Gamer Subculture Study

[viking97]

EDIT Male, 15 btw

1) Yes I do, despite that being a pretty vague demographic.

2) I'm not entireley sure, but around 50 probably would be a reasonable estimate. 60-75% of my free-time, basically.

3) Mostly by myself, but I have a TF2 server that I go to all the time and it is a lot of regulars that are familiar with each other.

4) Well, all of them I suppose, to some degree or another.

5) Yes, most games I play are online, but it depends on what game I'm into at the time. You could say about 80% is online.

6) Again, I don't know for sure but I follow quite a bit of gaming channels on youtube. Drybear, STAR_, GameGrumps. Quite a bit I suppose.

7) A lot of different genres interest me, but my two main games are TF2 and Smite right now.

8) Around 5 I guess, because they were available to me.

9) Mother just sees them as entertainment, like TV or something. She doesn't really understand them and doesn't care much either. She plays puzzle games on her Kindle Fire a lot though, so I guess she's ok with them for the most part.

10) Watch youtube videos, typically of people playing video games.

11) Emotionally involved? I'm afraid I don't quite understand. I suppose I tend to get pretty attatched to games and play them to the exclusion of other games, and often get nostalgic about games I haven't played in awhile, if that's what you mean. If the story is good in a game, then I tend to get pretty invested too.

12) Pretty poor at the time being. More failing than passing because I've always struggled to do homework.

13) No.

14) Indirectly I suppose, I naturally slack and my preffered method of slacking is games, but I don't think games have anything to do with that. If it wasn't games it would be something else.

15) No.

16) Multiplayer games, to master the mechanics and be the best there ever was, single player games to be immersed in a setting or story typically, although if the game is more skill based like an online game that's how I'll play it.

17) I don't think so, but i don't really know for sure.

18) It would depend how you define unhealthy. Some might see my play habits as unhealthy, and maybe they're right but it works fine for me. So whenever either the person deems their own habits to be unhealthy, or if video-games negatively impacts themselves to the point where it's ruining their lives or someone else's.

19) I doubt it, I would still probably be playing some sort of visual novel game with narration when I'm old and my hands are to arthritic to hold a controller and I'm to slow to react fast enough to play anything action based.

20) Other than virtual hats, nothing comes to mind.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Bamba, is that you?

Spoiler: Spoilered otherwise this thread is gonna get ridiculous

Male, 32.

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Nope.
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
~16
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
About 50/50.
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Quite a few. Probably ~80%
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Twice a week, so probably ~6 hours.
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Er, however long I'm on this site for. 5-10 minutes at a time 5-6 times a day.
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
All sorts. RPG, FPS, driving games, strategy games - whatever I find fun really.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
When I was six and because they were fun.
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
No opinion, I guess.
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Reading, walking/hiking, cooking, occasionally fishing.
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Not at all really. A few RPGs can be quite immersive, but that's about it.
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
N/A. I left school long enough ago that the grades I got there are out of date by now. I was an average student though.
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yep, around 40 hours a week not counting overtime.
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Nope.
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Nope, never. I have booked the odd day off work for a particularly anticipated release date though.
16. Why do you play videogames?
Because they're fun.
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Not really. After a busy day at work they can be the digital version of a stress-ball however.
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you put aside real-world activities in favour of digital ones.
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Probably, if by that you mean keeping up with new systems and releases. If, however, you just mean keeping a couple of old favourites on a hard drive somewhere for the sake of nostalgia, then no.
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
None really. A couple of limited edition boxes, and even they just sit on a shelf.

Hope that helps.

 

[Disturbed-Hell]

17, Male

Spoiler

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Not sure, around 30-40.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself. Don't really have anyone else to play with.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Of the few friends I have, only one. And she is currently training to be an air force pilot, I think.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Rarely, as my internet connection isn't always fast enough. On average, 1 to 3 hours per week.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
I watch quite a lot of gaming videos and lets plays, so around 10 hours a week.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Mostly RPGs like Mass Effect and Skyrim, but some FPS, Stealth and RTS as well.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I started playing normal videogames when I was about 6 when my mother got me a copy of Age of Empires to try and get me interested in history.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They don't really care much, if anything they think games are kind of silly. That said, they never stoped me playing them.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
I'm either faffing about on the internet (as I am now) or helping my parents on their plot of land.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Usually not very involved. If games start batting me around, then I can get fairly angry, but not enough to damage anything but usually I'm a bit distant.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
I didn't go to school but my Open Uni scores for the first year were around 60-70. This years socres have all been higher so far.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
I don't think I can legaly get a job at my current age.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Not that I can remember.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
No, never.

