The Gaming Lexicon, Part 1
I love video games dearly. I also know they're not for everyone. But what happens when people around you are not only uninterested in the subject, but also have a hard time even following a conversation between you and your leet buddies?
I had this very situation come up recently. I carried on my annual tradition of live-tweeting during E3 2018 during every show I cared about. I did what a lot of us tend to do, though- dropped a bunch of jargon that the uninitiated wouldn't have a hope of being able to follow.
I'm a big fan of everyone being on the same page, so I'll be doing a series in which I give you official-ish definitions of common gaming vocabulary. If you're not really into video games, this will at least carry you through a conversation and hopefully be fun and interesting too! And if you still have every Pac Man pattern memorized? Challenge opportunity for you: see how many of these terms you know without having to read them or look them up! Bonus points if you can get them all.
AAA
"Triple A," this refers to a relatively high-end game with a multi-million dollar budget and large development teams. AAA publishers and developers include EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and Nintendo. This is the only such term regarding a game's quality, by the way- nobody would ever want to admit that something they made is crap, so you wouldn't see "AA" or "B-" or anything like that.
Abandonware
These are the public domain of the digital world. Abandonware titles have been forgotten or ditched by their creators for any number of reasons. They are no longer being sold, and are thus deemed fair to download for free. Abandonware titles might later get purchased for pennies by a new rights holder and sold again, but at that point the game has basically run its course and won't do well. "Classic" doesn't always mean "good." If it sucked then, it still sucks today.
Action (genre)
In an action game, you do stuff. Sometimes, things might also happen. They may even tickle.
In seriousness, this is an overused catch-all term that refers to any game where the player uses physical movement to overcome challenges. This can include anything from a fighting game to racing, from shooters to puzzles. In case it isn't clear yet, most games are action games.
Adds
This is a term mainly used in online multiplayer games, when a boss calls in minions to help them fight you. This adds extra challenges that you must deal with before they subtract all your life points. Who knew bosses were so good at math? God help us all if they learn multiplication and division...
AFK
"Away From Keyboard." See also: potty break, food break, sleep break, life break.
Aggro
Also called "hate." "Causing aggro" means that you are drawing a monster's attention. Taking bigger, flashier actions will make enemies see you as a bigger threat and focus their attacks on you. "Pulling aggro" means that you are deliberately causing aggro towards yourself to draw monsters away from something else, usually your fellow players. This is the job of a tank, a party member who has high defensive or evasion abilities and can therefore handle the attacks better.than others.
Aimbot
A trick that dirty rotten cheaters will use to make aiming unfairly easy. They will hack their game and write a program to make the computer or console do all of the aiming for them; all they need to do is pull the trigger. An awful tool used by awful people.
Alpha release
Before a game launches, it has to go through a LOT of testing to make sure that it actually works. A developer may release their game in alpha form, also called "early release access" to make it sound better in marketing, so that they can figure out if their game works right on a basic level. They may also use an alpha to test experimental ideas before the game is officially released.
When done publicly, alpha testing is usually restricted to a set small number of players, who should understand that they're not playing a complete product. But they usually don't. And they whine. A lot.
AoE
"Area of Effect." This is an ability that targets a wide area instead of a specific target. These do not have to cause damage- healing ans support abilities may also be AoE moves- and both the player and their allies or even their enemies may have these kinds of abilities.
I feel like there's a Yo Momma joke to be made here. I dunno, all the pieces are there. You make something out of this.
APM
"Actions Per Minute," this is what it sounds like: how many commands a player can input into a game per minute. If you're a professional gamer, you would train with a focus on APM in addition to your actual skill with a game.
Avatar
Your character in the game world. Usually not blue or bald, but hey, there's an exception to every rule, right? Some games allow you to customize your avatar's appearance, particularly multiplayer titles.
Fellow nerds, how many did you get? High fives for days if you perfected the list! Next up is the letter B, but right now the only B word I'm thinking of is the bed that is callin' my naaaame. Working ten hours in a warehouse is better than NyQuil, I'll tell you what.
