This post was brought to you by third year Journalism and Media guru, Alex…
There was a time when gaming was just for geeks, but now, with more accessible platforms than ever, gaming is cool. But maybe it’s fair to say there are people who merely play games, and then there are gamers. Here are 10 signs that you’re a gamer (some of these maybe slightly exaggerated!):
1) You refer to getting older as ‘levelling up’!
There’s no such thing as getting old; there’s just getting more experienced and better at playing the game of life. I’m nearly at level 21, so I guess that still makes me a novice!
2) You’ve called someone a ‘NOOB’
Or more likely, you’ve shouted at someone for being a noob. There’s nothing worse than losing a game because your teammates are noobs, because, you know, it’s never your fault.
3) You understand what someone means when they say: “I played an awesome Open-World MMO RPG yesterday”
Gaming jargon – the most beautiful language there is! And for the noobs and novices, MMO = Massively Multiplayer Online and RPG = Role Playing Game. Come on, you know this!
4) The Super Mario Bros Theme tune is your ringtone
The music that accompanies that little Italian Plumber is what connects you with the outside world (over the phone). Even when you’re not gaming, you are reminded of the fact that you just love games!
5) You think 3am is a perfectly acceptable time to be up!
Gamers are basically nocturnal. When everyone else is asleep, gamers are up doing what they do best! Because sleep is for the weak.
6) You compare the real world to the games you play
You’re watching a football game and the manager makes a wrong decision. You then think that you can do it better, because you took Bristol Rovers to the top of the Premier League and won the F.A. Cup, because FIFA is the ultimate test.
7) You believe the world would be a better place if Pokémon existed
Forget animals. The world would be so much cooler if you went wandering through long grass and found a Pikachu! Although, Pokémon battles would most likely be banned because of Pokémon cruelty.
8) A night out is actually a night in with friends, games, pizza and beer
Who needs to go out to have fun? Gaming is great in all weather conditions and doesn’t mean leaving the house. On weekends you get the food delivered, your friends bring the beer and you game until the early hours of the morning.
9) You refer to people getting married as taking ‘an arrow to the knee’
The day you get engaged to be married, you’ll ring up your friends (or message them on your console) saying: “I’ve taken an arrow to the knee” and their response will be: “Congratulations!”
10) When something good happens in life, you think to yourself: “Achievement Unlocked”
Or for the PlayStation players, you ‘earned a trophy’. When you do well in university, or win a competition, or even manage to get home from university in less than five minutes, that little sound plays in your head and you think: “Achievement Unlocked: Got a First in my Assignment/won that compo/got home in less than five.”
If you can relate to these, the chances are that you are probably a gamer. But don’t fret; being a gamer is cool nowadays! Wow, how times have changed…
– Alex
