Trade in all your nongame friends for gamer friends.  They're more loyal and most of them don't make up lame excuses why they can't make it  when you have plans.  

I actually think this post would apply to my friends but in reverse.

"Eventually it happens... one of your friends is a gamer!

I think they usually just smile and laugh at me behind my back.

Originally posted by AcidDK

If it has come to that point one should get a life...

And yes, I've been there so it's not like I can't relate.

 

Hell, if any of us had "a life", we'd not be playing most of these games, now would we?... ^^  But seriously,  it all depends on the person and situation.  This is a hobby to me, not an obsession.   I have a quite a few social contacts, but only a few people I consider to be friends.  I'd rather spend time with them, than play (most times).  Everyone else, it depends on the situation and context. 

Originally posted by sonoggi

gaming in large amounts by yourself is generally considered deviant behaviour. and with good reason. it's one of the only hobbies that doesnt give you any skills applicable to life whatsoever. it takes you away from socializing, prevents you from getting properly socialized, and is generally considered to be escapism from reality. 

whenever a friend calls me, i will always drop the game, no matter how fun or intense, because choosing the game over RL is sad. if you find yourself choosing virtual realities over RL, you need to carefully think about what's wrong in your life. my 2 cents. 

 That statement is so wrong its not even funny. One of the ONLY hobbies that does not give you any skills to use IRL? Name me one hobby that does give you any real life skills outside of being entertaining. Thats what  a hobby is if you didnt know that. Something you do in your spare time to entertain you. Watching TV gives you RL skills? Nope. Going to the movies? Nope. Going out drinking with friends? Nope. Bowling? Ummm pretty sure that doesnt give you any RL skills. No more than playing a game does. Reading books or comics? Again nope.

As to sociallizing, since this is an MMO article on an MMO website your statement is again false. Playing MMO's DOES give you social skills. Maybe not the way you THINK they should, but they do. You deal with people in games through chat instead of face to face sure but its still there.

The only thing you have there is escapism from reality which is the whole point to a hobby.  Sure some people make money off hobbies but most do not. A hobby is there as a form of entertainment. As to picking friends over games it all depends for me. If my buddies want to go out drinking then nah. I'll stay at home. To many things can go wrong when you go out to a club. If its out bowling or just hanging out and I havent made plans in advance with my guild? Then yea I'm going out with my RL friends. One thing to keep in mind is if you make plans with your online friends they depend on you to come through on the plans you made for them. Dropping them to go out with your buddies irl last min ruins there time and is pretty selfish imo.

Now if your statements are strictly about single player games then I agree with you 100%.

loved every bit of it, i think this has applied to just about every gamer at least once

I feel bad but I have had to lie to my friends in the past about my gaming habits.  On a few occasions I skipped out on a movie, or a party, or whatever because I had to raid or I was in a 300 man carrier fleet or whatever.  I do have quite a few friends now that game and they understand when I tell them, "Sorry dude, I can't hangout.  One of the stations we shot at is coming out of reinforced tonight.  I'll catch up later!". 

However the majority of people in my life....if I said that to them they would just call me a nerd and tell me I need to spend more time outside :D 

And to people who think that is sad or "deviant behavior", get a grip.  I have friends online as well (people I have been gaming with for 8+ years) which sometimes rely on me to be there.  It's just that some of my non-gamer friends would never undestand that.  I get out more than enough!

Originally posted by Rinna

Trade in all your nongame friends for gamer friends.  They're more loyal and most of them don't make up lame excuses why they can't make it  when you have plans.  

Oh I don't know, my lot of non-gamer friends have been like family since 1985.

That's pretty loyal in my book. Maybe people aren't so great at picking their "real life" friends.

Haha. Nice. I'll never forget the time where I was playing an MMO while at college. I was in a raid and my friends called. They asked me if I could go to the dining hall with them. I said I was out and busy. However, my computer was literally right in front of the 4 by 8 foot window that faced the quad. My friends were standing outside staring at me.... It was a major fail for trying to lie my way out.... haha :)

I rememebr my first time.. I went over to a friends house.. got totally smashed and woke up the next day with a level 7 Beast Lord.....

Lmao.

You my friend made my LOL so hard...thank you.

If you are fortunate enough to have different categories of friends, my own experience is the same with certain drinks, it's best not to mix some or most of them (!).

lol gg coyote

I've been in that lie your ass off situation. Except instead of saying I had an upcoming raid, I lied and said I had porn to catch up on. I guess that's better in a way because everyone expects that single guys look at porn casually.

[GM]Dave?

is that you?

personally, i hate society and people in general and my "outside activities" involve:

walkin from house to truck, driving to work, walking to store, working, walking to truck, driving home, walking from truck to house..

then down into the basement command center that has been fortified and supplied for the impending zombie/nuclear/alien/EMP apocalypse that is coming.... soon.. trust me..

seriously it is..

i have no friends outside of my house that arent gamers, the only non gamers i associate with are my parents, and they live 15 miles away. since i only associate with gamers i dont have to worry about them showing up asking me to go "out" there since well, they are in their command center playing their games..

only way i would hear them knocking on the door is because the zombie/nuclear/alien/EMP apocalypse is happening and they want in my bunker..

course if they arent bringing weapons, food, or other supplies they already know they are SOL..

OMG Luv it!!! Thanks! 

you just cant convert people into gamers now days cause most games suck. i convinced my friend to play APB with me and that game sucked so bad i dont think he'll play another game ever again. thanks APB

Yep, nailed it. 

"Hey, do you want to go see a movie tomorrow night?" They'll ask nonchalantly, as if going out into society is a normal and acceptable thing."

Hahaha, nice one that. ^_^

*STANDING OVATION*