Don't Even Play

Don't Even Play

Sometimes I wish "people in the real world" were more interested in video games, so that I could talk about 'em with them. Other times, I wish they'd never talk about them ever-ever.

I've developed a case-in-point: It seems people are more impressed or excited to hear what I do for a living than they were two or three years ago. The checkout girl at the drugstore next door, for example, gleefully revealed she is a Sims fanatic, on seeing me wear the MySims hoodie I practically live in. This kind of thing makes me feel good.

A lot of times, though, for some reason people (mostly dudes) decide to react to learning about my work by threatening, good-naturedly if enviously, to beat me at video games, or by asserting they play more video games than I do ("you actually play them?" is the stupidest question you could probably ask someone who tells you "I write about video games," but I get it a lot).

And I'm all, pssh, Kid. Don't even.

And he'll be all, "okay, fine, what's your favorite video game, like, ever?" (yes, there is a script, because this happens fairly often)

So I'll go, like, "Symphony of the Night or Metal Gear Solid 3."

And the dude will never know what Symphony of the Night is, and so I'll be all, "c'mon, kiddo, you're trying to step up to me and you've never heard of one of the greatest games ever made?" Because, like, y'know, me and MGS 3, we could have a debate about that (or you could, and I'll plug my ears or ignore you, but it could be done, let's say) but SotN's pretty quintessential.

So who's more obnoxious: The random bartender who says he can P\X/n me at every video game because he (slow, polite applause) beat Halo 2? (P.S., is he being sexist, or does competitive testosterone crop up when "regular people" discuss video games, no matter who with?)

Or me, for my tch, puh-lease, you never heard of Katamari Damacy response?

What're your experiences with the weird line between "us" and "them?" Are you annoyed that I keep calling them "people in the real world?" What're we, then?

By the way, that bartender probably could kick my ass at Halo. I play a lot of video games, but am not, to be quite honest, notably good at too many of 'em. But let's not tell him that, huh?