(I took these photos either at Ohayoo con or Anime Weekend Atlanta.)
I would not consider these people as "The Hipsters of Gaming," but they are fans and have put a lot of time and effort into their costumes to show the rest of the anime fans that they do not just like anime, but games too. "'A
hipster is judged by what’s now; gamers, by what they were playing in 1993.'"
Being at any kind of convention whether it be for anime (ACEN, Ohayoo con, etc) or gaming (Gen Con) there is a different culture. When all of these people get together they can find similarities and differences in gaming preference and style. These people are not just casually playing a game on their cellphones or picking up a game that can be set down and picked up whenever, if they set one of these games down for a few weeks and then try to come back to them, they probably would have to start over because of the depth of the game that has been lost and forgotten. Games like Zelda, Silent Hill, and Final Fantasy have so much depth that in order to fully enjoy the full extent of the game, the gamer needs to give full commitment to them. The "Hipsters" of gaming would follow the fads and never truly appreciate to time and energy that these gamers have put into their game play (let alone their costumes for a convention).
For most, video gaming is not a hobby, its a way of life.
I fully agree with you in that many less-casual games need to be absorbed in their entirety in order to totally appreciate them. Hardcore gamers are simply folk who take in the whole picture, not just the fancy graphics and gameplay. They are absorbed into the art just as other people get wrapped up in music and film.
ReplyDeleteAgreed; gaming, like anime is a complete lifestyle. It is something that you come to enjoy after trial and error of dislikes. People who cannot understand this way of life choose not to. They have never sat down and thought about how their choices and hobbies may not make sense to the avid Trigun fan or the WOW player. The depth of each game and each clip watched goes beyond just a toy or colorful cartoon; it is something that completes people. You almost have to laugh when you think about it, but how many people out there are obsessed with Lost, who are Lawyers pretending that they never let themselves fall to that level of lifestyle or the banker who sits on Facebook playing Mafia Wars all day. It is all the same, unfortunately most of the world does not see this the same as us. Everyone is part of thsi culture somehow.
ReplyDeleteI think that you are right. I never really thought about all the other people out there who are obsessed with shows or Facebook games, as being somehow a part of this culture.
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