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Are you ashamed of being a gamer/nerd in public?

E

Exploratory

Banned
A few things.

First no. But I'm in my twenties so public perception for me is slightly different. My generation doesn't really give a fuck anymore really. Marvel movies, game of thrones, video games, and comic book shows have essentially popularized geek culture to the point that the phrase loses some of its meaning.

Now that doesn't mean there aren't people who don't question it even those younger than me. Growing up in NY I sometimes forget how public perception (the American perception) of certain things is very different. When I went to college in a different state I met a few people, even friends, who disliked gaming or thought it was childish. That's the first time I really noticed it to because in college your relationships with people is so fresh and you notice things like that.

Now I honestly don't care. I don't have a lot of gaming clothing but frankly if I did I'd wear it. The thing is I cringe when I see gamers with gaming clothing that isn't actually aesthetically pleasing. Like I'm all for waving your gaming flag but if something's ugly it's just ugly.

Also geek and nerd aren't the same thing. Nerd is a word generally used to describe someone who is either academically proficient or socially challenged (although that's going away thankfully).

Long response but no. Also I'll throw this in... when it comes to women while I'm not going to hide the fact that I play a ton of games I generally like to ease that aspect of my life into the equation. Not because I'm ashamed but because there are some people who make a lot of assumptions about who you are based on that.
 
B

BrahReally

Member
A lot of people that I talk to initially say that I don't look like I'd be the heavy gaming type as I really am. Even if they do, I'm not ashamed of having a harmless hobby.

One gentleman did say that I looked like the gaming type one day, and it caught me off guard as to why he said that when I don't usually get that a lot. Oh well.
 
S

Sober

Member
Tigress said:
No way! I just bought an NCR (fallout) hoodie so I can proudly show my Fallout fandom :). (Ok, so I mostly just like letting everyone know I'm a Fallout fan, heh).

I enjoy gaming as a hobby. I like other people knowing. More chances of meeting other people who enjoy the same hobby. People who would actually bother to ridicule me over it I have no interest in so who cares? And if you're worried about Gamergate's portrayel, how are you going to let people know not all gamers are those people if you don't make an example yourself?
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I have an NCR t-shirt and it's probably one of the more comfortable and fitting shirts I have. I'd buy a dozen if I could. And that's also not plainly obvious it's a Fallout shirt. I only got like a few questions about it when someone looked closely at it. Otherwise it looks just like a regular top with a California Republic flag on it.

It depends on if you want to wear what I call really obnoxiously gamer-y shirts that have dumb video game in-jokes written on them. I'll pass on those almost always.
 
D

Dr Mayonnaise

Member
Not in the slightest. I actually used leading 40 man raids in vanilla World of Warcraft in a paper I had to write for my leadership class last week. I embrace the nerd/gamer title, and can usually be seen wearing various gamer shirts/hats haha
 
shaowebb

shaowebb

Member
In a world full of phonies, I'd rather be someone who is open and honest with everyone about who they are and what they like.

I wear whatever I want related to whatever I like and talk about what I like and dont hide who I am. The haters can just have a problem if they want to with that because personally I got enough problems without having to care about the ones others have with me.

#fuckembeyourself

For the record I am a liberal gaming nerd into comics and art and I work in an industrial environment surrounded by WV Rednecks on a mountain.
 
A

Anjin M

Member
I'm not ashamed, because I don't give a damn what other people think of me. It's taken four decades to get to this point, but age is working out for me.

However, I also don't go out of my way to push it in people's face. I gave up on t-shirts years ago.
 
T

Tigress

Member
ScatheZombie said:
So, you're admittedly a man-child standing outside the game store waiting for it to open on a weekend morning wearing a video game shirt while playing a handheld.

Dude, I'm a game developer and hardcore gamer and I would have given you a weird look. People who project their hobby that much are generally a little too obsessed with it.

To be fair, I'd give the same look to hipster chick with oversized glasses wearing an "I love my cat" shirt, knitting a cat-sweater while sitting in handmade rocking chair outside of a yet-to-open Hobby Lobby.
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You know, I don't care for this kind of attitude. If people are really into something, what do you care? That's their life and if they want to be obsessed with it and they are happy and not making other people's lives miserable, more power to them. They enjoy something immensely and even like to let others know (probably in hopes of finding other people who also enjoy that just as much).

