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100-564: PAX (originally known as Penny Arcade Expo ) is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop , arcade , and video gaming . PAX is held annually in Seattle , Boston , Philadelphia , and Melbourne . Previously, it was also held in San Antonio . PAX was created in 2004 by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik , the authors of the Penny Arcade webcomic , because they wanted to attend

200-501: A "male gamer", there is also a common understanding as stereotype of a "Gaymer." A Gaymer is a depiction of a gay gamer, and someone who identifies their sexual orientation to be a part of the LGBT ( gay , bisexual , lesbian , or transgender ) community while participating in video games. The concept of Gaymers is a part of two surveys in 2006 and 2009. The 2006 survey took note of the levels of detriment that Gaymers may have experienced, and

300-637: A 2012 agreement cemented Boston as the home of PAX East until 2023. The first international event was PAX Australia, first held July 19–21, 2013  ( 2013-07-19  – 2013-07-21 ) at the Melbourne Showgrounds . The following year, it moved to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre , where it remains. The first PAX South was held in San Antonio , Texas , at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on January 23–25, 2015. It set

400-458: A 2015 Pew survey, 6% of women in the United States identify as gamers, compared to 15% of men, and 48% of women and 50% of men play video games. Usage of the term "girl gamer" is controversial. Some critics have advocated use of the label as a reappropriated term , while others see it as non-descriptive or perpetuating the minority position of female gamers. Some critics of the term believe there

500-547: A LAN (Local Area Network) party, which is hosted at a home and involves family and friends, creating a social event for people-friendly with each other. LAN parties are often held in large-scale events conducted in public spaces and have a great number of participants who might not usually socialize. The Everquest Fan Faires for instance, provide weekends of socializing and playing, at a large gathering (an event of several thousand) of dedicated game fans. Terry Flew in his book Games: Technology, Industry, Culture also emphasizes

600-521: A PAX record for highest attendance for an inaugural year. But the event saw little growth in later years, and was cancelled in October 2021. From 2011 until 2020, Penny Arcade held PAX Dev, an annual event meant to allow the game developer community to "speak freely and focus entirely on their trade". Unlike other game-developer events like GDC , PAX Dev did not allow press. 750 people attended in 2011. At PAX South 2017, Penny Arcade and ReedPop announced that

700-456: A barter system or currency system. In some games, the interest in the virtual economies may be so great players will spend real money through auction sites like eBay for virtual property and items, commonly known as RMT (Real Market Trading). Some game developers may ban RMT in their games, especially when it interferes with the equity of the game. That being said, other game developers embrace it with one game, Second Life, with its entire focus on

800-457: A broader audience, simplify or remove aspects of gameplay in established genres and franchises. Compared to seminal titles like DOOM , more recent mass-market action games like the Call of Duty series are less sensitive to player choice or skill, approaching the status of interactive movies . The trend towards casual games is decried by some self-identified gamers who emphasize gameplay, meaning

900-498: A combination of those and other factors. There is no general consensus on the definitions or names of these categories, though many attempts have been made to formalize them. An overview of these attempts and their common elements follows. Professional gamers generally play video games for prize money or salaries. Usually, such individuals deeply study the game in order to master it and usually to play in competitions like esports . A pro gamer may also be another type of gamer, such as

1000-443: A description of the subculture of those who play video games. This not only includes gamers, players that frequently dedicate time and effort to playing video games, but also those players that participate less frequently and often through more casual games . Because of the interactive nature of video games, the video game culture differs from other subculture as there is interest not only in who plays video games (the demographics), but

1100-575: A gamer. As of 2019, the average gamer is 33 years old. A female gamer, or gamer girl or girl gamer, is any female who regularly engages in playing video games. According to a study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association in 2009, 40% of the game playing population is female, and women 18 or older comprise 34% of all gamers. Also, the percentage of women playing online had risen to 43%, up 4% from 2004. The same study shows that 48% of game purchasers are female. According to

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1200-484: A hardcore gamer, if he or she meets the additional criteria for that gamer type. In countries of Asia, particularly South Korea and China, professional gamers and teams are sponsored by large companies and can earn more than US$ 100,000 a year. In 2006, Major League Gaming contracted several Halo 2 players including Tom "Tsquared" Taylor and members of Team Final Boss with $ 250,000 yearly deals. Many professional gamers find that competitions are able to provide

1300-514: A homosexual and heterosexual identity. The two topics will always hold a big weight in the gaming industry. A retro gamer is a gamer who prefers to play, and enough collect, retro games —older video games and arcade games . They may also be called classic gamers or old-school gamers , which are terms that are more prevalent in the United States. The games can be played on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation , or on modern hardware via ports or compilations (though those 'in

