People in power make decisions about things they know nothing about all the time.
Politics is often driven by a party agenda and self interest - not by critical understanding of the underlaying issues
So as far as gamer politicians go - as long as they are products of the current political system - its just gonna be more of the same we have now
To be fair most voters don't understand most of whats going on either, so not really a problem.
The world basically is moved by those with money, been true since dawn of time, but I'd say the time of the true "business oligarchy" is more evident than ever.
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
People with real power have no need to play games, they are driven by the pursuit of power so even their entertainment activities favor social opportunities to further their aims.
You don't believe all those folks really enjoy playing golf that much, do you?
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
People in power make decisions about things they know nothing about all the time.
Politics is often driven by a party agenda and self interest - not by critical understanding of the underlaying issues
Having knowledge of issues existence does play a role.
I believe that's what interns are for, to deal with the lobbyists, if and when the gaming industry decides they want to lobby for more game-friendly laws.
I don't know that I will ever see a significant portion of legislators with a personal gaming experience. People who get elected spend entirely too much time *not* gaming, which seems to help them get elected. We're a minority by choice and action, and we're likely to stay that way for quite some time.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
There seems to be a lot of ignorance regarding gaming by the people in power. This may or may not change because not everyone is gamer. You would think that as people who understand gaming get into office you may have more limitations of some of the exploitation of minors that games seem to have.
To be honest im not sure id want someone who plans vacation weeks around MMO launches to be president of the United States...... Q Trump lecture in 3.....2......
Given the Stupid I have read on Game Forums.. Putting a Gamer into Office Scares the Shit out of me.
Egotism is the anesthetic that dullens the pain of stupidity, this is why when I try to beat my head against the stupidity of other people, I only hurt myself.
In the future when gamers take over (most which are casual gamers that play call of duty, mobile games and well casual stuff and more likely to also waste money on pay to win cash shops)...
"We found voting is too easily hacked and makes half the people angry. Also we found most people don't actually vote anyway. Instead, votes are now done by loot boxes. You'll never know what you'll get and no one will be angry with you for voting for the "wrong" person because its all RNG who you will get!"
My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB:
Perhaps a better question is weather games will be worth playing without their addictive qualities. There are more enjoyable things to do in real life that have less detrimental effects than staring at a screen motionless. A large part of the addiction for me was things like power, violence and sex. They triggered certain rushes inside. I'm sure gambling with loot boxes in game is the same for some people.
I would think the world of politics takes a lot of work and dedication and people wouldn't have time to play video games.
Are you kidding? "Politician" is a perfect job for lots of free time!
Work 6 months out of a year, make six figures plus benefits, have an office full of staff to do the "crap you can't be bothered with" (like reading and researching bills), and best of all, errand runners. Never go to the grocery store again!
Loads of time to play games!
The sad part is, I'm halfway serious...
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse. - FARGIN_WAR
Politicians probably think that they already are gamers and therefore understand gamers because they play Minesweeper and Solitaire on their Windows 98 machine.
This is just like nearly every political issue ever: politicians will do something when they believe that it will help them get re-elected, and no sooner. A handful of politicians may latch onto an issue earlier than that, but not enough to actually pass legislation.
In answer to the OP's question, it will depend on what you mean by "gamers getting into power."
An individual voter liking video games means bupkis.
Large numbers of gamers being eligible to vote also means bupkis.
So does a member of Congress being a gamer himself/herself.
That's not at all how it works.
I could give you a long list of things that American voters want and can't get because large special interest groups buy off the politicians and prevent it.
What would need to happen is for some of these big game making companies and their industry lobbying groups to throw their weight around.
I believe they are doing that when it really matters. So there is hope!
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
With some time to ponder the question, I have a less cynical answer.
It will never be the case that the majority of congress is gamers in the sense that we would think of gamers--complex games as opposed to simple browser-based or Facebook things that didn't cost much to make. There will eventually be some, or maybe even a few dozen avid gamers. But never a majority.
But that doesn't mean that politicians will never cater to gamers. It's the Charles Murray thesis: people live in bubbles. Things that are a huge deal to one segment of the population might be completely unknown to another.
In a sense, this has always been the case. Two hundred years ago, Georgia was very different from Massachusetts. Everyone in a city got their news from one or a few common sources, and there was little communication between distant regions. The representation system was designed to account for this, as something that was a huge deal in Georgia would surely be well-known to Georgia's representative, who could advocate for it in Congress.
Today, however, the bubbles aren't nearly as correlated with geography. A game or television show or band could be a huge part of your life. Meanwhile, your literal next-door neighbor not only isn't aware that it even exists, but isn't aware that the entire genre that it is part of exists.
This shows up in election results. In 1860, Lincoln won the election in spite of not even appearing on the ballot in several states and running in the low single digits in several others. In fact, there were only three states where Lincoln got at least 3% of the vote without winning the state. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson won 61% of the vote nationally in spite of not even appearing on the ballot in Alabama and getting less than 13% of the vote in Mississippi.