16. Why do you play videogames?
For fun, to experiance a story, to waste time and sometimes just to win a match or two.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Only if the player either gets too involved in the game, or has mental issues.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When they start negatively affecting your health/income/grades.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Only if I am unable for whatever reason.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I own a map of Cyrodiil, Skyrim and the Shivering Isles, two posters for Supreme Commander and a the enhanced edition of The Witcher 2.

 

[bearlotz]

23y/o male USA, let's do this

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Absolutely

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
It varies depending on who's in town that week, so in the range of 15-45

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Both, but usually with friends

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
About 2/3 of them I'd say, less if you only count the "core" gamers in that subset

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
The majority of my gaming is on LoL or a friend's Minecraft server these days, so probably 15-35

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
4-6, kind of hard to track

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
MOBA, (W/J)RPG, "Action/Adventure", Horror, whatever you want to classify Minecraft as, Visual Novels on occasion

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Way back when I was a wee lad. Not sure how old, but generally whatever year Pokemon came out in the US or a bit before that

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They think I spend too much time on them and should be out doing things, but a lot of my friends are still at colleges in different areas so that's not really practical most of the time

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Read, go for a walk, watch a movie, hit a bar/hookah lounge

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
In competitive games I obviously want my team to win so it can get frustrating if one team member or other is playing poorly or whatnot. Sometimes you can get really cool people as opponents and that can be a great experience just messing with each other in chat.
In single-player, a difficult game can bring on some intense frustration at times. Other than that, I'm usually gaming to either get immersed in a good story or just to relax and switch off for a bit.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
High school I did great, college not so much (got my degree though)

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes. 40hr/week, full-time

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Definitely, though I would have found a way to procrastinate with or without videogames.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Not directly, it was more of "I don't really feel like working on this project at the moment...Minecraft time!"

16. Why do you play videogames?
The same reason anyone does anything with their leisure time: because I find it enjoyable. Different games have different engagements (see answer 11) and you get something different from each one.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
If anything I would say they give people a consequence-free sandbox to work out frustration or anger that they have from the real world. I guess you would be pretty amped-up after playing a shooter marathon or something, but I haven't really seen too much real world violence come out of it. Mostly just being a dick to your opponents in-game.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
Difficult question...I guess when it starts becoming the only thing in your life, or if you start consistently blowing off other things in order to game maybe?

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
I guess it could happen, maybe if no good ones come out for a long enough time that I get completely caught up on the intimidating backlog of games that exist so far.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
~2-3 t-shirts and a poster or two, nothing much.

 

[Fappy]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?

Yes

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?

5-15 hours

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?

Both

4. How many of your friends play videogames?

Most of them

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?

It depends on what I am playing at the time. If I am currently playing a single player game it would be 0. If I am playing multiplayer than about 5-15 hours a week on average.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?

1-2

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?

All kinds (favorite genre is RPG). Notable exceptions being FPS's, sports games, racing games and RTS's.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?

2-years-old because my uncle got me into it.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?

They don't like it, but have come to accept it.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?

Hang out with friends, play with my cats, write, playing tabletop games, post on forums, watch movies/tv

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)

I only get emotionally involved when there is a compelling story to tell.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)

I believe averaged right above a 3.0 in college before graduating two years ago.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?

I work for a software ompany and put in 40 hours a week.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?

Yes.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?

I skipped a few classes in college, but it wasn't a common occurrence. Never skipped work for gaming.

16. Why do you play videogames?

They are fun.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?

Nope. If anything it's an outlet for frustration/stress.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?

When it begins to negatively affect important aspects of your life. Healthy, relationships, your education/job, etc.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?

Nope.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)

A lot of stuff. Shirts, soundtracks, posters. You name it.

 

[Techsmart07]

EDIT - I'm 24 years from the US

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
~15-20

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
With friends

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
short answer - all of them

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Yes - ~15-20 hours

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
1-2

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
FPS, RTS, RPG, TRPG, MMORPG, Sandbox, Action/platformer

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
1993 (I was 5). I was out of books and couldn't exactly go to the library on my own

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They see it as just another hobby. Not a particularly good one, but not bad.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Write programs, read books, do 3D modeling, work on my quadricopter

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
very little. A few games will get me involved, but they are far and few between

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
A/B average (My CS-specific GPA was around a 3.6 outa 4, my overall was a 3.4). In High school, I was an all A student (4.0 outa 4.0)

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes (technically, Im transitioning between two jobs, so at this very moment, no). At my old job 35-40 hours a week. At my new job 40-45 hours a week

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
yes

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
I never skipped class specifically because I wanted to play video games. I sometimes skipped because I had an awful professor. If that counts, usually once a week during school. I've never skipped work

16. Why do you play videogames?
I need a stress reliever, and I enjoy spending time with friends who I can't visit in person.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
yes, but not all in a bad way

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you are no longer doing what's necessary to provide for yourself and spend enough time behind the controller to visibly affect your health.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Yes, very often

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
nothing

 

[cennsor]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
no. i do like to play some games, but i don't consider it something that somehow "defines" me.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
many, way too many. more than i care to admit.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
every once in a while the significant half tags along, but mostly i'm on my own.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
not many.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
pretty seldom. i did for example log in quite a few hours for "age of empires online".

