intently to what I had to say... it still felt somewhat embarrassing.

But it means so much when an older adult listens to what I have to say about games, and takes the subject as seriously as I do. I played some music on the piano for another one of my Professors, who hummed along, and quickly asked if they could have a copy of the sheet music. It means a lot to me when someone that much older than myself doesn't scoff when I tell them it's 'video game music.' It sounds kind of silly, but to know that games are taken seriously by other people, especially those of another, older generation, makes me happy. I very much hope that games will become a part of meaningful academic discussion within my lifetime, and that the stereotypical views we see now will change, as well. ^.^

[indenton]

Multiple times throughout my life, my parents have 'had a go at me' and will often target me playing video games too much.  As of recently I've caught onto the fact that while they're saying these things, they go back to sitting on the sofa watching TV, using there smartphones and Kindle. 

In the end, every time the subject of "Video games are bad for you" comes up.  It just makes me so much more passionate to stand by the community firmly. 

[fighterpilot562]

Multiple times throughout my life, my parents have 'had a go at me' and will often target me playing video games too much.  As of recently I've caught onto the fact that while they're saying these things, they go back to sitting on the sofa watching TV, using there smartphones and Kindle. 

In the end, every time the subject of "Video games are bad for you" comes up.  It just makes me so much more passionate to stand by the community firmly.

I hate the "violent video games make people go out and kill people"

And I am like...really? Come on now.

[gf78]

Personally, no.

Well, does being embarrassed because of other people count?

And I technically nerd out whenever I see something I like, but I tend to keep it on the down low anyway.

That is exactly what I am talking about.  I don't care who knows I am a gamer.  I wouldn't say I'm particularly proud of it, but it's what I like and I don't care who knows that.

With that being said, the example I gave is one of those moments when you look around and/or hide your face because other people make you look bad. 

[mrnikon]

Never ashamed to be a gamer...However I did use want to come over to my house as a pick up line on my current GF, and we have been together for 8 years now.

[gf78]

Multiple times throughout my life, my parents have 'had a go at me' and will often target me playing video games too much.  As of recently I've caught onto the fact that while they're saying these things, they go back to sitting on the sofa watching TV, using there smartphones and Kindle. 

In the end, every time the subject of "Video games are bad for you" comes up.  It just makes me so much more passionate to stand by the community firmly.

I hate the "violent video games make people go out and kill people"

And I am like...really? Come on now.

Ah...I remember vividly in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings, the news reporter stating "The boys were both big fans of Marilyn Manson and learned to hone their shooting skills in the popular shooter Doom."

Really?  REALLY???  I don't know about anyone else, but hitting cursor keys and a spacebar on my keyboard never did anything to improve my shooting skills.  Nor did listening to Marilyn Manson-who I've been listening to since Portrait of an American Family came out-make me want to kill or commit suicide. 

[DreamsDied13101]

Not ashamed to play video games. It doesn't define my life either though. I do have one room of my house devoted to systems and games so when people come over and take a tour of the place I can tell they are a little shocked if they see my office.

My life is about so many other things though that games are just my hobby and what I do with my downtime.

I have never been ashamed of other gamers (even the one you posted about in the original post). I kind of feel sad for that person because it sounds like they just need some help getting their weight in check or something of that nature. Not everyone even understands fashion sense or knows they smell to other people. Makes me want to go hug the guy and let him know he is loved as a fellow gamer and see if I can help him get cleaned up.

[fighterpilot562]

Multiple times throughout my life, my parents have 'had a go at me' and will often target me playing video games too much.  As of recently I've caught onto the fact that while they're saying these things, they go back to sitting on the sofa watching TV, using there smartphones and Kindle. 

In the end, every time the subject of "Video games are bad for you" comes up.  It just makes me so much more passionate to stand by the community firmly.

I hate the "violent video games make people go out and kill people"

And I am like...really? Come on now.

Ah...I remember vividly in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings, the news reporter stating "The boys were both big fans of Marilyn Manson and learned to hone their shooting skills in the popular shooter Doom."

Really?  REALLY???  I don't know about anyone else, but hitting cursor keys and a spacebar on my keyboard never did anything to improve my shooting skills.  Nor did listening to Marilyn Manson-who I've been listening to since Portrait of an American Family came out-make me want to kill or commit suicide.

I own plenty of guns, and i dont care how much gaming you do, you wont learn to shoot that way lol.

A story from my gun forum I remember. One of the guys took his nephew to the range to go shooting. And nephew grabbed his AR and started to shoot the target and he look confused. So the uncle(member of the forum) asked him whats wrong, and his nephew told him "i dont get why i am missing, i am really good on COD" and he said he nearly took him home after that haha

[gf78]

Multiple times throughout my life, my parents have 'had a go at me' and will often target me playing video games too much.  As of recently I've caught onto the fact that while they're saying these things, they go back to sitting on the sofa watching TV, using there smartphones and Kindle. 

In the end, every time the subject of "Video games are bad for you" comes up.  It just makes me so much more passionate to stand by the community firmly.

I hate the "violent video games make people go out and kill people"

And I am like...really? Come on now.

Ah...I remember vividly in the aftermath of the Columbine shootings, the news reporter stating "The boys were both big fans of Marilyn Manson and learned to hone their shooting skills in the popular shooter Doom."

Really?  REALLY???  I don't know about anyone else, but hitting cursor keys and a spacebar on my keyboard never did anything to improve my shooting skills.  Nor did listening to Marilyn Manson-who I've been listening to since Portrait of an American Family came out-make me want to kill or commit suicide.

I own plenty of guns, and i dont care how much gaming you do, you wont learn to shoot that way lol.

