Gamer Subculture Study

[SquidVicious]

I'll throw you a bone here

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

No. Video games in some form or another are pretty ubiquitous with three generations, so I think the whole subculture thing is a thing of the past. Obviously there are varying levels of dedication, but overall if you're under the age of like... 35, I pretty much assume you play or have played video games at some point.

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

Maybe five hours in total. I just got a new gaming PC so I've been playing a lot more, but I try to keep it as minimal as possible.

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

By myself, I grew up with story heavy video games that were always a personal experience, and I've pretty much sought games that deliver on that ever since.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?

One or two, but to no real dedicated degree. One is in law school and the other is in med school so their time is pretty much solely dedicated to schoolwork plus their respective girlfriends.

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

None. Don't do online games anymore, although I may make an exception for the standalone Day Z game because it seems to capture what the whole "zombie apocalypse" is all about.

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

Eh, a few. I do like listening to the Escapist podcast on Saturday morning while I eat my breakfast, and I do like to keep up with current gaming events.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?

Action/Adventure, Survival-Horror, and RPGs are my most frequented.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?

I was 4 or 5, so... '91 or '92 was when I started. The why was pretty simple, it's what I thought computers were for.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?

Both of my parents played computer games so that's how I got into them. My mum still plays her Big Fish adventure games, but I think my dad has largely abandoned it due to a lack of interest.

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

Read, watch movies/TV, cook, write, spend time with my girlfriend/friends. Have a life I suppose.

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

A few games have recently pushed the emotional boundaries that I'm use to, I cried a few times while playing The Walking Dead and Spec Ops: The Line made me feel... things. Mass Effect and Dragons Age: Origins got me invested in the story and I still remember the surprise of CoD 4's nuke scene. Besides action induced adrenaline or horror, it can be hard to really quantify whatever feelings I may have after the fact. There's a few I hold onto, but for the most part it's kind of hard to pick them all out.

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

High school I was pretty average student, but for whatever reason I became super genius in college and started getting A's and high B's for my entire career.

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

I have a job and I do the average 40 hours, plus maybe an additional 5 for work I do on the side for my mother.

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

Eh... I would be lying if I said I hadn't crapped out a few piss poor essays so I could start my gaming earlier, but considering even the crappiest of my papers still garnished high results, I wouldn't say it ever affected my performance negatively.

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

Nope.

16. Why do you play videogames?

Same reason I read a book or watch a movie/TV. Just another way to experience a story.

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

I've always been a fan of the "correlation isn't causation" and considering one of the earliest games I played was DOOM and I'm a pretty peaceful guy I can't say I put too much stock into that argument, but I definitely do think it needs to be examined.

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

When you start putting off obligations in order to play "just one more level". It's a hobby, the moment it interferes with work/school/social life then it's a problem.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?

I use to think that I was just about done with gaming because it seemed more games were catering towards the multiplayer demographic, but after getting a real gaming PC I've rediscovered an area of gaming I thought had been abandoned so no, I do not foresee myself not playing video games.

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

None.

 

[Fluffythepoo]

1. Yes

2. 0-50+, average 14 hours/week

3. 60:40=friends:alone

4. At least 80% and no friends in my sympathy group do not play games.

5. Play almost all games online. 12 of the 14 hours/week spent online.

6. 3 hours/week

7. Everything, dont discriminate against genres. Prodominatly MMO/RTS and to a lesser extent Shooters

8. Around the age of 2 when i first played a game. I spent days watching my older brother play Warcraft 1 and finally one day he decided to teach me. Reasons were partially emulating older sibling, and i found being able to control things with the mouse fascinating.

9. Parents played games as children, however stopped when they grew up, they see video games as a past time for young people. They do associate increased violence with videogames.

10. Watch/read the news (including gaming news), drop in hockey/futsal (indoor soccer), watching movies/tv series (but not on tv). These things are often done while also playing games.

11. Varies based on game. Greatest emotional involvement when playing in mmos. The involvement stems mostly from the social interactions as opposed to the game itself.

12. 1st year university, not all grades issued thus far, but currently GPA over 4.0 with full course load.

13. 1 part-time job: 13 hours/week (13 hour shift on Sundays). In the summertime between semesters this increases to 60 hours/week (5 12 hours) at the same job.

14. It has, terribly. Most classes in highschool were passed with 50.0% (bare minimum), because instead of doing homework i would play videogames. Will rarely let videogames interfere with work.

15. In highschool i did, sometimes as much as once a week (skipping an entire day). But have never skipped work for videogames and have never skipped a university class for videogames. Though i have sacrificed sleep to play video games at the expense of work/university.

16. I enjoy them and ive always played them. I do not handle idle time well and video games are a far better form of entertainment to me than their comptition.

17. Yes. Ive seen enough evidence that they do to conclude that they do. I do not, however think they are a sole cause in situations of actual physical violence, but rather a catalyst that can cause violent people to become more violent.

18. When they prevent a person from functioning. IE unable to find a job, preform in school, preform at work, maintain their bodies.

19. I find it unlikely as i am studying Computer Science and will be making a living off of the things video games run on for most of my life.

20. I have several video game brad pieces of clothing, all gifted to me (by people who know i like video games). I have a variety of collectibles from various video game collector's editions. I have many video game brand mousepads/posters. And i also have a 2 litre coffee mug based off an in-game item in a video game (though the motivation behind buying it was having a 2 litre coffee mug).

