Gamer Survival Camp

GSC

I have been approached my multiple gamers who have told me woeful tales of trying to be a gamer while in a relationship with an anti-gamer.  Firstly I’m not sure how any gamer could get themselves into this situation…
Oh wait, I’m kind of in that situation.  Well, I was anyways until i fixed it and got my wife to see the light and start playing video games.  In this edition of GSC I will give you some tips that will help you make this transition as well.

First of all you need to figure out what kind of anti-gamer you are dealing with.  The three most common types are the “games are a waste of money” kind, the “games are childish” kind, and the “they just don’t hold my attention” kind.  After you have figured this out it’s time to plan your attack. (Do you know of another kind of anti-gamer?  Help your fellow gamers and post your warning about them in the comment section below.)

— The “games are a waste of money” kind —
Well, since money is the root of all evil that means that you have to get around the undeniable fact that games cost a lot of money.  The easiest and most painless way to make your AG (anti-gamer) look past the $60 it takes to get the best new games is by trading in your old games toward the purchase of the new ones.  If you buy a new game and play it for a few months most of the time you can still get close to $30 or more trade in value which takes the cost of your new game down to $30 and some change.  That’s a bit easier for your AG to swallow isn’t it?  You can take the shock down even more by reserving your new games a few months before release and paying a little on them each month.

— The “games are childish” kind —
In order to get around this one you might have to fake some stats in order to make it believable.   Did you know that 63% of surgeons are required to play a certain amount of video games in order to improve dexterity?  Yeah neither did she and those guys and gals aren’t childish at all; they’re saving lives.  Did you know that visual stimulation and regular exposure to puzzles can increase your memory and cognitive brain function over an average of 34%?  Once again that’s a good thing right?  Use the basic pros of gaming and add it to a realistic sounding real world benefit (surgeons need dexterity, accountants need brain power, and everybody could use a little more hand eye coordination).  Continue this course of action and sooner or later your AG will either change their views or just get tired of hearing your stats and give up all together.  Either way, win win.

— The “they just don’t hold my attention” kind —
This one I saved for last because I’d like to think that it is the easiest to deal with.  This type of AG is not opposed to video games they just aren’t interested in them.  First thing to do is figure out if they possess the coordination to work an average controller or if they need something a little simpler.  If they can use a regular controller then you just need to find a game that fits a subject that they like or more likely they need a game that is meant to be played for only about 10-20 minutes at a time.  If they can figure out the buttons on a regular controller then a Nintendo Wii might just be in your future.  The great thing about the Wii is that the console seems to be flooded with games that you play for 10-20 minutes and put down and you don’t need a single iota of coordination to play it (although it would help if you plan on winning the game).

Well,  there you go.  If you have an anti-gamer etching your cool or damaging your calm then just assess the situation, plan your attack and execute your plan.  It takes time to pull off any plan of this type but be patient.  It will all be worth it in the end.

Cheers.

About Jesse (The Pen of Doom)

A small time blogger with big time dreams and a love for everything geek.
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One Comment

  1. Guitar Hero or Rock Band, that’s worked for like three of my friends and myself as well, also if you have a big t.v p.i.p is the best ever they can watch Greys Anatomy whilst you play your game, your spending time with them and just nod when they start talking about Meredith being to ugly for McDreamy, yes I know I’m pathetic.

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