i demand retribution

David McNulty, a 19-year-old computer science major at the University of Maine, started playing video games, such as Nintendo's wildly popular Mario Brothers, at age 5. He now hosts game-playing parties and joins online games with people who live across the world.

Holy living fuck. Are you serious? You can play games with people that live across the world?

I fucking hate CNN. It's everything that's wrong with Western mass media. I can't even believe I'm linking to this article. But I saw it at PA and it struck a chord. Well, maybe it hit a nerve. Because I'm a bit upset.

Firstly, when this ass says "game-playing parties" I'm going to assume he means a LAN party, or perhaps even the lesser Halo-party or Soul Calibur-party. In any case this "phenomenon" is so old its not even funny. It makes me Adamantium Rage when I read mainstream journalists' impressions of gamer culture. It's so god damned naive. No, we are not hermits that spend all night in front of the computer. Thanks for clearing that up. Yes, it is a lifestyle, I'll be the first to admit it. But there are other components of said lifestyle. For example, the planning of LAN parties and the attending of LAN parties. It is an extremely social activity indeed, where fragging and smack-talking can be enjoyed by all. This "golly gee, look at what these kids are playing these days" bullshit is a bit tired. Either report the full story or fuck off. And get a gamer to write this stuff! Not some "technology" writer who found out two weeks ago there is a completely free and open office suite. ("Wow! Imagine that! A free office suite!" A CNN article ensues.)

Anyone who is not a gamer does not understand the lifestyle and fluff pieces like this one and the so-called "study" behind it are doing gamers a disservice. I mean shit, any article that references DOOM like it was still current loses all credibility. If these assclowns at CNN don't get it, you can hardly expect your co-workers or family to get it.

So who's hosting the next LAN party?