Otakus Should Come Out

[JelloPudding]

I recently wrote a blog post on IGN.com and I'm curious to hear feedback from an Otaku community on my thoughts. Please be respectful and thoughtful in your answer. You can see the original posting here: [url="http://www.ign.com/blogs/b.f.baumer/2011/05/31/everyone-games"]Otakus should come out![/url] And It's also posted below.

Thanks!

"More gamers, more diversity, and more appreciation is a great thing; and even the diehard nerds who are feeling increasingly isolated by the gaming invasion shouldn't think otherwise.

We all know the story, but we don't often analyze it: in the latter half of 2000's, Video games have made a tremendous leap toward achieving things they've long desired: mainstream audiences, diverse audiences, sustainable niche audiences, and perhaps most importantly legitimacy as an industry. While statistics about sales and international revenue have longed placed the gaming industry amongst the top performers, gaming and game culture have struggled with breaking out of a tired societal archetype: "Video games are just for kids, and the adults who play them are all [i]losers"[/i] (or substitute [i]geeks, unemployed couch potatoes, men, nerds[/i], the list goes on and on.)

Then something happened. [b]Something Totally Radical.[/b]

There was a shift in cultural values and thinking: nerds and dorks became capable of achieving hip and fashionable status, while ignorant bullies became largely repugnant among the young people's cool. Sexy young actresses admit to loving comic books, while jock characters on television enjoy Asian cinema, anime, and martial arts. Simultaneously, Nintendo's marketing team shows the world that Video games are for our grandparents.

The 80's and 90's era nerds are seemingly evanescent; gone is the awkwardness, gone are the typical problems with grooming, body odor, acne, and obesity, gone are the late nights with Mountain Dews and 20-sided dice that end in heated verbal shout-fights about the technicalities of spell casting, gone are the virgins. Instead these [i]nerds[/i] have been replaced with millennial [i]Dorks[/i]; sexy, urban outfitters wearing, tattooed and PBR drinking, humble and socially competent professionals in graphic design and I.T. They communicate with empathy and have a wide variety of interests. They go to parties with a group of friends wearing classic game t-shirts or maybe even an [i]Ironic [/i]threadless which features that very same 20-sided artifact of their once proud isolationism. They reference Cowboy Bebop for its incredible music without batting a single nervous eye, make endearing jokes about the one nightstand to RULE THEM ALL, before drunkenly singing mario tunes accapella with the girl (or guy) they are about to take home and bed.

Indeed we have reached the brink of a massive new subculture of acceptance and quirky sexiness. An era of Wii and lady gaga and black presidents and best gay friends and men who really like to cook and women who just want to get laid. An era of video games about everything that everyone can safely and fashionably be out of the closet in appreciating.

But is this really the case?

What about all the people who didn't make the cut in transforming from [i]Nerd [/i]to [i]Dork[/i]? Where are the gamers who still really LOVE to scream and rage about not untapping your mana cards during your untap phase? Perhaps most importantly, where are the gamers who are still struggling with loneliness at the harsh reality of poor self image? Are they not still in hiding?

For many die-hard Nerds, being a loner is a self-affirming choice, a reflection of the tenacious pride of the true Otaku. Yet some others admit that they still hide their passions for MMORPG or Trading Cards out of the fear of being judged.

I would urge all sides of this spectrum to bridge the gap. Main-streamers who just love to Mario Kart (Game-streamers?), straddling-the-divide Dorks who recently sold their WOW account to pay for a puppy, and diehard nerds who can sing the entire Japanese intro to Chobits in the shower owe it to each other to become more visible in an effort to dispel the myths we are still holding on to. We'll all be better for it.

A bit about myself... I'm representing Chicago, working in Research for Healthcare industry clients, and I like doing fun things while I'm not saving the world. One of them is an addiction I've lovingly harbored since unwrapping sega Genesis with my older brother on Christmas morning as a five year old. Other things can be found here: about.me/benbaumer. As for Gamestreamer/Dork/Nerd spectrum, You could probably put me into the dork category, but as I am advocating, I've got friends in all three." Edited May 31, 2011 by JelloPudding

[fujyoshi]

Ehh I've never hidden the fact that I like anime and video games but I know not everyone is like me. I'm pretty up front about it and if someone doesn't like it then screw them. Can't really say I'm a positive rep because I'm actually quiet reclusive myself. I do think alot more people are into anime, manga and video games nowadays though because I know when I was younger and especially as a female I didn't run into alot 'a other girls who played video games or watch anime. I didn't even start running into fellow "otaku" until I got into high school and even now I still occasionally wonder "man where were these people when I was 5 o_O". I don't know if the rep of anime/video game nerds will ever improve but atleast I know its not so obscure now and thats a start :D

[Gavin]

[font="Tahoma"][size="2"]I'm a gigantic nerd and have never made any effort to hide it. Since moving to a bigger city for college I have had much more of an opportunity to hang out with and interact with other geeks than I used to which is pretty cool.[/size][/font]

[Shinmaru]

I don't really hide it (pretty much all of my friends know that I'm a big geek), but I try not to shove it in everyone's faces either. Let's not pretend that this is some heavy-duty life choice or the most important basis of our identities, after all lol. It's a collection of hobbies, some of which are more socially acceptable now, and some of which are not. Whatever. If people share in what I like, then cool; if people don't, then I don't get too steamed about it. I'd rather not make my hobbies into something greater than they are. Edited May 31, 2011 by Shinmaru

[Sangome]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]I'm antisocial enough as it is, so it's not much of a point of contention with me. That said, I routinely wear various nerdy shirts [Eureka Seven, FMA, FLCL, and Zelda], and brandish my DS at times, so I'm open with it to that extent. No one really pays much attention either way, although my Zelda shirts have received many compliments before, but probably because it's a more mainstream and "accepted" series, if that's how you want to put it.