Two years ago, Trump won with less than 46% of the vote, but won at least 30% in every single state in an election in which no candidate reached 70% of the vote in any state. That kind of geographical balance has been common in recent decades, but was historically unusual: from 1850-1950, there was only one election (1880) in which no candidate won 70% of the vote in any state, and even then, no one won at least 30% in every state. Today, the most recently elected president to have any state where he never got over 30% of the vote is the aforementioned Lyndon Johnson.
But while there will never be an elected representative from Gamerstan, that doesn't mean that politicians will forever ignore gaming. Getting elected is a skill, and most congressmen (and all presidents) are unusually good at it. If there's an issue that being on one side of the issue will make 2% of your constituents happy without offending anyone, they're usually pretty good about figuring out that issue and getting on the proper side of it.
For that matter, that they aren't already on the proper side of what you might think of as an uncontroversial issue probably means that it's not as uncontroversial as you might think. When I said above that people live in bubbles, that probably includes you. When politicians do things that you think of as stupid or evil, they're usually catering to their constituents in some other bubble that you understand little about and might not even be aware of the existence of. (The main exceptions are for things that personally benefit politicians such as pay raises for congressmen.)
If 2% of voters want, say, a bill that bans loot boxes in MMORPGs, and the entire rest of the public doesn't care at all, politicians will probably figure it out and pass a bill to ban loot boxes. But even if all gamers supported such a bill (which isn't the case, by the way), some other constituency that we aren't aware of could be dead set against it on the basis that the particular bill would also have side effects that we don't even realize.
You might think that you're not aware of the fine details of legislation up for a vote, and that's accurate. But if you're on any major side of any major issue, there are lobbyists in Washington D.C. advocating for something decently close to your views on that issue.
One thing that substantially retards this effect, however, is political tribalism. Most American voters either usually vote Republican or usually vote Democratic. That's also true of registered independents. If a politician from the party opposite your own votes you how like on some gaming-specific legislation, would you vote for him in the next election in spite of disagreeing with him on most or all of the major hot-button issues? Most people wouldn't, and if 2% of Americans say that they care about an issue, but only 0.01% care about it enough to potentially change their vote on it, then from the perspective of politicians, 0.01% of Americans care about that issue. That's much harder to detect and much easier and safer to ignore.
In the case of loot boxes, that 0.01% could be employees of companies that implement loot boxes, and are thus all in favor of them because their personal livelihood is at stake.
Depends on the type of the gamer who would occupy those seats of power. But I imagine there would be crusades against p2w, lootboxes and the bollocks of video games causing violence.
Yeah that's kind of what I am getting at. Seems like many exploitations are allow because many in power simply don't know/care about gaming.
I don't want those in power to care nor do I want them to intervene in gaming in anyway. Once you get politicians involved, they will screw it up big time. Gaming is not like building a car or a roadway where safety is of concern. In fact, gaming is far more an art form or expression of free speech. Leave gov't out.
Gaming isn't just a recent venture...It's been around for decades, even my dad played video games when he was young.
The explosion of online gaming integrated into social media is relatively new ... or the impact of it is recently only seen.
Also, it IS pretty new anyway compared to existing industries many times older. The concept of time is what younger people haven't developed. The impact of Time can only be judged by scale and perspective. This industry is a newborn by comparison. Your dad is NOT old. He is also a newborn within this exploding industry.
Comments
The world basically is moved by those with money, been true since dawn of time, but I'd say the time of the true "business oligarchy" is more evident than ever.
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
You don't believe all those folks really enjoy playing golf that much, do you?
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
yeah yeah , I know "get off my lawn ... "
Godfred's Tomb Trailer: https://youtu.be/-nsXGddj_4w
Original Skyrim: https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/109547
Serph toze kindly has started a walk-through. https://youtu.be/UIelCK-lldo
"True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde
"I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant
Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV
Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
"This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon
I don't know that I will ever see a significant portion of legislators with a personal gaming experience. People who get elected spend entirely too much time *not* gaming, which seems to help them get elected. We're a minority by choice and action, and we're likely to stay that way for quite some time.
Logic, my dear, merely enables one to be wrong with great authority.
Aloha Mr Hand !
Aloha Mr Hand !
Aloha Mr Hand !
Aloha Mr Hand !
Aloha Mr Hand !
Generally that has to do with political solutions to problems being less effective than holding yourself accountable for your own problems.
I don't think more gamers in office will do much for gamers.
"We found voting is too easily hacked and makes half the people angry. Also we found most people don't actually vote anyway. Instead, votes are now done by loot boxes. You'll never know what you'll get and no one will be angry with you for voting for the "wrong" person because its all RNG who you will get!"
My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB:
https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul
Work 6 months out of a year, make six figures plus benefits, have an office full of staff to do the "crap you can't be bothered with" (like reading and researching bills), and best of all, errand runners. Never go to the grocery store again!
Loads of time to play games!
The sad part is, I'm halfway serious...