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
probably beyond healthy. lately i've found myself more and more interested in "metagaming", to the point sometimes i lay a game off to spend some time reading about it (or games as art/industry in general, or topics that are one way or another related to videogames).

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
my favourites are (old styled) graphic adventures and RTS games. but i do enjoy the occasional RPG.. and i wish i was better at management games, because they seem to be built for slow, decrepit old folks like me; but usually i find them too complicated.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
i was four/five, and my father had just bought his first i386. it was intended for work, but he installed "castle adventure" and "space invaders" on it, and that was the beginning of it all.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
they don't mind them. my mother just plays solitaire and spider once in a while, and my father is way beyond his days of fruitful cooperation with the kids, helping them get past the hardest passages in games while actually enjoying himself too. my brothers and i used to play adventure games with him, and the original prince of persia. but he hasn'd played since we grew up.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
why, i study of course! yes in my FREE time! well. i love to read, so i do it whenever i can; listen to music, watch movies and series, write, and travel. travel whenever i get the chance to.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
online play has nothing to do with it (not for me). i'd say a good story in a videogame has me as much involved as one you'd find in a book, or movie. but it has to be a really good one (same holds true for books and movies btw).

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
always been a good student, still kind of am, albeit pretty slow with exams. not excellent, but a slightly-above-average good student, i'd say.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
nope, still studying. several.. some.. a few.. hours a week.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
never. it actually even helps sometimes. if i have to study hard for an exam, i find that taking a moment to clear a level/progress with a game a bit between one book and the other actually relaxes me and helps me concentrate when i get back to the books.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
never. but i have skipped classes for much sillier reasons, laziness topping them all.

16. Why do you play videogames?
to "escape", i guess. to evade reality (or to explore it further, depending on the "realism" of the game). much for the same reasons i read or watch movies, or listen to music.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
absolutely not. i don't believe there is a correlation between the two. i guess a very exaggerated exposure to violent games (or any other medium for that matter) could eventually affect the player - but it would have to be a huge amount of time.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
when you let them occupy too much of your time. and even more so, when you begin to "prefer" them to real life, and the border between those two starts to thin.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
yes, i do. that actually happens from time to time. although it probably should be the other way round, i play almost every day but there are times i don't for a few days in a row.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
just a few. off the top of my head: a poster from AC3 and a "curse of monkey island" mousepad. they were both gifts.

.. hope i made a decent contribution!

 

[Psylumin]

Age: 20
Gender: Male

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Actually, now that I think about it, I mostly try to stay away from the subculture just because the people 'in it' are often incompatible with me. I just play games for fun, like another user mentioned before me.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Very broad, but 14-35 hours (2-5 hours a day). I would say I mostly stay in the lower half of up to 20 hours, though.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself definitely. I just experienced Co-Op for the first time a week ago, but that won't change my single-player focus.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Everyone seems to have tried them or plays some casually in college game rooms or at a friend's house, but only one or two are 'knowledgable' enough to talk to about games.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Very rarely, and when I do, its for about an hour. Let's just say 'No'.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Embarassingly, about as much as I play video games. Let's say 15 hours a week..

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Any genre, though mostly Hack and Slash/Action it seems.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
My mother handed me a controller when I was 2 (Tried to teach me how to play Sonic), but I guess I really started when I was 5 or 6 and my parents got the SNES with Yoshi's Island and Mario Allstars. It was just a family thing, we all played together when we weren't doing something else. Later it was because I moved a few times and had no one to hang out with, so gaming and surfing the Internet were the only things to do at home alone. Nowadays, its just a part of me and I do it in order to stay with the Gaming Community online and because its fun overall.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
Very supportive of my hobby; they believe that its better to stay at home and play video games and get emotionally invested in fiction rather than going to parties with friends and be forced to drink alcohol and be exposed to loud music and etc. My father especially believes that it is like reading a good book, so he still buys me games even (or rather especially) nowadays.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Read (psychology and esoteric subjects, or just fiction) , practice drawing and playing the piano, or study for college. Occasionally hang out with buddies. When I feel inspired, I write stories.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames? (online play, amazing story, etc.)
I am often brought to tears, embarrassingly. Horror games cause extreme emotional responses because I am very easily frightened, so I play them when I want to reset my mind and forget about any stress that I might have (everything feels so much better after just 15 minutes of Silent Hill). Hack and Slash games are also very involving for me, and they can really make my adrenaline pump on high difficulties.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
GPA is 3.5 at the moment, I would say I am a B student on average.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
I don't have a job.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Once it did in 8th and 9th grade, but i quickly realized it and stopped gaming (locked away consoles and games). Unfortunately, even after three months of no gaming, I had no success in improving my grades (apparently, it was stress related rather than a problem of time management or addiction)

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
I have never skipped school for video games, but I have often called my mother in high school to pick me up early because I felt too stressed out. I didn't play video games then though, I mostly just lay down and relaxed.

