Trying to understand fandoms.
Published Monday 9 Jan 2012 9:15am |
2
Tags: Metal Gear Solid, Fandoms, Internet Communities, Tumblr
To start off with, I thought i'd bore you with a little bit of a backstory. The best way to introduce myself and as recognition as my first blog here on NZGamer (hellloooo!).
I'd like to think i've been gaming for all my life, in fact the first source of electronic gaming entertainment was not a handheld tetris player or a tamagotchi it was, lo-and-behold a PlayStation that my older brother got for Christmas that we still own today, although very slightly and possibly overly worn out.
Packed away in storage.
Metal Gear Solid was the very first playstation game that I have played and never completed. As a ten year old girl watching my brother play this game and absolutely crapping myself everytime Snake got an alert drew to me how awesome this game was. It wasn't scary but it was thrilling. I think in my ten year old mind, I was the coolest girl at school watching my brother play on a playstation. Besides it was quality brother-sister time that involved no arguing over anything.
Skip a few years and i'm a nineteen year old gamer who has completed this game, who knows how many times and i'm still quite fond of it. Which leads me to the topic of fandoms.
Joining Tumblr last year just made me realize how big of a thing fandoms are to video gamers. Personally, I am part of the 'metal gear solid' fandom and also the Earthbound and Chrono Trigger fandoms. There are Portal fandoms, Skyrim Fandoms, Heavy Rain fandoms. Actually there is a fandom for everything.
It's odd, I never thought i'd 'actively' be part of a fandom. Is there a point where you can be a fan of something but don't relate yourself to that fandom? I mean do you have to be part of a fandom to be a fan of something?
Exhibit A: The MGS soundtrack actually helps me complete my homework.
Essentially, Fandoms are just a collective group of people/persons with the same interest and likes within that particular fandom.
Especially on Tumblr there are 'confession blogs' in which a person can submit their...liking towards a game (refer to Exhibit A).
Now, we all have a particular liking towards a game, I don't really care which 'fandom' you assign yourself in, but let me break this down: can fandoms ruin something that you were or are a fan of?
Personally, I think so - there's always a point where too much of a good thing can just kill something you liked. I'm probably going to get flamed for this; but I am completely over the 'Arrow to the knee' jokes - it was funny at first, now i'm sick of reading it everytime I log on to YouTube and is probably the most read comment on a Video that I watch.
And I couldn't really care less. *takes an arrow to the knee*
I understand that the majority of those who are reading this might not be part of a fandom or relate to the tumblr community of video gaming. But as I noticed while lurking through various confession blogs where the majority seems to be there are always negative reactions towards a particular video game and/or comparing one game to another to the point where people start to lose interest to their favorite video game. Essentially, this could be just broken down to die hard fans vs everyone-else-fans.
Fandoms have those fans where if you don't own this and this and this or that then you're not considered a true fan. On the other hand, you're a fan if you have an appreciation for it - whether it's the storyline or the graphics or the witty dialogue that's within it. Cue clashes of debates and arguments over something and the meaning to that game is lost :(
Personally, I'm in a fandom because my love for those games but I consider myself just a fan. Fandoms are going to be something that in one moment i'll have a huge understanding and appreciation of and the next i'm completely lost, confused and absolutely hating it. Whether you're a fandom person or not, I think it's a wonderful thing to be able to be in a community with people with the same interests and bounce ideas and discussions from and also share the funny moments that you encountered while gaming.
butchering a boss fight to show everyone in your fandom
how awesome it is to lose. (snaaakkeee!)
So what are your thoughts on fandoms? Are you part of one? Do you like them or you think they're absolutely ridiculous?
As for me, I'm going to be right over there...waiting for the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Abosolutely cannot wait.
COMMENTS (2)
I'm more of the outlook than I can just enjoy something without having to go over the top.
P.S. FUS RO DAH > Arrow to the knee
It seems every forum I go these days gamers are so in love with their games they will visit other game forums and start pointless fights. I am eagerly awaiting Reckoning. After reading the review I went into the comments and there were more post about how Skyrim or Dark Souls or(insert game here) just craps on Reckoning and how its just like Fable or(insert game here. There ended up being no actual discussion about the game.
It's sad to see, I'd hope those gamers could stick to their boards and share talk about how great their game is, only problem is there is someone on their board proclaiming their game to be the be all end all experience. And running that game down.
In 2011 there was a lot of great games released towards the end of the year, pity months before that people were too busy arguing over which game was going to be game of the year BEFORE they were even released. Now I'm pretty sure I'm going to like KOA a lot, even after playing that buggy demo, but I'm not feeling the need to visit the Skyrim boards and tell everyone Skyrim blows and it's combat is pathetic compared to KOA
I have just joined NZgamer and have not seen any of this fanboyism/attitude as yet. From what I've read so far this place is a breath of fresh air so fingers crossed
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