A Gaming Guru I am

First off, I'd like to give props to Yoda for influencing my Blog Title today. Wow. Did I just say "props"? Forgive me...

I want to also say thanks to Gabe for his comments on yesterday's blog. I knew I could count on him giving his uninhibited impressions.

Gaming is a way of life for me. Some people lift weights. Some people go clubbing. Some people sit around and make fun of "Those geeks who play on their computer". No matter what type of category you fall into there are some stereotypes that will never be lifted. I can accept the fact that those who play video games are labeled as geeks, nerds, wastoids, druggies, etc. It doesn't bother me much because I've always had a high self-esteem. I'm more irritated at those who think games are for kids. Why is it that when I tell people my biggest hobby is gaming they give me a look? "Games are for kids. Grow up. That sort of thing won't bring home the money." Sigh. To all the naysayers I would like to point you to this article: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-05-12-gamer-demographics_x.htm Games aren't necesarily for kids. My generation grew up with the NES, not to mention the Atari 2600. You better get used to it. As technology grows so does the age of gamers.

On a related note, I'm rather upset at how video games are being treated by our government. Politicians have started to blame video games whenever an underage crime is committed. "Such-and-such game promotes the use of guns and violence." "Jimmy stabbed his brother to death because he saw it in a video game." I'm sick of video games getting a bad rap because there are some people in our world who are mentally unstable. Blame something much more real, like the parents. Better yet, do a little research into these kids lives and find out if they have a history of bad behavior. Blaming games is stupid. Period.

On a more happier note, I'm currently playing a game called "World of Warcraft" and I'm having a blast. In truth I've been playing it off and on since its launch last fall, but only now I'm enjoying myself more then I ever thought possible. For those of you acquainted with MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) then you probably know that WoW is one of the hottest games on the market. I play on a Role-Playing server called Scarlet Crusade. I've been with my guild "House Kenafin" for some months now. Just last night we staged a dramatic event in the game and it went over really well. I can't explain how cool it is when 20 or so like-minded people get together and try to speak and think as their in-game character. It adds a whole new element to the genre. MMORPGs usually lack the RPG aspect nowadays, which saddens me greatly. There are even those who have the testicular fortitude to make fun of those who do RP! "Geeks making fun of other geeks", as some may say. It's sad, really... especially when these people go out of their way to ruin the experience for others. Gamers have the negative attitudes coming at them from all fronts. Hopefully this isn't a sign of things to come.