 

[Maevine]

I'm an 18 year old woman~

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes, for all practical purposes

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Anywhere from 12-30, depending on how much work I have/how fussy my baby is being/etc.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
We usually take turns watching eachother play solo, as most of my favorite games are a bit lacking in the multiplayer department, unless of course we're playing the Wii, in which case there are at least 2 players at all times.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
All of them.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
The games I play online require more of a daily check-up than they do actual gameplay time (My Candy Love, Sim Social, etc.) Maybe an hour a week at best.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
I... never counted... D: a few I'd say. I catch up on my videogame knowledge during commercial breaks in the Rachel Maddow Show every morning and the Colbert Report every night.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Generally RPGs, strategy games, and platformers of all sorts, though I also have a massive weakness for simulations, especially when said simulation lets you make kittens.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I started when I was 3 as a part of my dad's lessons on how to use the computer.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They both enjoy them, though my mother is the only one who actively plays them.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
o.0 Walk, swim, play with the animals, cradle my baby, take pictures, draw, write, nap, preform sexual favors for my husband, bake, post on web forums, etc. etc. There are a million and one things to do in a day!

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I like when games give me a reason to become emotionally invested in them. That said, I'm usually involved to some extent, but few games have managed to make me cry or rage so far.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
I've always been an A student.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Not yet, unless motherhood counts. Working on my degree.

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

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

16. Why do you play videogames?
It's... fun o.0?

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
I've honestly never deeply considered this subject. I don't quite consider myself qualified. Though I've gamed my entire life and freak out upon accidentally hitting people, I realize I've never been very interested in ultra-violent games. The most gruesome thing I think I've done in a game has been kicking a turtle's shell into a line of living turtles, effectively throwing them all off the side of a cliff (Mario). I've never felt compelled to play GTA or God of War or any of those sorts, and thus have no idea how those games might make me feel afterward (besides angry at their blatant disregard for female players).

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
As with all things, the line is drawn when your gaming negatively impacts your ability to preform nececcary daily tasks and lead a healthy life. If you can't be bothered to eat, bathe, or hold a job because you're busy playing games, something's wrong.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
I can't see myself stopping entirely, but I've taken breaks in the past, and I'm sure I'll take more in the future.

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

 

[ShirowShirow]

24 year old male.

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

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
I'd estimate over ten.

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

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
All.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Rarely. 2-3 hours a week.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Probably more than I spend playing games.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Beat'Em'Up action games are my favorite, but aside from sports and rhythym games there aren't any I don't play.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Around eight or so. And because they where fun.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They consider it an amusing passtime.

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

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I've gotten "Scream at the screen" bad when playing WoW online or getting to the end of Mass Effect 3. Never directed it at other players though. I also need to sympathize with the protagonist somewhat if I play a single-player game.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Mediocre, although counselling has helped me focus.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Not right now.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Not directly. If I can't game, I watch. If I can't watch, I read. If I can't read, I walk.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
I've played games while I was supposed to be in class.

16. Why do you play videogames?
They're fun, provide a sense of accomplishment and take my mind off the world.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Nein. Competetive games might, but that has nothing to do with their content.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
There's no line that once you cross, you're one or the other.

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

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
... Not much actually. A few NES-homage shirts and stuff. I'm working on it.

 

[Inconspicuous Trenchcoat]

25, white, male.

Spoiler: My Answers

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
I read way too many video game forums, and play lots of video games. To the average person, I probably could be mistaken for a videogame professor. Among other videogame enthusiasts, I'm of average knowledge. Although, the sheer enthusiasm of some gamers puts me off; I'm not comfortable discussing them empathically in real life. So, I'm a very insecure member, who needs to accept that he likes video games and its (more) okay to talk about them now in public.

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
10-40 hours depending on how interested I am in what I'm playing that week. I think I play video games too much. Need more balance in my life.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself almost all the time. I was clinically depressed (either I'm a weak sadsack, or 3 different diagnoses were correct, but I still blame myself) for years, so I've lost touch with most of my friends, and haven't made a single new one. I do play online with a regular group, somewhat consistently, does that count as playing with friends (none of them are my real life friends).

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Most of my real life friends barely play videogames anymore. A few play regularly, but mostly only shooters and RTS (two of my least played genres); and they stick almost exclusively to AAA releases. I have much more diverse tastes in games by comparison, so it's hard to relate with them. I play almost every genre, and play way more indie and obscure games, that my friends won't give a chance. I still enjoy AAA stuff too. DmC and Tomb Raider were fun.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
I'm almost always online when I play a game. I assume you mean online multiplayer. How much I play online multiplayer varies wildly, depending on what I'm playing that week. Most weeks, about 30-50% of my game time is spent in online multiplayer.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Intermittently during work, and maybe an hour or two over the weekends; so probably 10 very cut up hours per week. That's enough to keep me satiated. Maybe another 10-30 minutes after work at home, sometimes none.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Spectacle fighters, action adventure, adventure, puzzle, puzzle platformer, FPS, TPS, MOBA/DotA, arcade racing, 2D and 3D platformer, schumps, beat-em-ups, fighting games and turn-based strategy et al. I play pretty everything except RTS, grand strategy and 4X games. Lately, I've been playing a lot of indie and indie-ish games like The Cave, Dungeon Land, Showdown Effect, Trials Evolution Gold, Thomas Was Alone, Journey, Papo y Yo et al--also Street Fighter x Tekken (can only play one fighter at a time; they're too hard to be decent at multiple ones at once). Tomb Raider and DmC are my latest AAA games since Dishonored.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I imagine my first game was Super Mario Bros. at around age 5 or 6. I really have no idea when I started. I was very young though. I play them because they're fun, and you get to explore interesting worlds and master or break apart interesting logical and (digitally) kinetic systems. Exploring worlds, mastering a game and just seeing what would happen if I did this... are probably the reasons.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
My Dad plays a select few videogames casually. He doesn't have a negative opinion about my gaming. He probably wishes I did it less. He has shown both genuine and somewhat forced interest in what I'm playing from time to time. My mother has really only ever liked Pac-Man and Breakout. Anything else, she doesn't care to understand. Her eyes instantly glaze over if I try to tell her anything relating to videogames or tech. She has said, "You become dark" when I play too many videogames. I think she wishes I'd drop the habit, but doesn't really care that much. She's obsessed with TV; she worked in the field and she continues to read about and love watching it. I inherited this behavior, except I latched onto a different medium.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Watch TV (on Netflix, DVR or DVDs), listen to podcasts, go snowboarding, read a book or shoot hoops (I wouldn't call what I do "playing Basketball" ).

