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.
