When you think of gamers and geeks, the image above is usually the first thing that comes to mind, the world of gaming has always been seen as something very anti-social and something only young men and teenage boys were interested. The @rcade isn’t one for stereotypes and we’ve decided we are on a mission to break down some walls and really get people thinking .
We went out in search of three gamers who don’t quite fit the picture of our stereotyped friend above and they’ve all been kind enough to share the stories and experiences of gaming.
Louise B
Louise is 21yrs old and lives and works in Galway city. She is an avid gamer with a passion for fantasy novels, table top rpging and anime.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I have always been a lot different from other girls I know. While they were busy watching soaps, having sleepovers and generally being girly, I spent my time with my nose in a fantasy book or on my parents’ computer playing games. Kind of made it awkward for me for a while but when I went to college I breathed a sigh of relief to see I was not the only girl who fitted into this category.
When did you first start gaming? What were you playing?
Oh WoW such a long time ago! I think it was Rayman for the first PlayStation. My parents were kind of strict on having consoles when we were younger, but every time I went to my cousin’s house I would glue myself to his PlayStation.
What consoles do you play? Do you have a favourite type of game?
I own a PS2, an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii. For simple fun I usually play Mario kart or something along those lines. I love RPGs as the story is what captivates me the most about gaming. I like being drawn into a different world full of things to see, do and explore. I can also get very attached to characters.
Do you play online games? If so what do you play?
I use to play WoW; I went through a two year stint of addiction. Mostly I played with a rogue night elf, but I also had a shaman undead which I would play with from time to time. Now mostly I stick to console RPGs.
Are you interested in other types of gaming?
I really enjoy tabletop RPGs, its great playing in a world created by a friend and playing along with friends. It’s a lot more social than my usual gaming! It’s a great feeling sharing something that you enjoy with other people who enjoy it too! I am also a manga nerd and watch anime when I am not busy on my Xbox or PS2.
What kind of tabletop RPGs do you play? Of the characters you’ve played who has been your favourite and why?
I played a couple of short superhero ones and one silent hill one which gave me the creeps for days after! It’s amazing how much the right atmosphere can affect how you react. My all time favourite though was the first one I ever played. I was at college and it spanned nearly two semesters of one week sessions. It was a fantasy RPG and there were several other players also! I don’t know how the GM pulled it off with so many of us but he did it perfectly. On more than one occasion he would have the majority of us very emotional. I had a bounty hunter character. Kaleb, male but I didn’t mind. His weapon was a gunblade and we all had unique Spirit Warriors, which are like overdrives from FFX.
Gaming has always been perceived as a guy’s domain, why do you think girls have stayed away from the gaming world?
From my experience, especially from playing WoW, if the other players knew you were a girl they would not treat you the same. Another player I had been accompanying on missions for several weeks started acting differently when I told him I was a girl, talking less, and avoiding me. I didn’t tell anyone after that in my time playing WoW. I can guess so from my experience that other girls keep away as they might be afraid they would be treated differently. I would urge girls to get more involved though, enjoy what they love and kick some butt in the process!
Do you have a favourite female character from gaming?
That’s a tough one. I would have to Lulu from FFX as she packs the best punch from any of the female characters I have played. Sometimes female characters in games I find annoying as they are sometimes just created to look pretty. My favourite character I would say is Auron from FFX. I got inspiration from him for my character Kaleb.
Finally if you were trapped in an arcade for eternity what game would you play to pass the time?
Pacman. It is one game that never bores me with its simplicity!
Aodhan G
Aodhan is an enthusiastic gamer, openly gay and has a serious lust for all things gaming. An avid fan of first person shooters, he also enjoys fighting games but prefers his old-school games over the new shiny ones.
How long have you been a game and what type of games do you play most?
Properly, I think I was about 11 when I got my first PlayStation and have been addicted ever since. I play RPGs and first person shooters mostly but I love old school arcade games like Street Fighter and Tekken.
Do you play online games?
I do from time to time, but not enough to mention. 12 year old American boys telling you that ‘you suck’ isn’t exactly my idea of a good time. Plus I try not to get addicted to games and online gaming just seems to fuel that fire.
Gaming isn’t something that fits the ‘gay stereotype’, why do you think gaming is perceived as something gay people would not be interested in?
I know tons of gay and lesbian gamers; it never really occurred to me that it didn’t fit with the ‘gay stereotype’. Do you really have to be straight to be a geek? *laughs*
Most of my gay friends are serious gamers and could probably wipe the floor with me. A lot of people seem to think that gay guys are only interested in fashion, lady gaga and musical theatre and that lesbian’s are too busy watching the L word or playing sports to sit down in front of a console. But really we’re just as diverse as our straight brothers and sisters. Geeks exist in our community too.
Have you ever gotten any negative remarks for being a gay gamer?
I have done but I don’t really let it affect me, especially when I’m kicking their ass. It doesn’t happen very often but when it does you just have to shrug it off, especially online where you’re meeting people from all kinds of backgrounds. It’s ok if it’s in jest and the banter goes both ways but some people think they’re so funny and cool by just using bigoted phrases for the hell of it. Being gay is just one part of me like being a gamer is, I don’t see why people feel the need to judge you on it?
Have you ever had a crush on a pixelated character?
Eh……..no comment! (In journalist terms…this means yes)
Games are becoming more socially and culturally universal these days and we’ve seen the inclusion of openly gay characters in a few modern games; do you think this is a fad or will we continue to see more and more playable gay characters?
I hope it’s not a fad but it most likely will be. I think there’ll always be a certain gay undertone to a particular character whether the game states it or not. People are always going to have their own ideas about the characters they play. If gay characters continue to be placed into games then I think it’s only a good thing. Does it really matter if the character is gay or not though?
If you could change anything about the gaming industry what would it be and why?
The computer games industry is an exciting and expanding field. They’ve been pretty good at not getting things wrong, so I haven’t had to shout at them yet. But I do think that it’s quickly becoming a shadow of its former self in terms of creativity. Plus the overuse of franchising and a general feel of way too much commercialism over art is really starting to bug me lately. I can hear your readers’ blood boil already just because I said that.
If you were stuck in an arcade for eternity, what game would you play to pass the time?
Just one? That’s tough. Um……..either Call of Duty or Rome Total War. Both really different in terms of gameplay but I’d spend hours playing either, something about war that I find endlessly entertaining. *laughs*
Irene K
Irene is a 66 yr old grandmother with a passion for platformers, competing against her family in online games and gaming in general.
When did you start playing video games?
I started playing video games with my children, as they got them some twenty years ago.
What consoles do you own?
I own the Wii, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Cube. My favourite is still the cube.
How many games do you own?
Average 20 or so for each console, had a lot more, but grandchildren took them away over the years.
What type of games do you enjoy?
I prefer the platform games, love Laura Croft, Mario etc. but I also like the golf games for Wii. I also play loads of the games on Facebook, like Zoo and Farmville.
I look forward to the Wii golf game when I have company here because it’s a fun and different way to pass an evening. I love Bejewelled on Facebook and all my family who are all over the world play each week as a contest.
Why do you think older people stay away from gaming?
I really feel that a lot of my age are nervous of computers, consoles etc, but if they knew how, they would enjoy life a lot more.
How do people react when they find out you’re a gamer?
People usually laugh when they hear that I play these games, but I feel that they keep my brain active and certainly give me great pleasure.
If you were trapped in an arcade for eternity, what game would you play to pass the time?
My favourite game of all is “Super Mario Sunshine” so I would probably keep that one or the Zelda games.
