sneering,exalts!ballroom beardless reefs …

male

> -Are you interested in video game merchandise? Why or why not?

Not particularly. I have and collect Bionicle Legos, but I don’t have them because I like the game, I have them because I like them and I have the game because it’s bionicle merchandise.

I generally resist cross-branding (with the exception of the bionicle series). My clothes are as unbranded as possible. I don’t own any t- shirts with logos on them. The only logo’d stuff are my carhart pants. I wear a P-coat and prefer unblemished surfaces (I shun stickers).

> -What attracts you to certain game merchandise? Why?
> -What was the last item of game merchandise your purchased?
> -How much game merchandise would you say you own (a lot, a little, etc.)?

I have almost every bionicle lego set. I collect the legos, and in that context I also own the game. I have no non-lego gaming merchandise.

> -How much would you say you've spent on game merchandise in the last year?

I’m not sure, in the order of a few hundred dollars (~300).

> -What kinds of game merchandise do you own?

lego.

> -Do you consider yourself a collector of game merchandise?

if you accept the lego as gaming merchandise, then yes.

> -What's the coolest item of game merchandise you've ever purchased?

McDonalds ran a bionicle promotion briefly. These sets weren’t sold any other way. I didn’t live in a region where McDonalds was running the promotion. I had to purchase them on Ebay. I lost sleep over it. It was a meaningless, stupid thing. But it meant a lot to me. So my coolest piece of gaming merchandise is a small, 7-piece set of a little brown man with a mask.

> -Do you purchase your game merchandise online or in stores? Where specifically?

Predominantly online: amazon, lego, ebay .coms

> -Do you prefer merchandise that you keep at home, or merchandise you can wear/carry to display your interest in games?

The only gaming merchandise I own are lego-related. I own them because I like the legos.

I keep them at home.

> -What do you think when you see someone wearing a game-related item of clothing?

If I can tell it’s game merchandise, fanboy. If it’s such an arcane inside joke that I don’t get it and someone explains it later, hardcore.

> -Do you think collecting game merchandise is part of being a hardcore gamer? A hardcore fanboy?

I think playing games is part of being hardcore. Everything else is fluff. Which is a feature of being “hardcore” in general, whether it’s punk, gaming or fly fishing. It’s not the clothes, it’s not the stuff. It’s living and breathing the games.

What separates the hardcore from the rest is that they don’t *need* to identify with their tribe. They are outside of groupthink. They know their filing system is unstoppable.
————————————
-Are you male or female?
Male, as far as I know.

-Are you interested in video game merchandise? Why or why not?
Definitely. Its fun to identify yourself as a gamer when you go out
there in the world. You’re more likely to meet other gamers and strike
up new and interesting friendships, or good conversation at the least.

-What attracts you to certain game merchandise? Why?
I’d have to say two things: a good logo and a good franchise. Meaning, I’m not going to wear something that looks hideous or represents a game/series that is no better then a pile of petrified bat guano.

-What was the last item of game merchandise your purchased?
A sweet t-shirt from, of all places, Hot Topic. Its bright green with
Mario on one knee, apparently in the midst of singing an romantic
opera. The tagline reads “EVERYBODY LOVES AN ITALIAN BOY”, with the Nintendo logo underneath. Given that I’m of the appropriate ethnic
background, it fits. Plus, it never fails to get comments from the ladies every time I wear it! ;D

-How much game merchandise would you say you own (a lot, a little,
etc.)?
A little.

-How much would you say you've spent on game merchandise in the last year?
Not much. < $50, probably.

-What kinds of game merchandise do you own?
Just a few t's and some stickers.

-Do you consider yourself a collector of game merchandise?
Not even remotely.

-What's the coolest item of game merchandise you've ever purchased?
Totally the Mario T I just got. Its awesome!