1400-719: A large group of volunteers, which the show calls "Enforcers". Now a paid role, most Enforcers are still not professional conference organizers or temps, but rather selected from an application available to attendees on the PAX website. Gaming culture People who regularly play video games often identify as gamers , a term that can mean anything from players who only enjoy casual gaming , to passionate enthusiasts and professional gaming competitors. As video games become more social with multiplayer and online capability, gamers find themselves in growing social networks . Playing video games can both be entertainment as well as competition, as

1500-428: A liminal, hedonic food culture to be present among these socially connected actors. The commensal consumption of energy-dense low nutrient foods is considered to be appropriated during long stretches of gameplay to contribute to the community and hedonistic aspects of social gaming. The presence of rituals, shared discourse, collective action, and even a liminal food culture among video game communities gives credence to

1600-600: A multi-day event. In 2009, Penny Arcade partnered with ReedPOP. PAX Prime 2013, the first four-day PAX, was held on August 30 – September 2, 2013  ( 2013-08-30  – 2013-09-02 ) ; passes sold out in six hours. In 2010, the first PAX East was held at the Hynes Convention Center on March 26–28, 2010  ( 2010-03-26  – 2010-03-28 ) , drawing 52,290 attendees. The first PAX Prime drew 67,600 attendees in 2010. PAX East moved to Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in 2011;

1700-468: A mutual purpose (for example, a gaming-related interest or social group). The identity of being a gamer is partly self-determination and partly performativity of characteristics society expects a gamer to embody. These expectations include not only a high level of dedication to playing games, but also preferences for certain types of games, as well as an interest in game-related paraphernalia like clothing and comic books. According to Graeme Kirkpatrick ,

1800-517: A new event type, PAX Unplugged, would be held on November 17–19, 2017, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center . The event focused on tabletop games, a type that was only incidental in other PAXes. PAX was originally known as the "Penny Arcade Expo", but quickly became known by its acronym "PAX". Seattle's PAX was renamed PAX Prime in 2010 and PAX West in 2015. PAX consists of the following activities: Each PAX features an event called

1900-400: A novel way, to communicate and share life experiences with people regardless of where they live and form online relationships". Thus, such online communities satisfy a genuine need for affiliation with like-minded others. Online gaming has drastically increased the scope and size of video game culture. Online gaming grew out of games on bulletin board systems and on college mainframes from

2000-400: A number of generalizations of differences between how males and females play. Creating an avatar can be one of the first interaction that a potential player makes to identify themselves among the gaming community. An avatar, username, game name, alias, gamer tag, screen name, or handle is a name (usually a pseudonym ) adopted by a video gamer, often used as a main preferred identification to

2100-446: A prefix or suffix added to a name to identify that the gamer is in a clan. Clans are generally a group of gamers who play together as a team against other clans. They are most commonly found in online multi-player games in which one team can face off against another. Clans can also be formed to create loosely based affiliations perhaps by all being fans of the same game or merely gamers who have close personal ties to each other. A team tag

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2200-557: A public server . Clans would often do their recruiting this way; by noticing the best players on a particular server, they would send invitations for that player to either try out or accept membership in the clan. Gamers of all ages play online games, with an average age of 33. 'Clan'- or 'guild'-based play has since become an accepted (and expected) aspect of multiplayer video games, with several games offering cash-prize tournament-style competition to their players. Many clans and guilds also have active fan-bases, which, when combined with

2300-433: A show exclusively for gaming. The shows include a keynote speech from an industry insider, game-culture inspired concerts, panels on game topics, exhibitor booths from both independent and major game developers and publishers, a LAN party multiplayer , tabletop gaming tournaments, and video game freeplay areas. The first Penny Arcade Expo was held on August 28–29, 2004  ( 2004-08-28  – 2004-08-29 ) , at

2400-417: A space dominated by heterosexual men, the video game industry tends to cater to this particularly lucrative audience, producing video games that reflect the desires of the heterosexual male gaze . This lack of representation of diverse identities in video games has caused gamers who divert from the typical, dominant demographic to be relegated to the margins of the culture. This process is seen to perpetuate

2500-674: A substantial amount of money to support themselves. However, oftentimes, these popular gamers can locate even more lucrative options. One such option is found through online live streaming of their games. These gamers who take time out of their lives to stream make money from their stream, usually through sponsorships with large companies looking for a new audience or donations from their fans just trying to support their favorite streamer. Live streaming often occurs through popular websites such as Twitch and YouTube . Professional gamers with particularly large followings can often bring their fan bases to watch them play on live streams. An example of this

