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'''PC Master Race''', sometimes referred to as '''The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race''', is a [[tongue-in-cheek]] term of superiority for [[Personal computer|PC]] gaming used among gamers, and used to compare [[PC game|PC gaming]] to [[video game console|console]] gaming.<ref name="twsExtremeTech"/> In current parlance, the term is used by gamers both to describe themselves as a group, as well as their belief in the superiority of the PC platform. Popular imagery and coverage related to the term describes console users as "dirty console peasants" with the allusion that they are inferior and people who game on PC as the better "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race".<ref name="Plunkett 2014" /><ref name="twsNYDailyNews" />
'''PC Master Race''', sometimes referred to as '''The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race''', is a [[tongue-in-cheek]] term of superiority for [[Personal computer|PC]] gaming used among gamers, and used to compare [[PC game|PC gaming]] to [[video game console|console]] gaming.<ref name="twsExtremeTech"/> In current parlance, the term is used by gamers both to describe themselves as a group, as well as their belief in the superiority of the PC platform. Popular imagery and coverage related to the term describes console users as "dirty console peasants" and people who game on PC as the "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race".<ref name="Plunkett 2014" /><ref name="twsNYDailyNews" />


==Origin==
==Origin and usage==
{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|quote="What quickly becomes obvious is that Witcher is very much a PC-exclusive game, which are typically designed to be as complex and unintuitive as possible so that those dirty console-playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC-gaming master race."|source=—[[Ben Croshaw]]<ref name="twsCroshaw2008" />}}
{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|quote="What quickly becomes obvious is that Witcher is very much a PC-exclusive game, which are typically designed to be as complex and unintuitive as possible so that those dirty console-playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC-gaming master race."|source=—[[Ben Croshaw]]<ref name="twsCroshaw2008" />}}
⚫
The [[master race]] concept is a [[Nazi]] ideology based around their perceived genetic superiority to all other races.<ref name="cringe" /> The term "PC Master Race" was first used in 2008 by writer [[Ben Croshaw]] in the online gaming magazine ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' in which he video-reviewed the role-playing game ''[[The Witcher (video game)|The Witcher]]''.<ref name="twsCroshaw2008" /> Croshaw explained that his initial intent in referencing the [[master race|master race ideology]] was to poke fun at an intolerant attitude among some PC gamers:<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine"/>

⚫
The term "PC Master Race" was first used in 2008 by writer [[Ben Croshaw]] in the online gaming magazine ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' in which he video-reviewed the role-playing game ''[[The Witcher (video game)|The Witcher]]''.<ref name="twsCroshaw2008" /> Croshaw explained that his initial intent in referencing the [[master race|master race ideology]] was to poke fun at an intolerant attitude among some PC gamers:<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine"/>


<blockquote>It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer. People who invest in expensive gaming PCs and continually spend money to make sure the tech in their brightly-lit tower cases is up to date. Who actually prefer games that are temperamental to get running and that have complicated keyboard interfaces, just because it discourages new or 'casual' players who will in some way taint the entire community with their presence. I meant it as a dig.<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine"/></blockquote>
<blockquote>It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer. People who invest in expensive gaming PCs and continually spend money to make sure the tech in their brightly-lit tower cases is up to date. Who actually prefer games that are temperamental to get running and that have complicated keyboard interfaces, just because it discourages new or 'casual' players who will in some way taint the entire community with their presence. I meant it as a dig.<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine"/></blockquote>

==Usage==


The term caught on quickly, but with a [[Reappropriation|different meaning]] than originally implied by Ben Croshaw, now as an expression of pride to be called a PC gamer and being part of a group where users view their platform as superior to traditional [[video game console]]s due to its ever-expandable and [[Upgrade|upgradable]] hardware.<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine" />
The term caught on quickly, but with a [[Reappropriation|different meaning]] than originally implied by Ben Croshaw, now as an expression of pride to be called a PC gamer and being part of a group where users view their platform as superior to traditional [[video game console]]s due to its ever-expandable and [[Upgrade|upgradable]] hardware.<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine" />