-Do you purchase your game merchandise online or in stores? Where
specifically?
Both, but I would probably favor online. Stores that I look at a lot
specialize in retro and gamer t's:
http://store.cottonfactory.com/80s-t-shirts.html
http://www.80stees.com
http://www.retroduck.com

-Do you prefer merchandise that you keep at home, or merchandise you can
wear/carry to display your interest in games?
Totally the kind I can wear. What good is it if I can’t advertise it??!

-What do you think when you see someone wearing a game-related item of
clothing?
That’s a cool person. I should go rap with them for a bit and tell them
about my cool ‘Net radio show.

-Do you think collecting game merchandise is part of being a hardcore
gamer? A hardcore fanboy?
Not neccesarily. There is definitely a direct correlation between the
amount of swag one has and the amount of games said person plays. But
just because a person has swag, doesn’t mean they are a hard core
gamer. And yes, fanboys deceptively wear swag too. Which makes it all
that much more difficult for us real gamers who are just trying to be
real.

female

-Are you interested in video game merchandise? Why or why not?

I am, but mostly as an identifier. Visibility promotes community, and that’s something that gamers do well.

-What attracts you to certain game merchandise? Why?

Well, first it has to be presented well and fit my tastes, obviously, but after that the most important feature is clarity. I want someone to be able to understand and recognize the message at first glance. This is important to me because if I encounter another gamer, I want that person to know that we have something in common; if I encounter a non-gamer, I want that person to be exposed to different people in the gamer culture. It’s important for the Jack Thompsons out there to see a variety of people immersed in the gaming community, as well as make it clear that gamer culture has spread far and wide. Gaming is exceptionally common among all demographics now and it’s important that we make a statement to the effect that we’re everywhere and we’re not going away.

-What was the last item of game merchandise your purchased?

Probably Penny Arcade merch, most likely a t-shirt. I know that it’s not specifically game merch, but without games there would be not PA, so I think it counts.

-How much game merchandise would you say you own (a lot, a little, etc.)?

A little. Some t-shirts and stickers and things.

-How much would you say you've spent on game merchandise in the last year?

less than $100

-What kinds of game merchandise do you own?

Mostly t-shirts or other things that are outwardly visible. Like I said, I’m more interested in supporting the entire gaming community than coveting life-size replicas of Cloud. Also I tend to gravitate toward merch from gaming strips like PA, MegaTokyo, 8-bit, and CAD (to a lesser extent), and things that identify me as a geek in general.

-Do you consider yourself a collector of game merchandise?

No

-What's the coolest item of game merchandise you've ever purchased?

A sword-chucks-yo shirt

-Do you purchase your game merchandise online or in stores? Where specifically?

Online… mostly thinkgeek, zestuff, and the like… sites that serve various gamer and geek interests

-Do you prefer merchandise that you keep at home, or merchandise you can wear/carry to display your interest in games?

I prefer wearable/stickable merch. Again, all about promoting community to gamers and non-gamers alike.

-What do you think when you see someone wearing a game-related item of clothing?

Well, I generally assume some things about that person; for instance I’m pretty sure that person knows Jack Thompson and verily dislikes him, and believes that video games don’t cause violence. I pretty much know that we’ve got a lot in common, and could probably chat extensively about any matter of things, without even knowing what games that person plays. I can assume that person has heard of my favorite strips and review sites, and if they haven’t, I can point them in that direction. And I always assume that I can start a conversation with that person and expect he or she to be friendly, and I’ve yet to be dissappointed.

-Do you think collecting game merchandise is part of being a hardcore gamer? A hardcore fanboy?

I don’t think it’s really part of being a hardcore gamer, I think it’s more a matter of interest. I know some insane CS:S and Halo players for which gaming isn’t their main interest. Rather they may be all about playing the guitar or programming. There is this sort of assumption about a class of guys who are total fanboys because of what they wear, but honestly if you talk to them, they are generally good people and absolutely worth talking to. These guys will usually list gaming as their main interest, and that’s ok. It’s important for people to show their interest in games, and that’s why as a woman, I like to make that interest visible.

