Why do these exist? Who buys them? Is it like when I was six years old, I whispered to myself in the desert that I loved turtles, and then for the next fifteen years, I received at least ten turtle-themed gifts at every party? There are too many questions for one person to answer.
The worst of Prime Day is here to bolster gamers as antisocial misfits and hawk shirts. Video games are a wonderful pastime: an artistic medium that can empower the powerless, give voice to the voiceless, and create emergent narratives not possible in any other space. But sometimes it's easy to briefly forget that video games aren't just a business, they're big business in a capitalist world that thrives on stereotypes and easy-to-digest audio snippets.
Being a fan of video games is no longer what it used to be perceived. Video games are deeply embedded in the culture of most countries in the world. Generation X has grown up with everything from Space Invader to Mario, and this generation is now 50 years old. But yes, advertisers, gamers are an endangered species. All of us players are giant babies dwelling in cave-like basements from parents, being drip-fed energy drinks and Doritos. Players don't know how to talk to each other, as they never do in video games.
When I think of gamers, I think of how a perfectly lovely woman in the '80s managed to stream her gameplay from Skyrim and will now be immortalized in the next Elder Scrolls. A perfect example of how the average player of hers is any age, any type, any orientation, any ethnicity. Nothing like a tired stereotype.
And then I remember how people like Steven Spohn (opens in a new tab) work tirelessly with charities like AbleGamers (opens in a new tab) to expand the accessibility of this medium we all love. Communicate with others in this huge form of art and hobby and connect with others to share knowledge and face daily challenges.
Or my mind turns to thoughts of people working together on Minecraft to provide a secure Minecraft server for autistic gamers (opens in a new tab). A game server that gives people with autism a space to learn, play, socialize and work together that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
But I'm also thinking of the sprinter community, its strange and magnetic mix of competition and collaboration, which started a small livestreamed event called GamesDoneQuick (opens in a new tab) back in 2010. An event that now goes on two times a year to raise funds for Doctors Without Borders and the Prevent Cancer Foundation to the tune of more than €3 million each.
But hey, buy stupid t-shirts. What do I know?
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