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I have an inferiority complex and some deep-seated self-hatred (I was clinically depressed for 6 years, just recently getting better at managing my life). That slips out as frustration and anger at myself for failing in a videogame while playing. I can get enthralled by a game's story. I marathoned Mass Effect and ME2. But, a decent or better story in gaming is a rarity (I'm one of those kooks who thinks books and movies do story much better). I'm more a gameplay person. If I can mess with an interesting world, explore some cool geometry or get really engrossed in mastering something fun and challenging, I'm in.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Grade school: Mostly As; Middle and High School: Mostly As, some Bs. College: B average.
I coasted through High School, never had to try very much (except in AP classes), and graduated with a 3.8 cumulative GPA. Got a 4.0 two semesters, when I decided I'd actually try for one. I'm not smart and had poor study habits, I just had an amazing memory (it's still good, but depression ravaged it well and good). Excellent recall makes High School quite easy, because unfortunately, 90% of pre-college schooling in the USA is memorization. I barely remember college, as I was clinically depressed for the vast majority of it. I had a few lousy semesters during my worst spells, including several I had to withdraw from completely. My last 4 or 5 semesters, my depression was more manageable, so I brought my GPA up. Ended up with a 3.4 cumulative GPA. Not bad, considering the gray haze it all was. Last minute cram sessions (an imminent deadline could still motivate a depressed me, usually) and my addled, but still pretty good, ability to memorize got me through that mess. The fact my major was easy as shit helped too.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes, I work 40 hours a week.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Very rarely. I think last-minute study sessions or working on projects kept me up later than videogames ever did. It has affected my current job performance. I'm staying up too late; I want the night to never end, I don't want to go back to work. Videogames just happen to be the thing I used to hide from facing reality. I play way more videogames now than I ever used to before; only summer vacation marathons from my childhood rival my current playing habits.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Videogames are great, but not worth skipping work or school over. I am not one of those people who takes a few days off work when a anticipated release comes out.

16. Why do you play videogames?
They give me (undeserved, fake) senses of accomplishment. They are fun. I like exploring zany, new worlds. I like seeing how game systems interact, and find delight when they break apart. They fulfill my competitive drive. They let me hide away from reality. I've always had a fascination with imaginary nonsense, as opposed to learning about something useful and applicable.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
I think people are more aggressive immediately after or while playing a violent, intense or competitive game (not to a harmful degree). Much like a person would be immediately after or while playing a sport etc. I think some deranged minds might become desensitized or inspired by violence in games. I find real life and videogame violence to be profoundly different. I feel bad if someone in real life gets punched. I also don't want to go hunting (and have declined invitations to do so for free), because I don't like the idea of killing animals (although, I kill mice and insects readily... because they invade my space!). So, yeah, I'm probably just full of it.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When they adversely affect your daily life, such as your personal relationships or personal well-being.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
I imagine I might mostly drop it for years at some point in my life. I think I'll always go back to it though. I'll need crap to fill my days with when I'm retired. Videogames will be great for that.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I own one videogame shirt (I got for free; have never worn it). I also have a cheap Mario figurine and two NECA Team Fortress 2 figurines, the Pyro and the Demoman. About 2 months ago, I owned no videogame merchandise, outside of the games themselves, whatsoever. When I was younger I had Mario, DK, Yoshi and Bowser bean bag dolls. As I said, I'm a very insecure gamer, and in general, don't want anyone to know about it (I avoid conflict, no matter how mild. Not a great personality trait, I know). Thus I own almost nothing (aside from tucked away consoles and computers) to indicate to the outside world that I'm a gamer. Though, I have zero posters of any kind on my wall and my desk at work is bare, so I'm not really a person who wears or displays their hobbies/interests/likes "on their sleeve" per se.

 

[IllumInaTIma]

21, male
1. Yes, I do
2. Around 30
3. I'd say 75% by myself and 25% with friends
4. Some of them
5. Around 25% of gaming time I play online with friends
6. A lot, can't give even a rough estimate
7. All kinds of them, but prefer RPGs
8. Around age 7-8, when someone brought home old Sega-MegaDrive
9. They are neutral
10. Watch movies, surf web, sleep, hang out with friends
11. Depends on game, very good games tend to grab me by the balls in terms of emotions
12. I'm usually getting C's
13. I don't have a job
14. Yes, last term I've spent too much time playing and that affected my grades
15. I did once
16. I enjoy them and believe they have incredible potential in many aspects
17. In some players, yes, but I believe that those people could've been affected by anything, not just videogames
18. When you start skipping meals and sleep
19. At this age, no. I as a person was shaped in some ways by videogames, they have become considerable part of my life. Just as I can't see my life without my friends I can't see my life without videogames, these are two things I enjoy spending time with the most.
20. I got a hell lot of custom made videogame posters, some artbooks, couple of t-shirts and awesome N7 hoodie.

