Jimquisition: Gamer Guys

[Something Amyss]

Beating on reanimated horse skeletons again, I see?

Slow day at the Jimquisition head office?

Got it out of your system yet?

I'm not sure where the "dead horse" thing comes in. People are still actively arguing it. That's pretty much the exact opposite of a dead horse.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

I don't say this often about an episode of the Jimquisition, but that was kinda.... bad.

Even aside from the glaring problem that the point of this episode has been made many MANY times before, the whole thing is pointless.

There are 2 kinds of people that dislike "Fake gamers", be the they girls or just hipsters. The 1st kind is completely rabid /v/ type people that sound exactly like your speech in here. However, they aren't going to be swayed and ESPECIALLY not by this kind of argument.
So talking to them is pointless.

The second type is people like me: Not furious, just a bit annoyed now and then that our culture is being watered down by the kind of people who post about how awesome games are on facebook and then turn around and say "Wahts E3? LOL". The problem isn't that they part of gaming because it's cool. Te problem is that the population of morons in a culture is something that should be kept at a minimum.
For myself and those like me, this video ends up just being a sort of strawman type thing.

I love you and will always praise god for you, Jim, but this just didn't work.

.......And then I looked over at the number of pages this comments section had and proceeded to run for the hills.

 

[leviadragon99]

Y'know... there is some legitimate unironic truth to this spiel, just think of all the douchebro frat boys that have flocked to the medium in recent years, making shooters the one valid genre in the eyes of developers, calling themselves the one true breed of gamer (hardcore naturally) and spreading their bile over everything.

Maybe there were still such hateful people in the community back in the 8, 16, 32 and 64 bit days, but it certainly seems like the Jock demographic has been creeping in and generally being jerks to people in more recent times, or at least that things have changed which make them more noticeable.

Maybe not the most enlightened view for me to hold, but I think there certainly is that sector of just horrible gamer guys (very debatable just how many of them granted) and that it's okay to point at them and cry foul given that they're going out of their way to just be hateful, there's enough that we all have horror stories of XBLA voicechat to share and no-one ever seems to question their right to be in the community.

 

[rasputin0009]

I don't say this often about an episode of the Jimquisition, but that was kinda.... bad.

Even aside from the glaring problem that the point of this episode has been made many MANY times before, the whole thing is pointless.

There are 2 kinds of people that dislike "Fake gamers", be the they girls or just hipsters. The 1st kind is completely rabid /v/ type people that sound exactly like your speech in here. However, they aren't going to be swayed and ESPECIALLY not by this kind of argument.
So talking to them is pointless.

The second type is people like me: Not furious, just a bit annoyed now and then that our culture is being watered down by the kind of people who post about how awesome games are on facebook and then turn around and say "Wahts E3? LOL". The problem isn't that they part of gaming because it's cool. Te problem is that the population of morons in a culture is something that should be kept at a minimum.
For myself and those like me, this video ends up just being a sort of strawman type thing.

I love you and will always praise god for you, Jim, but this just didn't work.

.......And then I looked over at the number of pages this comments section had and proceeded to run for the hills.

WOOSH!!

Right over your head. By about 10,000 feet. At around Mach 1 speeds.

 

[JEBWrench]

I want a cut of the proceeds from this video for stealing my gimmick.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

It's not the fact that they are girls, rather certain types of individuals who always make a big deal about being something and it's crept into the gaming domain.

So, you don't claim to be a gamer? This is not something that is important to you?

 

[Lilani]

Your profile says you're from America, and if that's the case then I'm afraid you really need to work on how you write. Because if you reread this word for word, exactly as you punctuated it, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

What are you trying to say here? That it's alright to check to see if someone is a "real" nerd because they aren't fat? I'm fat, but I'm also running 2.5 miles four times per week. Will my nerd credentials expire when my pant size drops below a certain number? Will I then be subjected to these "checks" because I'm just "too cute" to be accepted on face value?

I will try.

Hmm. You believe I endorse this viewpoint for not vilifying it? OR I see it as understandable but wrong?

I'm not sure which viewpoint you are referring to. Do you mean mine? If so, then yes, I hope you endorse the idea of not systematically "checking" every person who claims to be a nerd and doesn't happen to fit the usual stereotype of what a nerd looks like. It's simply a matter of not being an asshole.

