#gamingforall

The world can be divided into two typical groups, those who know love online games and those who don’t. Well, everyone loves playing games, simply just because it is fun. I still remember playing at the arcade with my friends years ago. However, as the world develops, games are also evolving. It becomes online, internationally interactive and has a more visually appealing display and advanced configuration. More than just playing games, players are able to connect, form relationships, or even make money from game live streaming. Gradually, it creates and reinforces a strong community that significantly influences mainstream culture. That is when the gap between those playing games and those don't widen. 

Those who love online games for themselves have a community where they can freely express their identities through playing games with each other, sharing information and playing experience, exchanging and bargaining goods, watching or live streaming playing games. In contrast, the other group, those who know nothing about online gaming (including me), tend to make assumptions about this community.

 Like, when someone says “gamer”, I immediately visualize those Asian boys, wearing thick glasses, having such dizzy and sleepy eyes, drinking energy drinks and constantly playing games in the dark room. Well, don’t judge me, just stereotypes!

However, the truth is gamers are not just a bunch of guys, exhaustedly playing games; they can be anyone, from young boys to teenage girls, male and female adults or even the elderly. The gaming community can be joined by anyone, discarding their appearance, geographical and social status. As long as they love online games and they devote their desire for this entertainment activity, they belong to the group.

 Another misconception? I think that the gaming community is an outsider to other aspects of the world. They tend to be carefree and pay no attention to things other than their games. But in reality, the gaming community is a space where people can directly engage with cultural issues and debate as well as shaping mainstream conversations and culture (taylor, 2018, p. 13-14). 

Despite the misunderstanding of myself toward the gaming community, there is a crucial aspect that needed to be addressed. It seems to me that my assumption of how men always be the representative for the game community is related to the issue of gender inequality. Indeed, the game community is dominated by men, is targeted on attracting men and is promoted to men. For instance, advertisements for the new game use the image of men playing to promote, or the character inside the game, even if it is female one, is also displayed in a sexualized way (with sexy outfit and showing their curves), and potentially, it adapts to male gaze.

 Moreover, female players also frequently received criticisms from men because they disrespect women's ability in playing games and look down on them. This significantly impacts the mainstream conversation, causing serious imbalance of gender and online harassment. Women in gaming spaces often have to “prove” their skills, while male players are simply accepted. This isn’t just annoying—it creates a toxic environment that discourages diversity in gaming. 

At the end of the day, gaming isn’t just a hobby, a misconception or a guy in the dark room, it is a reflection of the unequal society in the physical world. This makes me question if gaming, which was believed to center around civic and political lives (Taylor, 2018, p. 12) can actually make a difference from the reality or it once again promotes social prejudices in the name of community. 

References

Why Video Games Are Good For Everyone!