Following gaming news isn’t difficult for me. But if you ask me about the nuances of a new console, or the politics between various game developers, I’m at a loss for words. For a long time, I had to shelve my interest in gaming in favor of more financially savvy hobbies. Because, wait for it, some of us have monetary constraints! And it’s not something that only a few individuals have to deal with. For some, it’s been following us around our whole lives, and it’s immensely infuriating.
Personally, missing out on a lot of games and consoles instilled FOMO in me - aka the fear of missing out. And I know this is a sentiment shared by many others. Lurking forums, dodging spoilers, dealing with folks who give you flak for not appreciating a game exactly the way they do - it gets to you. But at least I took refuge in what I did have. My first console was a refurbished Sega Genesis, and let me tell you, being a kid who was hellbent on beating Sonic the Hedgehog 2 were some of the best memories of my childhood. I did eventually get consoles like the Gamecube and PlayStation 2 when the seventh generation of consoles were about to be released.
I guess the point I’m trying to make with this poorly-assembled essay is that it’s easy to forget that the real world and it’s uncompromising nature exist. When you’re invested in a hobby, it only seems natural to gravitate towards the latest and fanciest tools to cling on to a title. In this context, the title would be a “gamer.” But as I mentioned earlier, gaming is one of the more expensive hobbies one can have, so folks are shucking hundreds of dollars for the latest titles and consoles. Thank God, consoles come out once every few years or so.
More often than not, the gaming community feels more like a flexing contest. To be a “true” gamer, you need to be on top of what’s going on and be willing to pay the price for that status. And if you’re not in that immediate position of power, you can only watch from the sidelines. I’ve been delegated to this position out of necessity - because, you know, peoples’ lives change - but when it’s been following you your whole life, the sting of being an outsider gets to you.
With this culture, it feels like the notion of simply enjoying a game - whether critics or consumers praise or pan it - is just, gone. Gaming circles have always been vile, but at what point does gaming lose its enjoyability and becomes an insidious culture that rewards the cutthroat and haughty? This sort of mentality is prevalent in all hobbies, but for some reason in the gaming industry, it feels more pronounced. Perhaps because gaming is intertwined with the Internet - a cesspool of toxicity.
But who knows, maybe I’m making all of this up. There are probably naysayers out there who heavily disagree with what I just typed. Maybe I’m just salty. But I do know for a fact, that not everyone has the luxury of enjoying video games the same way others do. Don’t act like your a gatekeeper because you feel entitled.