16. Why do you play videogames?
For the emotional investment in the stories, the music, the visuals, and the mental challenge.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
They can spur violent reactions but in the same way that long study sessions or stress do. I think its mostly self-harming violence, causing you to be frustrated with yourself or just make you feel stressed out. Its a very momentary reaction, though, meaning that it goes away as soon as you stop the game or take a break.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you get into the 'gaming trance' too easily and too frequently. Its normal to start zoning out and being focused on the game for an hour or two when its really engaging, but if you lose your sense of being too often and become disconnected, it might be best to start a schedule that limits the length of your gaming sessions to about an hour.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
I have never thought about it. I have grown up with video games as many do with movies; you don't think about a time when you won't be watching movies in the future, you just do it whenever you feel like it. So, it all depends on the quality of games, my schedule and just my situation overall.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
Not much. One Sonic action figure, an Epic Mickey statue and one GoG.com T-Shirt that i got from a giveaway.

 

[omgeveryone9]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Not really
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
5-10 with school, 10-25 without school
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
by myfelf 99% of the time
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Nearly all of them, minus maybe one
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Only TF2 (2-3 hours a week)
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
5-25 a week
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
FPS, strategy, simulation (not the job simulators though)
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I played games since I was 7 becuase my old computer had some games inside
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They hate it. Got used to it though.
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Make stuff (mainly music), watch TV, tinker with stuff
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
A little. Depends on if it is a shooter or a good game with a good story
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
A's to B+'s, with an occasional B
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
High School Student.
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Made me procrastinate more.
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Never and never plan to
16. Why do you play videogames?
Fun, story, gameplay
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Yes, a little but not enough to do harm.
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
If I become socially unacceptable and/or I have no job
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Yes.
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
None.

 

[t00bz]

Age: 23

Gender: Male
1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
About 20 - 40, depending on how busy the week is or if I'm in the gaming mood.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Nearly all of them.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Yes. Only a few.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Around 5.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Mainly RPGs and Action-Adventure titles

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I began playing when I was around 5 or 6 years old. As for why? It just seemed cool

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They felt at one time that they were a waste of my time, but when they realized that it helped me deal with my depression, they thought of it in a more likable way.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
I will do 3d Modelling/Animation in Daz Studio

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I will get very emotionally involved. To the point where an unlikable character can actually negatively impact my mood depending on their actions.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
N/A

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes. 38 - 40 hours per week.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Not at all. I always make sure to prioritize the thing that makes me money, not the one that costs me money.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
When I was in college, I skipped quite a few classes to play Rock Band with my friends.

16. Why do you play videogames?
It's a hobby I've had for nearly 2 decades and it the biggest part of my childhood. Aside from that, I find the fact that I can have a cinematic storyline that I can directly influence based on my actions to be greatly satisfying.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
I believe it can, yes. That doesn't mean that every player is going to be more violent after playing a violent game.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When they negatively impact for job, school, relationships, friendships, etc.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Probably not.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
Figurines, Art Books, Comics, Shirts, Mugs, etc.

 

[Apollo45]

Male, 23

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
10-20 or so. Not entirely sure.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Both, but I play with friends more than not.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Nearly all of them do at some level. Most of the play quite a bit.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Most of my playing is online. I'd say 75%? But that varies depending on what I'm playing. Lately that's been online games, but when Skyrim and Oblivion came out I spent the majority of my time playing those.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
5-10? A lot of the time I'm watching streams or youtube videos while playing, so the numbers overlap.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
RPGs (Elder Scrolls, Bioware, and others); FPSs (Call of Duty, Halo, TF2, etc); RTS (Civilization, C&C back in the day, etc); Sandbox Games (Minecraft); League of Legends; Survival Adventure/Horror games (Amnesia, Slender, Miasmata, and so on); Many others, ranging across the spectrum of genres.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
My first game system was a SNES, but what really got me into gaming is a few buddies who were playing Red Alert. I got the game and never really looked back.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They're fine with them, for the most part.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Hunting, camping, fishing, hanging out with my fiance and friends, writing (short stories and novels), in the winter I snowboard, in the summer I ride bikes, and I go bar hopping more often than I should. I spend a lot of time doing recreational sports like softball and semi-organized football games.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Pretty involved. It's easy to disconnect myself if I need to, but when playing story-driven games I get involved with the story and character, and when I'm playing online games I tend to get emotionally involved with what's going on. I'm not immune to getting pissed off at idiots on my team or people who are there to troll, although I'm pretty good at keeping that to myself.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
I graduated high school with a 3.1 GPA, and college with a 2.8. My grades in classes specifically relating to my major (English/Creative Writing) were around a 3.2, but the general classes and those I took while I was majoring in Engineering brought that down quite a bit.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
No job. I just graduated, and the market sucks.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Yes, a few times. Nothing extremely significant, but I've missed assignments and delayed papers until the last minute because I was playing.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
A couple times. Maybe once a year in college, never in high school.