⚫
While ''The Escapist'' continued to popularize its usage in later installments,<ref name="twsEscapist2"/> writers in more mainstream computer-related and gaming-related publications tend to avoid using the term because of its negative associations.<ref name="twsLinusTechTips"/> Tyler Wilde, executive editor of ''PC Gamer'', says the term should be abandoned altogether. "It worked as a hyperbolic joke when it was first said as a hyperbolic joke, and I did think it was a little funny to embrace the criticism ironically—for a moment, [but] when I see kids unironically boasting about their “master race” affiliation on forums, I cringe."<ref name="cringe">Tyler Wilde. [http://www.pcgamer.com/lets-stop-calling-ourselves-the-pc-master-race/ Let’s stop calling ourselves the "PC Master Race"], pcgamer.com, Jan 14, 2015.</ref>
The community has been promoted by [[Valve Corporation|Valve Software]], which sells digitally-distributed game software and updates through their [[Steam (software)|Steam]] platform.<ref name="twsNYDailyNews" /> By several accounts, the term has become an [[internet meme]].<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine" /><ref name="twsLinusTechTips"/>


The growing adoption of the term led to websites with variations of 'Glorious PC Gaming Master Race' in their internet addresses and the founding of an 'official' fandom/enthusiast group centered on the PCMasterRace subreddit which runs one of the most popular Curator lists on the Steam digital distribution service.
The growing adoption of the term led to websites with variations of 'Glorious PC Gaming Master Race' in their internet addresses, as well as promotion by [[Valve Corporation|Valve Software]], which sells digitally-distributed game software and updates through their [[Steam (software)|Steam]] platform.<ref name="twsNYDailyNews" /> By several accounts, the term has become an [[internet meme]].<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine" /><ref name="twsLinusTechTips"/>


⚫
The term is a launching point for debates about the relative popularity of gaming platforms. A report by Julian Arenzon in the ''New York Daily News'' suggested that digital distribution of games to personal computers is becoming more prevalent within the gaming community, and that there has been a trend away from physical game systems as well as physical disks to be read by [[optical disk drive]]s.<ref name="twsNYDailyNews"/> Reviewer Paul Tassi in ''Forbes'' suggested that in the platform battle, PCs had an edge because they were a "necessity" for everyday life while consoles were a "luxury" costing hundreds of dollars and only offering a few additional games or features over that of what a PC already has.<ref name="twsForbes" />
==Critique & Controversy==

The term is a launching point for debates about the relative popularity of gaming platforms.

⚫
A report by Julian Arenzon in the ''[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]]'' suggested that digital distribution of games to personal computers is becoming more prevalent within the gaming community, and that there has been a trend away from physical game systems as well as physical disks to be read by [[optical disk drive]]s.<ref name="twsNYDailyNews"/> Reviewer Paul Tassi in ''[[Forbes]]'' suggested that in the platform battle, PCs had an edge because they were a "necessity" for everyday life while consoles were a "luxury" costing hundreds of dollars and only offering a few additional games or features over that of what a PC already has.<ref name="twsForbes" />

⚫
While ''The Escapist'' continued to popularize its usage in later installments,<ref name="twsEscapist2"/> some writers for gaming-related publications tend to avoid using the term because of its negative associations.<ref name="twsLinusTechTips"/> Tyler Wilde, executive editor of ''[[PC Gamer]]'', says the term should be abandoned altogether. "It worked as a hyperbolic joke when it was first said as a hyperbolic joke, and I did think it was a little funny to embrace the criticism ironically—for a moment, [but] when I see kids unironically boasting about their “master race” affiliation on forums, I cringe."<ref name="cringe">Tyler Wilde. [http://www.pcgamer.com/lets-stop-calling-ourselves-the-pc-master-race/ Let’s stop calling ourselves the "PC Master Race"], [[PC Gamer]], Jan 14, 2015.</ref>


== See also ==
== See also ==
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{{reflist|refs=
{{reflist|refs=