Just cause you call yourself a hardcore gamer doesn't make you any less elitist about your attitude here.
 
M

massoluk

Banned
Lunar15 said:
I'm not ashamed, but I don't go run and shout it from the rooftops either.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's me. I didn't treat it any differently from my jogging, reading, and movie watching habits. Well, I have an account on videogame forum, and not dedicated jogging forum.
 
ipukespiders

ipukespiders

Member
Of my social circle (mostly bros), co-workers (can't choose them), I'm the only one that plays games. I prefer it that way. I don't want to talk games with other people.

My kids and their friends play games though. Wife plays some casual mobile games.
 
R

Rockman Wright

Banned
i'm 27 and i could not care less about what people think, i always play my 3DS/Vita or read comics when i take the train to go to work, i even play during lunch break (doesn't mean i don't talk to my coworker, but i play more than i talk with them)!

and i can't wait to wear this t-shirt, awesome but not too flashy :

D11x47I.jpg
 
stufte

stufte

Member
ScatheZombie said:
So, you're admittedly a man-child standing outside the game store waiting for it to open on a weekend morning wearing a video game shirt while playing a handheld.

Dude, I'm a game developer and hardcore gamer and I would have given you a weird look. People who project their hobby that much are generally a little too obsessed with it.

To be fair, I'd give the same look to hipster chick with oversized glasses wearing an "I love my cat" shirt, knitting a cat-sweater while sitting in handmade rocking chair outside of a yet-to-open Hobby Lobby.
Click to expand...

Dude, I'm also a game developer (like that matters) and a hardcore gamer, but why do you give a fuck? The fact that you would even give someone that into their hobby a second thought is fucking weird. Grow up.
 
G

Glendemonium

Member
These days I don't wear my gaming cred on my sleeve, I was mocked from teens to twenties just for playing videogames and over time it just wasn't worth the hassle.

People in the valley only game on facebook and iphones. Some guys used to game, but after they marry in their early to mid 20s most of their wives make them stop. Only a couple I know don't mind at all.

Trust me I get enough dirty looks from parents my age just window shopping game cases at Walmart if I'm wearing a polo and jeans. Though lately it hasn't been an issue. Just over the weekend when I bought my PS4, the female teller revealed she loves Xbox games like Forza and Halo but we also talked about TLOU and BloodBorne (Which I need to try).

Seems I've found the sweet spot now that the generation after me were born with videogames, so it's not so bad.

Last gaming shirt I owned was a 1up mushroom shirt from Hot Topic, and the mushroom is faded out now. Though now that I'm beginning to have a "don't care" attitude, I'd like to wear a Playstation or a Destiny shirt now.
 
R

rhandino

Banned
No, not really. But I also don't speak a lot of games outside of some friends and GAF because a lot of my irl friends don't like the same games or because they really don't play anything...

====

Falk said:
As far as T-shirts go I went off the deep end at like 200km/h.

woiN7mh.jpg
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i4KluCe.gif
 
Athreous

Athreous

Member
Somedays on fridays I go to my work with my anime t shirts =D

But yeah, in some places people really look at us like we are some kind of weirdos or something like that...

I'm 29 and I have no shame :p
 
B

Booker.DeWitt

Member
ScatheZombie said:
So, you're admittedly a man-child standing outside the game store waiting for it to open on a weekend morning wearing a video game shirt while playing a handheld.

Dude, I'm a game developer and hardcore gamer and I would have given you a weird look. People who project their hobby that much are generally a little too obsessed with it.

To be fair, I'd give the same look to hipster chick with oversized glasses wearing an "I love my cat" shirt, knitting a cat-sweater while sitting in handmade rocking chair outside of a yet-to-open Hobby Lobby.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with your comments, but that is fine. Nothing about being obsessed. people don't talk shit about others wearing sports jersey and rocking an iphone case with their favorite team , so why they would do the same because somebody is wearing videogame shirts?
 
S

Solid SOAP

Member
I'm not gonna start random conversations about video games with people who aren't interested, nor do I like to wear graphic tees (Whether they're game related or not), but I'll happily discuss games with those who are down to.