16. Why do you play videogames?
Because I enjoy them. Good, story-driven ones are like reading a book where you're able to affect the outcome. Others are just enjoyable to play and compete in. I'm a rather competitive person, so playing games like League of Legends and Call of Duty appeal to me, but even things like Minecraft I tend to specifically try to out-build other people. Being able to be competitive without having to get a group of people together for a makeshift football game.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Yes. Not to the extent that many lawmakers would like you to believe, but people, specifically gamers, tend to ignore studies that actually did their job. The majority of those will tell you that there are short-term effects to playing violent video games. If you've ever played one and come out thinking to yourself "That was badass, I'm effing awesome", studies show that in those moments you're more likely to react violently to a conflict of some sort than otherwise. This especially holds true with younger kids, who come out of games feeling like that but don't have the rationality to keep it to themselves. When they get into an argument with a friend that argument is more likely to turn into physical action of some sort than if they hadn't just been playing a violent game. It won't turn them into mass murderers, but it does affect them. I can't cite any studies that specifically prove this off the top of my head, and don't feel like trying to find them, but movies and other media have very similar effects.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you stop taking care of yourself or being productive in order to play video games. It's the same as any other activity; if you reach the point where you're negatively affecting your health or relationships because of how much you play then it becomes and unhealthy obsession. Refusing to take showers, not eating, ignoring friends and family, not getting a job, and so on would be indications that it's become an unhealthy obsession instead of a hobby.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Not really. Video games are one of the ways I continue to keep in contact with friends who don't live near me, and I enjoy them for what they are. As long as I've got buddies who play and the industry keeps putting out quality games I'll keep playing.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I've got some posters, a couple Minecraft t-shirts and a hat, some statues and models from Collector's Edition games, and a few other random things. I don't have any collections or anything.

 

[AD-Stu]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
I guess

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Depends on time available after work, but probably between 10 and 20

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Solo

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Actually... not all that many, now that I think about it

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Very rarely

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Depends if it's a slow week at work Maybe half an hour watching videos (ZP, etc) and a few hours on these forums. That's about it. I'll read maybe one or two hard copy magazines a year too (just finished one today, on holidays so have time).

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Mostly RPGs, some driving games

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Late 80s, because my parents bought us a Master System.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
Dad plays them, Mum doesn't really see the attraction but isn't really negative about them or anything

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Music, watching TV, gambling

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Depends on the game, ranges from very to minimal

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Completed my masters degree with an HD (80%+) average. My university entrance ranking after high school was 92/100.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes, anything betweeN 35 and 60 hours a week depending on how busy we are.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
No

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
No. Not even when ME3 came out AND I was working in a job I hated.

16. Why do you play videogames?
Late at night or on weekends. They come after work, cooking, spending time with my wife and young son, etc

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
No. But I play violent video games, so of course I'd say that.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you sell your dog to buy more of them

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
No, not really.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
None really

 

[Sonofadiddly]

1. Yes

2. Currently 5-10

3. About half and half.

4. Most of them. If you need a number, I guess about 10-15?

5. Yes. Depending on what game I happen to be into, but I probably spend at least half my gaming time playing CoD online.

6. 2-3

7. FPS, action adventure, RPG (western mostly), puzzle, casual, Indie... pretty much anything.

8. When I was very young. Around 5 I guess. My big brother played them, so of course I wanted to play them, too.

9. They're neutral.

10. Blog, cruise Netflix, spend some quality time with the Internet. Maybe even read a book.

11. As much as I can. Story is very important to me.

12. A/B student through high school and college.

13. Yes, 40 hours.

14. Sure, but not significantly.

15. Once in awhile.

16. They're fun. I guess a deeper answer would be that I feel it satisfying to participate in epic adventures rather than just watching or reading about someone in an epic adventure.