2600-413: A trend that works against the mainstream media's portrayal of players as isolated, usually adolescent boys hidden away in darkened bedrooms, failing to engage with the social world." He asserts that games are played in very social and public settings; for example computers and consoles are often played in living areas of domestic homes, where people play with family or friends. David Marshall argues against

2700-632: A video game, only 6% identify as gamers, compared to 15% of men who identify as gamers. This rises to 9% among women aged 18–29, compared to 33% of men in that age group. Half of female PC gamers in the U.S. consider themselves to be core or hardcore gamers. Connotations of "gamer" with sexism on the fringe of gaming culture has caused women to be less willing to adopt the label. Racial minorities responding to Pew Research were more likely to describe themselves as gamers, with 19% of Hispanics identifying as gamers, compared to 11% of African-Americans and 7% of whites . The competitive fighting game scene

2800-475: A way that can also lessen the pressure in the competitive scene. We are seeing a rapid increase in the young video game players wanting to be professional gamers instead of the "pro athlete". The career path of becoming a professional gamer is open for anyone any race, gender, and background. The gaming community now has developed at a much faster rate and now is being considered esports. These more serious gamers are professional gamers; they are individuals that take

2900-474: Is a group of players that form, usually under an informal 'leader' or administrator. Clans are often formed by gamers with similar interests; many clans or guilds form to connect an 'offline' community that might otherwise be isolated due to geographic, cultural or physical barriers. Some clans are composed of professional gamers , who enter competitive tournaments for cash or other prizes; most, however, are simply groups of like-minded players that band together for

3000-617: Is a prefix or suffix added to a name to identify that the gamer is in a team. Teams are generally sub-divisions within the same clan and are regarded within gaming circuits as being a purely competitive affiliation. These gamers are usually in an online league such as the Cyberathlete Amateur League (C.A.L.) and their parent company the Cyberathlete Professional League (C.P.L.) where all grouped players were labeled as teams and not clans. A clan , squad or guild

3100-493: Is a stereotypical discourse associated with the protagonist. This is seen in the case of males who assume the personas of the female gender, and the character's representation of her gender being overly sexualized and/or passive, '...this tends to perpetuate and accentuate existing stereotypes of.. women...' (Nakamura). Ownership of video game entities is a major issue in video game culture. On one side, players, especially those who played with avatars for several years, have treated

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3200-463: Is also inherently social, drawing upon Pierre Levy 's (Levy 1998) notion of collective intelligence . He states that the game relied upon an "unprecedented level of corroboration and collective intelligence to solve the game". The issue of collective and corroborative team play is essential to ARG, thus are anything but a solitary activity. Hans Geser further rejects the mainstream media view that video games as an anti-social activity, asserting "there

3300-545: Is an international multi-language video game television channel, managed by the former MTV Networks Europe managing director Michiel Bakker. There are also video game shows that appear on other channels, such as Spike TV , Fuel TV , and MTV. In Korea, there are two cable TV channels fully dedicated to video games, Ongamenet and MBCGame, broadcasting professional game leagues that are held in Korea. In Germany most shows and channels dedicated to video games were canceled, although

3400-401: Is considerable empirical evidence that Second Life serves mainly to widen the life experience of individuals who have already a rich 'First Life', not as a compensating device for marginal loners." Thus highlighting the "fantastic social possibilities of Second Life ", as the intangible reward of social belongingness is of paramount importance. Bray and Konsynski also argue the ability of

3500-426: Is driven in part by new hardware platforms. Expansion of the audience was catalyzed by Nintendo's efforts to reach new demographics . Market penetration of smartphones with gaming capabilities further expanded the audience, since in contrast to consoles or high-end PCs, mobile phone gaming requires only devices that non-gamers are likely to already own. While 48% of women in the United States report having played

3600-406: Is especially common among online games to encourage the use of neologisms for convenience in communication. Most video games contain certain language or communication familiar to game and its player base. Overall the gaming community has common phrases that are used universally. The two most common phrases are "noob", which relates to a player who is low in skill and that they are relatively new to

3700-482: Is no singular definition of a female gamer and that they are as diverse as any other group. However it is generally understood that the term "girl gamer" implies that it is a girl who plays video games. Shigeru Miyamoto says that "I think that first a game needs a sense of accomplishment. And you have to have a sense that you have done something, so that you get that sense of satisfaction of completing something." In April 2020, researchers found that top gamers shared

