Yes, that is the resounding sound from Richard Bartle, the creator of MUD, who is currently teaching at the University of Essex. He is in fact, referring to gamers.
If only I had the sheer brashness as this guy has, I would have come out with a similar message. It lays into those that are in parliament at the moment, saying that all these terms for gaming, such as “moral decay” and “aggressive tendencies” are just code for them not understanding the whole idea of gaming, and why it has attracted such a following. The article further delves into the Byron Report’s real reason for existing; to give politicians some real wallop when it came to going on their crusade against the video game industry. The problem is, the report that they were dying to see was indeed balanced and fair. The author relates it to her birth year, because her generation was the maiden audience for home computing, and therefore gaming as a whole.
I loved reading this article, and I highly recommend that you read it yourself. It can be found here.
Tags: videogames, byron review, byron report, parliament