Why put it in your pocket? It's socially acceptable, right?
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Why put it in your pocket? It's socially acceptable, right?
No, I agree that, at a raw behavioral level, people can do whatever they want to do within the law.
Doesn't make it more socially acceptable.
Boss Man
Member
A better question would be:
1) You're playing 3DS, in the middle of something, and an attractive girl sits next to you.
2) You have your phone in your hand, in the middle of something, and an attractive girl sits next to you.
Honestly:
Would you rather #1 or #2 happen? (of course this discussion has gotten a little silly, but bear with it since we're on it)
1) You're playing 3DS, in the middle of something, and an attractive girl sits next to you.
2) You have your phone in your hand, in the middle of something, and an attractive girl sits next to you.
Honestly:
Would you rather #1 or #2 happen? (of course this discussion has gotten a little silly, but bear with it since we're on it)
Because why have something in my hand when I'm not paying attention to it? Thats what pockets are for.
Be proud of your hobby. She shouldn't judge you.
Uno Venova
Banned
.....Because that's where I put everything when I'm not using them.
the androgyne
Member
I met my wife the day i picked up F-Zero GX from preorder (earlier). I bumped into a mate and excitedly showed it off to him in front of her since he was waiting for a copy from overseas, the sucker! She still jokes about it but i'd say it didn't bother her too much 
After all, for me to be out on a date when i could have gone home and played GX - now that's love!
After all, for me to be out on a date when i could have gone home and played GX - now that's love!BlazeHedgehog
Member
It's sort of ridiculous to think that anybody would. You wouldn't be flirting with someone in the middle of a game of Angry Birds on your phone, either. Playing a game means you are playing a game, not flirting with someone. Flirting implies a conversation of some sort. How, where or why you're playing a game has no bearing on that discussion, nor does the notion that you are a "gamer" or a "normal person". It's more about common courtesy than it is any stigma.
If you're afraid of being seen with any gaming device at any time, however, that's just silly. If somebody's going to turn you down just because they see you tote around a PSP or a DS or whatever, even when its turned off or in some kind of carrying case, there's probably a decent chance that they're kind of shallow.
I don't carry my phone around in my hand. I put it in my pocket. Please tell me what that says about my personality and dating chances.
What if your pocket is full, you have to hold it.
Nobody's asking you to carry your 3DS or PS Vita around with you 24/7 when yer out and about, but if you know yer gonna be alone and bored and need something to do, don't be afraid to bring it with you for something to do. If you plan to do something social or be around other people, unless they have 1 of their own, don;t bring it.
This doesn't have to turn into a portable pride parade, just be less afraid to bring it along when you think you would want to.
This doesn't have to turn into a portable pride parade, just be less afraid to bring it along when you think you would want to.
Phones pretty much always go in your pocket. I wouldn't have room for a 3DS in my pocket.
Barack Lesnar
Banned
Bad comparison to what they're talking about. First of all, it's a book and that's less stigmatized than a 3DS/PSP. Second, the odds of someone knowing what that particular book is about is very small.
Uno Venova
Banned
This is so stupid :lol :lol. But whatever, if my pockets suddenly filled up, I would hold it.
To end this silliness, where do you live anyway?
GodfatherX
Member
if i didnt have $500 in gift cards and rewards ($150 that I have to use by march) I doubt id be getting one at launch. But since I'm essentially getting one for free I won't complain. Already have a new pc, hdtv, tablet ect. I have tried to find something I can buy at bestbuy instead but keep coming up short.
Boss Man
Member
Come on, I'm curious!
Why would I leave the house carrying more things than I have pocket space for?
You can't be for real. This is such a stupid discussion...
Uno Venova
Banned
Number 2, because you see, 3ds has no games so I wouldn't be in the middle of anything.
By that same hypothetical token, you are not always ready when an 'attractive' person comes around and gets your attention, you may be doing something silly or have something unusual in your hands at the time, how you play it off is life and shows how cool you are and can be used to impress someone.
ANd this situation is pretty rare, so why stop from enjoying whatever than always being 'on-guard' unless that was yer plan to begin with was to meet people?
Outside Philadelphia.
I keep my iPhone and wallet in my right pocket and my keys in my left. No room left in my right, don't want my keys to scratch anything in my left.
But who doesn't have pocket space, right?
I´m good looking, i wouldn't give a fuck.
