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Gamers Healthy & Insane

A look at some mainstream stories hitting the headlines

Posted by SmellyMoss on Jan 6th 2009 11:25

Two stories have popped up over the last week that have not helped the image of gamers... at all.

1. Blizzard Reports Suicide Threat, Teen Arrested

Summary: A 17 year old American threatened to kill himself while chatting with a Blizzard representative online. Police were called in. Teen told police it was only a joke.

Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha HA. What a hilarious joke! Idiot.

2. Teen Sucks At Gaming, Torches Warehouse

Summary: A 15 year old South Korean's gaming session, "did not go well." He takes out his frustration by setting a warehouse on fire.

Teen angst sucks. Get over it you selfish little turd.

What are these kids thinking? Obviously, they're just not. I mean, getting pissed off with a company rep because their product is frustrating you is one thing but threatening to kill yourself to get what you want? Come on.

I feel tremendously sorry for this kid, chiefly due to him being a seventeen-year-old dick and loser already. If he's pulling stunts like this at seventeen, who knows what he's going to be like at twenty. He's got three more years to lose even more of his soul to WoW. Sure, he did tell police that it was a joke so perhaps he isn't all crazy but he's still a dick. Telling some poor sap who's paid in shrapnel that you're going to kill yourself is beyond selfish. No need to explain why.

I'm just glad that the Blizzard employee called the police, the kid was arrested and that this story received media attention. Just goes to show kids, don't go threatening suicide because you're loser and a dick.

Second up, boy sets fire to Warehouse. All I can really do is laugh at this as I can't even image what this kid was thinking. If the majority of us suck at a game (and I am awful at most), we just throw something and yell, "bullshit!" We don't set fire to buildings.

However, this was in Korea. A place where the internet is equal to heroine. It's not unfathomable for people to fall seriously ill or even die from playing games there. In fact, I would argue that setting a building on fire and causing a few thousand pounds worth of damage is much better than threatening to kill yourself. At least no one would have to go through the emotional rollercoaster of having the fate of another persons life in their hands.

3. The virtual battle of the sexes

Summary: Now for a positive gaming story! BBC News recently published an article by Tamsin Osborne which took a look at common stereotypes in MMO games. Here are some of the stats that the article highlighted from a recent EverQuest II survey:

Female players now make up about 40% of the gaming population.
Most hardcore players are female.
Gamers are healthier than average.
Game playing is an increasingly social activity.

I'll keep my comments short and sweet - nope, probably, ha and definitely. I can believe that most girls who game are hardcore gamers because all the girls I know who game are... hardcore gamers. Girls don't just pick a controller and play for a few minutes for fun. Boys know that. Hence why most guys hide their games console or hardcore gaming mouse pad until the fifth or sixth date.

There is absolutely no way that I can believe that gamers are healthier than average. What I can believe is that most gamers are under the age of 30, therefore still have enough energy to partake in the occasional slice of physical exercise. Maybe some play footie or rugby on the weekend, go for a swim, or a run once in a while.

Game playing is a social activity. No one could convince me otherwise. The only part of the article that really seemed to reek of ridiculousness was the 40% of gamers are girls stat.

I leave you with these final thoughts. When Bub posted a link to the article in the ED staff forum, the conversation went like this...

On female players now making up about 40% of the gaming population:

J3Di - "Yeah maybe females make up about 8% of game players but old-fat-men make up 95% of female-based avatars in game."

On gamers being healthier than average:

Icarus - "That statement flabbergasts me where do they get this shit from, more healthy than the average what? Gamers are probably the most unhealthy sleep deprived poor diet socially inept people on the planet. You only have to take one look at an I series to think your in an NHS waiting room with the lights out."

MooBie - "Sorry but I disagree, I look around an i series event and see many healthy gamers, more so than unhealthy. At these events yes many people drink crap and eat crap but I would say there are people doing far worse on the average high street at the weekends. Believe it or not the majority get more exercise at an i series than you would have got at home due to doing activities with friends and general observing etc!"

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Comments

.Icarus. said: (Jan 06 2009 at 11:50:59 GMT)

I R Famous but in all honesty gamers are more healthy than the average person..... What has gaming got to do with improved health Wii Fit? Crock of poo

Bub said: (Jan 06 2009 at 14:17:45 GMT)

Bit of Master Chief rage against Bungie should be posted here...

Schu11ers said: (Jan 06 2009 at 18:01:49 GMT)

Icarus - even though you are part man/part Mountain God, everytime I've seen you in the last 2 years you've had a cold, so CSS can't be that healthy!

#1 lol.

.Icarus. said: (Jan 06 2009 at 20:05:52 GMT)

Keep getting Scottish aids when I go to the northern command:D

Mauser said: (Jan 07 2009 at 15:52:25 GMT)

40% of gamers are female? Really? I've come across a few in my time but nowhere near 40%. It is a male dominated activity. That being said, I do know a lot of 'closet females' - females who do not wish others to know that they are female for fear of ridicule, the obligatory chat-ups from pre-pubescent teens, or from exclusion (as many lads have this pre-conceived idea that girls can't play games).

<------- Mother of 2 1/2 kids. Quite happy to play with the big boys ;)

Waylander said: (Jan 07 2009 at 16:21:44 GMT)

Southern softie

Slim_nathie said: (Jan 07 2009 at 17:07:08 GMT)

Perhaps if the gaming statistic takes in all those games which are lame...Such as GemMine (every receptionist girl plays this), virtual pet society or whatever on Facebook/MSN games, than i could believe the 40% stat. i dont think those games/ flash games should count anyway. At a push maybe 20% female. They must all be playing the crap games though, cos I dont see them around much on the decent ones.

Quote: "...Hence why most guys hide their games console or hardcore gaming mouse pad until the fifth or sixth date." <--this made me laugh, is it is very true. Reminds me of Several years ago; I once shamelessly lied to a gf who I had begun to see as a gf, that i couldnt meet her 1 night as I had other important family plans that I couldnt specificly mention....the other plans was a match in the first ever ED CS 1.6 cup....we lost. So not worth staying in for!! - relationship didnt last long, and I never told her of the counter strike obsession.

huGmach1ne said: (Jan 07 2009 at 19:37:40 GMT)

Though that rating of 40% is from the EverQuest, not in general, who knows how many girls play there! I certainly don't!

Slim_nathie said: (Jan 08 2009 at 15:03:09 GMT)

oh yes well spotted...i missed that part about it being for EQ...that explains a bit. I used to have a workmate several years ago that played EQ.

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