Bogost - The End of Gamers

In the concluding chapter of “How To Do Things With Videogames”, Bogost analyzes the future of the games industry and gamer culture. He reveals that games are becoming more and more popularized and more mainstream throughout society than ever before. He exposes how technology like the internet, television, and computers used to be something ‘special’ and exclusive and are now a part of daily life for many people. Bogost illustrates that indeed games are coming to this. They are no longer going to be something special and unique, serving a particular purpose. Games are now and will be serving many different purposes, representing many different things as they become more mainstream. He says that this will thus put an end to gamer culture, as less and less individuals will be identifying with games as their primary media diet. Now people from all different walks of life will be partaking in games. He suggests this is both a positive thing and a negative one. From my perception of the reading, Bogost wishes in a sense that games would remain more exclusive and ‘special’, but at the same time he seems to admire the fact that games are making such an impact on society and culture. In a sense, I feel the same way. I think that classic gamer culture will eventually die out, while games become a positive mainstream part of people’s daily lives.