What do these three things have in common? Other then they are all awesome?...nothing really, except they all exist in fictional worlds and that these are the types of things gamers talk about. The thought came to me the other day that when gamers speak to one another we will commonly use examples, metaphors and content from a extremely broad variety of sources. I was sitting discussing the possibilities of having games that function both in the material world as well as the virtual world. But what struck me is that we were using a myriad of different games as examples, quoting movies, and above all talking about many different genre within the same topic. This may not seem so odd, but if compared to other subjects say sports the entire conversation may revolve and produce evidence from within the game itself. In gaming conversations, their seems to be a unique incorporation of a myriad of elements. If you too are a gamer, think back to the last conversation about how you described your game to one of your non-gaming or gaming friends alike. I imagine the conversation went something like: "Munchkin is just like a simpler version of D&D" (Then having to explain what D&D is/defending D&D as being an incredible game). OR "Mass Effect 3. . .its kind of like star wars/trek but the bad guys are zombie automatons" etc.
There seems to be a massive cross pollination that has occurred within gaming. To be a gamer, often times there is a set of verbal dueling comparing one system to another "I like 3.5 better, fourth edition is just awful, its just like playing warhammer". The point is not which is actually better, but that a modern gamer is often necessitated to be conversant in a myriad of games and even unrelated trivia, its Expected! Many times when I have been playing a game with friends, references are made to an incredible depth and the trivia range from Sci-fi to fantasy, Movies, television shows, books, and other games. Any conversation could spontaneously turn to a debate about who shot first Han or Gredo. Now I personally love this type of verbal sparing about a myriad of subjects but my question is why? Why do gamers in particular spend so much time discussing the minutia of seemingly non-related genres? My contention, is that often times when you are part of the gaming community, you are expected to be conversant in many different facets of gaming, and this is because having greater knowledge is generally prized in these communities. There are several elements that contribute to this:
1. It can aid comprehension: If I am explaining to one of my friends who I typically play Magic with, how to play a board game, I will revert to using common terminology. "Its just like how lands produce mana...Tap your card each time you use it." The use of other game/movie trivia is often employed to make something clear very quickly by using a shortcut that has already been established. If I know that you have watched The Walking Dead, I might try to explain whats happening in a game by giving an example of how Dale behaves. When we have a pre-existing context to base understanding off of it makes communication easier, this is not so different then how classic tales of myth have been quoted before "its like Robin Hood -or- Just like Sherlock Holmes would have done it". The thing that is different, is the modern gamer quotes/paraphrases what is most recent and clear within their own mind which happens to be other games/movies/television, because these are extremely real visceral experiences that both parties have common ground.
2. It demonstrates mastery and improves your own social hierarchy: When one player says to another gamer something akin to: "Yeah but did you ever play Advanced D&D?" The first gamer is inferring both that he has played an older edition of the game (showing he has more experience) and that the second gamer is less knowledgeable (thus inferior). Improving one's own status or placement in social hierarchy is important in most societies. Typically there is some type of rituals that people compete at to increase their own prestige. This however can be oppressive, even to fellow game enthusiasts, and most gamers have had at least one bad experience. The important part of this though that typically greater experience, and knowledge about the subject matter is generally revered and expresses a certain level of mastery. A professional basketball player would probably not call someone else a basketball player if they couldn't dribble the ball down the court. The same is true with gaming, by citing examples of gaming related trivia the individual expresses first inclusion into the community (I am a member) then to varying levels will express their own mastery (I really know what I am talking about, or more obnoxiously I know MORE then you).
3. It's what they are interested in: When was the last time you had a conversation with someone about algebra but absolutely hate math? The simple answer - probably never, unless the conversation went something like: "Yeah I barely passed college algebra, because I hated it." People, gamer or not, are always interested in talking about their hobbies and the things they find fun. So with gamers it is only natural for them to want to talk about the games they enjoy, and the movies they enjoy, and anything else they really like. Gaming is a fairly inclusive activity that relies on a lot of communication, anywhere from directing teammates on your favorite FPS to explaining a dramatic situation in a game of Shaowrun. Oral communication is imperative as most games are expressed primarily through that method first and foremost falling back on visuals and text afterwards. The inclusion of talking about all these other things interests are not necessary to the game, but are included because that is what the individuals want to spend their time doing.
I suppose that my shock at realizing these inter-related elements comes together in I have never analyzed how I talk to my friends. I had always thought about the conversations I had been apart of as: It's just what we are interested in, and that is all. But honestly even with my friends whom I have known for a long time I see elements of all three factors, its what we want to talk about, we are expressing mastery and continued interest, and we use a lot of different examples of unrelated materials that facilitate understanding. Try to keep in mind these features next time you talk to one of your friends about games, you might just be struck by the oddity of the conversation as I was.
Why no vampires?? :P
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