3800-407: Is noted as particularly racially diverse and tolerant. This is attributed to its origin in arcades, where competitors met face to face and the barrier to entry was merely a quarter . Only 4% of those aged 50 and over identified as gamers. Casualization is a trend in video games towards simpler games appealing to larger audiences, especially women or the elderly. Some developers, hoping to attract

3900-516: Is one that is flawed. Several studies have shown a correlation between violent content in media and aggressive behavior. At the same time other studies have shown evidence the connection between violent games and violent behavior is thin and unlikely. Fox News reported that Montreal shooting case in Canada was carried out by the criminal Kimveer Gill, who is a player of Super Columbine Massacre RPG! , whose narrative attaches with strong violence sense. On

4000-461: Is one that is predominantly male. A justification sometimes given for this is that while many women occasionally play games, they should not be considered "true" gamers because they tend to play games that are more casual and require fewer skills than men. This stereotype is perpetuated by the fact that at a professional level, most of the teams competing are composed of men, while female gamers of moderate skill are rendered invisible. The average gamer

4100-432: Is reaching equilibrium, according to a 2016 study showing that 59% of gamers are male and 41% female; but research has also shown that women are less likely to self-identify as gamers out of fear of stigmatization . As of 2011 ESA reported that 71% of people age six to forty-nine in the United States played video games, with 55% of gamers playing on their smartphones or mobile devices . The average age of players across

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4200-410: Is seen as a male player who is usually Caucasian. A study has shown 48% of game purchases are from female consumers, but in 2015 only 6% of women that are in the U.S. identify as a gamer. Ideas behind the word "girl gamer" tend to spark a contentious reaction, and the use of this name has been supported as a title that is seen as a reappropriated term . Besides the distinction of a "girl gamer" from

4300-488: Is shown through retired professional League of Legends player Wei "CaoMei" Han-Dong. Han-Dong had decided to retire from esports due to his ability to acquire substantially higher pay through live streaming. His yearly salary through the Battle Flag TV live streaming service increased his pay to roughly $ 800,000 yearly. Live streaming can be seen by many as a truly lucrative way for professional gamers to make money in

4400-631: Is someone who plays interactive games , either video games , tabletop role-playing games , skill-based card games , or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved into a profession for some, with some gamers routinely competing in games for money, prizes, or awards. In some countries, such as the US, UK, and Australia, the term "gaming" can refer to legalized gambling , which can take both traditional and digital forms, such as through online gambling . There are many different gamer communities around

4500-501: Is the YouTube show Game Two, financed by public-service broadcasting program funk and produced by the 24/7 online channel Rocket Beans TV, which is dedicated to video game, nerd and pop culture. A similar show was "Reload"; produced for the public-service channel EinsPlus until the channel was announced to close in 2014. The Franco-German TV network arte has a show dedicated to video game culture: Art of Gaming Gamer A gamer

4600-403: Is the connection between the player base and the game developers. Many game developers have outlets either through official website forums or social media where gamers can communicate with and provide feedback to the game developers. Likewise, these same places become key locations for game developers to communicate with their fans, were often dedicated employees act as liaisons as a bridge between

4700-401: Is there a huge divide between male and female counterparts in the gaming industry, but there also happens to be a great divide when it comes to sexual preference in the gaming world, especially when it comes to the professional gaming scene. Often, tech companies' privilege men's point of view over women's participation in tech and their consumption, which could be seen as vice versa for people of

4800-659: The Meydenbauer Center , and was attended by about 3,300 people. Renamed PAX, it became an annual event. Attendance grew rapidly, topping 9,000 in 2005 and 19,000 in 2006. Outgrowing the Meydenbauer Center, the event moved to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center , where it drew some 39,000 in 2007, 58,500 in 2008, 60,750 in 2009, and 70,000 in 2011. The show stopped reporting attendance numbers in 2011, citing difficulties in tracking attendance in

4900-430: The gameplay ( Dynamics ), and what emotional response they convey to the player ( Aesthetics ). The described esthetics are further classified as Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission. Jesse Schell extends this classification with Anticipation, Schadenfreude , Gift giving, Humour, Possibility, Pride, Purification, Surprise, Thrill, Perseverance and Wonder, and proposes

5000-522: The "Omegathon", a festival-long tournament consisting of a group of randomly selected attendees competing in a game bracket for a grand prize (which has varied from a large game bundle, to a trip to Japan, to a trip to any PAX in the world). The final round of the Omegathon makes up part of the closing ceremonies of PAX. Past games for the final round of the Omegathon have included Tetris , Pong , Halo 3 , and skee-ball . Early PAXes were largely run by