- Al
Personally the only modern MMORPG trend that annoys me is the idea that MMOs need to be designed in a way to attract people who don't actually like MMOs. Which to me makes about as much sense as someone trying to figure out a way to get vegetarians to eat at their steakhouse.- FARGIN_WAR
I would also start a new political party based on evidence based decision making with references and 100% honesty and transparency.
You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations.
An individual voter liking video games means bupkis.
Large numbers of gamers being eligible to vote also means bupkis.
So does a member of Congress being a gamer himself/herself.
That's not at all how it works.
I could give you a long list of things that American voters want and can't get because large special interest groups buy off the politicians and prevent it.
What would need to happen is for some of these big game making companies and their industry lobbying groups to throw their weight around.
I believe they are doing that when it really matters. So there is hope!
EQ1, EQ2, SWG, SWTOR, GW, GW2 CoH, CoV, FFXI, WoW, CO, War,TSW and a slew of free trials and beta tests
It will never be the case that the majority of congress is gamers in the sense that we would think of gamers--complex games as opposed to simple browser-based or Facebook things that didn't cost much to make. There will eventually be some, or maybe even a few dozen avid gamers. But never a majority.
But that doesn't mean that politicians will never cater to gamers. It's the Charles Murray thesis: people live in bubbles. Things that are a huge deal to one segment of the population might be completely unknown to another.
In a sense, this has always been the case. Two hundred years ago, Georgia was very different from Massachusetts. Everyone in a city got their news from one or a few common sources, and there was little communication between distant regions. The representation system was designed to account for this, as something that was a huge deal in Georgia would surely be well-known to Georgia's representative, who could advocate for it in Congress.
Today, however, the bubbles aren't nearly as correlated with geography. A game or television show or band could be a huge part of your life. Meanwhile, your literal next-door neighbor not only isn't aware that it even exists, but isn't aware that the entire genre that it is part of exists.
This shows up in election results. In 1860, Lincoln won the election in spite of not even appearing on the ballot in several states and running in the low single digits in several others. In fact, there were only three states where Lincoln got at least 3% of the vote without winning the state. In 1964, Lyndon Johnson won 61% of the vote nationally in spite of not even appearing on the ballot in Alabama and getting less than 13% of the vote in Mississippi.
Two years ago, Trump won with less than 46% of the vote, but won at least 30% in every single state in an election in which no candidate reached 70% of the vote in any state. That kind of geographical balance has been common in recent decades, but was historically unusual: from 1850-1950, there was only one election (1880) in which no candidate won 70% of the vote in any state, and even then, no one won at least 30% in every state. Today, the most recently elected president to have any state where he never got over 30% of the vote is the aforementioned Lyndon Johnson.
But while there will never be an elected representative from Gamerstan, that doesn't mean that politicians will forever ignore gaming. Getting elected is a skill, and most congressmen (and all presidents) are unusually good at it. If there's an issue that being on one side of the issue will make 2% of your constituents happy without offending anyone, they're usually pretty good about figuring out that issue and getting on the proper side of it.
For that matter, that they aren't already on the proper side of what you might think of as an uncontroversial issue probably means that it's not as uncontroversial as you might think. When I said above that people live in bubbles, that probably includes you. When politicians do things that you think of as stupid or evil, they're usually catering to their constituents in some other bubble that you understand little about and might not even be aware of the existence of. (The main exceptions are for things that personally benefit politicians such as pay raises for congressmen.)
If 2% of voters want, say, a bill that bans loot boxes in MMORPGs, and the entire rest of the public doesn't care at all, politicians will probably figure it out and pass a bill to ban loot boxes. But even if all gamers supported such a bill (which isn't the case, by the way), some other constituency that we aren't aware of could be dead set against it on the basis that the particular bill would also have side effects that we don't even realize.
You might think that you're not aware of the fine details of legislation up for a vote, and that's accurate. But if you're on any major side of any major issue, there are lobbyists in Washington D.C. advocating for something decently close to your views on that issue.
One thing that substantially retards this effect, however, is political tribalism. Most American voters either usually vote Republican or usually vote Democratic. That's also true of registered independents. If a politician from the party opposite your own votes you how like on some gaming-specific legislation, would you vote for him in the next election in spite of disagreeing with him on most or all of the major hot-button issues? Most people wouldn't, and if 2% of Americans say that they care about an issue, but only 0.01% care about it enough to potentially change their vote on it, then from the perspective of politicians, 0.01% of Americans care about that issue. That's much harder to detect and much easier and safer to ignore.
In the case of loot boxes, that 0.01% could be employees of companies that implement loot boxes, and are thus all in favor of them because their personal livelihood is at stake.
I don't want those in power to care nor do I want them to intervene in gaming in anyway. Once you get politicians involved, they will screw it up big time. Gaming is not like building a car or a roadway where safety is of concern. In fact, gaming is far more an art form or expression of free speech. Leave gov't out.
Let's party like it is 1863!
Also, it IS pretty new anyway compared to existing industries many times older. The concept of time is what younger people haven't developed. The impact of Time can only be judged by scale and perspective. This industry is a newborn by comparison. Your dad is NOT old. He is also a newborn within this exploding industry.
You stay sassy!