<ref name="twsExtremeTech">{{cite web | url=http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/184523-watch-dogs-restored-to-its-e3-2012-graphics-glory-the-pc-master-race-strikes-again | title=Watch Dogs restored to its E3 2012 graphics glory: The PC master race strikes again | publisher=Ziff Davis | work=[[ExtremeTech]] | date=June 17, 2014 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Hruska, Joel}}</ref>
<ref name="twsExtremeTech">{{cite web | url=http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/184523-watch-dogs-restored-to-its-e3-2012-graphics-glory-the-pc-master-race-strikes-again | title=Watch Dogs restored to its E3 2012 graphics glory: The PC master race strikes again | publisher=Ziff Davis | work=ExtremeTech | date=June 17, 2014 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Hruska, Joel}}</ref>


<ref name="twsLinusTechTips">{{cite web | url=http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/182767-gamecrates-senior-editor-nick-scibetta-disapproves-of-the-label-pc-master-race/ | title=GameCrate's Senior Editor Nick Scibetta Disapproves of the Label "PC Master Race" | publisher=Linus Tech Tips | date= 17 July 2014 | accessdate=Sep 8, 2014 | author=Scibetta, Nick | quote=... the “PC Master Race” thing is a meme ... really sick and tired of the “Glorious PC Gaming Master Race” garbage... single quick line in a single video could have exploded ... use of the phrase “Glorious PC Gaming Master Race” is ubiquitous...term “master race” offensive}}</ref>
<ref name="twsLinusTechTips">{{cite web | url=http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/182767-gamecrates-senior-editor-nick-scibetta-disapproves-of-the-label-pc-master-race/ | title=GameCrate's Senior Editor Nick Scibetta Disapproves of the Label "PC Master Race" | publisher=Linus Tech Tips | date= 17 July 2014 | accessdate=Sep 8, 2014 | author=Scibetta, Nick | quote=... the “PC Master Race” thing is a meme ... really sick and tired of the “Glorious PC Gaming Master Race” garbage... single quick line in a single video could have exploded ... use of the phrase “Glorious PC Gaming Master Race” is ubiquitous...term “master race” offensive}}</ref>


<ref name="twsNYDailyNews">{{cite web | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/steam-summer-game-sale-massive-article-1.1402912 | title=Steam Summer Sale 2013 one of the year's biggest events for PC gamers | work=[[Daily News (New York)|New York Daily News]] | date=July 18, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Arenzon, Julian | quote=Steam has become one of the driving forces behind the growth of digital distribution... jokingly and somewhat offensively called 'the glorious PC master race' ...}}</ref>
<ref name="twsNYDailyNews">{{cite web | url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/steam-summer-game-sale-massive-article-1.1402912 | title=Steam Summer Sale 2013 one of the year's biggest events for PC gamers | work=New York Daily News | date=July 18, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Arenzon, Julian | quote=Steam has become one of the driving forces behind the growth of digital distribution... jokingly and somewhat offensively called 'the glorious PC master race' ...}}</ref>


<ref name="twsForbes">{{cite web | url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/04/26/mobas-drive-pc-gaming-to-surpass-consoles-globally/ | title=MOBAs Drive PC Gaming to Surpass Consoles Globally | work=[[Forbes]] | date=April 26, 2014 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Tassi, Paul | quote=There's an eternal war being waged between PC enthusiasts and console gamers as to which platform is better, and the so-called 'PC master race' might have just gotten a little bit more ammunition.}}</ref>
<ref name="twsForbes">{{cite web | url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/04/26/mobas-drive-pc-gaming-to-surpass-consoles-globally/ | title=MOBAs Drive PC Gaming to Surpass Consoles Globally | work=Forbes | date=April 26, 2014 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Tassi, Paul | quote=There's an eternal war being waged between PC enthusiasts and console gamers as to which platform is better, and the so-called 'PC master race' might have just gotten a little bit more ammunition.}}</ref>