The point is that I chose to put away [ie. 'hide' in SeanR's mind] an item lacking any supposed social stigma, which not coincidentally is exactly what I'd do with the item he feels would [or should] embarrass me to be seen carrying.
EDIT @ StateofMind: I wouldn't care. I didn't when I was single and I especially wouldn't now.
AdventureRacing
Member
I think some people are being a little bit disingenious here. I play my handhelds in public and don't worry too much however i don't think there is any question that there is a stigma attached to it. That same stigma is not associated with phones, if anything i think it's more considered the norm to be using your phone in public.
Edit: Sean isn't saying you personally should stop playing your handhelds in public. He is saying that people will look at you differently if you're playing a gaming handheld rather than say an iphone. This may not bother you personally but there are people who are turned off by this.
Edit: Sean isn't saying you personally should stop playing your handhelds in public. He is saying that people will look at you differently if you're playing a gaming handheld rather than say an iphone. This may not bother you personally but there are people who are turned off by this.
You put a book in your pocket?
Boss Man
Member
I believe that socially, #1 is enough of a problem that most people actively avoid it altogether.
That's really the only point I'm after. That there's a real, strong social stigma attached to bringing a handheld out with you. I'm not saying I agree with it, I'm just saying that it's there.
This person is correct about the things that he has said.
I put it down, out of her line of sight.
Should have never engaged this guy and his initial stupid comment, now we got near two pages of him flailing about. Please just let it die.
I do this, yes.
I will. I simply can't imagine anyone being this sensitive about what people supposedly think of him based on this or that activity, though. It's crazy.
Puppet Shadow
Member
To be fair, in your case though (being from Philadelphia) this time of year always has great weather so you don't require such things as jackets or back pockets.
Acknowledging the problem is one thing, but what do you plan to do about it, if anything. You can just go on and play and not care or continue that stigma by playing along. Then we're entering a territory not just about handheld gaming, but one's perception about self and how people see them... if you are so self-conscience, obviously we can't help and you won't change no matter how many times we say it's ok.
Sorry to interrupt your argument with constructive discussion, but I thought I'd discuss what I felt Vita's problem areas are.
Most of Vita's problems, in my opinion, are forced errors; that is, errors that exist because of problems which ocurred before the PSVita was created, but continue to cause trouble. Examples:
1) Third party support. Specifically, the PS3/PSP rocked the notion many third parties had, which was that Sony was the obvious automatic winner of a generation. This significantly improved the support they received before those generations even began. Not having this advantage significantly hurts the Vita and it's essentially the first system launching without the "Sony is invincible" aura in place.
2) PSP system specs left little room for growth. That is, improving on the PSP essentially mandated PS3-esque graphics, but this has a huge downside; most companies (particularly Japanese ones, where most handheld support comes from) do not want to invest HD budgets in to handhelds games. This was an extremely difficult problem to avoid. This also mandated fairly high production costs for the system, at least to start with.
3) Sony failed to cultivate any strong, 1st party handheld IPs. This is something they again could have solved with the PSP, but the PS3 proved to be so resource intensive (as a consequence of its bad start) that Sony's own first party support for the system was not especially strong.
Again, most of these are per-existing problems which the Vita itself cannot be blamed for. The design team, I feel, did about as good a job as one can expect to mitigate these problems: they provided a variety of development paths for developers (PS Suite, PSN, actual PSVita 40 dollar games); they made the system apparently much easier to develop for; they used off the shelf parts to improve their cost reduction curve; they have invested more strongly in first party IPs, at least so far.
I probably could nitpick a few errors with the Vita, but for the most part, I feel the Vita's core problems are problems which developed over the 5 years preceding it, not a consequence of the Vita's design and production specifically.
Most of Vita's problems, in my opinion, are forced errors; that is, errors that exist because of problems which ocurred before the PSVita was created, but continue to cause trouble. Examples:
1) Third party support. Specifically, the PS3/PSP rocked the notion many third parties had, which was that Sony was the obvious automatic winner of a generation. This significantly improved the support they received before those generations even began. Not having this advantage significantly hurts the Vita and it's essentially the first system launching without the "Sony is invincible" aura in place.