 

[Strelok]

~SNIP~

39 year old male.

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Not sure I know what a gaming subculture is.
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Probably 24 or more, but that was last week, the new baby last Friday has changed that for the time being.
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Usually by myself, but online with friends as well, with Steam you are never really alone anyway, unless you have no friends at all, and that is sad.
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Nearly all of them, but I am in IT, so what else is new?
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Less than single player, but I do enjoy some Battlefield 3, would also like to try out Brutal Legend multiplay as well. Double Fine is playing this Thursday, don't know if I can get away from my life responsibilities though.
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Not long, I am not one to get overly hyped for games, but I do on occasion.
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Mainly FPS, but I loke a good story,like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Half Life, Metro 2033, the Void or Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, I don't mind a little Call of Duty either mind you. I also like a lot of Indie games, like Little Inferno, Miasmata, Dear Esther, Amnesia: The Dark Decent and similar games. Really looking forward to Among The Sleep and Everybody's Gone to The Rapture, and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs. Seems Indie titles are always day 1 buys now where many AAA have been sent to week 1 or 2 purchases.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Was early 80's, with the \intellivision, Colecovision and Atari systems. Played a neighbor friends I imagine. Was so long ago though.
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
My mother's favorite games were Lady Bug on the Colecovision and Impossible Mission on Commodore 64, my dad still plays some hunting games on PC.
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
I like movies and TV, like True Blood, Game of Thrones, Dexter, etc. Movies I like the more strange ones, like Alyce, Citadel, Ravenous, The Sauna, etc.
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Depends on how good a story is, Kratos decent into a rage so powerful not even Gods can stop him? A love so powerful he would do anything including ending his own life to save hers (Shadow of The Colossus), Eli Vance in Half Life 2: Episode 2 :'(, Strelok's greed so strong he cares little for what happens to anyone else, till his attempt to make amends in the end. We gamers have some truly great stories to choose from, movies, books and TV are not the only things that do.
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
I recently went through a career change and found myself in college in my late 30s, I didn't get the best grades, but I was never really a good student.
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes I work in IT, for about 8 years, now more professionally after school, I work in IT for a large corporation. Hello IT, have you tried turning it off and then on again?
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
No, but is has saved my sanity more than a few times.
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
When you work two jobs to get yourself through college and a wife that is relying on you, are you kidding me?
16. Why do you play videogames?
Entertain me, and tell me a good story, sometimes just have fun, Just Cause 2 I am looking at you.
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Depends entirely on the person, people can be susceptible to these things, but I think that issue was always there, and be it movies, video games whatever the bible even can trigger the problems. We need better mental health care everywhere, it is important, these people are sick and need help like anyone else who has an illness, an illness of the mind is no different.
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you forget your real world responsibilities, video games are entertainment, not a life style.
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
I will be taking a break now, my son and my wife need me.
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I have a lot, including American McGee's Alice figures, my favorite, I am not allowed to display much though, as my wife is not a gamer.

 

[omglazorspewpew]

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

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
between 5-30 depending on the week

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
It's split pretty evenly between the two but I would tip the scales in the by myself category

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Almost all of them in some capacity

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
I rarely do unless I am playing co-op with friends. If I had to put a number I would say 3-10 hours

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
20

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
I will play pretty much anything as long as its good. I play quite a few action games and fighting games

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Probably sometime in kindergarten or first grade, my older brother had an NES and I have been playing ever since they let me touch the controller

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They didn't mind them as long as I wasn't spending all my time playing or if it wasn't anything too extreme

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
I read a lot and do some writing. I play the guitar and love listening to music. I have been into combat sports for the past 3 years (Boxing, Muay Thai, and BJJ)

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Depends on the game. If a game has good characters or tells a fantastic story then I will get really into it. Otherwise I just end up playing to kill sometime

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Since I came back to school I have consistently gotten A's

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Yes and I work anywhere between 25-30 hours but it isn't uncommon to work more.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Aside from not getting enough sleep some nights due to getting a new game, not really

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
No

16. Why do you play videogames?
Right now I play because some games have been able to give me really good stories that you can only get in this medium. It is also a good way to keep in touch with friends who haven't seen in a while.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Somewhat of a loaded question. I've been doing a bunch of research for papers in college and I don't think its as clear cut as that. I think in young children it can lead to aggressive play afterwards since young children imitate everything, but I don't think that it can cause the types of violence and aggression that others may suggest. If people are balanced and have healthy social support then no....if they are unbalanced to begin with they may gravitate towards violent games which may reinforce some of that...but I don't think it is a cause.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
The second it gets in the way of normal functioning. Losing job(s), friends, becoming secluded, wasting all of your money. That sort of thing.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Yeah, there are definite stretches of time where my consoles are nothing more than Netflix boxes, but I since I don't think video games take anything away from my enjoyment of life I have no reason to stop.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
Most of the gaming merch I own are things that have come with collectors editions of games. I have a handful of figurines, posters, shirt or patch. I do have a couple of art books that I picked up as well as a soundtrack or two of some games that I really enjoyed.

