User:MattBru/Video game culture

Definition

Video game culture is broadly considered 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 the types of video games they play, and how they play them.

Video games have created a culture around the field, in a subculture of more than just playing games. The culture is not limited to just those who play them and the games. Video game culture now includes the casual gamer who plays less often. With the rise of interactivity of the video game world there are many different interests. These subcultures now involve who plays which game, how they play them, what games contain and also their influence in popular culture.

Slang and Terminology

While most games have specific terms that a dedicated player base use, some of the most prevalent phrases across all communities include abbreviations such as "lol," meaning "laughing out loud" as well as "noob," which is a derogatory term for a new or unskilled player. Another popular term that stemmed from the video game community is the abbreviation "AFK," meaning "away from the keyboard," to refer to people who are not at the computer or paying attention. Other common abbreviations include "GL HF," which stands for "good luck, have fun," which is often said at the beginning of a match to show good sportsmanship. Likewise, at the end of a game, "GG" or "GG WP" may be said to congratulate the opponent, win or lose, on a "good game, well played."

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 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". The at the end, whether people win or lose, players use "GG", meaning "good game" to their opponents. A popular abbreviation 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.

Violence Narrative

Violent content in video games are often a source of criticism, which according to Terry Flew is related to the subject of 'moral panic'. Terry Flew writes that the 'effects-based' research which gives rise to the 'computer games cause violence' discourse is mostly psychology-based, influenced particularly after horrific events such as the shooting of schoolchildren at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1999. He says that the assumption behind such research, cause-effect behaviorist models of communication, is a flawed one. Several studies show a correlation between violent content conveyed through media (including videogames) and violent or aggressive behavior, while others (Vastag 2004) consider that the evidence for such conclusions is thin and highly contestable.

A source of criticism that 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, 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.

Large crowd at an E-Sports event in Columbus, Ohio.

Competitive culture (will be a subsection under Competition)

With e-sports on the rise and popularity flying up Major League Gaming invested in many new ways for viewers to watch. Major advances were made in the late 2000s and early 2010s which used better technology and cultural changes to help grow the relatively new field. One of these technological changes came in the use and involvement of the streaming platform Twitch. When professional gaming gained traction in the late 2000s there was push to grow the platform. Alongside the rise of Twitch, the creation of MLG.tv was implemented to become an ESPN style of broadcast and coverage for gaming. The culture of competitive gaming was fast growing, and the creation of MLG.tv was the next major step. With a rise in popularity and viewership the field decided to make rules and regulations for competitive gaming, the culture was taking a more serious and professional approach. A game that led the way with this was Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CSGO). They created a strict rule environment, with one of them being that coaches were not allowed to be in contact with their team during play. CSGO was huge in leading the way of a professional culture in the gaming community.

Streaming and Twitch (will be its own section between slang and terminology)

Today many gamers choose Twitch as their platform of choice for streaming. The website has the positives for its users to have freedom in content creation, streaming ability, community growth, and media consumption. What has become common over the past decade is the culture of those whose streaming services as their full time jobs. The jobs are labeled as streamers and content creators. Twitch allows its streamers to receive gifted money from its viewers, while also becoming official partners with top creators. Online streaming culture is not limited to one singular service. With a constant growing streaming population, services such as YouTube Live and Facebook Live have become more prevalent in video game streaming. In recent years video game content creators are becoming the new celerities of the world, taking the place of musicians and actors. Viewership has begun to rival that of television, in 2018 monthly viewership on Twitch began to match or grow past that of major cable networks in the U.S. A major reason the streaming views have grown so much is because of human nature. Uses and Gratification Theory is the theory for why people consume certain types of entertainment. The theory applies to why so many people are fans of streamers, in that they are real people they watch, communicate with, and be entertained all at the same time.