Gamer Culture?

Excessive self-reflection/meandering to follow.

I was listening to my Pandora station based off The Advantage (here's a link) this morning and loving it, as always. Rock bands playing 80s video game music (and sometimes just straight up tracks from games) just seems like the best thing ever for me; I think it's the Pandora station I listen to the longest without getting sick of it.

It is also the Pandora station that most other people think is stupid. I don't blame them, it probably does sound weird. But not for a gamer.

I realized then that gaming is my culture in a really deep-set way. Its not really that I want or need to play games at all times, but I appreciate their existence and enjoy things with clear game influences (game related food stuff not included). I don't actually get much (video) game time in anymore, but it doesn't matter. I still keep up on gaming news sort of like my mom still keeps up on Finnish news even though she's been in the US since she was 18. It is also why a place like PAX feels so great. There I was surrounded by my people. It was like revisiting the freakin' motherland.

A strange part of it is that the gaming culture has changed and is still changing. I'm sure if my kids grow up enjoying games they will have completely different view of what constitutes gaming culture. The music is certainly different in games nowadays. And online interactivity or even multiplayer is a larger and larger component of gaming as a whole. It sucks that being a gamer now means knowing what teabagging is.

The best part was the strong sense of belonging I felt when I thought of this. Not like I'm actively looking for something to belong to, but I think it's a pretty powerful natural urge. Anyway, I tend to just surf through my day until something strikes my fancy and then I get revel in the sensation or the concept. This was one of those things. Trees blowing in the wind is another one that gets me though, so take that as you will.