Gaming :: The Sub-Culture

[GodKid]

Hey,

Seeing Sy-Nova and that GATT guy that likes the cultural aspect of the gaming world I decided I would begin a thread dedicated to the varying theses surrounding gaming as a "lifestyle."

A couple rules for this discussion:
1 - Every man is entitled to his own opinion. (if you don't like it.. argue/debate it .. DO NOT belittle the man or his ideas)

2 - All the rules of the board apply (of course :P)

[GodKid]

I guess I'll start it off...

To be honest/frank the extreme gamer/hardcore gamer will find that Jamaica and MOST of the Caribbean simply cannot be his home.

Currently, in examining the countries where the HARDEST core gamers are found versus other cultures I find that hard core gaming can ony take place in the face of an economy which allows a culture of excess or luxury. The archetypal developed nation is therefore quite equipped to play host to hardcore gamers, but talented game enthusiasts in developing and worst yet thirld world nations are doomed to stagnation if they remain.

A gaming culture can only be realized with the following in place:

- Governing body(ies) to regulate the actions of the members
- Corporate sponsors
- An economy and national culture which allows for gaming hours to replace work hours. That is, I don't see an economy where the individual MUST do a 9-5 accomodating the a) a wage structure and b) welfare policies that will allow the gamer to spend more than 20 hours a week (a that's a gracious figure) practicing his art.


So.. will hardcore gaming be a reality in the Third World?

I don't think so. I think that through the creation of a network of gaming enthusiasts we may be able to attract sponsorship and adequately fulfill requirements 1 and 2 as outlined... BUT so long as our economy relegates us to Third World classification/.. then I believe that the most that will happen is a "game-brain drain" - with the best finding more lucrative opportunities OUTSIDE the geographic boundaries of our little congregation of islands.

Don't agree with me? If you're past the age of 18 and have to work (yuh parents nah cover fi yuh no more) Ask yourselves how many hours of the week you play... then compare it to 40 hours a week being the reduced time for a hardcore gamer like Sy-Nova

[GodKid]

i thought at LEAST one gamer out there would've challenged this by now...

is it that we REALLY have no hope? Then what's the GAJ/GATT for? and does it make sense to continue?

Dudes.. before we can form a body with a mission we ALL have to believe the mission is possible!

come on y'all....

[Kayode]

Well...and this is where the contention might start, but...

Harcore gamers don't necesarily need money to feed their gaming needs. Piracy...piracy is alive and well in Trinidad at least. I don't know how it is in Jamaica.

Check this article here. Things have gotten bigger in the few years since the story was written, btw.

Either way, Playstation modding has brought hardcore gaming to the masses, so to speak. You can get a Playstation game for $20 now...that's less than KFC three-piece or a movie at our fancier multiplex. A PS2 game is about $40. X-Box games are the same thing.

The main problem is actually getting the console. From there it's a free ride basically.

Same goes for PC gaming. Of course, building and maintaining a PC is much, much more expensive, which is why PC gaming is still a small niche down here.
But console gaming is widespread.

Anyway, all this points to the "plenty games" aspect of hardcore gaming being much more prevalent than you might think. In Trinidad of course.


(I mentioned "contention" because I don't how morally opposed anyone here is to piracy. Either way, it exists and it's booming.)

[Kayode]

As for the culture itself...a culture doesn't need a governing body. A culture just happens more or less.

The gaming culture down here started in the arcades (which are more or less dying now) and grew when those kids who played Street Fighter became adults who could afford PCs and consoles, and it will be perpetuated when those adults give their own kids games to play. Ask Baego...it's a topic he knows intimately.

I don't think we need a "governing body" (what can we "govern"?) as much as a place that people recognise and can turn to to find other gamers. That organisation can govern itself, but the most it can do about the culture of gaming is keep up.

[Sy-Nova]

I agree. It is not neccessary for a body to be supported by complete strangers. This is the reason so many organizations have failed. They are Ill-marketed and the people they ask for sponsorship have no immediate love or interest in the sport. The key to this key is to use companies that gain direct benefits, for instance, if there is a flyer going around saying professional video gamers for international team needed at the national stadium on friday etc. etc. too many people would show up. Then a team is chosen and that team is sponsored by say that rip-off store "Watts New" or a store like "Royale Computers" then they would get a benefit. Lets say we make gears like gaming gloves with a cool logo on it and make it exclusive to that store, or better yet have our own store with membership card and stuff, dont you think it would work? How about a used game depot or an official trade system where we manage game and gear trades without the conventional rip-off we faced as kids then it would be feasable. Import games straight from the U.S with a return if not sold policy like EB Games have with sum of its suppliers. They can ship it we sell it less than everyone else but still above buying price and we have a lucrative business on demand. The U.S and Russian Federation started off with a used game store and international trading. Hell, we gotta treat this like a crack ho lookin for that last fix.

[GATT]

You make a good point GodKid.

Kayode has verved off the meat of the issue but I will attempt to get back on track.

Let us throw the word "need" out of the conversation immediately.

Gaming is a luxury, a "want". We don't need a match of Counterstrike to keep us alive. That much

is understood. So for this to thrive, it means many citizens must be pre-disposed to a life

of luxury.

The Third World, by definition is at a great disadvantage in this regard. A lot more of our

people will be struggling to achieve more important goals like adequate clothing, housing,

transportation, education, etc...

