Do Gamers Have Principles?

[BathorysGraveland2]

Do people who watch movies have principles? Do people who read books have principles? How about people who listen to music, any principles there?

Really dude, there is no hivemind here. Just using the term "gamer", which can extend anywhere from someone playing 12 hours of Warcraft a day to someone who plays shit on their phone to kill time, is way too vague. At the end of the day, we're all individuals who happen to enjoy a hobby.

If you want a concrete answer, you'll need to be much, much more specific.

 

[lacktheknack]

I have principles! I've got lots of principals! PLS NOTICE ME SENPAI~

But really, I do, and that's all I should care about, really. I don't wanna be responsible for instilling principles in every gamer, so I don't really care if they do or not.

 

[Ranorak]

Gamers are a group of people that only share one single thing.
They play video games.

That's it.
No other common thing connects all gamers, ergo no common trait is exclusive or prominent in gamers.

You might as well have asked "Do people who use toilet paper have principles?"

 

[Kingjackl]

There are quite a few gamers who have principles, and I question the ones that seem like they would interfere with enjoyment of the hobby. Refusing to preorder, or purchase day-one DLC or steer clear of games that offend you on some level are all fine, but when you blanket refuse to buy games from certain publishers because of dodgy consumer practices that don't seriously affect you, then it feels like sacrificing fun in the name of principles that maybe aren't that important.

For example, I see a lot of people who refuse to buy games published by EA, Ubisoft or Activision, then complain when they see a game by one of those companies that looks good to them. At that point, you have to wonder what the point of a boycott is, especially not when the game will likely sell with or without your important. The only thing you give up in exchange for those principles is the opportunity to play something fun.

It works the other way, too; I think it was Totalbiscuit who suggested that so many PC gamers blindly supporting Valve and refusing to buy any game that wasn't on Steam ran the risk of handing them too much power. In light of the increase in shovelware that's been put out on Steam over the past year, an issue which is only now starting to correct itself with the new storefront and curator system, we can see the risk of favouring one particular brand over all others based on principle.

I should probably clarify that this doesn't claim to represent all gamers. The other commenters in this thread have made it abundantly clear that gamers are not a collective and have no shared set of principles, which I think should go without saying, to be honest. These are just a few recurring things I've noticed that I consider questionable.

 

[johnnybleu]

You said it yourself-- Diablo 3 went on to sell over 14 million copies. Even if hundreds of thousands of gamers are outraged by everything wrong with the game, if every article on every gaming site is frothing at the mouth, if every forum is burning with indignation, even if all those people stick to their guns and don't buy the game, that's not even a scratch on those figures. Sure, all those people might have principles and have refused to give into Blizzard's evil schemes, but the fact is that they don't represent every gamer. As it should already be painfully obvious, gamers are one of the widest and most diverse demographic imaginable. To make sweeping generalizations like "do they have principles" or "do they eat sandwiches" is just kind of silly.

For example, I see a lot of people who refuse to buy games published by EA, Ubisoft or Activision, then complain when they see a game by one of those companies that looks good to them. At that point, you have to wonder what the point of a boycott is, especially not when the game will likely sell with or without your important. The only thing you give up in exchange for those principles is the opportunity to play something fun.

One of my friends is currently disenchanted with gaming today, and focuses excessively on all the negative. He doesn't buy anything from Capcom, EA, or any of the "evil" publishers, he refuses to play any game that has per-order bonuses, day-1 DLC, or on-disc DLC. He says it's a matter of principle, and he sticks to his guns. That's perfectly fine, but I was recently joking with him that he was missing out on pretty much every game coming out.

That's not to say that people shouldn't boycott, or stick to their principles. Clearly, some of these messages are getting through (see Diablo 3 and Simcity 2013). You just have to find some balance, I guess.

 

[Doom972]

As a group, no. Everyone complains but no one will put his money where his mouth is. We complain about DRM, prices, and day-1 DLC, but only a few of us (such as myself) wouldn't buy a game out of principle.

It could be because gaming is more of a hobby than a pass-time, and most gamers will concede to whatever conditions are set by publishers as long as they can continue enjoying their hobby.

Don't forget about people who buy 4 games a year at most and don't know any better. They wouldn't mind paying $80 for a game and dealing with whatever restrictions it imposes as long as they manage to enjoy it after jumping through the hoops. These guys aren't the ones you meet in gaming communities, but they make boycotts much less effective if you're going for something popular like GTA or CoD.

 

[PatrickXD]

Sure, I never pay for products that I haven't seen. So I don't pre-order or don't crowd fund, unless I can see footage of the game being played by a third party. I also don't buy rubbish PC ports. That's pretty much everything.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

At the end of the day, games are still a form of recreational escapism. While "principles" and caring about things is not a zero sum proposition, everyone has their limit when it comes to how many hills they're willing to fight and die on. People will prioritize those battles based on how much things matter to them.

If someone uses gaming to, say, unwind from their demanding job or their challenging coursework, or to take solace from a mental illness or physical disability, or to distract them from a loved one's disease or a personal tragedy, or to bond with friends far away, they're probably not going to be too assed about whether a game costs an extra $10 because of day one DLC, or requires always online if their internet connection is stable. They might furrow their brow in annoyance the way they might upon discovering ticket prices have risen again at the theater or that their favorite sandwich is suddenly off the menu, but in short order their minds will be back to things that matter more...to them.

Now, there's nothing wrong with caring about video games and making them your "cause" in life but there's nothing wrong about NOT caring about them either. They are luxury entertainment products and whether EA is sneaking overpriced DLC into their latest title or Blizzard is making something always-online that maybe didn't really need to be or Ubisoft has Ubisofted something again is largely irrelevant to the question of the human condition. Some of the most principled people I've ever met don't give a flying fig about video game issues, and it would never occur to me to hector them into believing they should.

Again...this isn't fallacy of worse problems. I'm not saying these things don't or shouldn't matter. I'm saying that people don't forfeit a claim to "principles" because they care insufficiently about the latest brouhaha in gaming.

 

[Qizx]

Does anyone have principles? It's the same idea, people will decry the abuse of animals and go vegetarian/vegan but without batting an eye they buy cheap shirts produced in foreign countries under horrible conditions. They will buy a computer with parts made in subhuman situations. They will purchase a toy for their niece/child/friend that was most likely the product of human suffering. So no, gamers are no better or worse than non gamers and I personally find it a bit of a silly question.

EDIT: I personally REFUSE to buy certain games on principle so yes I would like to think I have principles and I am a gamer.

EDIT 2: My point is people can, groups rarely do.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

Nah, I graduated high-school years ago.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Nah, I graduated high-school years ago.

Out of curiosity, how were your grades in English?

 

[Qizx]

Nah, I graduated high-school years ago.

Out of curiosity, how were your grades in English?

hua hua, I see what you did there. I like it.