{"id":3557,"date":"2009-02-23T22:51:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-23T20:51:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T22:00:00","slug":"headshot-gamer-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/business\/3557-headshot-gamer-culture","title":{"rendered":"Headshot: Gamer culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

* “Headshot” is a user generated opinion piece that we will be running from time to time. For Tarvos’ troubles, he earns himself a copy of Bioshock for Xbox 360. Let us know if you have any cool Headshot ideas and you may get featured and earn yourself a free game.<\/em><\/p>\n

One cannot argue with the fact that the current network of gamers in SA dwarfs that of previous years, and it is sweeping across the nation at a rapid rate. Anybody involved in this subculture easily understands what it comprises, though the average person walks around relatively oblivious to the inner workings of one of the most successful social trends the world has ever seen.<\/p>\n

Late nights and later mornings, fast reaction times and nerves of steel, quick hands and sharp eyes, decked out machines and shiny keyboards, swift fingers and flying bullets, big screens and deep breaths, websites and fancy programs, an internet connection and a smooth mouse, emote-icons, lulz, noobs and an army helmet are all the order of the day for a gamer.<\/p>\n

To look at the present scene of console and computer games, it might be smarter to turn the clock back and look at some history on the subject.<\/p>\n

The first machine resembling what we today know as a PC was the Harvard Mark I, released on the 7th of August in 1944. Originally the size of a gymnasium, it was capable of doing complex numerical calculations. At the time it was marveled at, and it essentially marked the beginning of the age of modern technology. Over the next 60 years computer technology advanced at a shockingly high speed, and just a few years after the Harvard Mark I, a computer could fit inside a small box.<\/p>\n

What is often overlooked even by gamers is that computer games were being played as early as 1961 with Steve Russell’s Spacewars. The game involved shooting the white wedge, a spaceship, with your needle while avoiding the dot which represented a star in the middle. It progressed from there to Space Invaders, Pac-Man and even one of the earliest role-playing games available on a console, Zork, an entirely text-based game released in 1977.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the truest wonder of computers is their advancement. From 8-bit pixels of black and white in the 70s to 16-bit colours in the 80s, to a user interface and windows in the 90s right up to the lifelike 3D models, ragdolls, physics and artificial intelligence we see today. The internet now allows players to enjoy completely new experiences online, playing with people around the world in competitive or team matches.<\/p>\n

To give you an idea of just how big the industry is, here are some facts: American based company, Blizzard, released World of Warcraft in 2004. The game has held strong ever since and boasts a breathtaking 11.5 million monthly subscribers. Nintendo’s latest console, the Wii, has reached a landmark of 10.17 million sales in the US alone, while Rockstar Gaming made $500,000,000 from Grand Theft Auto IV.<\/p>\n

Evidently, the global gaming industry is an economic behemoth and a seemingly unstoppable one at that. South Africa is nowhere near untouched by this phenomenon.<\/p>\n

So what does this say for the culture? Well for one, the advancement in technology draws numerous parallels with the development of society. Humans have begun to embrace technology as a potential extension of their personalities. Forums and chat rooms provide the means for free, anonymous expression that is not granted in reality. What we are left with is an interesting melting pot that combines the truest, most honest, often depraved, and sometimes admirable human qualities being lived out on our computer screens.<\/p>\n

It is difficult to describe a group as expansive as that which makes up the gaming community without getting too opinionated. I can say with relative confidence that gamers do have a very definitive style.<\/p>\n

Playing games challenges those involved in various ways. A player’s ability to execute skilled objectives in live action sequences tests their strategic abilities as well as their capacity with regards to common sense, and anyone who has played a modern game will agree that games have come so far that they literally immerse the player in a scene to a point that goes beyond what other modern media outlets are capable of.<\/p>\n

Games appeal to all ages, and to describe gaming culture we have to look at a what it entails; late nights spent on multiplayer online games, clocking single player campaigns in record time, eagerly awaiting, discussing and even lying about upcoming releases, internet discussion and strategy development.<\/p>\n

But let’s be honest, it’s not all fun and games. Gamers often lurk forums, and anyone who has done their fair share of lurking knows that you can turn up some of the most incredibly disturbing and senseless commentary imaginable.<\/p>\n

Websites like 4Chan.org can quickly make anyone want to sell his computer and move to a secluded island. Due to games targeting audiences spanning a broad age and social spectrum, the community does attract its fair share of trolls – flaming, cursing folk who may put you off.<\/p>\n

While it is not ideal, it is also an undeniable truth that without the handful of rough cats the gaming industry wouldn’t be what it is. Everyone, the spammers, the trolls, the suck-ups, the fanboys and the flamers are all included, and make up the essence of what defines the culture of gamers. Loose one and the entire group changes, which is perhaps why gaming has made it so far.<\/p>\n

Discuss Tarvos’ opinion piece <\/a>in the forums<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tarvos gives his take on Gaming Culture<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":161,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/161"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}