Video game fans are a notoriously opinionated bunch. Picture the acerbic, humorless affect of The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy and toss in a lot of strong opinions about player progression systems and you've got the makings of a gaming Subreddit.

Aaron and I have a pretty diverse range of interests, so we keep up with news and conversations in all kinds of media. That's probably why we've both noticed the dry sarcasm and exclusionary discourse that defines gaming more than anything else in the mainstream media. But where does it come from? And what can we do about it?

In this episode, we study the sharp tone of gaming discussion and question where it comes from and why it's largely seen as normal. What is it about the relationship between PR and consumers that keeps this cycle of brash opinions and grudging purchases in constant motion?

 

Intro/outro music: "Sunrise" by WJLP. Used under the Creative Commons CC-BY-NC 3.0 license.