The Gamer's Language

[Chancie]

Well, there was a conversation today in my Psychology class (we got off topic) about how the video game world has its own language that people that don't play video games don't have any hope of understanding.

It just so happens that right now, I'm working on something for my Journalism class and this can actually help me out as a small section to use.
So, what are words from this "language" that you can think of? (and possibly, what they mean if they aren't very common)

 

[wordsmith]

mostly abbreviations, ggs, n1, dps, e+e (which a lot of gamers don't seem to know. "Eyes and ears", meaning "Tell me what you're seeing guys"), that sort of thing.

Then there's the references, like "It was a party wipe" (it went badly), "out of mana" (tired/cba to argue)

 

[Cherry Cola]

Well, I only know of 1337-speak, and I don't care for it very much. Just google it.

 

[rokkolpo]

i suggest trying a wow trial and be prepared to be BLOWN AWAY! (i didn't get a word)

gibberish ftw.

 

[jmd102993]

Whenever i talk with friends about a game, i.e. how it looks and how it plays, no one seems to understand what im saying, specificaly genre names, i.e. platformers, RPG, MMO, JRPG(NO BODY seems to EVER kno what that is)

 

[Daveman]

watch the first couple of episodes of pure pwnage and you'll be sound as a pound.
linky here... http://www.purepwnage.com/episodes/s1/1/

 

[DuplicateValue]

e+e (which a lot of gamers don't seem to know. "Eyes and ears", meaning "Tell me what you're seeing guys")

Oh, I thought it was a smiley face. xD

 

[Distorted Stu]

i get asked frequently what ftw means.

 

[DelphiSantano]

i see what you mean, and i think it varies between games.
It probably isn't so much a separate language, but just certain phrases that only gamers would use and understand.

For example:
Guitar Hero/Rock Band - FC, gold-star, etc.
CS and other FPS' - Headshot(maybe...), t's, ct's, etc.
WoW and other RPG's - ding, questing, leveling, power-leveling, etc.

There are probably so many more, but those are some of the first that come to mind.

 

[Cherry Cola]

i get asked frequently what ftw means.

Fuck the world or for the win, that is the question... Actually, the answer is Fudgy timber-whale. Very rare, but oh, so delicious.

 

[DazZ.]

I like the fact I understand 99% of these.

AFK seems to be only used in gaming, kinda our version of brb, except you don't usually type it, someone else does about you.

"Away from keyboard" by the way.

 

[Simalacrum]

I try to avoid gamer speek. Sure, obscure (to others, at least... I laughed at MW2's "Companion Crate" callsign) references rock, but other than that I stick to plain old English.

 

[DazZ.]

in the WoW world "ganked" but that is less "gamer language" and more "13 year old idiots who just so happen to play games" language.

I don't think so, "ganked" is a fine word to use.

 

[Thaius]

I've been surprised, actually, at how many things people can't understand. Often I describe a situation in Halo that could basically be recreated in any other combat situation: should be easy to understand, but people are like "too many gamer terms!" What, like "battle rifle" and "short-range weapon"?

Anyway, genres are important: people don't understand FPS, platformer, RPG, Real-time strategy, etc.

Also, terms used in online play often go unexplained. So yeah.

 

[Pyotr Romanov]

Hmm... For some reason everybody I meet suddenly knows all of them after talking to me for about five minutes...

EDIT: Just thought of some: Aggro, close-combat (if short-range weapon counts, this does too), DoT (and probably HoT, never seen anyone use it though), instance, stats, AoE, and very important: lag(g).
Oh, and adding -zors to the end of certain words.

Oh, my WoW days, how I (do not) miss you so.

 

[Violence]

pots for potions/healing
more of an abbreviation, but oh well.
everything else I could think of was mentioned already.

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

I may be mistaken, but did anyone mention HP or Tank yet?

 

[TheGreatCoolEnergy]

Mostly abbreviations:
AR-Assult Rifle
BR-Battle Rifle
FPS-First Person Shooter
XP-Expierience Points
HP-Hit Points(health)

But also terms like "Noob" or "Pwn"

 

[Deathkingo]

I suggest you go watch The Guild. Almost every line is gamer, er, "language".

 

[Jazzyluv2]

terms depend on the game, usually its just to make speaking faster and more efficient.

2 pushing cat= 2 terrorists pushing catwalk on de_dust2

scout pushing deep right mid= hard push on the right soldiers need to defend medic and scouts need to cover flanks

stack going High, quad spawn soon= there armored player is going the upper path and quad is spawning soon, get there before he does

Most speak is on the level (at least in competition) of military speak. Fast, efficient, and clear.