Editor's Note: Everyday Gamer

You may not be a father, a GameStop employee, a brain surgeon or a college student, but you will likely see some of yourself in this week's issue, just the same.

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When I buy a game I find myself asking "which one will make for the best comics?" instead of "which one will I enjoy more?"

I suppose this means I'm warped too.

You people are so lucky! Even if you no longer consider yourself to be "normal" gamers, you're still a gamer, and thats all that matters.

That is why I don't like to call myself a hardcore gamer anymore; it seems like it's just saying I play games for a reason other than fun.

As the GameStop article mentions, I think escapist members would really be surprised if they knew the true face of the average gamer. Those of us on the "hardcore" side have a bad tendency to assume that the rest of the market is just a bunch of Bejewelled playing "casuals".

I remember explaining once to my Mum how I was being uber-nice in Deus Ex because I only used the non-lethal weapons on people (not that it mattered in DX, grizzle grizzle, moan moan, Thief was better....). She squinted at me doubtfully and then said "It's awfully violent, isn't it dear?" Mums eh? You've got to love 'em! :D

Maybe you should go back to getting actual writers to write your articles.
This weeks articles make everyday gamers look like self important, over-entitled...
oh.

I liked this note. I can see some of myself in what you're saying. Although i do not work within the game industry, i think the fundamental point holds true for many people as they grow up (when they're done with college and begin their carreer).

I still consider myself as a hardcore gamer, but working Monday to Friday makes this difficult to hold up, at least gaming-wise (actual time I spend gaming). Almost a bit anxious for Dragon Age as I hate playing RPGs in short bursts (I might just have to get "sick" for a week :)).

Also, does hardcore necessarily have to mean "playing alot"?

This is a minor note of complaint, not about the articles themselves, but about this new change in formatting:

Wishing no disrespect to the writers, I really can't stand having the author's bio-blip at the front of the article, below the byline. It's just so jarring and distracting, as if we're not trusted to read that far into the article. When they're at the end, it makes sense, like film credits or a curtain call:

--Matsugawa is a semi-frequent poster who recently spent his birthday playing a marathon session of Final Fantasy VIII while nursing a bottle of Kahlua. Future and similar plans include Beyond Good & Evil with Vodka, and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time with Merlot.

There, you see?

Susan Arendt:
Although I still think of myself as a typical gamer, the truth is I'm not.

Exactly the type of insight that keeps me around. You keep sympathizing, Susan. You do it well.

"Why is it so dark? You can't see what you're supposed to be doing."

Once again, someone's mom makes a very precise point I agree entirely regarding an entire genre of gaming (namely, survivor horror). "Please adjust your brightness until you can see the bar in the left but not the one in the right". I adjust it until the one on the right is beaming and still can't see anything.

Um, awesome issue concept! I'll go read the articles now and try to act more on topic! Bye now!

heh

the thing is...i am beggining to realize that video games ocupy more time in my life than, well, my life

you made me think, WHY DO YOU DO THAT!?!?

nice aproach to the articles by the way

I totally agree, I used to work in the games blogging biz and I'd usually talk only about games with friends who were like "huh?!" and then I started toning down.
but now that I work somewhere else, I can get back to being a "normal" gamer, even though I watch all of my previous sources and stay up to date with even the slightest changes in the industry

I would kill to have my friends status updates being about games. But I guess I'm fine with just the "Great night, Call/text"

matsugawa:
This is a minor note of complaint, not about the articles themselves, but about this new change in formatting:

Wishing no disrespect to the writers, I really can't stand having the author's bio-blip at the front of the article, below the byline. It's just so jarring and distracting, as if we're not trusted to read that far into the article. When they're at the end, it makes sense, like film credits or a curtain call:

--Matsugawa is a semi-frequent poster who recently spent his birthday playing a marathon session of Final Fantasy VIII while nursing a bottle of Kahlua. Future and similar plans include Beyond Good & Evil with Vodka, and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time with Merlot.

There, you see?

That was just something we were doing for this week's issue; considering that the articles were from their perspective, it was a way to help the reader go into reading it with a sense of context. The bylines will be back to normal next issue :)