But that's just the thing. Where's the line between simply "being cautious around black people because of a prior bad experience" and "being a bigoted racist"? And remember, in this case, this is a case not of "being black" but "utilizing traits commonly attributed to black people". There's a difference and the people who know it can shamelessly take advantage of it.

A "gurrrl gamer" isn't necessarily female, they're simply someone who's utilizing female sex-appeal in order to get ahead. Guys do that too. Quite commonly, actually.

I think the line is in how you treat them. Exercise more caution in your brain if you like, and be discreet about it, but being open about how suspicious you are about every black cat person that crosses your path? No, that's just rude and uncalled for.

Oh no. No no no no no. I'm sorry, but you're off the mark here. Isolation will only serve to make the confirmation bias worse. It's a vicious cycle, and isolation is not something you'd want to enforce unless the person in question is clearly and obviously a physical danger to themselves and people around them.

I'm saying if the person has severe psychological issues that keep them from not being an asshole to every female they're around. If nothing else, they should at least seek therapy. Which, if it's severe enough and affects their day-to-day behavior enough, can require a term of stay in some sort of institution.

Agreed on this one. But, to go on with an analogy, as a rule of thumb if you meet such a person, write down a therapist number for them and hand it to them; and only go medieval on their ass if they refuse to see reason.

Which, it seems, is probably many ;-P

 

[Paradoxrifts]

Beating on reanimated horse skeletons again, I see?

Slow day at the Jimquisition head office?

Got it out of your system yet?

I'm not sure where the "dead horse" thing comes in. People are still actively arguing it. That's pretty much the exact opposite of a dead horse.

Just like watching a truly awful divorce unfold with all the subtlety of an exploding IED caught on a high definition camera and replayed over and again in ultra-slow motion. Nobody on either side really wants to admit that we're all fucked. Making games is more expensive and capital intensive as ever, but the demographical backbone of white, heterosexual gamers is greying alongside the rest of the population and they don't have the spare time anymore to play just any piece of trash so the competition is razor tight. And on the other side you've got people preaching that companies ought to practice a "Build it, and they will come." mentality taken straight out of the Hollywood movie, Field Of Dreams. Which is a very easy thing to say, when you're advocating how other people should go about spending/investing their money.

Truth is that the majority of the AAA gaming industry is going to come crashing down in a twisted, fiery wreck, and nobody is going to get what they want but they'll all go away pointing venomously pointing fingers and personally holding other gamers as personally responsible for what is a naturally occurring demographical fragmentation of the market.

Except, maybe the people who loyally and slavishly buy and play the latest COD.

 

[DaVash]

Well at least I know if I lived in an alternate world I would hate that stupid term "guy Gamers" just as much as I do "girl gamers"

 

[JoshuaMadoc]

Parody or not, I have little sympathy for "Gamer Xs", regardless of gender. Insincerity is a disgusting thing, even if it's me invoking it. It makes me physically ill.

 

[Bat Vader]

I must admit I don't understand where the whole negative stereotype of women playing video games started. To me I think they should just be called gamers since they are playing video games. I don't understand why some are given a gender specific term for a term that isn't gender specific in the first place. If someone plays video games they are a gamer regardless of which gender they are.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

Remember what happened to Metal in the 80s when it got all popular with the poseurs?

There were lots of new experimental and groundbreaking metal bands, despite the popularity of glam-metal?

The point is that these poseurs ARE hurting the culture, and once they exhaust themselves and get bored of it, they'll leave, leaving it devastated beyond recovery and putting us back in the underground with them making fun of us.

Except for the part about there being a greater diversity of games than ever before, and that gaming culture is thriving in all of its forms?

History shows this is what happens when an underground culture becomes popular then gets kicked out of the popular scene.

You might be referring to an alternate version of history which is completely made-up. Gaming has succeeded wildly over the last decade because of the connectivity of the internet, and the influx of new people with an interest in the hobby.

I think a more accurate reading of history would show that things die when they get ignored, not when they become popular or mainstream.