I'll say though regarding those who are open to playing their portable games in public... if you're on a commute to work or something, alright. Waiting for class to begin and wanna play a quick game or read a book, that's cool. But I think it is very rude to bust out a game at a party or social gathering, all the while claiming that you're interested in what people are saying to you, pretending to be invested in talking to those at the party. It really annoys me, and this is coming from someone who used to do it himself. It's just... rude and childish. You're out at an event where you can meet new people and you decide to play your game while people are talking and trying to meet others? :/
 
A

Alucrid

Banned
Finale Fireworker said:
No. But I also don't wear it on my sleeve. I don't "identify" as a gamer.

But more than anything, I hate when non-gamers ask me what my Vita is.

"What kind of phone is that?"

"What kind of phone do you have?"

"Did you get a new phone?"

Then having to find the shortest assembly of words to simply explain what a Vita is to somebody who doesn't really care and will struggle to understand it.
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Anime girl rubbing machine
 
G

George Oscar Bluth II

Banned
I have only one gaming related shirt and most people wouldn't he able to identity it because it's so subtle (it's a Mass Effect James Vega shirt). All my other graphic shirts are comics related (Man of Steel emblem, Fantastic Four emblem, Captain America shield etc.) and I wear those either at home or at the gym. I don't like to wear my interests on my sleeve when out and about.

I also don't talk video games because... Well, I'm just not that interested anymore. I will talk endlessly about films, though.
 
P

Persona7

Banned
I am pretty unenthusiastic on a lot of video game things unless it is something I am looking forward to but the things I like are hardly well known and not really brought up outside of the internet.

If someone brought up video games I would probably not want to talk about a game I am not interested in.
 
J

Jetman

Member
The Albatross said:
No, not really. It's pretty acceptable form of entertainment these days, and if I were to tell someone at work that I'm more likely to play a game than watch a movie or TV show, there's not much second thought. But gaming isn't something that I'd openly volunteer about myself in a sort of "what are your hobbies" type question, where I'd probably talk about food, beer, playing an instrument, etc., but less so videogames.
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Yeah, when I was doing Internet dating and those profiles, I'd keep videogames off it. I think the most I'd say is nerdy and that's pushing it. Gaming is my foremost hobby, but I read a lot, snowboard, etc. so would focus on that and not bring up gaming at all until I got to know her, and felt out how accepting of it she was.
 
G

Gbraga

Member
I'm conflicted by this question. I feel like saying no, but in the other hand, I don't behave myself "in a gamer way". If the way you're acting in public makes me instantly know exactly the kind of stuff you're into, even if I don't know the first thing about it, there's a pretty big chance you'll make me embarrassed.

So basically, I would never behave in a way to tell the world that I'm a gamer, but if the subject comes up, sure, I'll talk about it openly and with no shame at all. I guess it even helps, in a way. First time people found out I liked Lady Gaga, back in high school, I got a lot of "dude das gay", I just shrugged and said "whatever, I like her", and quickly after that no one gave a shit anymore.

In a way, I guess I'd say "Don't let people define you by your hobbies", but also "don't define yourself by your hobbies", you know what I mean?

Black Materia said:
Somedays on fridays I go to my work with my anime t shirts =D

But yeah, in some places people really look at us like we are some kind of weirdos or something like that...

I'm 29 and I have no shame :p
Click to expand...

I don't mind shirts, sounds like waaaay too little to be bothered by. It's just a shirt. I'd proudly wear my waifus.

You know what, I think I should.
 
S

Sajjaja

Member
One time I was looking around in an EBGames and my older sister came into the store telling me she had to goto another store in the mall, when all of a sudden the 2 clerks and 2 customers all started talking to each other in Deckard Cain's voice.

I face palmed myself so hard my sister laughed and was like wtf is up with those people.

So yeah, sometimes.
 
S

ScatheZombie

Member
Tigress said:
You know, I don't care for this kind of attitude. If people are really into something, what do you care? That's their life and if they want to be obsessed with it and they are happy and not making other people's lives miserable, more power to them. They enjoy something immensely and even like to let others know (probably in hopes of finding other people who also enjoy that just as much).

Just cause you call yourself a hardcore gamer doesn't make you any less elitist about your attitude here.
Click to expand...

stufte said:
Dude, I'm also a game developer (like that matters) and a hardcore gamer, but why do you give a fuck? The fact that you would even give someone that into their hobby a second thought is fucking weird. Grow up.
Click to expand...

LOL.

