The Gamer Connection (part 3)

Gamers have been traditionally viewed as people who are introverts that lack social ability. We've been thought of as jobless, nerdy, socially inept dorks that live in our parents' basement, spending insane numbers of hours camped out in front of a monitor playing games. Sometimes we're viewed as malnourished, unwashed, sickly, and pale, clinging to a game controller with an unhealthy obsession that has overtaken our lives so much that we could be a serious risk to ourselves. Other times we're viewed as aimless, lazy losers that mooch off our parents and can't pay our own rent or mortgage. In Japan, there are even very specific terms used to describe people that fit this stereotype: otakus or NEET's (Not in Education, Employment, or Training.) Just watch a few TV shows or movies and you'll find a stereotypical gamer, often the source of comic relief in these productions. It's no wonder that gamers are still a little hesitant to reveal their gaming interest to others, because these stereotypes seem to be openly perpetuated. Discovering another gamer in today's society is almost like meeting someone in an underground resistance that holds to your same core values. Yet when one gamer discovers another, it is a relief to finally let down that guard and talk openly.