5100-436: The "true gamer" is concerned first and foremost with gameplay . The Escapist founder Alexander Macris says a gamer is an enthusiast with greater dedication to games than just playing them, similar in connotation to " cinemaphile ". People who play may not identify as gamers because they feel they do not play "enough" to qualify. Social stigma against games has influenced some women and minorities to distance themselves from

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5200-727: The 'tournament' aspect, contribute to turning clan-based gaming into a semi-professional sport. Clans also allow players to assist each other in simulated combat and quests in-game advancement, as well as providing an online family for friendly socializing. From Quake, online video games grew beyond first-person shooters and have impacted every genre. Real-time strategy , racing games , card games, sports games can all be played online. Online gaming has spread from its initial computer roots to console video games as well. Today, every major video game console available offers degrees of online gaming, some limited by particular titles, some even offer up entire virtual communities. Like other cultures,

5300-454: The 1970s and 1980s. MUDs offered multiplayer competition and cooperation, but on a scope more geographically limited than on the Internet. The Internet allowed gamers from all over the world – not just within one country or state – to play games together with ease. With the advent of Cloud Gaming high-performance games can now be played from low-end client systems and even TVs. One of

5400-641: The 1990s, video game playing was mostly seen as sub-culture hobby activity and as a substitute for physical sports. However, in its early history video gaming had occasionally caught the attention of the mainstream news outlets. In 1972, Pong became the first video game pop-culture phenomenon. This was followed by Pac-Man in 1980. Other video games labeled as pop-culture phenomena include Final Fantasy , Halo , Metal Gear , The Legend of Zelda , Tomb Raider , Grand Theft Auto , Call of Duty , World of Warcraft , Fortnite , Street Fighter , Mortal Kombat , Pokémon , Guitar Hero , Sonic

5500-536: The 2009 survey kept detail of the content that Gaymers would find to be normalized in video games . Staying the topic of ideas behind gaming and the relationship with the LGBTQ community, it has been noted that video games are starting to develop more characters and depictions of members from this specific community. Some of the topics of these specific LGBTQ-friendly video games include such ideas as coming out stories and queer relationships. These games are also providing

5600-557: The Hedgehog , and the Mario games. As video games grew in popularity, controversies and arguments around games arose, spanning back to 1971. When Mortal Kombat debuted, particularly with its home video game console released on the Genesis and Super NES platforms; due to the media's outrage regarding the game's violent content, strict content guidelines, the system's version of Mortal Kombat

5700-697: The Online Gaming Communities ;– "where players aren't physically located in the same space, but still socializing together". This raises the notion of McLuhan's " Global Village ", as people can transcend their physical limitations and communicate with people, possessing a similar interest, from all around the world. Shapiro also stresses the possibility of "Using technology to enhance one's social life", as friendships no longer have to be structured by physical proximity (e.g. neighbors, colleagues). Shapiro states that "the net (Online Gaming Communities) allows individuals to extend their social network in

5800-545: The United States as of 2018, 28% of gamers are under 18, 29% are 18–35, 20% are 36-49 and 23% are over 50. In the UK as of 2014, 29% are under 18, 32% are 18-35 and 39% are over 36. According to Pew Research Center , 49% of adults have played a video game at some point in their life and those who have are more likely to let their children or future children play. Those who play video games regularly are split roughly equally between male and female, but men are more likely to call themselves

5900-507: The United States, where it became associated with other pastimes. In the US, they made their appearance as wargames . Wargames were originally created as a military and strategy tool. When Dungeons & Dragons was released, it was originally marketed as a wargame, but later was described by its creators as a role-playing game . They called their players gamers and this is where the word changed definition from someone who gambles to someone who plays board games and/or video games . In

6000-418: The activities that one undertakes in a game. According to Brendan Keogh, these are inherently masculine activities such as fighting and exerting dominance. He further says that games women prefer are more passive experiences, and male gamers deride the lack of interactivity in these games because of this association with femininity. Belying these trends, games including The Sims or Minecraft have some of

6100-460: The appeal of the "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game" lie in the idea of escapism, and the ability to assume the role of someone or something that is a fantasy in real life. He notes that '...for some women, [they] enjoy adopting what they feel to be an image of femininity more acceptable or desirable than their real-world body...' This is what he calls "identity tourism", a form of hopping from one person to another, for which there usually

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6200-597: The avatars as their property. On the other hand, publishers claim ownership of all in-game items and characters through the EULA (End User License Agreements). Terry Flew recognized this problem: "Intellectual property is much better suited to conventional 'texts' that are fixed or finished, rather than ongoing collaborative creations like games". He also highlights that these issues will only worsen; as more interactive games emerging, issues of regulation, ownership, and service will only get more problematic. A source of criticism that