You guys seemed to miss my emphasis. My point was that people weren't giving him dirty looks for being a gamer. They were giving him dirty looks for being a man-child. No one looks twice at a grown man going into a game store. Or a grown man wearing a Mario t-shirt. It was the total combination of circumstances in perfect alignment that projected a certain persona that people find off-putting. Even people within the hobby. And that persona can be found in literally any other capacity - hence my second example. It really has nothing to do with gaming whatsoever.

It's not an elitist attitude. It's not about growing up. It's psychology that nearly all people share. You can criticize from your high horses, but you've almost assuredly done the same to other people as well. Maybe it's the gun nut at the shooting range wearing the trucker hat and CO-EXIST shirt that's all weapons who just hopped out of his diesel pickup while chewing tobacco. Maybe it's the dolled up soccer mom with way too much makeup, coming out of a salon with way too much perfume carrying 18 shopping bags of shit she doesn't really need to get into her minivan while ignoring everyone around her. Maybe it's the homeless guy who hasn't had a shower in months that you not-so-secretly give a shitty look to before pretending they don't exist. Who knows. But chances are very high that you've come across someone who is projecting a persona that you find off putting and, without any other knowledge about that person, made a snap judgment. That's what happened here. And gaming was only the backdrop to it, not necessarily the primary cause.
 
B

bananafactory

Banned
Gbraga said:
I'm conflicted by this question. I feel like saying no, but in the other hand, I don't behave myself "in a gamer way". If the way you're acting in public makes me instantly know exactly the kind of stuff you're into, even if I don't know the first thing about it, there's a pretty big chance you'll make me embarrassed.

So basically, I would never behave in a way to tell the world that I'm a gamer, but if the subject comes up, sure, I'll talk about it openly and with no shame at all. I guess it even helps, in a way. First time people found out I liked Lady Gaga, back in high school, I got a lot of "dude das gay", I just shrugged and said "whatever, I like her", and quickly after that no one gave a shit anymore.

In a way, I guess I'd say "Don't let people define you by your hobbies", but also "don't define yourself by your hobbies", you know what I mean?
Click to expand...

What does "acting in a gamer way" even mean
 
T

Tarahiro

Member
I get skitted at nearly every time I leave the house because of my weight/face, so I think of it like 'if I must leave the house today, I'm going to be comfortable and wear my geeky stuff'. I don't feel comfortable in 'normal' clothing. Every tshirt I own except for a couple of Bayern shirts is related to gaming, anime or some TV show.

I would never hide it.

I love gaming. If people don't like that about me then I don't want to be around them ;)
 
S

Silk04

Member
Nope. Im married, daughter, work 2 jobs (Firefighter, Non-ER Ambulance) and like good Anime and games. Pay the cost to b the boss.
 
H

Hero Prinny

Member
Lol fuck no, what do i look like caring what some random who chances are ill never see again anyway think of me? If they think im a loser or whatever, let them. They're entitled to their dumb opinion
 
S

souffe

Neo Member
I'm too ashamed to whip out the old vita in public, which is a shame cause I think it would be a good time killer on my daily commute
 
S

Storm Raider

Banned
Nah fuck em I walk outside with my conkers bad fur day Nintendo power t shirt and fuck their bitch


never ashamed of being different, be yourself
 
V

Via Purifico

Banned
I'm more embarrassed for the people who think only losers play video games in 2015.

I don't give a fuck and neither should anyone else in this thread.
 
S

Solid SOAP

Member
bananafactory said:
No

I do lots of stuff in my free time like read watch movies and play games

It doesn't define me and I'm not ashamed of my hobbies
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Yep. If your hobby defines you in a way that you challenge others who don't wear it on their sleeve, I believe there is a greater problem at hand.
 
P

pislit

Member
I'm not an American (assuming this is mostly an American issue, right?), so it is somewhat confusing to me that gamer = nerd. Is that always the case? Is the 'gamer' culture a subset of a 'nerd' culture (or vice versa)?
 
S

Severance

Member
I've never seen a reason to be ashamed. I don't have tons of gaming gear that would immediately identify me as a gamer, but I have some. No one has ever once given me shit for wearing gaming related things or taking about it. Gaming is very socially acceptable it seems, I've made friends and had great conversation with random people by being open about gaming. Embrace it!
 
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