I love you gaming, but you're bringing me down, as LCD Soundsystem might say. If politicians aren't condemning the violence in video games then it's someone acting like a tool on Xbox live. Here are my guidelines on how to be a better gamer.
1. Don't be that guy
Seriously. Being that guy encompasses a whole host of repellent behaviors but in gaming I'm talking specifically about using racial slurs while playing online, even if you're being ironic, because really you're not as transgressive as you think you are. Also, if you find yourself saying things like "Make me a sandwich" to women playing games online or something else equally clever go kill yourself. Not only is it not funny, but saying things like that are just dumb. Would you eat a sandwich made by someone you just insulted?
2. Don't love a company
Do you find yourself passionately defending Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo on the message boards? Has someone ever said that you're part of the 'Playstation Defense Force', even jokingly? Reassess what you're doing with your life. These companies don't love you, no matter what their social media director writes on their Twitter feed. It's a business and it's never personal. Sometimes they will do things you like, sometimes not. Think of them as your local gas station: There to provide a needed service but with a competitor who sells a similar product just across the street.
3. Play a variety of genres.
Don't let your love of one genre make you blind to all the others. If you love JRPGs on consoles check out a well-reviewed but seemingly silly title on iOS like "Ridiculous Fishing". If you only play "Call of Duty" or "Madden" check out something like "Bioshock" or "Dark Souls." Yes, it will be different from what you are familiar with, but that's not a bad thing. Find a well-reviewed title in a genre you're unfamiliar with from last year and play it. That way your investment is low and you may find yourself an unexpected surprise.
4. Participate in the culture
Go to a convention. Comment on your favorite message board. Keep up with the news but don't let it overwhelm you. Protest efforts to regulate your favorite hobby. Read books like Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" and Jane McGonigal's "Reality Is Broken." Being a gamer means more than just playing games, it means being an ambassador for the culture. Protect it, love it, advance it, fight for it.
5. Design a video game
Even if you just write down what you would want your perfect game to be like, you'll get a sense of all the hard work designers, writers, animators and everyone else involved in making a game do. As a bonus, maybe you'll actually make a great game.