2) PSP system specs left little room for growth. That is, improving on the PSP essentially mandated PS3-esque graphics, but this has a huge downside; most companies (particularly Japanese ones, where most handheld support comes from) do not want to invest HD budgets in to handhelds games. This was an extremely difficult problem to avoid. This also mandated fairly high production costs for the system, at least to start with.
3) Sony failed to cultivate any strong, 1st party handheld IPs. This is something they again could have solved with the PSP, but the PS3 proved to be so resource intensive (as a consequence of its bad start) that Sony's own first party support for the system was not especially strong.
Again, most of these are per-existing problems which the Vita itself cannot be blamed for. The design team, I feel, did about as good a job as one can expect to mitigate these problems: they provided a variety of development paths for developers (PS Suite, PSN, actual PSVita 40 dollar games); they made the system apparently much easier to develop for; they used off the shelf parts to improve their cost reduction curve; they have invested more strongly in first party IPs, at least so far.
I probably could nitpick a few errors with the Vita, but for the most part, I feel the Vita's core problems are problems which developed over the 5 years preceding it, not a consequence of the Vita's design and production specifically.
We've actually had some pretty great weather recently.
Todays the first cold day in awhile.
Boss Man
Member
Have you never watched a prank/social experiment show before? Most people are this way by nature. It's not a philosophical standpoint anymore than what position you tend to sleep in.
I don't think it's fair to call it self-conscious, I'd rather say that it's being socially sensitive or something. I'm fine with myself, but I do care about how people perceive me. Either way, I am that way and so are most people- many of them wish they weren't. Also, you're right, it's not something that you can change. I don't know why we're discussing this though, lol.
CartridgeBlower
Member
Gotta admit, I think there are a lot of people here who are in denial about gaming still being a social stigma.
I have lots of friends who don't play games, but don't see it as 'strange' or 'nerdy.' Then I have other friends who don't play games, but still do see it as those things. To call them 'sheltered' or 'close-minded' might be somewhat true, but in a way, to deny they exist is just as 'sheltered.'
I wonder how many of the people in here saying there is no stigma, especially when it still comes to women ages 25-40, have that much experience with what they are saying -- i.e. playing their DS, or talking about games when they first meet a woman, or on a date, etc.
I just had a girl who I've known for a while, totally cool and down to earth, tell me she still can't help see gamers as 'nerdy.' Would not have thought that was her viewpoint, but she said it nonetheless. It still exists.
I have lots of friends who don't play games, but don't see it as 'strange' or 'nerdy.' Then I have other friends who don't play games, but still do see it as those things. To call them 'sheltered' or 'close-minded' might be somewhat true, but in a way, to deny they exist is just as 'sheltered.'
I wonder how many of the people in here saying there is no stigma, especially when it still comes to women ages 25-40, have that much experience with what they are saying -- i.e. playing their DS, or talking about games when they first meet a woman, or on a date, etc.
I just had a girl who I've known for a while, totally cool and down to earth, tell me she still can't help see gamers as 'nerdy.' Would not have thought that was her viewpoint, but she said it nonetheless. It still exists.
Father_Brain
Banned
It singlehandedly revived the PSP at a time when it was treading water and accounted for over 20% of all software sold on the system there.
Puppet Shadow
Member
People may also be thinking that this might be another PSP Go in the making. I'd pick up a Vita if it bombs and is offered for a $100 in a year or two.
It's not unfair, it is apt, you can call it whatever you want. You say it's socially sensitive, it's not hurting anyone except your peceived notion that someone will think less of you because you are gaming in public. If it doesn't hurt anyone than you are being self-conscious.
Lord_Byron28
Member
I think another main problem is that they saw with the PSP and PS3 that going for a higher end dedicated gaming platform didn't work out due to price and that there weren't many exclusive games that justified the price. This time they lost out on some major games that helped the PSP/PS platform succeed(RE, MH, KH, DQ, etc) and several franchises that helped secure good sales on the PS platform are declining in sales(FF and GT).
I can concede that perhaps they thought trying to go head to head for the same market as Nintendo might not work out well and instead are trying to carve out their own market/demograph but I can't help but say that the writing was on the wall and that the PSP and PS3 were as succesful as they were because they did a massive turn around with their strategy. Perhaps they will be able to do another massive turn around later in the gen but they can't afford to pull the same thing they did with the PSP and PS3 at least for another year or two. Although Sony has been eerily silent about the whole situation so perhaps they have a strategy in hand.