Appealing to the videogame crowd? We need to expand our ranks.

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RX-178

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I will openly admit, that I was a videogamer long before I was a shooter, and videogaming was a major factor in my becoming the RKBA activist and avid firearms enthusiast (and perhaps closet Office/Desk Ninja :D) that I am today.

I'm wondering if anyone else on this board can also identify with the videogaming crowd, and had any thoughts on how to introduce these people to actual firearms and firearms ownership, in an organized manner (as opposed to just taking individual friends and associates to the range, since I would hope we're all doing that anyway... right? :scrutiny:).

My only thought so far is some kind of range event (preceded by a safety course, naturally!) where they can get their chance to try out variants of firearms typical of popular games. I'm sure there's other methods of appealing to this group of people.
 
I'm a video gamer, but i'm awful at counterstrike and such :(
those people are generally young and couldn't care less about political issues. We need to change that :)
 
Maybe start an organization called Gamers for guns or something? I don't really talk much when I'm in game, usually because i'm being killed by some twelve year old. On the other hand, i never hear anyone say "I hate guns" while playing counter-strike, so i imagine they have a favorable disposition. At the same time, they're playing a game to have fun, and bringing up politics just sucks the fun out of a room. Maybe we need to invent a 1776 game or something that subtly reminds people of the origins of our rights and why we need to protect them.
 
... i must say this would be the best "assist" for the anti´s to
make Propaganda with.......

Getting people who spend too much time gaming
and too little in real social life - to start shooting...., eh i think not.

Take two steps back and have a look
at the perception of gamers....

Then combine with prejudices of gun-activists...

my 02$
 
I'll grant that you have a point.

But gamers are also voters, and the more gun owners there are, the more chance of new people to join the NRA.

I think this election has shown us we can no longer afford the luxury of being elitist in choosing our allies.
 
@RX,

i think moving the issue into the middle of society is key.
Getting other "minorities" to join the cause will put you in
a corner instead of out in the open.

If there´s one thing to be learned from Obama´s way
of doing advertising, approach and communication...
it´s by using values instead of topics to adress people.

Of course the gamers... Teens and Twens will be included
in this target-group, but adressing the AS gamers
is the completely wrong strategy IMHO.

(eh, yes, i do advertsing for a living)
 
(I requested that Mp7 continue the debate on the value of gamers as RKBA activists in private, and he graciously accepted. This is a true example of taking the High Road.)

So, for Gun Rights activists that are also gamers, joining gaming clubs/circles, and organizing some form or range trips and firearms instructors between them and local ranges and gun clubs sounds like it'd be a useful tactic.

I think it could also be used to get the parents and families of gamers involved, if for instance, the gamer in question has as distant a relationship with their parents as /I/ did when I was in my late teens. We could suggest that going to the range would be a good choice as a family activity.
 
Another issue facing gamers has come to my attention recently.

Apparently the gaming industry and gamers are soon to face their own Heller, as the constitutionality of the California's violent game laws is set to be ruled on in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with everyone predicting the case being appealed to the Supreme Court regardless of the outcome.

I think there's an opportunity to ally supporters of the 1st Amendment in the gaming industry with supporters of the 2nd Amendment.

Look into groups such as the Video Gamers Voting Network (Quote: 'Video games are fully protected speech under the Constitution, and receive the same First Amendment protection as books, movies, music and cable television programs.") and other associations that are fighting for rights they believe in just the way we are.

Think of how much more could be done if we supported them, and they supported us.
 
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