I’d like to talk to you about a few issues. I’ve noticed the last few years that we are becoming a hateful, demanding, divided community. This can’t happen. We need to stick together, for the betterment of the videogame industry, and ourselves.

Before I get into some of the things I’m worried about, I’d like to mention one thing. We are all gamers, I like to think Malcolm Reynolds got it right when he said “Y'all got on this boat for different reasons, but y'all come to the same place.” He was referring to something different, but it applies here. We need to stand together and not hate on our gaming brethren. So when I see one gamer hating on another for his choice in brand, it saddens me. We need to stand together and direct our anger/opinions towards those that can make a difference.

Firstly, there is a wrong and a right way to be a fanboy. The wrong way is to yell at and or attack a fellow gamer for his choice in console, the games he/she buys (example: Halo vs CoD), or opinions they have about anything gaming related. You can be a fanboy, but don’t try and push it on someone else. I’m a Bungie fanboy, but I buy other products and respect others decisions to buy competing games. I don’t hate on Infinity Ward fanboys, it isn’t productive and the argument makes us look like fools.

Have an opinion of your own. Do not rely on the media, other gamers, or anyone else. Too often friends say to me “Why are you playing that game, it sucks” and they’ve never spent a second with it. One of the best examples is my roommate saying Killzone 2 was horrible. He didn’t own a PS3 and hadn’t spent a moment with the game. He saw the negative press they were getting and made his mind up there. Imagine how many gamers decided from that point on to never read another Killzone 2 press release or review, and ultimately didn’t buy the game, which was pretty awesome.

Step outside of your comfort zone. One of my biggest pet peeves is a gamer that never tries anything other than their favorite genre. That would be a FPS fan never trying an RPG. So many times I’ve stepped outside my FPS bubble to play another genre and enjoyed myself. It’s good for me because I get a break from killing things, and it’s good for the developer in the long run. Maybe my purchase of that game means they can stay in business another year and develop some new, amazing tech that will change the industry.

If you know someone that doesn’t understand gaming, explain it to them in a calm, collective manner. If a parent says to you “Why do you waste your time with those games?” Do not get offended, they just don’t understand, that is why they are asking. Try staying calm and explaining to them it’s a passion like any other. Some people sew, some hang-glide, you choose to game. The gaming industry is one of the biggest in the world, and growing. If we can’t communicate with those who don’t “get” gaming in a mature manner, how can we expect anyone to take us seriously?

If we want to be taken seriously as a group we need to mature, a lot. If you have a problem with a game or a developer, or even a publisher, contact and let them know. I’ve contacted EA and gotten responses. If contacting them doesn’t work, do the talking by not purchasing their products. Engage in mature discussions publically. Start a free blog and write about what bothers you. Make sure to post whatever you think in the developer, publisher forums. They will eventually have to pay attention if we start talking with our money.

How about from now on we play nice with each other. I’m all for discussions, as long as it’s civilized and productive. We are just banging out heads against the wall by hating on each other. I propose we start respecting each other, and treating one another as adults. After all, were all in this boat together.