A story from my gun forum I remember. One of the guys took his nephew to the range to go shooting. And nephew grabbed his AR and started to shoot the target and he look confused. So the uncle(member of the forum) asked him whats wrong, and his nephew told him "i dont get why i am missing, i am really good on COD" and he said he nearly took him home after that haha

LOL.  Love my AR!  Society always wants to pin the blame on what they can't explain.  They have to justify it in their minds to rationalize it.  And the media is quick to hype up the nonsense. 

And I can say without a shred of doubt in my mind...maneuvering two little joysticks and hitting "R2" is nothing like aiming down the sights of a real gun and pulling the trigger.

[deftommo]

I refuse to feel ashamed for doing something I enjoy, but sometimes the stereotype of the lonely, moms basement dwelling, cheet-o stained video game guy gets a little annoying. I have a few friends who all still play video games and we are all in our 30's. None of us fit that stereotype.

I have a college degree, live in a great town, have a good job, and have plenty of other hobbies to "waste" my time with. I have been told by others that it is in fact a waste of time and a childish thing to be doing at my age. I brush it off, I am a very happy person who happens to play some video games on the weekends.

[insektmute]

I get the occasional eyeroll or comment, and dealt with a lot of bullying over being a geek when I was a kid, but I never personally any feel shame about it. I like what I like, and don't really have any patience or interest in changing myself to make other people more comfortable.

The only place it's maybe an obstacle is with dating - it's difficult enough to meet people in your 30s, but even moreso when you're a relatively introverted person with geeky, niche interests.

[bloodybaron]

I'm really glad at a lot of the responses I've been reading in this post.  Personally gaming has been a huge deal of stress and being ashamed of in my life.  I played sports my whole life until I graduated high school and whenever kids from the team would come over and I had games with dragons and magic instead of sports, racing, and shooting they all immediately thought I was a weirdo and when you're around guys all the time and they get something on you you'll never hear the end of it. Right now I still live at home while I'm going to college and at least once I week I get lectured by someone in my family about how I should be selling all the games I find so I can pay off my car and pay off college and it's really frustrating because they say that and then will go out to a restaurant and pay 40 bucks for a steak or go to a concert for 100 and I'm the one who's constantly told I'm wasting money and shouldn't keep as much as I do.  So between my friends judging me and family lecturing me I'm constantly reminded that I shouldn't collect all this stuff, but honestly the amount of happiness I get from video games and different toys and movies and what not is greater than not being weird to people so eff them right

[gf78]

I'm really glad at a lot of the responses I've been reading in this post.  Personally gaming has been a huge deal of stress and being ashamed of in my life.  I played sports my whole life until I graduated high school and whenever kids from the team would come over and I had games with dragons and magic instead of sports, racing, and shooting they all immediately thought I was a weirdo and when you're around guys all the time and they get something on you you'll never hear the end of it. Right now I still live at home while I'm going to college and at least once I week I get lectured by someone in my family about how I should be selling all the games I find so I can pay off my car and pay off college and it's really frustrating because they say that and then will go out to a restaurant and pay 40 bucks for a steak or go to a concert for 100 and I'm the one who's constantly told I'm wasting money and shouldn't keep as much as I do.  So between my friends judging me and family lecturing me I'm constantly reminded that I shouldn't collect all this stuff, but honestly the amount of happiness I get from video games and different toys and movies and what not is greater than not being weird to people so eff them right

I'm happy this thread and the responses gives you some comfort.  The shame for me was as I stated, when unkempt ogres like the guy at the Halo 2 launch makes everyone look bad, like we are like that.  I would never be ashamed of enjoying a hobby/borderline obsession.  It's no different than buying movies or CD's or whatever.

My parents (mom especially) has harped on me my entire adult life about how I should "sell that crap" and stop playing with "toys" which is what she refers to videogames as. But I love them and would never entertain that thought.  Hell, I love toys.  Though I am not buying Amiibo's, I saw the Mega Man one at Gamestop yesterday and admired it.  It's pretty damn cool looking.  I used to collect toys.  I had every single Kaiyodo Neon Genesis Evangelion figure including all color variants at one point.  They are works of art.

I would never tell anyone they should/shouldn't play any genre of gaming.  For me, videogames allow me to go places I never could in real life.  It's escapism and entertainment.  If not for games like Driveclub, I would never be behind the wheel of a Ferrari.  Games like Halo and Destiny among others allow me to be this hero with superpowers.  Just a few little examples, but they are like your favorite movies with the bonus you get to be a part of them.

Different things make different people happy.  This world and our society has always tried to make people conform to a certain mold.  It's what's expected.  When I was very young (it stopped being a big thing in the 70's), everyone tried to get lefties to write right handed because that was the "norm."  People have been hounded and told they were corrupt, sick and morally bankrupt for being gay even though that is who they are.  But society tried for the longest time (and in many ways still does) to make them conform and be ashamed of who they are.  And though the whole "grow up and stop playing games" issue is a much less significant one than the examples I listed, it's still a way of trying to force people to conform to someone else's idea of what you should or should not be doing. 

How many of those kids from your team that thought you were a "weirdo" were just acting that way and saying things because they didn't want to be seen as a weirdo?  I bet at least a few of them had some Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy style games but just kept their mouths shut for fear of being judged. 

My parents keep talking the same crap about how I need to be more responsible and stop playing with my "toys" but what the hell is the point of working for a living if I'm not going to enjoy myself on the way?  So I can die with a bank full of money?  Life is short.  Too short.  It can end at any time as I've found out the hard way.  And if you take nothing else from that, it should be to live your life and enjoy it as much as you possibly can because you never know when it will end.