<ref name="twsCroshaw2008">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/22-The-Witcher | title=''The Witcher'' | publisher=Defy Media | work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | date=January 23, 2008 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Croshaw, Ben | authorlink=Ben Croshaw | time=0:58 | quote=... Those dirty console playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC gaming master race ...}}</ref>
<ref name="twsCroshaw2008">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/22-The-Witcher | title=''The Witcher'' | publisher=Defy Media | work=The Escapist | date=January 23, 2008 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Croshaw, Ben | authorlink=Ben Croshaw | time=0:58 | quote=... Those dirty console playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC gaming master race ...}}</ref>


<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/extra-punctuation/10350-The-Glorious-PC-Gaming-Master-Race | title=The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race | publisher=Defy Media | work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | date=May 28, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Croshaw, Ben | authorlink=Ben Croshaw | time=0:58 | quote=It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer.}}</ref>
<ref name="twsEscapistMagazine">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/extra-punctuation/10350-The-Glorious-PC-Gaming-Master-Race | title=The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race | publisher=Defy Media | work=The Escapist | date=May 28, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Croshaw, Ben | authorlink=Ben Croshaw | time=0:58 | quote=It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer.}}</ref>


<ref name="twsEscapist2">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129052-Alienware-Tempts-Gamers-To-Master-Race-With-200-Console-Trade-Ins | title=Alienware Tempts Gamers to Master Race with $200 Console Trade-Ins | publisher=Defy Media | work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]] | date=October 25, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Bogos, Steven}}</ref>
<ref name="twsEscapist2">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129052-Alienware-Tempts-Gamers-To-Master-Race-With-200-Console-Trade-Ins | title=Alienware Tempts Gamers to Master Race with $200 Console Trade-Ins | publisher=Defy Media | work=The Escapist | date=October 25, 2013 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Bogos, Steven}}</ref>


<ref name="Plunkett 2014">{{cite web | url=http://kotaku.com/5963127/the-rise-of-the-glorious-master-race-of-pc-gamers | title=The Rise of the Glorious Master Race of PC Gamers | publisher=Gawker Media | work=[[Kotaku]] | date=November 25, 2012 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Plunkett, Luke | quote=Sometimes used as with pride, sometimes used with derision, the term 'master race' has become a common one to describe those PC gamers who love to Lord it over the plebs, revelling in their glowing hardware and hi-res textures.}}</ref>
<ref name="Plunkett 2014">{{cite web | url=http://kotaku.com/5963127/the-rise-of-the-glorious-master-race-of-pc-gamers | title=The Rise of the Glorious Master Race of PC Gamers | publisher=Gawker Media | work=Kotaku | date=November 25, 2012 | accessdate=September 6, 2014 | author=Plunkett, Luke | quote=Sometimes used as with pride, sometimes used with derision, the term 'master race' has become a common one to describe those PC gamers who love to Lord it over the plebs, revelling in their glowing hardware and hi-res textures.}}</ref>


}}
}}

<!-- stats: http://stats.grok.se/en/latest/PC_Master_Race -->


[[Category:Fandom]]
[[Category:Fandom]]

Revision as of 11:05, 30 June 2015

PC Master Race, sometimes referred to as The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race, is a tongue-in-cheek term of superiority for PC gaming used among gamers, and used to compare PC gaming to console gaming.[1] In current parlance, the term is used by gamers both to describe themselves as a group, as well as their belief in the superiority of the PC platform. Popular imagery and coverage related to the term describes console users as "dirty console peasants" and people who game on PC as the "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race".[2][3]

Origin and usage

"What quickly becomes obvious is that Witcher is very much a PC-exclusive game, which are typically designed to be as complex and unintuitive as possible so that those dirty console-playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC-gaming master race."

