"What do you do for fun?"

[Steveon]

Myself being a FFXI player who quit over a year ago and my old friend from the game who juggles between FFXI and WoW tend to have arguments when the topic of MMOs come up in our conversations. Whether it be why he still plays, the social aspect, etc, etc, the topic comes up at least once ever two weeks or so. Today, an interesting topic came up:

When asked what his hobbies are, would he tell the person that he plays MMOs?

Reason being, when meeting new people or anything related, I had never mentioned that I played FFXI. Rather I mentioned that I played video games and the such. There will be people who aren't self-conscious of their image but the majority are.

For those that played hardcore / still play hardcore, are you embarassed to mention that you spend your days playing an online video game? When asked what do you do for fun and things similar to that, do you mention MMOs?

[chillin]

no, because i'm not a goddamn nerd goddamit

[Fhqwghads]

I tell people I play MMOs. I have nothing to be embarrassed about. Beats going to a smoke-filled bar and wasting money getting drunk.

[Norellicus]

I just lump it in as "videogames" because I play more than MMOs, and while MMOs may make up the majority of my time it'd probably be far more complicated to try to explain it, especially when the other person doesn't really care and is only asking what that means to be polite.

[Shuemue]

no, because i'm not a goddamn nerd goddamit

Rather be a nerd than an emo.

[Intense]

I never said anything about it. I was somewhat embarassed about it, I suppose.

[Zoot]

Normally I say I play lots of video-games, am a home-body for the most part, but eat out with friends and love baking and cooking ethnic food and shopping and watching anime, reading and drawing so I at least feel that I'm somewhat interesting.

When people ask what games I tell them which, FFXI included, but I don't go into detail - especially with my family, and tend to minimize the game when they come over. It's not really that I'm embarassed, just that I don't want to have to explain to them why I play it and what it is, just to see confused looks on their faces. Many don't understand anything about networking or the internet beyond facebook and myspace. To them it's awkward behavior.

[Shuemue]

I'd be far more embarrassed about lying than I would about playing MMOs.

Why should I give a flying fuck if people know I play shitty games?

[Deejay]

I tell people I play MMOs. I have nothing to be embarrassed about. Beats going to a smoke-filled bar and wasting money getting drunk.

You don't have to be drunk to enjoy a bar/club setting. If it's not your thing thats cool, but a little social life never hurt anybody.

Ever since I started school I stopped playing mmo's seriously. The huge time investment took a backseat to my real life schedule. I've tryed a few times to get back into things, but I like being able to enjoy life without having to worry about missing friday night Dynamis.

[Neosutra]

I say I watch movies, play games, play pool, and fight(mix martial arts) for fun. My wife however would never -ever- admit she played video games to her friends, regardless of the fact that she is more addicted than I am.

As for the bar scene, w/o being single, I dont really enjoy it that much anymore.

[Remyo]

I balance it. Games usually get mixed in the list of cars, guns, movies, music, sports and whatnot.

[Jefe]

Besides banging hot chicks in a red convertible? Not much.

[Alleya]

I don't say MMOs (or video games) for two reasons:

1. I can't be bothered to explain/defend them
2. The other shit I do is a hell of a lot more interesting to talk about. Have you ever tried to have a conversation about MMOs with someone who doesn't play them? You haven't, because you fucking can't. XD Even if they play MMOs but a different one from you, it generally turns into a "well in my game we do it this way" discussion, which is almost as fucking boring as trying to explain what an MMO is.

[Plow]

I'll say video games, if people ask for more details I'll explain that I played a couple competitive games at the highest levels (age of empires 2 and WoW pvp), but took em a bit too seriously and now just kinda chill with them. And of course that I <3 me some guitar hero (but play real guitar too).


I also play golf and disc golf, as well as bridge, so I generally have plenty to talk about in the hobby direction without sounding too horribly nerdy.


Also, I definitely agree with the early post about bars, if someone wants to tell me playing video games is somehow bad or whatever, I can just tell them to go get drunk and act like a retard but to stay the hell away from me while they do it.

[Koyuki]

I only hate it when I tell people I play MMO's and they look at me like I just said I worship satan. Makes me want to punch them in the fucking face.

[layoneil]

all the people who don't understand the concept of MMOs, i just tell them i play video games.

all the people who know what an MMO is knows that i play FFXI.

Even if they play MMOs but a different one from you, it generally turns into a "well in my game we do it this way" discussion, which is almost as fucking boring as trying to explain what an MMO is.

totally.

[octopus]

I just lump it in as "videogames" because I play more than MMOs, and while MMOs may make up the majority of my time it'd probably be far more complicated to try to explain it, especially when the other person doesn't really care and is only asking what that means to be polite.

I do the same, I just say I play video games ;o

[RakEx]

I used to tell people that I slay dragons in my free time. Then they would give the typical "What?" reaction. They would then either ask me what I was talking about or think I was a weirdo and just walk away. I was known to my friends and family as a dragon slayer there for a while. Spell casting dragon slayer. Good times.

[Izzy]

all the people who don't understand the concept of MMOs, i just tell them i play video games.

all the people who know what an MMO is knows that i play FFXI.

Exactly what I do lol. Normally it turns into a "OH LOL DID U PLAY HALO OR GTA HAHAHAHAH THOSE GAMEZ R SO GUD" conversation.

[Atlasion]

I don't really play FFXI much anymore, and haven't been seriously playing it for about a year now.

So as for hobbies, I'm not really sure. I usually say I play video games occasionally and hang out with my mates. As more mentioning MMOs, I wouldn't go around telling people I play, I'd just lump it in with videos games. If I got into a conversation with someone about video games, then I would tell them about playing FFXI. Of course, if I was chatting to a girl about video games (which is rare, I tend to find other topics of converstion) I would downplay the geekiness. For example, "yeh I play an MMO, I met loads of nice people and made a few new friends" not "I have mutliple lvl 75 jobs, leet endgame armour, and fight GODS".

I always thought more about how to class hanging out with friends. Especially on like job application forms and such. Sitting about chatting, watching TV and getting drunk doesn't sound like much of a hobby. Going out to a pub or a club every weekend doesn't exactly sound like a hobby either..