Is There a Gaming Hierarchy?
Syp wrote a post recently on his blog Bio Break, about the air of disdain with which some video games journalists report on the MMO genre. He cited a post over on VG247 in which the author was surprised that he was currently enjoying SWTOR, despite the fact it was an MMO. It was very much a case of “wow, this game is quite good considering most in this genre are rubbish”. As Syp pointed out, this is often the way the MMORPG is labelled and pigeonholed. However, I think there is more to this than just a dislike of a particular type of game by some writers and gaming commentators. I believe that many of those who have been playing video games since their youth and who are now aged 40 to 50, have very entrenched views and are weighed down by a lot of cultural baggage. I think that some believe that there is a sort of unofficial but very real gaming hierarchy and it is their sacred duty to act as self appointed arbiters and gatekeepers.
We all have our own personal likes and dislikes when it comes to video games. I certainly do. Occasionally I have stepped outside of my comfort zone and tried something new and it has proven a pleasant surprise. Other times my experiments have not gone so well. There are some titles and genres that will never appeal to me and I am content to leave them be permanently. However, I see no reason to hold those games that I do not like in contempt, nor do I deem it necessary to publicly disparage them along with those that do enjoy them. I haven’t the time to waste on such posturing and I’d much rather be playing those titles I do like. Sadly, video games just like music and film fandom, has a strong streak of snobbery running through its associated culture. Furthermore personal taste is often confused with artistic merit and one’s own preferences are erroneously perceived to be an endorsement of quality.
So what is the spurious gaming hierarchy that some cleave to? I suspect that competitive games are at the top, along with all the elitist “git gud” culture. Then there are the single player games with their litany of achievements and unlocks. MMOs are then the poor relation of the single player RPG. Walking simulators, fun games and clickers are deemed as a waste of time or not even being games. And the final circle of gamer hell are mobile games which are viewed with utter contempt. Which is odd when you think about it as this genre of games make the most money out of the entire video games industry. When you consider why such hierarchical notions exist, they appear to be an extension of the pecking order that some gamers apply to themselves. If there is a hierarchy of games, then it logically follows that there must be a similar ranking among gamers themselves.
Humans love an opportunity to segregate themselves. We categorise people according to wealth, class, education, gender and race. Sometimes such labelling and subdividing is benign but in other instances it is divisive and a tool of oppression. Yet it seems to happen regardless of its rectitude. You put a group of people in a room who are broadly similar and they’ll eventually divide themselves between who are left or right handed. So it is sad but inevitable that different types of games will be treated in a similar fashion. However, being aware of this societal trait then allows us to challenge it when encountered. So next time you read a post by a professional game critic that pooh-poohs a specific genre without a valid reason, call them out. Just as you would if they’d made a similar comment that metal is better than country music or that the MCU is superior to the works of Kurosawa.