17. Yes, at least temporarily. I've no doubt unfiltered violence has a permanent effect on young children.

18. Like anything else, when you start neglecting other essential aspects of your life.

19. Hell no.

20. Shirts, hoodies, plushies, posters, backpacks, and one Sephiroth action figure.

Edit: Female, 24

 

[Gitty101]

1. Yes.
2. 10 - 20 hours. But if there is a new release I'm interested it it will be more.
3. Is both an option?
4. All of them.
5. Not very often at all, maybe 1 or 2 hours a week.
6. Quite a few, I'd say up to 10 hours a week.
7. My main two genres at the moment are RPGs and Fighters.
8. 5 years old, parents bought me a Playstation.
9. They couldn't care less.
10. Internet, pub, reading. Standard to be honest.
11. I get very invested in a good story and will get attached to characters easily.
12. Mostly As and Bs, averaging a 2:1 at Uni at the moment.
13. No job.
14. Definitely during my A-Levels, but that was because I'd lost motivation to do anything else.
15. Never.
16. I like them, plus it's my favourite form of interactive media.
17. No, if they have an innate violent tendency already then literally anything could set them off. Normal people control it the same way they would if faced with a violent movie or novel.
18. When you continue playing to the detriment of your health and social life.
19. No, it's far too interesting and only continuing to get better.
20. T-shirts, statues, replicas etc, too many to list. Lots of novels and graphic novels too.

 

[Palmerama]

Age: 25

Gender: Male.

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes.
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
20-30.
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself.
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Quite a few of them.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Yes mainly mutliplayer, sometimes MMO. About 10-20 a week.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
I'd ratyher not think about it.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Pretty much everything. My collection spands every genre. Im a big fan of RPGs and have been getting into sandboxes alot more recently.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I've been playing them for as long as I can remember. My dad brought a Compaq home for us and it had Windows 3.1, he brought back a floppy disk containing chess, pac-man, space invaders, and golf. So I would say my dad. He also bought me a NES for my 4th birthday. Been hooked ever since.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
As long as they didn't interfere with work or studies thne they didn't mind. I'm doing a TEFL course (Teaching English as a foreign language), and he rings me up to see how im doing & still chides me saying just make sure your computer games don't distract you.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Watch films. Go out with friends. Spend time with my gf. Read books & comics. Write blogs and articles.

11. How emotionally involved do you get while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
depends on the game. If it's a retro game I usually get whipped up in the nostalgia. But games like Bioshock, Dragon Age Origins, Tomb Raider, Spec-Ops, Sleeping Dogs, Fallout 3 & New Vegas can really engross me and fully immerse me in the story and world.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Im from the UK so don't how knowledgable you are of our academic certifiactions. But I got 14 GCSEs all A-C grades, 3 A Levels, and I've got a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama & Film Studies.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Sort of. Officially unemployed but do acting, stand up, and free lance entertainment journalism. Sadly none are very well paid (or not paying at all).

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Not really. Back in seconday school I did play games in the evening & then did my homeowrk on the bus to school but it always done & well marked (most of the time). At college & uni it was more girls, drinking & going out that distracted me.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Never. My parents would have made me go to school if I had the plague. Had 100% attendacne all 5 years of secondary school. Never had a sick day off work either. Bad ethic.

16. Why do you play videogames?
I'm a big fan of escapism. Haven't had the best of childhoods and watching films, reading books & playing games was a great way of escaping into this fantasy realm where I was the hero and could just shut the rest of the world out for a brief period of time. Stil do it today. I love video games & strongly believe in the good that they can do.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Aggression yes but not just violent games. It tends to be games that are competition based. Sports games aswell can cause aggression. We see aggression when people watch real sports. But it's nothing tangible. I've never been a violent perosn & I;ve played tons of violent games & watched violent films & read violent books & comics. I had a friend who felt the urge to steal a car he walked past after playing GTA for a few hours but he knew that it's not as easy as in the game & he has a strong snese of right & wrong so he never acted on that impulse.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
The same way in which other things do such as, gambling, cheating, lying, television, films, stamp collecting. I think it's more psychological in that there is something missing in that person's life that makes them spend their whole time indulging in something.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Not fully no. I know when I get older and eventually settle down I'll have less time to play them but I don't think I'll ever stop fuly. My brother's got a baby and a step son yet he still finds time to play games.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
A few T-shirts, mainly Space Invaders. Got a fair few posters, got several collectibles, a couple of mugs and several novelisations.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

Okay, here goes: Male, 25 yrs

1. Well... yes. It's fair to say I do.
2. usually 20-30 hours, sometimes less
3. Vastly prefer playing alone
4. Most of them
5. Sometimes, can go weeks without playing online if I'm not in the mood.
6. 0-2 hrs
7. Everything except sports, racing, JRPGs, turn-based strategies, and "life simulations" like Sims
8. About fifteen years ago, the main reason I was interested in games was to see and experience things I would not be able to IRL.
9. Their stance is negative in general, but they can't deny the fact that videogames are the sole reason I'm able to string a coherent english sentence together...
10. Read books, watch movies, or hang out with friends... often with cigars and expensive whisky.
11. I don't get excited easily, but a well written story and characters can engage me emotionally... entertaining gameplay can help, but not on its own.
12. Not a student... used to be around Bs to Cs (I didn't care much at that time)
13. Yes, usually 40 hours a week
14. No
15. Never skipped work, but I have skipped school a few times when I was young and stupid.
16. See answer to question 8
17. Depends on the person in question, on their psychological profile and personality. Answer to this question cannot be easily generalised to apply to the entire population.
18. When they start to negatively affect your work and/or personal life.
19. Everything is possible.
20. I have an N7 hoodie, a few posters I picked up along the way, and some stuff from Collector editions.

