The 8-Bit crew circa Fall 2009.

I'm not quite sure what it is about being a nerd that makes me shout it from the roof tops. I notice this frequently when in the proximity of other nerds (we have a herd mentality). I love nerding out, don't get me wrong. Connecting with people who share your interests on such a level is always a wonderful feeling. What worries me though is competition. Nerd vs Nerd for who is the nerdiest. I will defend videogames to the death as a choice hobby, but when I start listing reasons why I'm a bigger gamer than you, we all lose. 

I find this happening mostly in the presence of a co-worker. She happens to be an actual attractive female who plays WoW. She constantly tries to claim the gamer throne by saying that she, as a WoW addict, is a more "hardcore" gamer than I am. I always detest because, while I don't play WoW nearly as much as she does I spread my time and love across nearly every gaming platform and game style (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PC, Mobile). "How can you be a hardcore gamer," I ask her "when you don't even know what an RTS is."

So, what is it about being a gamer that makes us want to be bigger and badder than the rest of the gamers of the world? Sure, I'm a competitive man (you should hear me curse during a game of Risk: Factions) and I love my hobby and field of interest. But when I start rattling off how many hours I devote to videogames my heart sinks a little in my chest. There are so many other things I could do with my life. On the other hand, there's a big part of me that wouldn't change it for the world.