6300-479: The average everyday gaming much more seriously and profit from how they perform. Although the LGBTQ+ gamers are starting to make more of a mark in the gaming world, there are still many disadvantages to this process. Homophobia in the gaming world does tend to take a toll on the problem of an equally shared gaming experience. This is both an issue within the games industry and many areas of the games culture. The brings back

6400-490: The case for the female gamer. Because women in video game culture are often ostracized by their male gamer counterparts, female gamers are frequently forced to conceal their gender, only participating in video game culture when they can remain anonymous. When concealing their identities, female gamers try to change their voice when talking online, they will play as a male character instead of a female character followed by some kind of masculine name. When it comes to working into

6500-466: The community has developed a gamut of slang words or phrases that can be used for communication in or outside of games. Due to their growing online nature, modern video game slang overlaps heavily with Internet slang , as well as Leetspeak , with many words such "pwn", as well as "noob", being direct carry-overs from Leetspeak. There are terms to describe video game events, game genres, gamer demographics, strategies, specific events, situations, and more. It

6600-424: The company and the community. Some of the most advanced networks take place with massively-multiplayer online gaming where servers of tens of thousands can be present simultaneously in the same instance or environment. In major titles such as World of Warcraft and League of Legends , the player base is in the millions. With so many people, many of these communities may develop virtual economies that may use

6700-525: The concept of these cohorts existing as self-defining sub-units within mainstream culture. However, due to the ephemeral and transient nature of their rituals, and also the possibility of virtual interaction through online participation, these cohorts should be considered 'postmodern subcultures'. Video game communities have social elements beyond physical interaction and have come to a stage where online and offline spaces can be seen as 'merged' rather than separate. Terry Flew (2005)(p. 264) suggests that

6800-516: The content was highly appreciated by the video game audience. There was one digital cable and satellite channel with a focus on video games, which was closed in 2009: GIGA Television . Some of the hosts also did their show Game One dedicated to games on the German MTV channel until canceled 2014. The show is quite famous for their sketches on games and video game culture in Germany. The unofficial successor

6900-471: The culture of video games as a whole. Games are also advertised on different TV channels, depending on the age demographic they are targeting. Games targeted toward kids and young teenagers are advertised on Disney Channel , Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon , while games targeted toward older teenagers and adults are advertised on MTV, G4 , Comedy Central and in NFL Network . From the 1970s through even

7000-862: The freedom of the Internet's architecture, users can become producers of the technology and shapers of the growing networks. Compared to past eras where consumers had little means of communication with game developers and other communities beyond their geographical location, the Internet has created many methods of communication such as through the online bulletin board website, Reddit . Gamers can often develop sub-communities in-game clans and may use third party VOIP programs to communicate while playing games such as Skype , Ventrillo , TeamSpeak or Discord . These video game communities may have nothing in common, or instead be designed for dedicated, skilled players, or even clans made for those with shared commonalities such as personality, ethnicity, heritage, language or gender. Another key component of many video game networks

7100-736: The game, mobile gamers have turned to social media sites to recruit their friends and family. Some games even offer integrated social media support to provide players with in-game chat or "friends" features for communicating and competing with other players. A large number of mobile game players has led to the creation of devoted forums, blogs, and tip sites similar to those committed to console video games. Popular video game publications, like Ars Technica and TouchArcade are even beginning to give significant coverage to mobile games. There has been much debate among media theorists as to whether video games are an inherently social or anti-social activity. Terry Flew argues that digital games are "increasingly social,

7200-400: The game. The other phrase is "lol", which means "laughing out loud", this phrase is also used outside of gaming. There are also phrases that players use before and at the end of their matches. The abbreviation of "GL HF" is seen at the start meaning, "good luck, have fun". Then at the end, whether people win or lose, players use "GG", meaning "good game" to their opponents. A popular abbreviation

7300-401: The gaming community. Usage of user names is often most prevalent in games with online multiplayer support, or at electronic sport conventions. While some well-known gamers only go by their online handle, a number have adopted to using their handle within their real name typically presented as a middle name , such as Tyler "Ninja" Blevins or Jay "sinatraa" Won . Similarly, a clan tag is

7400-400: The gaming culture created and uses is "AFK". This means "away from keyboard", and is used when a player is not using their keyboard or controller and are not paying attention. The shift from console-based or "shrink-wrap" video games to online games has allowed online games and massively-multiplayer online gaming today to develop highly advanced and comprehensive communication networks. With

