Poll: Breaking the stereotype........possibly

[SteveDave]

I was watching MSNBC about thirty minutes ago and one of their correspondents did a report about how good our beloved industry is doing despite the fact that major economies around the world are struggling. But that is not what this poll or topic is about. After the report one of the anchors made a disparaging remark about how parents shouldn?t be buying their kids games but instead books and she was pretty livid about the fact that our corner of the entertainment industry was doing so well. Well at first I felt personally insulted for I am an avid gamer but I also spend much of my time reading as well and not fantasy books and science fiction (she was also wrong in the fact that the average age of a gamer is 35 and not 12 like she made it seem but that is beside the point).

But is gaming really hurting the literary world? Do gamers indeed read? Some of the posts that I read on various forums make me worry about this subject but I will leave it up to a poll to decide. And when I say read I mean reading at your own leisure and not for school and not the newspaper or internet forums. I am talking about books.

So answer thusly and please I would also like to know what the average gamer reads so post you comments. Please dispel the myth that gamers are uneducated simpletons.

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Well I don't really read on any kind of formula, because I have limited access to the kind of books I like (my town Library is tiny). But everytime I go somewhere with a borders or the like I do enjoy finding a science fiction book. And some autobiographical works, mainly the memoirs of soldiers and the like.

 

[Baby Tea]

About every two months. I only read non-fiction though, and usually only theological or philosophical books. I used to read at least one a week when I was younger (Fantasy books and the like), but I got out of reading fiction (I let games do that for me now) and into non-fiction. That slowed it down a bit. I like to let the book mull in my head for a while.

 

[Asymptote Angel]

Every two months is closest for me. It's unfortunate that I can't get through more, but I just don't have time in my schedule.

 

[Galletea]

I go through Phases where I'll be reading two books a week and then none for a few months. I still have a long reading list, and it keeps growing. I'll own a library by the time I'm 30.

 

[Reaperman Wompa]

I'd say book a week, but it varies. Some of the time I will only get through a single book a month, other times 8. It really depends on what I have to read and what else I have to do.

 

[Hevoo]

I listen to msnbc, they are a left leaning network. Ever since Obama won the election(I voted for him) they think they have the right to pigeon hole everyone. I'm really starting to hate them with a passion.

 

[Tyrant55]

Do books that you're forced to read count? We read a novel a week in my advanced english class, but every other week I'll read a book simply for enjoyment. I actually enjoy most of the books that we read for class anyway.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

A book every two months. I try to read more, before I started writing I'd plow through a book a week. Nowadays, I can't stop myself analyzing the authors style, which gets really tiring, after a while.

 

[SteveDave]

Do books that you're forced to read count? We read a novel a week in my advanced english class, but every other week I'll read a book simply for enjoyment. I actually enjoy most of the books that we read for class anyway.

Books that are forced upon you do not count but if you would read them anyway without being forced to then why not?

 

[hypothetical fact]

I haven't finished a book in years as the author usually makes the characters decisions the opposite of what I would have them do. This leads to me yelling at the characters whenever any decision they make has an unfavourable outcome.

 

[SirSchmoopy]

I don't get achievement points for books.

 

[Gahars]

I'm an avid reader.

I just can't get enough of it.

Maybe I'm just a minority or something, I don't know.

 

[Angron]

ive only started reading recently, but ive read the horus heresy series from Horus rising and im just about to start Legion...atm to im reading a Stephen Fry novel called making history.

i would say i read a book maybe every 2 months, sometimes a month probably...will prob slow down once i caught up with the horus heresy series tho

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

I don't get achievement points for books.

If only...

 

[feralfenix]

I read a book every couple of months (normally), in fact, I just bought a new book today called "The Golden Torc" by Julian May.

 

[wewontdie11]

The last book I read must have been 4 years ago. I simply find other things much more entertaining, i.e. games, TV and films.

 

[Slayer_2]

Before I started gaming, I'd tear through almost a book a day, these books had more than 200 pages as well. I like to think I also type and write decently, at least I don't type like "omg stfu time 2 go 4 u nooobbbb!1111". Now I still go through at least a 400+ page book a week. Yeah, I'm a geek.

 

[SteveDave]

It really pisses me off to hear what you related here, and I would have called her in studio to beat her up with a large stick made out of ignorance cleaner.

That would enforce the opinion that we are all barbarians. We must fight such resistance with non-violence just like MLK. Equality we shall achieve.

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Not counting what I'm forced to read for law school or the incessant game blogs I'm digging around in...about once a month, maybe two.

But hey, I get why MSNBC might be pissed. After years of video games I'm getting to a point where I find most movies and television shows really boring since I may as well play a medium I can interact with. Books and music still do it for me though.