Luckily there are quite a few of us that don't have to worry about where our next meal is coming

from. The fact that we are having this conversation on an electronic bulletin board is testament

to this. Putting food on the table is not an issue for enough caribbean people that we can still

enjoy some measure of luxury.

Add to that, We have our share of well-to-do's and "big shots". People who have enough money in the bank and

a consistent income to worry less about such things and focus a bit more on esoteric past times.

Also, we have a pretty strong foreign presence on the island. Enough expatriates with families

that pretty much live in the lap of luxury.

Icing on top of this cake, we are fortunate to have a society where foreign influence

is a big factor. So a good number of even the lowest rung of our social pyramid strive for a

lifestyle of the "rich and famous". They will take their extra cash and sit down to some games,

anime, movies on a weekend rather than invest that towards a house or something more

constructive.

Altogether, this makes for a solid environment for gaming and a gaming related industry.

I will be so bold to say that we have already achieved, in Trinidad a viable gaming community

that a hard core gamer can feel comfortable being a part off. The events and facilities are such

that you won't be leaving the island for lack thereof.

As for the financials, we have, as of this moment, hard core gamers who earn a living off of

this. Not in the traditional way mind you, not by winning tournaments every weekend. No sir, they are paid for running the very establishments that houses the gaming associations and it's membership. Digital Entertainment Centers.

This is the way of the future. It has replaced what arcades were in the days of old and it promises an environment where young and old a like can come together and enjoy the latest and greatest in digital entertainment. Console, Arcade and PC gaming being the biggest aspect of this with movies and anime playing a lesser role.

In this regard, "we done reach". Hard Core Gamers have a home in the caribbean. Trinidad for starters, Jamaica soon to follow...then we gonna drag Barbados in ah dis and the rest of the caribbean. 1st World has nothing on us, save a bigger market.

[Sy-Nova]

Fo shizzle! nothing but a larger market and stronger dollars, doesnt mean we are not more dedicated though.As for me I cant see myself living without games,it has graduated for me into a stress reliever, sanity control and fun factor, plus it keeps my brain active and complex.Luxury maybe not but not open to all walks of life yet. For the past two years I have been donating my older systems and games to an inner city community in kingston in collaboration with a school in its area. They have an agreement with work and play balance. I service the games free of cost,sometimes the other guys go down and put on exhibitions for the kids, and they are really good. Some of them mainly a 13 year old named damion doesn't like reading, so I loaned an RPG to the centre and taught him how to get started. Grandia on the dreamcast is a pretty good game for beginners,i've found, now he reads to complete the game and I am pretty proud. Its no big deal but I know how it feels to not be understood, and to feel like everyone else has stuff and I dont. I'm sorry if I've gotten a bit soft but I am happy I could do something,will you? I have been asking for hard drives not for myself, I've already got mine, I wanted them so I could load Xbox games to them, damn man I refuse to afford brand new cd's, when I've been modifying games for years(disclaimer:views of modification expressed by myself are in no way affiliated with GAJ or any other organization).

[GATT]

lol @ no hope

Come on GodKid, with a name like that, you need a lil more faith.

lol @ continue...it's already finished. Don't know if you noticed....but you already ARE the GAJ.

lol @ mission being possible....the mission goal has already been accomplished. Caribbean gamers is a reality. Hard Core gamers exist right here, right now. (You're talking to one)

As for the governing bodies....everything worth anything has a governing body. Surely you don't need a governing body for some guys to run about on a field on a sunday and kick a pig skin ball all over the place....but one exists. Hell, if they do their job right they can even turn that into a national icon.

Ever heard of the Super Bowl? Or NBA play offs? These guys pretty much pioneer and drive the culture of their respective sports. Not vice versa.

Closer to home, the WICB, CONCACAF, FIFA (a VP lives in Trinidad), NCAA and the list goes on.

Whether it be Table Tennis, Cricket or Wining scantily clad in the streets...a governing body exists. Talking tournaments? Sponsorship? You're talking governing body.

Generally, it is a good thing if you can get a bunch of good people to bring some positive progressive focus to any sort of activity. That is precisely what we set out to do in Trinidad and by the grace of God we have achieved just that.

The key, GOOD people...exorcise the bad apples asap and GAJ is destined for similar success.

The caribbean as a whole, matter of fact.

Expect some growing pains and issues. Be wary of unscrupulous business men and self serving individuals that will try to shake things up a bit. That is par for the course. The secret? Keep focused on fun. Don't let it become "work". This is recreation, sport. Keep it that way and all will be well.

[GodKid]

- trust me Baego.. there is so MUCH hope you'd be surprised..


You see the main reason for pointing out the above wasn't to discourage anyone, but to draw the challenges into the open. OF COURSE i think there's hope and purpose, otherwise I wouldn't be pushing this so!

I've been selling the idea of the GAJ to ALL the gamers I come across and more and more people and gaming centers are buying into it wholesale! BUT i think we as a body though looking to sky need to keep our feet on the ground, and reconcile within ourselves that yes there are challenges but we will continue nonetheless...

The GAJ is ALREADY a reality.. the GATT has proven that we're in it for the long haul.. and Barbados.. I've been coming across signs that there's already a move afoot there as well...

I can see it now... at the Make Something Unreal Tournament in the next couple o years the announcers going... "Those damn West Indians!" while we take home the million USD ;D ;D

whhoooooo hooo!!