Not "Just a game"

I try not to get myself stuck into debates between that whole hardcore vs. casual thing nor do I particularly enjoy anything that offsets one group of players against another.

Until you understand the motivation of the developers and designers behind the game you cannot make assumptions that actually reflect the truth. It will always be a biased opinion.

There is however one longstanding sin against all gamers that permeates real life and game life alike.

The statement of: "It's just a game"

Often used by people that are tired of whining, more often the tool of grievers to downplay the overall anguish they can cause people.

The fact of the matter is that it's not 'just a game'.

Yes it is a game, but anything you do for a certain amount of time becomes an integral part of your life and as a result elevates a game to be more than just a game. It's a community, it's an experience, it's a vent, it's different things to different people.

The general attitude of "It's just a game" shows a complete lack of understanding. The fact that we play in a virtual world doesn't make our experiences less real. If someone comes in and ruins your gaming experience then this does affect how you are the rest of the day and how you treat the people around you.

Game experiences can and will impact real life and often moreso than real-life events simply because anyone can become someone in a game.

So next time you feel the need to say "it's just a game" think for a second... think about how bad your day would've been if you just got fired from your job, you log into wow only to listen to someone say: "It's just a job".

Is it really? Or was it an integral part of your life that you've gotten used to, knew how to handle and that gave you a certain amount of security and maybe even had a little fun with?

Just because it's not important to you, doesn't mean it's not important to others.