 

[Javarock]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Not any more

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
5-10 Hours

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

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Some of them, about 4

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Not really, maybe once a month

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

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Roleplaying Games, Stratgy

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
Since I was a kid, kind of a family thing

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They like them

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Hang out with friends, watch Netflix.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Not very, but there's exceptions, like in Walking Dead.

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

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Not at the moment

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

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Never

16. Why do you play videogames?
It's a fun passtime

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

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you skip work to play them

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
All the time

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

 

[FootloosePhoenix]

Hooray, questions! I like answering these things for some reason.

Spoiler: Answers

Age: 17 Gender: Female
1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes.
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Varies, but generally I'd say in the realm of 20+ hours. I play more on weekends and holidays.
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
By myself. I strongly dislike the majority of multiplayer games, so unless I'm playing specifically with my boyfriend (which is rare these days), I avoid playing anything other than single-player at all costs.
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Er...kind of a complicated question since I don't really have real-life friends, or at least not ones I'm close to, and on the other hand all my Internet friends are such because we share an interest in video games. So, all and none.
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
No, but on the rare occasion that I do, usually less than an hour.
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Between browsing forums like the Escapist here and watching Game Grumps...I'd ball park it at 14 hours per week.
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Mostly RPGs, especially of the Japanese variety. Other than that, I have a taste for a little bit of almost everything. The only games I shy away from are fighters, racers and I find really complex strategy/simulation games hard to get into. Military shooters are a "don't" as well, but that's more because of the stagnation of the genre at this point, not because I don't like FPS games.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I've always been playing video games technically, but I never considered myself a "gamer" until I got my PlayStation 2. I was eleven at the time and really didn't know what I was doing, but I lucked out when I picked a console with a ton of amazing games to play on it. I just thought video game consoles looked cool at the time and I wanted one so I could play Spyro the Dragon games on it; another thing that just looked cool to me.
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
Well my dad's completely indifferent. My mom will patiently listen to me talk about the games I like despite not having a clue what I'm saying most of the time. She does know enough to be strict about M-rated games though, but that's not an issue anymore since I'm old enough to buy them myself.
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Either dicking around on the Internet, spending time with my boyfriend or...actually, yeah, that's pretty much it. All the rest of my time is devoted to video games and school.
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Depends on the game. If it's got a good story, characters and gameplay, then I can get involved to the point of obsession. Some games I just play for awhile to turn my brain off of everything else, though. But most of the time I'd say I'm very involved with what I play.
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
Pretty damn good ones. In grade 10 and 11 I was top of the class in every subject except for math. I had a final average of about 95%, give or take a percent, in both of those years. This year I'm just sick of it though; I find it harder to focus on my studies and the increased difficulty and stress of this being my last year of mandatory education makes me feel like a slacker now. I'm still pulling in honours marks in every subject (except math, again) at the moment despite practically coasting, though.
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Not currently employed.
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Can't say they have. The fact that I'm less serious about school this year could have some people pointing the finger towards video games, but my gaming habits haven't changed at all in the past three years.
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Never skipped school itself. I have gotten distracted by video games while trying to make myself do homework and such, but that's not just video games; I'll let myself get distracted by anything when I don't want to work.
16. Why do you play videogames?
To have fun and escape from reality when I need to.
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Unless you're a very young child, no. Even then, chances are they still don't, but it probably has a negative psychological effect to be exposed to extremely violent scenes from any form of media before you acquire the maturity to cope with it.
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
I'd say when you don't actually gain any enjoyment from playing a game and instead NEED to play it. Like addictions, where you need more and more of the substance to actually get high.
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
There may be points where I take breaks from the hobby, since I've already done that for short periods of time before, but I wouldn't ever give it up altogether.
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I've acquired several video game-related T-shirts (mostly Final Fantasy ones) as well as a Cole MacGrath (from inFamous 2) statue and his sling bag which I use all the time. I can see my collection of such merchandise growing in the near future, since I discovered an awesome little site for getting T-shirts from and I've pre-ordered the BioShock Infinite collector's edition.

 

[TehCookie]

20 and female.

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
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Mostly by myself.
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
The majority.
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Seldomly, the only one I play is GW2 but I haven't played it for 2 months and clocked in 30 hours this week so far so it's random.
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Constantly, I have a smart phone and am constantly on videogame sites.
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
JRPGs, action-adventure, but I'll play anything that's good.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
As a baby, my parents put a controller in my hands before I could remember.
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
My dad is a huge gamer and got me into it. My mom enjoys them but isn't a gamer.
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Watch anime, lurk online, hang out with friends.
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I can get very emotionally involved in good stories. Online play not at all.
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
B's
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
15 hours a week.
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Never playing since I make sure to get my homework done before playing, though if there's a game I really want to play sometimes it can be distracting.
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Never.
16. Why do you play videogames?
To be entertained (aka cuz it's fun).
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
The game itself no, but online competition can but not any worse than sports.
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When videogames cloud your judgement to make rational choices such as putting games before work.
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Never, I see myself playing less but never giving it up completely.
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
C all of the above, and plushies, decals, and MGR's lamp. I probably have more I'm forgetting about as well.