 

[Eternal_Lament]

1.
Yes and no. It depends on what you mean by gamer sub-culture of course. If you mean someone who plays games enough and can get the in-jokes/references, then yes. If you mean someone who has a hard-on for retro stuff, then no.
2.
It varies week-to-week. During school (so I guess now) it usually amounts to maybe 20-25 hours a week. The rest of the time? Maybe 30 hours a week when I have free time.
3.
A bit of both. Most of my gaming is done alone, but when I hang out with friends gaming is something we all do together.
4.
I would say maybe 9 or 10. Not all of them play the same. Some play very casually, some play often, and some play a lot.
5.
Not often, no. The only times I play online is a) when I'm at my friends place and we play BLOPS 2 online, which only happens when he's in town for break or the summer, and b) with Dark Souls, but I'm not actively PVPing or Co-Oping. If I were to count the amount of invasions I get, I guess I'd play roughly 20 minutes of online play a week.
6.
Too much to count. Suffice to say I spend most of my internet time either on game news sites or sites that happen to have game stuff on them. For the sake of the study...maybe 40+ hours?
7.
Various types. It would be better to go down the list I don't play: racing (although I think racing games are some of the best to play with friends), sports, JRPGs (I follow the Kingdom Hearts series, but I didn't pick up the 3DS one) fighters (although I do enjoy Dissidia) 2D Brawlers, RTS/Strategy (although I enjoy X-COM quite a bit) MMOs, and sims. Everything else is on the table for me.
8.
The earliest I can remember would probably be when I was 6. My parents just got me and my sister a PS One, with which we got the first Spyro and Crash Bandicoot 2. Those games hooked me in, and as my sister got more games for the system I ended up getting more interested. Also, a big portion was constantly getting demo discs with gaming magazines, so I knew early on the types of games out there. So basically, combine gaming magazines, demo discs, and Sony, and that's pretty much how I got into gaming.
9.
They don't mind. My dad used to play arcade games, so he's alright with games as a whole. He's tried to get into a few, with various degrees of success (he played the first three Spyro games and liked them. Tried getting into Guitar Hero but it didn't work out) My mom doesn't play games, but she doesn't mind either, and in fact is supportive of me wanting to get into game design. They treat it like any other medium, except it's one they know they aren't too proficient with.
10.
Various things. Reading, writing, going online, hanging out with friends, watching movies/TV, that sort of stuff.
11.
It depends on the game. Some certainly more than others, but it kind of depends on if that's the point. This is sort of hard to answer, in so much as I can't think of something very recently that had that effect. But games, like any medium, can pull at my heart-strings with the right combination.
12.
Decent marks. Usually B's and B+'s. I've gotten quite a few A's as well (University) I get the odd C+ now and then, but that hasn't really been a thing this semester.
13.
Currently no. I'm looking for one though.
14.
No, not really. I recognize when something has to be done that I can't fuck around, so usually towards the deadline I try to sit down and just concentrate on the work. I've never stayed up way too late playing games only to miss something the next day, and I've never really felt myself needing to play something when I clearly shouldn't be.
15.
No, I haven't. As I said, I'm never Jonsing to play something at all times, so this is never really an issue.
16.
Same reason I watch a movie or read a book: I want to be entertained on some level. This can be with something that's just fun, something that's just amazing to see/look at, something that's so emotionally resonant that I can't help but look back on it, etc. The reason I play A game always varies, but there's only that one reason why I game.
17.
No. Or rather, I don't think it affects someone on a deeply personal level. At worst it affects someone in the short-term, such as with rage-quitting or yelling at the screen (both of which I think anyone would admit exists) but never with big things, such as aggression outside of the session or going on to become violent. I think for those people, the people who do end up like that, it's not that games made them that way but rather they were already that way before and that's why they gravitated towards violent games.
18.
A number of things, each one on it's own possibly a sign. If you start to ignore hanging out with friends because you'd rather play games, that's an obsession. If you start ignoring a loved one (partner or family member) for a game, that's an obsession. If you start to let yourself go health wise because you can't be bothered to stop playing, that's an obsession. These aren't the only things, but I think these are the easiest to identify if there's a problem with someone.
19.
Sometimes? Usually the day I think "Man, I don't want to game anymore" are the same days I think I don't want to read books, watch movies, or listen to music anymore. It doesn't happen often, and I sort of attribute those thoughts to me simply being tired or sick on those days. Otherwise no, those thoughts don't really occur to me.
20.
I own a Dead Space shirt, maybe three figurines/statues, no posters that I can think of though. Art books (usually pre-order stuff) I own and actively enjoy, and I have several game soundtracks.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, I'm male, 21 years old.