—Ben Croshaw[4]

The master race concept is a Nazi ideology based around their perceived genetic superiority to all other races.[5] The term "PC Master Race" was first used in 2008 by writer Ben Croshaw in the online gaming magazine The Escapist in which he video-reviewed the role-playing game The Witcher.[4] Croshaw explained that his initial intent in referencing the master race ideology was to poke fun at an intolerant attitude among some PC gamers:[6]

It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer. People who invest in expensive gaming PCs and continually spend money to make sure the tech in their brightly-lit tower cases is up to date. Who actually prefer games that are temperamental to get running and that have complicated keyboard interfaces, just because it discourages new or 'casual' players who will in some way taint the entire community with their presence. I meant it as a dig.[6]

The term caught on quickly, but with a different meaning than originally implied by Ben Croshaw, now as an expression of pride to be called a PC gamer and being part of a group where users view their platform as superior to traditional video game consoles due to its ever-expandable and upgradable hardware.[6]

While The Escapist continued to popularize its usage in later installments,[7] writers in more mainstream computer-related and gaming-related publications tend to avoid using the term because of its negative associations.[8] Tyler Wilde, executive editor of PC Gamer, says the term should be abandoned altogether. "It worked as a hyperbolic joke when it was first said as a hyperbolic joke, and I did think it was a little funny to embrace the criticism ironically—for a moment, [but] when I see kids unironically boasting about their “master race” affiliation on forums, I cringe."[5]

The growing adoption of the term led to websites with variations of 'Glorious PC Gaming Master Race' in their internet addresses, as well as promotion by Valve Software, which sells digitally-distributed game software and updates through their Steam platform.[3] By several accounts, the term has become an internet meme.[6][8]

The term is a launching point for debates about the relative popularity of gaming platforms. A report by Julian Arenzon in the New York Daily News suggested that digital distribution of games to personal computers is becoming more prevalent within the gaming community, and that there has been a trend away from physical game systems as well as physical disks to be read by optical disk drives.[3] Reviewer Paul Tassi in Forbes suggested that in the platform battle, PCs had an edge because they were a "necessity" for everyday life while consoles were a "luxury" costing hundreds of dollars and only offering a few additional games or features over that of what a PC already has.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Hruska, Joel (June 17, 2014). "Watch Dogs restored to its E3 2012 graphics glory: The PC master race strikes again". ExtremeTech. Ziff Davis. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  2. ^ Plunkett, Luke (November 25, 2012). "The Rise of the Glorious Master Race of PC Gamers". Kotaku. Gawker Media. Retrieved September 6, 2014. Sometimes used as with pride, sometimes used with derision, the term 'master race' has become a common one to describe those PC gamers who love to Lord it over the plebs, revelling in their glowing hardware and hi-res textures.
  3. ^ a b c Arenzon, Julian (July 18, 2013). "Steam Summer Sale 2013 one of the year's biggest events for PC gamers". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 6, 2014. Steam has become one of the driving forces behind the growth of digital distribution... jokingly and somewhat offensively called 'the glorious PC master race' ...
  4. ^ a b Croshaw, Ben (January 23, 2008). "The Witcher". The Escapist. Defy Media. Event occurs at 0:58. Retrieved September 6, 2014. ... Those dirty console playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC gaming master race ...
  5. ^ a b Tyler Wilde. Let’s stop calling ourselves the "PC Master Race", pcgamer.com, Jan 14, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d Croshaw, Ben (May 28, 2013). "The Glorious PC Gaming Master Race". The Escapist. Defy Media. Event occurs at 0:58. Retrieved September 6, 2014. It was intended to be ironic, to illustrate what I perceived at the time to be an elitist attitude among a certain kind of PC gamer.
  7. ^ Bogos, Steven (October 25, 2013). "Alienware Tempts Gamers to Master Race with $200 Console Trade-Ins". The Escapist. Defy Media. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Scibetta, Nick (17 July 2014). "GameCrate's Senior Editor Nick Scibetta Disapproves of the Label "PC Master Race"". Linus Tech Tips. Retrieved Sep 8, 2014. ... the "PC Master Race" thing is a meme ... really sick and tired of the "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race" garbage... single quick line in a single video could have exploded ... use of the phrase "Glorious PC Gaming Master Race" is ubiquitous...term "master race" offensive
  9. ^ Tassi, Paul (April 26, 2014). "MOBAs Drive PC Gaming to Surpass Consoles Globally". Forbes. Retrieved September 6, 2014. There's an eternal war being waged between PC enthusiasts and console gamers as to which platform is better, and the so-called 'PC master race' might have just gotten a little bit more ammunition.
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