Time Magazine Calls Gamers Unhealthy and Unpopular + More

Time Magazine has Halo 3 on their cover this week but the feature inside the magazine, written by Lev Grossman, has raised the hackles on the necks of several game writers. Dan Zuccarelli from Bits, Bytes, Pixels and Sprites takes Grossman to task for what he feels is an ill-researched piece. It's not hard to see where Zuccarelli is coming from. In the third paragraph the Time article calls Halo 2 an Xbox 360 exclusive and the inset graphic (reprinted on BBPS) shows a fan mod Xbox 360 featuring Halo 3 artwork rather than the actual Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360, not to mention mis-labeling the Heroclix Scarab as merely a "sculpture."

What really has some people frothing though is Grossman's obvious bias against gamers that seeps from nearly every paragraph as he repeatedly refers to them as antisocial, unhealthy, unpopular and even twice refers to gamers as residing in a ghetto. It's not clear whether he refers to a literal ghetto or if he's being metaphorical, but either way it doesn't seem particularly balanced or neutral in tone.



Wat a bunch of noobs. And no i dont live in the Ghetto.

I love when people write articles about things they don't have a clue about. Especially when they're paid to do it for a major magazine. :D

Funny. I lost 10 pounds last year, I am in college, I have a girlfriend, and I have more friends than ever before. I game at least 20 hours a week.

I love when people write articles about things they don't have a clue about. Especially when they're paid to do it for a major magazine. :D

MrDziekuje

[QUOTE="MrDziekuje"]

I love when people write articles about things they don't have a clue about. Especially when they're paid to do it for a major magazine. :D

jack_russel

Some gamers are but so are journalists, or Doctors, or policemen, or lawyers, or teachers.

The guy watches too much TV. Stereotypes suck. Video games are not the bastion of the nerdy anymore. Its way more mainstream today than it was ten years ago. Online gaming is a new for of ineracting with other people digitally.

He has low self-esteem.

Poor guy.

Read the article people. The author says that these are the cliches of gaming (unhealthy, antisocial, etc). Ghetto was a metaphor for gaming being a sub-culture, and this article is really about Halo becoming hugely successful, and also games becoming more like art and moving beyond the cliches. Vyse_The_Daring

Quoted for people who not only won't read the article but who also won't go to the bottom of the first page.

If I was thin andhad friends I would get off the couch and we'd gokick their arses!

im in good physical shape and getting better. getting a 6 pack takesa whilebut when i do i'll take a pic of myselfstanding next to my entertainment centerand send it to that mag. lol. im not antisocial but do prefer to keep it to myself sometimes. i don't have a girlfriend nor do i want one. had some bad experiences in the past. so based on this gamer the guy who wrote that article is full of ****. i know people around my age with babies and they still play games. so based onthose guys the guy who wrote that article is full of ****.

i think we can all conclude that the guy who wrote that article is full of ****.

I read the Time article on Halo. I snorted when the writer described Halo as having a rich and deep storyline, very unlike what we're used to seeing in video games. He goes on to say something like 'This isn't an Italian plumber who's girlfriend got kidnapped by a gorilla.' For the record, btw, The hero in Donkey Kong was named 'Jumpman,' and he was a carpenter. His girlfriend was named Pauline. In the second game, his name became Mario, and he was the bad guy (but still a carpenter). It wasn't until the third game featuring Mario, 'Mario Bros.' that he, along with his new brother Luigi, became a plumber. Take that, TIME magazine!

Now I'm not saying Halo doesn't have a good story. But what its not is ome kind of groundbreaking achievement. Apparently, this guy hasn't played a game since Donkey Kong hit the arcades, and is under the impression that that's as deep as video game storylines go. The esteemed writer is also under the impression that Halo, and the franchise as a whole, are the best selling video games ever. Halo sales aren't shabby, but nowhere near best ever.

I have no friends and I'm 5'5 250 pounds..

do I fit this article?

Well blame the guy who racks up 60+ hours a week on halo 2. or the guy who eats chili dogs and play Smash all day or the future guy who cant put the controller down while playing Warhawk. Theres always going to be that ONE guy who 'effs the game-ing industry up.Hitamaru-homia

don't forget the world of warcraft addicts

there are some at my school.

their all pale and acne infested and overweight. they make all gamers look bad.

[QUOTE="Vyse_The_Daring"]Read the article people. The author says that these are the cliches of gaming (unhealthy, antisocial, etc). Ghetto was a metaphor for gaming being a sub-culture, and this article is really about Halo becoming hugely successful, and also games becoming more like art and moving beyond the cliches. Vyse_The_Daring

Quoted for people who not only won't read the article but who also won't go to the bottom of the first page.

exactly.. it's like the entire thing he put was misquoted..Kind of like that one post that said a CoD4 said there's no PS3 game that can compete with it..

It's different for everyone.

I'm at a healthy weight not under weight or over weight, but I am not that popular at all.

I perfer to stay out of the limelight.

I'm not a people person, I consider some of them to be evil.

But I like it that way, Solidtary and indepenant of the world.

Because people are unreliable, undependable monsters.

I have no friends and I'm 5'5 250 pounds..

do I fit this article?

GGNoRematch

...Zach?

Correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Saddam Hussen Time's man of the year about 25 years ago or so? Nice call Time magazine.Riverwolf007

ya.. and wasn't 50 cent times magazine of the year? or did 50 win a similar award from somwhere else..

http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q107-time-magazines-cover-feature-on-halo-3-draws-fire/

Time Magazine has Halo 3 on their cover this week but the feature inside the magazine, written by Lev Grossman, has raised the hackles on the necks of several game writers. Dan Zuccarelli from Bits, Bytes, Pixels and Sprites takes Grossman to task for what he feels is an ill-researched piece. It's not hard to see where Zuccarelli is coming from. In the third paragraph the Time article calls Halo 2 an Xbox 360 exclusive and the inset graphic (reprinted on BBPS) shows a fan mod Xbox 360 featuring Halo 3 artwork rather than the actual Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360, not to mention mis-labeling the Heroclix Scarab as merely a "sculpture."

What really has some people frothing though is Grossman's obvious bias against gamers that seeps from nearly every paragraph as he repeatedly refers to them as antisocial, unhealthy, unpopular and even twice refers to gamers as residing in a ghetto. It's not clear whether he refers to a literal ghetto or if he's being metaphorical, but either way it doesn't seem particularly balanced or neutral in tone.



Wat a bunch of noobs. And no i dont live in the Ghetto.

GarchomPro

After that, who really cares what they say? I'm not the most healthy person, but neither are my friends and they don't even play games. All they do is smoke and drink, so TIME is trying to tell me that my friends are healthier than me? Popular? ha, sure.

Who created this stereotype that gamers are nerds that have no friends and can't get into a sexual relationship?

PS: Ghettos aren't technically bad. Ghetto has alot of definitions and he probably means this one:

any mode of living, working, etc., that results from stereotyping or biased treatment:

I just recently retired as President of my University's 2 largest/most important student-run organizations...and the National Executive Board of the largest student-run organization in the world.

And I'm in a frat and coordinated the best parties evar.

And I just picked up a phone number from some cute chick walking through the grocery store.

Oh well. I guess there's always one that doesn't fit the mold right. Or maybe their mold f'ing sucks ;)

http://games.gearlive.com/playfeed/article/q107-time-magazines-cover-feature-on-halo-3-draws-fire/

Time Magazine has Halo 3 on their cover this week but the feature inside the magazine, written by Lev Grossman, has raised the hackles on the necks of several game writers. Dan Zuccarelli from Bits, Bytes, Pixels and Sprites takes Grossman to task for what he feels is an ill-researched piece. It's not hard to see where Zuccarelli is coming from. In the third paragraph the Time article calls Halo 2 an Xbox 360 exclusive and the inset graphic (reprinted on BBPS) shows a fan mod Xbox 360 featuring Halo 3 artwork rather than the actual Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360, not to mention mis-labeling the Heroclix Scarab as merely a "sculpture."

What really has some people frothing though is Grossman's obvious bias against gamers that seeps from nearly every paragraph as he repeatedly refers to them as antisocial, unhealthy, unpopular and even twice refers to gamers as residing in a ghetto. It's not clear whether he refers to a literal ghetto or if he's being metaphorical, but either way it doesn't seem particularly balanced or neutral in tone.



Wat a bunch of noobs. And no i dont live in the Ghetto.

GarchomPro

well this very mush discribes they way lemming are, i mean look around. Its not like there not telling the truth, its just that most of the gamers who own 360, just for halo are the people who arfe unhealthy, and very very unpopular.

oh well for lemmings.

me my self, ima g

[QUOTE="Vyse_The_Daring"]

[QUOTE="Vyse_The_Daring"]Read the article people. The author says that these are the cliches of gaming (unhealthy, antisocial, etc). Ghetto was a metaphor for gaming being a sub-culture, and this article is really about Halo becoming hugely successful, and also games becoming more like art and moving beyond the cliches. GGNoRematch

Quoted for people who not only won't read the article but who also won't go to the bottom of the first page.

exactly.. it's like the entire thing he put was misquoted..Kind of like that one post that said a CoD4 said there's no PS3 game that can compete with it..

This is system wars, everyone would rather get their post count higher and post about how awesome they are than read something. But hey, at least you noticed.

Read the article people. The author says that these are the cliches of gaming (unhealthy, antisocial, etc). Ghetto was a metaphor for gaming being a sub-culture, and this article is really about Halo becoming hugely successful, and also games becoming more like art and moving beyond the cliches. Vyse_The_Daring

That's pretty much what I wanted to say. Darn it.

[QUOTE="Vyse_The_Daring"]Read the article people. The author says that these are the cliches of gaming (unhealthy, antisocial, etc). Ghetto was a metaphor for gaming being a sub-culture, and this article is really about Halo becoming hugely successful, and also games becoming more like art and moving beyond the cliches. SpigleyMcCheese

That's pretty much what I wanted to say. Darn it.

Reading FTW

Cliches:lol:

"Not that the Bungies care. They don't need to legitimize Halo by associating it with other, more respectable media. They sell enough units and make enough money. They're happy in their invisible geek ghetto. But that's the logic of the marketplace: it can't leave subcultures alone; it has to turn them into cultures. It may be time for the Master Chief to come in from the cold and join the party, with the popular kids. Just don't expect him to take off his helmet."

i think this is the worst paragraph in the whole article, its ridiculous.

Unhealthy...check, unpopular...check. Wow these guys were right on the money. Good job Time magazine.BION1CK

seriously?

i really don't know anyone can be unpopular, everyone goes to school and college and all that. its impossible for me to not make any friends.