 

[Collegeboy21]

Male. Age: 27
1. Yes
2. 5-8
3. Usually by myself, sometimes with my wife.
4. 7
5. Yes, but hours a week depends on mood. I like single player RPGs, as well as shooters. If I'm in a shooter mood, I will play online for several hours in a week. RPG mood means I play online zero hours a week.
6. 5-8
7. FPS, RPG, RTS
8. When I was 7 or 8 I got a NES for Christmas. It was awesome and I never looked back.
9. Well, they bought me the NES, so whatever follows they helped facilitate. These days they think I play too much, but they live in another state and don't really have any idea how much I actually play.
10. Watch TV with the wife or play with my kids.
11. I get pretty attached to my RPG characters, so the story better end in a satisfying way (subtle dig at a particular recent endeavor from Bioware). I can get frustrated playing shooters online sometimes, but that frustration never lingers into my personal life. Turns off with the console.
12. My college GPA was a 3.5, high school was a 3.8.
13. Full time job, 40 hours a week.
14. Maybe, but not in a way large enough for me to point to and say that yes, it directly affected my performance in a certain way.
15. Just once. Took the day off to play ME3 on launch day. Almost did it for SCII: HotS, but then decided to save those precious vacation hours for an actual vacation.
16. Because they are awesome. Great storytelling medium that is interactive and allows us as players to shape the narrative as we go. Escapism.
17. Nope. Like I said, I get frustrated while playing if things don't go my way, but that frustration turns off with the console.
18. When your personal life gets neglected. I have a friend who is hopelessly single and can't hold down a steady job because he just can't log off of WoW long enough to fix things.
19. Nope. It's an activity that I look forward to doing with my kids. It will be a family affair (as I finally got my wife to play something other than Fable II and Mario Kart and realize that other games are also awesome). Also, I named my daughter Leliana, so. . . yeah.
20. My wife just bought me a Halo figurine for my birthday (an Elite). It sits on my desk at work. My brother-in-law got me the Halo board game a few years ago for Christmas, probably as a joke. I think we played it once. Those are the only two things.

 

[Darquenaut]

Sure, I'll bite. And for the record, 30-year old male.

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
To a point I do- at least when it comes to defending gaming, I call myself a gamer. I never deny being a gamer, but when it comes to the kneejerk gamer-fanboy freaks outs, I tend to distance myself from it.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Probably 15-20 hours per week.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Maybe with a friend once or twice per week, however I generally play solo.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
I would suspect most of them would play a game of some sort.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Very minimal, 5 hours at most.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
I'll say probably as much as I do playing games - 15-20 hours.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
I play just about any game andany genre. However, I have no love for sports games and I'm very blaise about racing titles.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Back when I was around 5, when I was introduced to the Super Mario Brothers and I begged my parents for a NES.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They don't play anything more than Mahjong and Bejeweled, but they have no social distances from M-rated games.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Usually reading or repair things around my abode.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I can get competitive, and I can get emotional on certain games where I get attached to the characters via the narrative or the experiences I, am the character, have to go through.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Not in school any longer, but when I did, I graduated high school with a 3.8 GPA and graduated college Cum Laude.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
I do- IT Director. I was working around 50-ish hours, but I'm trying to pull back from it and keep at around 40 to avoid burning out.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Not really, except maybe make me want to be playing rather than attending a boring class.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
I would admit I did a few times when I was working as a collections rep for a credit card company. But then again, drinking bleach would be more enjoyable than having to be in that position, video games were just a more pleasant experience.

16. Why do you play videogames?
It is my most stalwart pasttime. I am an unrepentant nerd, but as I have grown, a lot of thing I enjoyed as a nerd has fallen to the wayside. I used to love comics, but I couldn't stand how comics were being written now. I was in the anime/manga scene for a few years and helped manage an on-campus anime club/organization, but it became to the point that the genre became saturated with uninpsired tripe and the fanboys were beyond annoying. If anything, video games are the only thing left that I can quantify as being what I am.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
They can increase aggression, yes. But that doesn't mean a person will become violent any more than a football fan can get aggressive while watching a Sunday afternoon game.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
They can go into being unhealthy when a person disappears and disassociates with the rest of reality, preferring to live the life of an avatar on a screen.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Perhaps. There was a time where I wasn't all too interested in games, but as I previously mentioned, videogames are an imperical part of what I am. It would take a LOT for me to give up on gaming.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
A little bit of everything. For whatever consolation it is- I am very picky on what I purchase; I don't buy t-shirts or posters just to have them or anything impulsive.