Games by definition are activities engaged in for diversion or amusement according to the Merriam Webster Dictionary. Humans are known to have the knack to liven their everyday lives in any way they can make so possible. Playing games is one of these many things that people do in order to pass the time or be entertained whenever faced with a taxing tasks or simply when there is nothing else to do.
For some people, games serve as a vehicle for competing against other individuals in order to determine which person is better in doing a said activity. VIDEO GAMES In recent years, with all the technological advances mankind has been able to make, they have been able to develop a technology to bring games in consoles. These video games that they call are games that are projected through the television with the use of those gaming consoles. Video games covered the whole spectrum of games that is normally played physically such as sports.
Apart from this, they have allowed their users to stretch their imagination and allow them to place their selves in the shoes of a character in a whirlwind adventure in role playing games (RPG), as for those who like critical thinking, gaming companies have also develop games that allow its players to become generals of their own armies and emperors of their own empires in real time strategy (RTS) games. And in recent memory, the latest craze that has hit gamers are the so called Massive Multiplayer Online Games (MMO) which allow gamers to play with other people from different locations thru the use of the Internet.
These video games have easily become a favorite by the youth because of the convenience that it brings and the amount of relaxation that they get from playing video games. The arrival of video games had at some point worried adults as they saw their children slowly getting more and more addicted to playing these video games. But at the same time, with the rapid rise of these games to global popularity, some people have used these games, especially MMO’s as a means to earning money for their own.
VIDEO GAMES IN THE PHILIPPINES. Filipinos, known for their competitive nature, have busied themselves in video games that would allow their selves to compete with fellow gamers within their reach. Because of this, there had been a sudden boom in the number of Internet Cafes around the metro that would allow them to play these games. From sunrise to sundown and until sunrise once more, you would see people, from teens to their late 20’s busying their selves in front of the computer, playing the game that has captivated their attention with all the concentration they can offer.
Some of these favored games would be the Defense of the Ancients or (DotA) and World of Warcraft, sub-games of the world-famous real-time strategy game Warcraft a real-time strategy game. DotA and WoW perhaps brings about the best competitive attitude of Filipino gamers in these days. You would see the players of these games locked-in in an intense gaming session in almost every Internet Cafe that you would see within the metro.
VIDEO GAME TERMINOLOGIES. Because people have busied their selves a lot in playing games, fellow gamers over time had been able to develop certain terms to make their lives convenient in terms of conversing with other fellow gamers. As we’ve found out in our research, these terms can be easily picked-up by anyone who plays the game. Memorization and familiarization of these terms are not as much a problem as well as gamers gets the chance to use these terms every time they play or converse with fellow gamers.
We also learned that like any other language, the terms of gamers evolve through time and varies in some places that you go to. Most of the time, the main dictator of change would be the current game they would be playing. The terms that could be found in that game would more or less be the ones that would replace the old words they used before that shared the same meaning. APPLICATION OF TERMS IN REGULAR CONVERSATION Though there is a large population of gamers in the country and all over the world, the language of gamers are only understood by fellow gamers as well.
The terms that they use while playing the game though are easily applicable in conversations outside the gaming context. It is easy for them to apply these terms because these gamers are able to see even the slightest similarities of the connotation of a said term to a certain action or occurrence that they see in a real life setting. GLOSSARY Add Bot – a program that creates simulated players that are commonly easy to beat in a game. Also used to refer to people who lose a lot. Aggro – when a player is on the offensive and starts attacking.
Also used on people who are too aggressive for their own good. Amp – an abbreviation for the tagalong curse “Ang Puta” or the bitch. BAF – an abbreviation used to tell someone to “Bring A Friend”. Buff – term used for spells or skills that would give additional protection or would heighten the skills of a player. Used as a means of asking something outside gaming context. Camper/Sawsaw – used to refer to players who like to stake out and wait for their opponents in places that are most advantageous for them.
Outside gaming context, used to refer to people who hang-out in a certain place for a long time. Comsat – used to refer to players who like to view the monitors/lcd screens of other players to illegally locate them. Outside gaming, used to refer to cheaters in school who copy answers. Farming – term used for players who concentrate on killing easier opponents to get money. Outside gaming, term used when one is saving up. Gank – used to refer to a situation when two players battle and one of them loses due to overwhelming odds. Outside gaming context, this is used to refer to bullying.
Mamaw/Imba(Imbalanced) – term used for players with extremely strong players. Outside gaming context, used to refer to people who are perfect or too good. Nerf – term used when a player would downgrade the specifications and strengths of their equipment. (same applies for outside gaming context) Noob – term used for newbies, sometimes used as an insult for other gamers who make mistakes too often. Looter/Kill Stealer/KS – term used on players who steal other players’ loots and kills. Outside the gaming context, used to refer to thieves.
Owned – term used when a player loses in epic proportions. (same applies outside gaming context) Owning – term used when a player wins in epic proportions. (same applies outside gaming context) GG – short for “Good Game”. Otherwise, it is used as an expression in proxy for “Game Over” or “No Contest” (same applies outside gaming context) Pampam – used to refer to players who like to get the attention of other players all the time. (same applies outside gaming context) Pots – Term used for healing and mana potions. Outside gaming context, this term is used for water or energy drinks.