 

[AlmostLikeLife]

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

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
Quite a few. Don't know exactly.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Both. Also, with friends entails online and sitting on the couch.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
All of them, pretty much.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
It varies. Sometimes we have 2-3 hour long sessions, other times it's just a quick game or two.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Again, don't know the specifics, but it's a bunch.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
3rd person action/platformers/shooters/adventure, RPGs, sports/racing, just about anything.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
When I was little. My parents got the family an NES. My Dad and I would play Tecmo Bowl and my sister and I would play Mario 3. It was like a family thing.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They know that it's an entertainment avenue.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Watching football/keeping up with football news. Playing guitar. Watching pro wrestling.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
If a game has a great story and is very well acted/animated, it can draw me in pretty well.

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

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
I do. I work between 20 & 25 hours a week.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
No, I never let it affect that stuff.

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

16. Why do you play videogames?
Because they're fun and challenging. To me, they're a better experience than watching a movie/tv show.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
No.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When a person spends ALL (again, I say, ALL) of their time with games and can't seem to tear themselves from the controller.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
You mean as in "as you grow older"? If so, then no. Video games are a huge part of my life and I don't see why I should give it up.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
I have some shirts, figurines/statues, bead art, and art books/comics.

 

[Polarity27]

43-yr-old female.

1. Eh, more or less. I'm definitely a more casual gamer, but I do try to keep up with what's going on in gaming.
2. 8-10
3. 50/50 split between playing alone and playing co-op with my husband
4. Most of them
5. Exceedingly rarely anymore, now that I quit playing MMOs. At most an hour a week.
6. 4-5? Hard to say, I tend not to notice how long I spend surfing the internet. I do spend a lot of time on here, though.
7. Mostly FPS and Western RPG.
8. Way back when Atari first launched in the '80s. Why? Because it was the new thing. Then there was a huge gap where I didn't do much in the way of video games at all (my husband desperately tried to make a gamer of me, except all he played was RTS and turn-based strategy, and as it turns out, I *hate* that genre and I'm terrible at it) until I heard about KOTOR and bought an Xbox to play it.
9. My mother played the damn Atari more than I did. She badly screwed up her hand one day trying to beat her best score on Pac-Man one morning-- apparently she got up before dawn and played till my dad and I woke up. My dad was more take it or leave it, but they both enjoyed it.
10. Read, blog, learn to play the piano, argue on the internet, and write fiction.
11. Very. Story is everything to me.
12. not applicable.
13. Yes. Depends on the week-- I freelance, so it's down to how much work my client has for me. 20-40 hrs per week.
14. Yes, a couple of times. I've had a couple weeks where I did a big glop of work at once because I spent a couple days doing too much gaming, and definitely a few times when I've been overtired from staying up too late gaming. I'm too much of a completionist, I don't want to stop until the damn quest or whatnot is actually done.
15. Not as such, no. I don't have a 9-5, go to an office type job, though, so you might count this one as n/a.
16. I like the immersion/story, and I like the challenge. It's a really good stress-reliever. I also have a chronic pain disability, and games are about the only thing that can distract me when I'm having a really bad symptom day that even meds can't touch.
17. Not in a lasting way, not unless the player is already prone that way. I think the one meta-analysis that found that *competition* (whether in a violent or nonviolent game) affected aggression is on to something. And if I recall correctly, even that had a short decay rate.
18. This is so individual that I have no idea how to answer it. When it starts to consistently negatively impact someone's daily life, is iirc pretty close to diagnostic standard for compulsion. It's never going to be as simple as "if you play more than x hrs per day" or "if you use games to escape parts of your life you don't like".
19. No. I hope to be playing games till I die, and I hope by the time I'm old enough to land in a nursing home there will be enough different ways to play that I can still keep doing it.
20. Some figurines that were gifts, a couple of WoW stuffed animals, and all the Halo tie-in books.

 

[MonkeyGH]

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

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
A solid 20 hours sounds about right.

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
Mostly by myself, sometimes online, but that's rare.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
I'd say 50%.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Mostly BLOPS 2, I only have about 10 total hours logged, however.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
Not as much as I used to, nowadays I study.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
RPGs and Shooters lately.
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I started playing at age 11 because Pokemon Silver was awesome.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
I don't think they care.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Lift weights, hang out with friends, study, etc.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
I used to get really invested but Now I'm pretty far removed from it. It's a hobby now.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
My last semester was 3.86 GPA and landed me in an honor society.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
No job.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
If it has, it was very negligible.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Once or twice, but not since I got into college.

16. Why do you play videogames?
I enjoy playing them, so I play them.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
No.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When it becomes the only thing you can actually enjoy in life.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Nah, this hobby is here to stay.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
A few posters and a hat, I think?

Hope your survey goes well bro.

 

[Krixous]

1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes.
2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
15-30 depending on work/time out with buddies
3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
by myself
4. How many of your friends play videogames?
all of them
5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
1-5 weekly
6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
1 maybe 2
7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
all genres my personal favourite is RPG's
8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
4 cuz we had a game system and we lived in the middle of nowhere
9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
like theyre a horrible affliction on my life
10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Go to bars with buddies, read, answer weird questionairres on the escapist
11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
depending on the story i can feel greatly emotionally involved
12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
english: 83% 44 absences science: 78% 52 absences math:92% 20 absences history:77% 35 absences
13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
manager of a gast station 40-60 hours a week
14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
not that ive noticed never been late or was pissed off at work because of videogames
15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
school yes work no 2 days a week or second half of the classes in my day but then again who took high school seriously
16. Why do you play videogames?
fun, stress relief, for the ladies
17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
No cuz otherwise i wouldve lit someone on fire when i had to talk about the weather for the 50 millionth time at my job
18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
when they interrupt your sleep, eating , work, and time spent with or attempt to obtain a signifacant other
19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
dunno not good at seeing into the future wanna say no but who knows
20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
whatever comes with the preorder bonuses of my games so i got i dunno figurines posters and soundtracks.

almost forgot 21 years old male

 

[Jedi-Hunter4]

There's a few things I've learned from reading people's reply's here:

1. There are quite a few people who are not great at math replying, 3 examples of people with jobs who list allot of game hours without naming names, allocating 30mins for work travel, 30mins for toilet breaks and washing, and 30mins eating and drinking a day (so fairly conservative). One person had 13 hours a day fully booked with work/gaming/net videos, another on 13 and another a massive 15 hours a day booked up I find that very very hard to believe.