I had this very situation come up recently. I carried on my annual tradition of live-tweeting during E3 2018 during every show I cared about. I did what a lot of us tend to do, though- dropped a bunch of jargon that the uninitiated wouldn't have a hope of being able to follow.
I'm a big fan of everyone being on the same page, so I'll be doing a series in which I give you official-ish definitions of common gaming vocabulary. If you're not really into video games, this will at least carry you through a conversation and hopefully be fun and interesting too! And if you still have every Pac Man pattern memorized? Challenge opportunity for you: see how many of these terms you know without having to read them or look them up! Bonus points if you can get them all.
AAA
"Triple A," this refers to a relatively high-end game with a multi-million dollar budget and large development teams. AAA publishers and developers include EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, and Nintendo. This is the only such term regarding a game's quality, by the way- nobody would ever want to admit that something they made is crap, so you wouldn't see "AA" or "B-" or anything like that.
Abandonware
These are the public domain of the digital world. Abandonware titles have been forgotten or ditched by their creators for any number of reasons. They are no longer being sold, and are thus deemed fair to download for free. Abandonware titles might later get purchased for pennies by a new rights holder and sold again, but at that point the game has basically run its course and won't do well. "Classic" doesn't always mean "good." If it sucked then, it still sucks today.
Action (genre)
In an action game, you do stuff. Sometimes, things might also happen. They may even tickle.
In seriousness, this is an overused catch-all term that refers to any game where the player uses physical movement to overcome challenges. This can include anything from a fighting game to racing, from shooters to puzzles. In case it isn't clear yet, most games are action games.
Adds
This is a term mainly used in online multiplayer games, when a boss calls in minions to help them fight you. This adds extra challenges that you must deal with before they subtract all your life points. Who knew bosses were so good at math? God help us all if they learn multiplication and division...
AFK
"Away From Keyboard." See also: potty break, food break, sleep break, life break.
Aggro
Also called "hate." "Causing aggro" means that you are drawing a monster's attention. Taking bigger, flashier actions will make enemies see you as a bigger threat and focus their attacks on you. "Pulling aggro" means that you are deliberately causing aggro towards yourself to draw monsters away from something else, usually your fellow players. This is the job of a tank, a party member who has high defensive or evasion abilities and can therefore handle the attacks better.than others.
Aimbot
A trick that dirty rotten cheaters will use to make aiming unfairly easy. They will hack their game and write a program to make the computer or console do all of the aiming for them; all they need to do is pull the trigger. An awful tool used by awful people.
Alpha release
Before a game launches, it has to go through a LOT of testing to make sure that it actually works. A developer may release their game in alpha form, also called "early release access" to make it sound better in marketing, so that they can figure out if their game works right on a basic level. They may also use an alpha to test experimental ideas before the game is officially released.
When done publicly, alpha testing is usually restricted to a set small number of players, who should understand that they're not playing a complete product. But they usually don't. And they whine. A lot.
AoE
"Area of Effect." This is an ability that targets a wide area instead of a specific target. These do not have to cause damage- healing ans support abilities may also be AoE moves- and both the player and their allies or even their enemies may have these kinds of abilities.
I feel like there's a Yo Momma joke to be made here. I dunno, all the pieces are there. You make something out of this.
APM
"Actions Per Minute," this is what it sounds like: how many commands a player can input into a game per minute. If you're a professional gamer, you would train with a focus on APM in addition to your actual skill with a game.
Avatar
Your character in the game world. Usually not blue or bald, but hey, there's an exception to every rule, right? Some games allow you to customize your avatar's appearance, particularly multiplayer titles.
Fellow nerds, how many did you get? High fives for days if you perfected the list! Next up is the letter B, but right now the only B word I'm thinking of is the bed that is callin' my naaaame. Working ten hours in a warehouse is better than NyQuil, I'll tell you what.
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