It happened when Rock n Roll went mainstream due to white people. It happened when Sci-Fi became popular in mainstream Hollywood. It just always happens. While something may not "die" from going mainstream (which I never said it did) it does not benefit from the masses of poseurs that hop on the bandwagon. It hurts it by their opinion(s) crushing the opinions of the original audiences, thus leading to situations where you get a reboot of Syndicate as an FPS action game. And if hardcore gaming fades from the mainstream when the masses get sick of their Call of Duties, Guitar Heroes, and Maddens, then we'll be right back where we started in with people thinking it's just a kid's thing or a thing to not take seriously in any capacity. It happened with Metal, once it faded from the mainstream people just fell back on "Metal is all about screaming." (seriously, try finding a random person who GENUINELY does not think that. It's a miracle if you find someone who is likes Metal and knows it's not all about screaming. Metallica and all those Nu-Metal bands don't count as liking Metal.) This is why we have to be vigilant at screening out the poseurs, because they will lead to the downfall of the industry as they lead to the downfall of anything underground that goes mainstream.

 

[Deacon Cole]

Did something recently happen again? Jim's already covered this ground and very little of anything new has been said here nor could it be said. Sadly, the point Jim and Moviebob in his last Big Picture failed to grasp is that this shit never works telling people to be better people never results in them being better people. If anything, they get defensive and then act ever worse than before. So, good job. Keep it up.

 

[Reed Sprung]

Women pretending to like your hobby so they can pick you up?

I see no downside here. Finally some equality!

This isn't an important point, but it is the best comment I've ever heard in the history of ever.

 

[daxterx2005]

Holy crap, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at one of your episodes, Jim.
The way you were saying "boyyy" was priceless.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

It happened when Rock n Roll went mainstream due to white people. It happened when Sci-Fi became popular in mainstream Hollywood.

No, it didn't.

Rock'n'Roll only got better over the years. Do you really think that, for example, The Rolling Stones or Grinderman are inferior to what came before them?

It didn't happen to Sci-Fi, either. Do you really think that William Gibson is inferior to Isaac Asimov, or that Farscape is inferior to Star Trek?

While something may not "die" from going mainstream (which I never said it did) it does not benefit from the masses of poseurs that hop on the bandwagon.

Your use of the word "poseurs" here is inflammatory and unnecessary. What makes people who come to like a genre in later years any less authentic? And again, I don't think there's as much bandwagon jumping as you say there is. People typically aren't adopting these hobbies/genres because they are popular, but because they actually enjoy them.

I'm sure you have played plenty of games that use 3D rendering - a total insult to the 8-bit, 2D classics such as Pac-man, Galaga and Space Invaders! Are you some kind of Nu-Gamer?

It hurts it by their opinion(s) crushing the opinions of the original audiences...

But why are their opinions so much more important? Plenty of metal fans objected when metal was fused with rap, but that spawned a whole new dimension of creativity. If we only listened to the "elders", things would never change. But games,music, art continually evolve because of those who break the "rules" and do new things.

Per your example, Rock'n'Roll would never have existed without people breaking boundaries - in fact, that tends to be what that kind of music is all about.

It happened with Metal, once it faded from the mainstream people just fell back on "Metal is all about screaming." (seriously, try finding a random person who GENUINELY does not think that.

I could find plenty of people who don't think that. Even if people do, that's a hell of a lot better than the early days, when many people thought it was about Satan worship, and teaching children to become murderers by playing records backwards.

Metallica and all those Nu-Metal bands don't count as liking Metal.

Why not?

This is why we have to be vigilant at screening out the poseurs, because they will lead to the downfall of the industry as they lead to the downfall of anything underground that goes mainstream.

The underground is is overrated. It's typically "the underground" that destroys itself with in-fighting.

The irony is thick here, as people seem to be simultaneously arguing that gaming isn't accepted enough, and that gamers are poor victims, while also being upset that gaming has become too popular and accepted by the mainstream.

 

[Gilhelmi]

*drink*
Nope still not reasonable
*drink*
Nope
*drink*
Dang-it still not rational
*drink*
I am blowing .10 BAC, still not understanding
*drink*
hmm, what we talking about?

Long story short, yep the "fake gamer girl" is just that, FAKE. Anyone who thinks (or gets offended) that women are not as huge of Geeks as the males, are IDIOTS. There are no "fake girl geeks/gamers" Get over it internet. All geeks are real.

All geek and nerd types are welcome here. If you are not a geek/nerd yet, join us, (We have cookies.)

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

That ep was meant as a satire right?

 

[layne]

I really enjoyed the humour, cleverness, and insight of this episode. Thank you.

 

[wolfyrik]

Dear jim,

on behalf of our mutual gender, hey!

I think.... brb rewatching this episode....