Thank you, video games. It's nice to know Amazon can't take away everything.
 

Borders is closing, leaving me without a job and several cities without a venue to base their reading communities.

It’s the double-edged sword of specialty retail. Upon the arrival of a local business selling specialty items, a customer base can unify by virtue of a common interest; however, if that business is suddenly thwarted by a competitive market, those individuals who have organically structured a portion of their lives around an environment tailor-made for them ultimately lose.

There’s no sign of this dog-eat-dog process ending. With major retailers and massive online conglomerates broadening their inventories to encompass larger varieties of consumers -- coupled with the popularizing norm of digital distribution -- the health of specialty retail appears more and more dismal.

If -- God forbid -- our GameStops, Play N Trades, and various independent, video-game retailers lost this uphill battle, would gaming society be equally susceptible to a collapse as other shared-interest communities?

Not likely.

Video-game culture is unique in that it’s sustained by a series of customs that inherently bind and maintain an active community.

Here are five elements of the gaming community that make it the most resilient society based on common interest.

1) Multiplayer since the beginning

Community comes out-of-the-box. Multiplayer, though evolved in form and connectivity, has always been an integral part of the video-game experience.

Even in gaming’s infancy, multiplayer had consistently been a designed function. Over the course of only a few console generations, the number of controller ports increased. Now, with the standardization of online gaming, interpersonal connections can be made on a global scale.

Whether you’re platforming with friends in New Super Mario Bros. Wii or assisting your team with a blackbird in Call of Duty: Black Ops, possible social experiences are innumerable.

2) A busy media industry keeps us involved

In the gaming world, hype spreads like a cold. And when gamers get hyped, they talk...a lot.

With a variety of web and print sources, dedicated geek TV, and media conventions like Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) and Tokyo Game Show (TGS), a constant blitz of hype-worthy news keeps ears perked and mouths running.

Even during industry lulls, a new-game trailer or the tiniest developer announcement is enough to resuscitate gamer interest.

3) Online communication is ingrained in gaming culture

Gamers don’t necessarily need clubs, classrooms, or dedicated retail stores because inconvenient geography and location doesn’t deter meaningful game-related discussion.

GameSpot, Shoryuken, Smashboards, and, of course, Bitmob; the most provocative conversations pertaining to gaming culture are often found on free online communities.

What does your gamertag mean? Should Metaknight be banned from tournament play? Why do movies based on video games usually suck? All things gaming, whether significant or trivial, can be examined and discussed by an ever-growing population of connected gamers.

4) Competition builds community

Evo and Major League Gaming (MLG) sponsored tournaments are spectator events that bring the same addictive thrills as any professional sporting event. They draw hordes of gamers from around the world -- whether in-person or via live-stream -- all wanting to witness amazing gaming feats.

Locally, video-game tournaments are held nearly every weekend; the listings of which can be found on fan forums like Eventhubs. Local gamers gather to compete and earn respect, but more importantly, they socialize and have fun.

5) Gamerspeak

I don’t think Mordin’s implementation of the genophage on the Krogan population was ethical.

It both excites and relieves me to know that a majority of you who read the above statement actually understood what I was referring to.

Gaming is an acquired taste. Many people don't have the necessary palate to grasp its complexity and uniqueness. This could explain why video games so frequently encounter opposition -- whether by fading movie critics or politicians pushing an agenda for the sake of notoriety. Most just don’t get it.

For this reason, opportunities to participate in gamerspeak with fellow gamers -- whether planned or by sheer happenstance -- are as comforting as they are entertaining. No judgment, no awkwardness, and often conversations flow effortlessly from subject to subject. Gamers get it. We get each other. And we have our own language to prove it.