Firearms enthusiasts. Hardcore video gamers. They sound like two completely different groups of people, but both have one thing in common: everyone else thinks they're crazy.
That's one of the key take-aways from a great piece over on the Escapist, written by a man who is both a gamer and a gun lover, a games writer and a member of the National Rifle Association.
"Shooting is fun; gaming is stimulating. Not quite what you'd expect to hear, and certainly not what many anti-gun and gaming advocates would lead you to believe" writes Russ Pitts. "In fact, most people who neither shoot nor play games assume that people who engage in those activities do so for the opposite reasons, and the mere suggestion that gamers might also own guns brings to mind the horrific images of the shootings at Columbine, perpetrated by two boys who were videogamers and firearm fanatics."
"Yet in talking with the gunners and gamers, it becomes clear that these are not members of the lunatic fringe. In fact, those who are most serious about gaming and gunning are probably the least dangerous people you'll ever meet, and less likely to harm themselves or others than "casual" hobbyists - i.e., people looking for a combat rifle on Google so they can 'pwn noobs' ".
While the kind of gun ownership advocated by those in the article may not sit well with those outside the US (or inside and anti-gun), the other stuff - like gamers and their instant fascination with Modern Warfare 2's Bushmaster ACR weapon - is good reading.
Gunners and Gamers [Escapist]