-Are you interested in video game merchandise? Why or why not?
I’m mostly interested in soundtrack-related stuff, although I frequently get tempted by representations of my favorite game characters. (e.g. figurines, action figures, plush dolls)

-What attracts you to certain game merchandise? Why?
Some games have soundtracks I really like. Some characters are really cool.
I remember drooling over the 1/8 scale Final Fantasy VII resin statue of Vincent Valentine, but that’s way out of my budget.

-What was the last item of game merchandise your purchased?
I bought a ticket for the Final Fantasy More Friends concert and saw it with some friends of mine. I also got a CD of the concert while I was there.

-How much game merchandise would you say you own (a lot, a little, etc.)?
Not very much.

-How much would you say you've spent on game merchandise in the last year?
Not very much. Well, there was the concert ticket. But I really don’t buy much merchandise.

-What kinds of game merchandise do you own?
Some soundtracks and piano scores. A set of Final Fantasy figurines. I also have promotional cards for a couple of games.

-Do you consider yourself a collector of game merchandise?
Not really

-What's the coolest item of game merchandise you've ever purchased?
Um, I really like my piano scores? And the concert was definitely cool.

-Do you purchase your game merchandise online or in stores? Where specifically?
Online, definitely. Soundtracks and piano scores from http://www.gamemusic.com . Figurines from eBay. My friend handled the ticket purchases.

-Do you prefer merchandise that you keep at home, or merchandise you can wear/carry to display your interest in games?
I think I tend to be more attracted to keep-at-home merchandise (the soundtracks and figurines). But most of the games/characters that I would buy merchandise for don’t really seem to have clothing items available.

-What do you think when you see someone wearing a game-related item of clothing?
If it’s a game I like, I think “Cool!” If not, it’s just another shirt.

-Do you think collecting game merchandise is part of being a hardcore gamer? A hardcore fanboy?
What about the fangirls?
I don’t think owning merchandise is a pre-requisite for being “hardcore”, but if you do own some, you’re more likely to be considered hardcore. Er, MD^2 said this except with more eloquence.

-Are you male or female?
Male.
-Are you interested in video game merchandise? Why or why not?
Yes, when the game has left me with a deep impression.
-What attracts you to certain game merchandise? Why?
Most of the time it’s a combination of mood; character design and music. I like games immersive enough that they help me forget about the mundane.
-What was the last item of game merchandise your purchased?
Myst V collector edition.
-How much game merchandise would you say you own (a lot, a little,
etc.)?
A lot.
-How much would you say you’ve spent on game merchandise in the last
year?
Between 300 and 500 euros.
-What kinds of game merchandise do you own?
Dolls, plush, figurines, music CDs, art books, keyholders, t-shirts…
-Do you consider yourself a collector of game merchandise?
No.
-What’s the coolest item of game merchandise you’ve ever purchased?
A art book.
-Do you purchase your game merchandise online or in stores? Where
specifically?
In Paris’ specialised stores.
-Do you prefer merchandise that you keep at home, or merchandise you can
wear/carry to display your interest in games?
I’d rather keep them home.
-What do you think when you see someone wearing a game-related item of clothing?
Nice.
-Do you think collecting game merchandise is part of being a hardcore
gamer? A hardcore fanboy?
A hardcore fanboy… it has nothing to do with the difficulty of the game.

I can’t exactly fit in the survey because I have a strong repulsive reaction to most publicity, in any form. Let’ use William Gibson’s semiotic agoraphoby to describe it, except far less extreme than what he described in Pattern Recognition.

I do have a small video game music OST collection, though, but since I’m owning it on the music’s own merit, I don’t think it enters the swag definition.

Owning swag merchandise may not be proof that one is a hardcore gamer, but it can serve as a clear sign that one belongs to the gamer community. A clear, unambiguous social marker.