2. There's an even greater number of people a little deluded about their intelligence, I saw one person claiming a staggering amount of gaming hours as well as being in the " 99th percentile" in a subject area..... yer because with standardized testing these days geniuses just go slipping through the cracks. I got flagged up at 15 to be encouraged to go into further education for scoring in the top 10% (not sure about the precise percentage that's all they tell you) but year, mensa level student's commonly go unnoticed. Also I don't know what kind of university's allot of people are going to, but again either things are being exaggerated or I don't know whats happening as at that level of education on any course worth it's salt your not meant to get 80%+ scores (bar like a math test where there are only right and wrong answers), unless your work is being published

But yer Icyshadow I'd take some of the results with a pinch of salt, maybe exclude some of the more extreme one's as Anomalous results.

 

[Razentsu]

I'm male and 19.

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

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
5 to 7 hours.

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

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Many. Nearly all of my friends play video games.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Yes, I do. Given 5 hours of gaming, I will typically spend one hour of that time playing online multiplayer.

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
A lot. Probably 15 to 20.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Fighting games primarily, but I also enjoy the occasional RPG, RTS or Visual Novel.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
I think I started playing video games when I was 7 or 8 years old. Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash had me hooked. I don't know what else to say but video games are fun.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They don't give it much attention. They don't talk to me about it for the most part.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Surf the internet, watch movies, television, anime.

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Very, when I play a game with interesting characters and plot.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
I'd say I'm a B student.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
No, not employed at the moment.

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
Sometimes I'll lose sleep, weakening my performance for the day after, but that doesn't happen often.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Nope. I've never skipped to play video games.

16. Why do you play videogames?
Video games provide great mental stimulation. Whether it's problem solving, a deep plot, the demand for strategic/tactical thinking, or the spectacle of aesthetic and sound, I enjoy it all.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
No, I don't think so. Or at least, violent video games don't seem to affect my friends or myself in the slightest.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you start hurting yourself and those around you. When video games take priority over relationships, responsibilities or your health.

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

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
A few t-shirts and posters, but not much. I do want to buy some soundtracks and maybe a figurine or two.

 

[Orlake]

21y.o Male
1. Do you consider yourself a member of the gamer subculture?
Yes

2. How many hours of videogames do you play a week?
15-30

3. Do you tend to play videogames by yourself or with friends?
50/50

4. How many of your friends play videogames?
Many, if not all, but whether they can be considered as a ?gamer? by the definition of hours put in remains to be seen.

5. Do you play online? How many hours online do you play?
Whenever I?m not on a single player campaign / marathon (Ie, mass effect marathons, etc), I can go 5-7 hours in a sitting

6. How many hours a week do you spending watching videos/reading about videogames?
5-7

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?
Just about anything under the sun really; most of the AAA single player titles (barring anything that?s built around an online-FPS; CoD, BF, etc)

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?
3rd grade, because I <3?d the shit out of The Magic School Bus

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?
They think it?s a waste of time.

10. If you have free time and aren't playing videogames what else do you do?
Catching up on my studies, reading through novels centered in sci-fi/fantasy

11. How emotionally involved do you while playing videogames?(online play, amazing story, etc.)
Online play becomes competitive (about as competitive and emotionally invested as one would in a sports team I suppose) but fun, and I?ve wept openly due to an exceptionally engaging game before.

12. What grades do you get in school/college? (If Applicable)
85% average for my high school years combined, at 3.2 right now in post-secondary.

13. Do you have a job? How many hours a week do you work?
Part-time (and I mean really part-time); 10

14. Has playing videogames ever negatively affected school/work performance?
There?s been the occasional dip in a semester here and there, but nothing disastrous. Maybe drop a letter grade at worst.

15. Have you ever skipped work/school to play videogames? How often?
Can?t seem to recall a time.

16. Why do you play videogames?
Because there?s some damn good narratives in a select few, and the rest are pure escapism. Same reason why I?d watch a movie, read a book, etc; it?s another art medium of our generation. It has the power to inspire, just like any other work of art. I?ve just passed the 2 year mark of training with my local parkour group (PKBC from Vancouver, CA, check em out ^_-), and all the time and dedication I?ve put into my training, and everything I?ve learned thus far, I have the game Mirror?s Edge to thank. It all started when, after finishing the story of Faith Connors, one day I said to myself, ?I want to do this too.? A great number of my friends that I still keep in touch with today came from my MMO days. In short, games have the potential to be stepping stones to great things, and should not be any less legitimate than any other art medium.

17. Do you think violent videogames affects aggression and violence in its players?
Nope. That would be correlation at best. People often don?t seem to take into account that the anecdotal incidents involving violence and video games happened because the person was predisposed to higher levels of violence to begin with.