7500-669: The globe is mid- to late 20s, and is increasing as older players grow in numbers. One possible reason for the increase in players could be attributed to the growing number of video game genres that require less of a specific audience. For example, the Wii console has widened its audience with games such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit , both requiring more physical activity from the user and provide more reasons to play including family competition or exercise. It could also be because people who played video games when they were young are now growing older but still retain that interest in games. Currently,

7600-437: The hobby' tend toward original hardware and emulation). A number of taxonomies have been proposed which classify gamer types and the aspects they value in games. The Bartle taxonomy of player types classifies gamers according to their preferred activities within the game: The MDA framework describes various aspects of the game regarding the basic rules and actions ( Mechanics ), how they build up during game to develop

7700-400: The largest entertainment industry for children is gaming . According to a 2008 telephone survey with a sample size of 1,102 respondents, 97% of children living in the United States and between the ages of 12 and 17 play video games. Video games are played in a variety of social ways, which often involve domestic gatherings or even in public places. A popular method of accomplishing this is

7800-533: The media, the games industry and by gamers themselves. The issue was brought to wider attention as a result of the 2014 Gamergate harassment campaign , in which some gamers, under the pretense of calling out ethical issues in game journalism, harassed and threatened several female developers and those that supported the developers. The hashtag #GamerGate was initially used in support of gaming community however it soon led to online harassment for women, especially women game developers. Video game culture has long been

7900-652: The most groundbreaking titles in the history of online video games is Quake , which offered the ability to play with sixteen and eventually up to thirty-two players simultaneously in a 3D world. Gamers quickly began to establish their organized groups, called clans . Clans established their own identities, their marketing, their form of internal organization, and even their looks. Some clans had friendly or hostile rivalries, and there were often clans who were allied with other clans. Clan interaction took place on both professionally set competition events, and during normal casual playing where several members of one clan would play on

8000-406: The option of character creation with different forms of gender expression along with more LGBTQ romance options. One example of these games in the LGBTQ+ realm of dating would be Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator , released in 2017. The game had many queer individuals debating, but the overall representation of the game was applauded by many LGBTQ+ people due to its accurate presentation and

8100-421: The other hand, some people who hold social determinism theory assert technology is neutral, but it is the way that humans manipulate technology which brings about its social impact. With the changing demographics of video game creators and players, issues related to women and video games , including sexism in video gaming and gender representation in video games , have received increased attention by academia,

8200-478: The presence of gamers who do not identify as heterosexual. For instance, it has been shown by past research that the LGBT Q+ community maintains a notable presence within video game culture. For LGBTQ+ gamers, video games provide an alternate reality in which there is the opportunity for sexual expression, identity formation, and community building. Such communities indicate the development of diverse subcultures within

8300-537: The public often aims at in video games is the violence that they contain. Terry Flew relates this back to the idea of ' moral panic ' . He writes that through research the 'computer games cause violence' discussion is mainly focused on psychology. The idea is influenced after horrible shooting events that took place, with the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999 being an example. Flew says that assuming this idea, of cause and effect behavior of video games,

8400-402: The relation of violent behavior with playing video games, stating "the answer is unclear." Due to Grand Theft Auto 's extreme violence and mature themes, the games throughout the years would create a variety of different controversies. The first video game TV show was GamePro TV . The first television channel dedicated to video games and culture, G4 , was launched in 2002. However, over

8500-732: The rich source of "effects" based research, finding that games are "deliberating and anti-social forms of behavior". Rather suggesting that "the reality of most games is that they are dynamically social – the elaborate social conversations that emerge from playing games online in massive multi-player formats" ( MMOG ). Exemplifying ' The Sims Online ', he states "has built up entire political and social structures in given communities' that provide an elaborate game life for participants". Gamers in these online worlds participate in many-to-many forms of communication and one-to-one correspondence. The games are not only massive; they are also "intimate and social". Gosney argues that alternate reality gaming

8600-417: The same mental toughness as Olympian athletes . Escapism is a major factor in why individuals enjoy gaming. This idea of being in another world while gaming has become very common with gamers, these video games create a new world where these gamers feel they fit in and can control what is going on . Gaming is a form of escapism, Hideo Kojima states that "If the player isn't tricked into believing that

8700-497: The social interactions and collective behaviors of consumers involved in the activity. Contemporary investigations have found that there is a prevailing social framework in place during gatherings of video game enthusiasts or 'gamers'. Mäyrä (2008, p. 25) suggests that gamers who gather together to play possess a shared language, engage in collective rituals and are often interested in cultural artifacts such as video game paraphernalia. Cronin and McCarthy (2011) have also explored

