Why isn't the gaming community taken seriously?

Gaming is a very popular form of entertainment. Unfortunately, it has this ridiculous reputation for not being taken seriously. Parents see them as something to distract kids and even make their children commit violent crimes. There are other reasons why the gaming community isn't taken seriously some of them are good and some are bad but the main reason why gaming is "dying" is because of competitive gaming. What are other reasons you can think of?

I've always enjoyed playing games. I just don't like the morals behind competitive gaming. I think that competitive gaming ruins gaming in general. Allow me to illustrate my reasoning and logic behind this before I get flamed by anyone. I'm going to take a few popular games and name how they get ruined.

1.Super

1.Super smash bros- With tournament settings people eliminate the choice of items and certain stages. Their main claim is that items interfere with skill and unblance gameplay. However, some characters need items to make up for their skills against other characters. For example, if Meta Knight is fighting Bowser on Final Dest, then Bowser would benefit from item usage. To sum this up watch this video. www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNiioUI9VdY

2.Pokemon- watch this tragedy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-yWbiOg1mE

3.Halo- Go on Xbox live and listen to people spew racist, sexist, and homophobic comments. I can remember many instances were I played on a friend's 360 and won a Halo match and the losers of the match told us that "150 years ago we would be cooking food for him (reffering to the fact that because we're black we would be his servants)". Is that what competitive gaming is about? Losing and insulting people based upon their races, gender, etc? If I lose a game I lose, its not that big of a deal. I've played many asian people in smash bros and I've never told them that the only reason you're good is because you're asian.

In summary, competitive gaming is crap isn't what defines a gamer and too many people think that.

here is another video

www.youtube.com/watch?=v_kRBK_1_fQ

Who thinks that competitive gaming defines a gamer? I've heard no one inside or outside of gaming that has said that.

It isn't exactly competitive gaming unless you're in a tournament, league, etc. But there are some people that take things too seriously in "friendly"-non competitive gaming enviorments. Yeah you get people like that, it sucks.. but it isn't ruining gaming as a whole. Online gaming its perhaps a stain on its shiny cover, I don't agree that those people are ruining it though. The good experiences still far outweigh the bad.

Who thinks that competitive gaming defines a gamer? I've heard no one inside or outside of gaming that has said that.

It isn't exactly competitive gaming unless you're in a tournament, league, etc. But there are some people that take things too seriously in "friendly"-non competitive gaming enviorments. Yeah you get people like that, it sucks.. but it isn't ruining gaming as a whole. Online gaming its perhaps a stain on its shiny cover, I don't agree that those people are ruining it though. The good experiences still far outweigh the bad.

Some things people are never going to take seriously. Videogames, comics and skateboarding have all been a staple of my very existence, yet all activities are not taken seriously in the mainstream. It's just something you have to live with. At the end of the day, it's what you get out of it for yourself that really matters. Also, gaming is growing much faster than I could have ever imagined. I don't think it's dying at all.Boba_Fett_3710

Some things people are never going to take seriously. Videogames, comics and skateboarding have all been a staple of my very existence, yet all activities are not taken seriously in the mainstream. It's just something you have to live with. At the end of the day, it's what you get out of it for yourself that really matters. Also, gaming is growing much faster than I could have ever imagined. I don't think it's dying at all.Boba_Fett_3710

Gaming isn't being taken as seriously as it should because of the same reason all other entertainment mediums were scrutinized: the older generations don't understand it as well as the current generation does.dizzykim

Competitive gaming is not the issue, it's the individuals themselves. They hide behind the anonymity of the internet acting like e-thugs because there are no direct repurcussions for their actions. I think competitive gaming can only help the community. Competitions like WCG only serve to bring more interest and publicity to the medium. Sure, there are always going to be knuckleheads who try to ruin the fun for everyone, but that can be said about anything: sports, television, whatever. You shouldn't blame competitive gaming because there are some idiots out there who try to mar an otherwise great aspect of the video game experience. Granted, some people will always be the casual gamer, only interested in having some fun, but some people thrive on competition and enjoy progressing and becoming better and better. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.m3ss

How long has it been since you've been on Xbox Live? Go online for a period of time and listen to some of these people screaming in mics and then you'll see what kind of people give gaming a bad rep.Canvas_Of_Flesh

How long has it been since you've been on Xbox Live? Go online for a period of time and listen to some of these people screaming in mics and then you'll see what kind of people give gaming a bad rep.Canvas_Of_Flesh

Gaming isn't being taken as seriously as it should because of the same reason all other entertainment mediums were scrutinized: the older generations don't understand it as well as the current generation does.dizzykim

*applauds loudly*

Why isn't the gaming community taken seriously? I'll tell you why. It's because non-gamers think that games are simple and mindless ways for people to fill time. The truth is that these same people who don't take the gaming community seriously have no idea that alot of todays games have the production quality of any movie and are many times more complex than the games of the past were.

We are taken seriously by investors who have seen the gaming industry be one of the few industries which has remained profitable in this global economic depression.

Gaming is doing very well right now.

People can make a living just by being pro-gamers, it's okay for people well over their 30s -40s to play video games and "party games" are making gaming pretty popular for non-gamers. 10-15 years ago video games were looked at like they are for kids only. Things changed...

Gaming is a very popular form of entertainment. Unfortunately, it has this ridiculous reputation for not being taken seriously. Parents see them as something to distract kids and even make their children commit violent crimes. There are other reasons why the gaming community isn't taken seriously some of them are good and some are bad but the main reason why gaming is "dying" is because of competitive gaming. What are other reasons you can think of?

Jerogai

Gaming is definitely not dieing.

It anything it is growing at an alarming rate... Don't know how I feel about that.

Why isn't the gaming community taken seriously? I'll tell you why. It's because non-gamers think that games are simple and mindless ways for people to fill time. The truth is that these same people who don't take the gaming community seriously have no idea that alot of todays games have the production quality of any movie and are many times more complex than the games of the past were.

We are taken seriously by investors who have seen the gaming industry be one of the few industries which has remained profitable in this global economic depression.

junglist101

uh...aren't games simple and mindless ways for people to fill time? isn't that the point? so what about production values of games...it doesn't change games as mindless entertainment. there's nothing wrong with that...just don't pretend that you can get the same kind of intellectual stimulation from two hours of gaming as you can from reading a book or watching a quality movie.

i'd also say that online, both playing games and through the internet, gamers don't do themselves many favours to get themselves taken seriously...ie: a total lack of any real video game criticism. people should stop trying to take games so seriously anyways. they're supposed to be fun...that's why they're called games and not studied in school, in ways like mediums such as books and movies are.

at[QUOTE="mattttherman3"]oh the gaming comunity is taken seriously, whenever someone shoots up a school, the question is always asked, ''Did they play video games?'' or violent gamesJerogai

I'm starting to hate whenever school shootings occur because it gives retards live Jack Thompson unnecessary attention.

It will be taken seriously when its the biggest grossing from of entertainment, I think it allready is, maybe they just havn't realised it yet.

It sort of allready is. There hiring movie actors to play the roles in games. Making tons of game movies. Didn't they have a full glitzy red carpet opening night for the latest need for speed lately?