18. When do videogames go from being a passionate hobby to an unhealthy obsession?
When you negate all other interests and responsibilities; when you find that nothing else can make you happy, or nothing else is as important.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?
Nope. I can see myself in periods where I would be playing less, or be on a temporary hiatus from games. But I?ll always come back.

20. What other gaming merchandise do you own? (t-shirts, figurines, posters, etc.)
N7 hoodie, countless posters, I even make my own (splicer masks, various shirts for personal use, etc).

 

[Voulan]

20 year old female.

Spoiler

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

Yes. When I'm not playing games, I'm talking about them, reading about them, or learning about them. I'm very up-to-date on things happening in the gaming community and industry.

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

This depends on how busy I am. With work and university, as well as study, I can play around 6-10 hours a week. With nothing on, this number can double. I do have phases where I don't play games, though.

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

All alone.

4. How many of your friends play videogames?

None. Does an extremely casual interest count? In which case, about two of them.

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

I do sometimes. In one session I can play for 3-4 hours at the most.

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

That's really hard to say - most of my free time not playing games I'm on here or watching my favourite Let's Players on Youtube. I'll safely say around 15 hours.

7. What kinds of videogames do you play?

I tend to play RPGs, first-person shooters and adventure titles, but when I look at my game collection, I have almost every genre.

8. When did you start playing videogames and why?

Very early, I can tell you that much. Games were a great thing to play with friends. I can remember sitting around a computer with 5 of my cousins playing a terrible golf game in turns, or playing Tekken 3.

9. How do your parents feel about videogames?

They know very little about it. My mum gets concerned when I ask for a game from Xmas or a birthday because she thinks I have too many (I don't think she understands that they're all actually different). My dad is eager to watch sometimes, but he gets very bad motion-sickness. He likes racing games and anything that involves wars.

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

Read, watch movies, watch youtube videos, go on gaming forums.

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

Extremely. I take role-playing very seriously in RPGs. Games have made me cry at times, too.

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

I've had good greats throughout both. Using American grades, I would say I average at an A- or an A. Games have never effected my grades in the slightest.

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

I only have a casual job, but it's with the university I'm attending at the moment. The work can range from busybody things (delivering things, putting up posters) to actual admin work (profiling students, editing publications, etc). Since it's casual my hours can change from full-time work to no time at all, depending on the demand for me. Right now, I'm working only 3 hours a week.

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

Never. Not in the slightest. I've always been good with time management, and I never leave things to the last minute. I'm one of those people that put extra effort in and get assignments done early, and I reward myself with playing games.

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

Never.

16. Why do you play videogames?

They're almost like reading books or watching movies, only I get to control them. In a way it's brilliant escapism and a way to experience great stories, and other times it's just a good time-filler.

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

No, gaming has never really pulled off realistic violence, despite the nicer graphics. The violence is glorified and unnatural, so it never seems terrible, kind of like watching cartoons. Gamers fully understand that what they're seeing is not real. The only violent reaction people get from games is perhaps frustration and competition, and most importantly losing. This is the same with anything that involves score-keeping, though.

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

Probably if they never take breaks for health reasons (food, sleep) and if they never do anything else, like leaving the house occasionally. If you're reluctant to go and eat because of playing a game, then that's probably a warning sign. If your natural sleeping cycles change as well, then you're devoting too much time to gaming.

19. Do you ever see yourself not playing videogames?

I can imagine it, especially if I ever have kids of my own and won't have as much time, and especially at an old age. In the immediate future, no.

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

I have some trading cards and figurines (Pokemon, from when I was a kid), some plushies, a mug and a necklace (both home-made).

 

[Thomas Barnsley]

You seem to have rather a lot of answers here, but most of them are 20-30 year old males, so as a 16 year old male I might make your census broader, so here I go:

1. I consider myself part of the gaming subculture, yes.

2. I probably do maybe 1-3 hours in during the week and sometimes up to six on the weekend. So make it eight.

3. I normally play games by myself, but only because my internet connection is not too good. Otherwise I might do it more.

4. Pretty much all my friends play games of some kind.

5. I do maybe an hour of online play if I can manage it.

6. I spend at least two hours watching/reading gameplay/review videos a week.

7. I mostly play RPG, FPS, action, or stealth games.

8. I started playing video games at about eight or nine, because the only person of my age who I ever saw was a Halo fanatic.

9. My dad plays video games as well on occasion, but believes I do it too much. I suspect my mum is slightly suspicious of them, but doesn't mind.

10. My nonvideo game filled free time is usually spent on the internet or reading. Gaining intellectual property basically.

11. I don't get too emotionally involved, no more than in movies. The only time I ever felt strongly about a video game was the Walking Dead (I cried) which can be put down to good writing and characters.

12. My grades are fairly good, pretty much all Bs and normally three As. Sometimes one C.

13. I do not have a job.

14. Playing games has probably negativly affected my school performance to a small extent. Though if I hadn't been gameing I probably would have found some other way to procrastinate.

15. I have never skipped school for games.

16. I play video games for entertainment and relaxation/stimulation (depending on my mood).

17. I don't think violent video games affect a persons aggression, purely based on the fact that most gamers I know are gentler that nongamers. The only times they cause aggression is when I'm stuck at a particularly hard part and need to concentrate.

18. Video games become an unhealthy obsession when they start to affect one's real life performance and physical health, in my opinion.

19. I could see myself not playing video games. I am starting on that path now, with an increasing need for study.

20. I own a few t-shirts and models, but most of it is music from soundtracks and fans. Nothing too fancy.