Official Thread - Issue 11 GamesTM

[Cacophanus]

Can one of you two explain what you mean by these Nathan Barley/lifestyle gamers, etc? I've seen your complaints about them, but fail to understand what kind of people you're talking about - can you describe them?

They aren't direct Nathan Barley clones, but an allegory to our current gaming subculture. In that, somebody who drops names of esoteric game titles in order to look knowledgeable (and score social prestige points) is a Nathan Barley wannabe.

...or as somebody very rightly said...

He probably means the type who jumped on the bangwagon in around 1996, at the time of Wipeout et al, when gaming was supposedly the new cool...

Bang on!

It's a type of person thought up by journalist Charlie Brooker - writes for The Guide and did TvGoHome and write for OPS2M - it's a kind of wannabee, too cool for school insincere idiot, who goes for things because they are cool not because he likes them - think of a stereotype person that reads The Face and buys every item on the fashion/tech pages. So at the moment he'd have a pair of Oakleys on, wearing a wristband, listening to an iPod while playing on his N-Gage or Xelebri phone.

Think is, I've never met a gamer like this, and can't help but think saying as such is just some sly slur about someone. Why not just outright say it - that's what I want to know.

That's a different question altogether, but a justified one nonetheless. The answer, however, is particularly multifaceted.

With the likes of the Face and other l33t subculture rags is that they gain social credibility by undermining individuals through their subsequent "social eccentricities". This is insidious because these individuals are just being honest about themselves and opportunistic social game players are using their group visibility so as to "score points". Admittedly directly attacking this would be the most honourable and sincere way of doing things, but it is also the most ineffective. The irony is that the most effective way is that of using the same game in reverse. The downside is that you limit yourself to the same gameplay rules and are subsequently and equally as trapped as the ****wits that started the ball rolling.

And by the way, Mr Shape, I was wondering... did you actually sign "The Shape" in squiggly writing or did they make that bit up? Same goes for you Cacky...

Nah, that was our collective bosses blagging it (much like they do with my damn avatar, coises!!).

A real shame mate, always a good read that was - any plans for what comes next or is it all top secret stuff?

If I told you, I would have to kill you.