As for my family, my parents fully know of my nerddom, but don't really care too much. "There's far worse things a college student could be doing" is the way they look at it, I suppose.

Really, it's just like anything else, such as personal beliefs and things of that ilk. It's not as black and white as "OH I AM AND AM GONNA RUB IT IN EVERYONE'S FACE" or "oh I do but I dont want anyone to know shhhhhh". It's just there, I'm proud of it, and if people can't at least tolerate it, then their loss.[/font][/color] Edited May 31, 2011 by Sangome

[chibi-master]

Well, if it comes up in a conversation or something, then, yeah, I'll be happy to say I enjoy anime and whatnot. However, I don't go around shouting about my favorite series everywhere. I like to keep the otaku conversations confined to people that I know also partake in "nerdy" activities. No use in confusing people.

[The Spectacular Professor]

[font="Comic Sans MS"]I'm openly Brony IRL. What's that count for?[/font]

[fujyoshi]

[quote name='Sangome' timestamp='1306880878' post='707727']
[color="#9932cc"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]I'm antisocial enough as it is, so it's not much of a point of contention with me. That said, I routinely wear various nerdy shirts [Eureka Seven, FMA, FLCL, and Zelda], and brandish my DS at times, so I'm open with it to that extent. No one really pays much attention either way, although my Zelda shirts have received many compliments before, but probably because it's a more mainstream and "accepted" series, if that's how you want to put it.

As for my family, my parents fully know of my nerddom, but don't really care too much. "There's far worse things a college student could be doing" is the way they look at it, I suppose.

Really, it's just like anything else, such as personal beliefs and things of that ilk. It's not as black and white as "OH I AM AND AM GONNA RUB IT IN EVERYONE'S FACE" or "oh I do but I dont want anyone to know shhhhhh". It's just there, I'm proud of it, and if people can't at least tolerate it, then their loss.[/font][/color]
[/quote]


I'm actually kinda like you except for the fact that my family isn't as accepting.



So they know I like anime and of course they know I play video games(dad = contributor) but they tend to complain about the anime alot because they're all religious and stuff. Its kinda troublesome I guess because its like you said theres so much other worse crap I could be into and they're complaining about me cosplaying a boy or something. But yea I got my share of anime t-shirts too and a few zelda shirts as well :O I even got a kingdom hearts shirt and jacket and got a necklace wit hte triforce and another necklace wit hte nobody's crest from KH2 xD so yea I'll be decked out in that anime/video game gear. The anime shirts I have are from vampire knight(my mom complained about that), MoSH(haruhi), bleach, soul eater, and voltron :D I also have some anime necklaces as well like my d gray man necklace and shakugan no shana pendant(someone actually reconized it once :O)


/heh wow I ranted :O anyway thats pretty much daily wear and the such so like I said I'm not up in everyones face about it but it CAN be displaying from my t shirt where I stand xD

[James]

[font="Palatino Linotype"]I don't really see this problem in my country. I mean, maybe some older people think that gaming is just for kids...but honestly, it's not a huge issue in society or something. I've talked about games with all different kinds of people and there's never been any problem. Gaming is getting pretty mainstream now, especially due to Wii and DS kind of becoming so ubiquitous.

It does seem to me that there's some slight religious and/or cultural objection going on in some quarters, but honestly, that's not remotely an issue in Australia.

That's not to say that there aren't nerds/geeks around, but it's not the same here as it is in America. One thing I've noticed is that a lot of people who call themselves "geeks" or whatever in Australia don't seem to be as hardcore as their American counterparts. What I mean is, they don't seem to take some of these subjects so seriously.

So it's different here and there isn't really that barrier between nerds and everyone else. Most people have some sort of nerdy hobby; some more than others. Meh. I can't relate very well to the general topic I guess.[/font]

[Boo]

I don't want a connection with someone just because we like the same band/game/film/comic books, so I don't stuff it in people's faces. Sometimes I'll wear a Batman shirt because it's a cool shirt. Sometimes I'll wear my Silversun Pickups or Wir Sind Helden shirt because they have 1337 colours and design, but I hate those shirts that go all "I'm an ugly shirt, but I'm representing!!!" **** you, shirt. **** you.

[CaNz]

I don't normally tell everyone about my extremely nerdy activities. I would rather not have the stereotype plastered above my head on a first impression. The people who have taken the time to get to know me are well aware of how I spend my time, but random people that I may or may not have to be around in the future are introduced to my personality at start.

When I think about it, having something in common with everyone really isn't that important. I liked Deathnote... but lock me in a room full of deathnote fans and I will probably smash my head against the walls until I pass out. Now if a person I enjoy talking to has a similar interest, it is a totally different story, since it enables us to simultaneously enjoy an activity. Basically, I think most of us have the same intentions, but I find that the amount of people that I share interests with is far greater than the amount of people I will enjoy being around, so I may as well look for the more desirable trait first.

[Sangome]

[quote name='SiCk CaNz' timestamp='1306929947' post='707751']When I think about it, having something in common with everyone really isn't that important. I liked Deathnote... but lock me in a room full of deathnote fans and I will probably smash my head against the walls until I pass out. Now if a person I enjoy talking to has a similar interest, it is a totally different story, since it enables us to simultaneously enjoy an activity.[/quote]

[color="#9932CC"][font="Microsoft Sans Serif"]This, really. The extent of my fandom interaction is if people I already enjoy speaking to have the same interest, or get me interested in a fandom, or something like that. If I sought out your average FFVII fan intentionally and spoke with them, I'd probably throw myself out a five story window.[/font][/color]