8800-435: The stereotypical image of the geeky, heterosexual male gamer as the ruler of the video game world. Contrary to popular belief, there are a multitude of communities within video game culture that do not fulfill the typical gamer stereotype however they lack visibility. One reason could be many people do not want to reveal their association with video game culture out of fear of stigmatization. Past research has shown this to be

8900-589: The technology "to enrich their lives", as most Millennials report: "No difference between friendships developed in the real world vs. friendships developed online, and most use the Internet to maintain their social networks and plan their social activities". The advent of video games gave an innovative media technology, that allowed consumers to archive, annotate, appropriate and recirculate media content. Consumers can use this media source as an alternative tool to gain access to information of their interest. The community aspect of video gaming has also had implications for

9000-420: The term "gamer", even though they may play regularly. Games are stereotypically associated with young males, but the diversity of the audience has been steadily increasing over time. This stereotype exists even among a majority of women who play video games regularly. Among players using the same category of device (e.g., console or phone), patterns of play are largely the same between men and women. Diversity

9100-408: The thought of importance for increasing LGBTQ representation in games, especially with such events as GaymerX. There is a study called the online roulette survey that shows that queer gamers are at a disadvantage financially for the fact that the highest earning professional gamers in the LGBTQ+ community bring in less money than popular heterosexual professional gamers. This highlights that not only

9200-402: The trend known as electronic sports or esports has become more widely accepted. Video game-focused gaming conventions such as PAX and MAGFest have become popular social-gathering events among computer enthusiasts since early 21st century, and gaming system reviews and gameplay streamings have become significant part of the geek culture . Video game culture is broadly considered

9300-480: The types of video games they play, and how they play them. The concept that video games had its own subculture was first suggested in 1996, but became more predominate as an area of academic study since the 2010s. As of 2016 , the average age for a video game player is 31, a number slowly increasing as people who were children playing the first arcade , console and home computer games continue playing and adopting newer systems. The gender distribution of gamers

9400-494: The usage of real-life currency for everything in the game world. Since smartphones became commonplace around 2007, mobile video games have seen rapid increases in popularity. The widespread appeal of simple, "time-killing" games, reminiscent of "social games" such as those found on Facebook, has set the stage for mobile video games to account for almost 35% of video games' total market share by 2017. Because games such as Clash of Clans offer in-game bonuses for referring new players to

9500-504: The video game development industry, there is a small minority of women within these industries. In 2021, a worldwide survey found that 30% of game developers were women and 8% of game developers did not identity as either man or woman. The reason for this may be partly caused by the lack of encouragement to pursue an education in this field, a negative work environment, or stereotypical barriers. Additionally, dominant perceptions of gamers as asocial, straight, white men are also challenged by

9600-496: The way that it provided comfort to people of many sexualities. Having more of these gender- and sexuality-friendly games is providing LGBTQ+ members with a safe space to feel welcome and explore their queerness in a more confident manner. It is common for games media, games industry analysts, and academics to divide gamers into broad behavioral categories. These categories are sometimes separated by level of dedication to gaming, sometimes by primary type of game played, and sometimes by

9700-406: The world is real, then there's no point in making the game." Two highly controversial issues surrounding the gaming world in today's day and age are ideas of gender roles and LGBTQ+ involvement in the gaming industry. It is first important to understand the difference between men and women in the world of gaming. Although roughly the same number of men and women play games, the stereotype of a gamer

9800-517: The world. Since the advent of the Internet, many communities take the form of Internet forums or YouTube or Twitch virtual communities , as well as in-person social clubs . In 2021, there were an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe. The term gamer originally meant gambler , and has been in use since at least 1422, when the town laws of Walsall , England, referred to "any dice-player, carder, tennis player, or other unlawful gamer". However, this description has not been adopted in

9900-438: The years, the channel has moved away from video game shows, and more towards male-oriented programs. X-Play , one of the channel's most popular shows and the highest-rated video game review show, is still produced at G4 until it was bought by Esquire Magazine, who decided to cease X-Play and focus less on the video game oriented audience of G4 and go with their traditional, more general male audience of their magazine. Ginx TV

10000-527: Was substantially re-worked to remove any 'extreme' violence, turning the blood green and giving the game a rating of mature. 1993's Doom caused quite a stir, with its detailed 3D graphics and copious amounts of blood and gore. In response to these issues, the ESRB was established to help customers make informed decisions regarding the game content's appropriateness. In the 1999 Columbine shootings , violent video games came under fire with politicians questioning

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