Look, whatever you do, there would always be people who would criticize it. The fact is that gaming is seen as cool by other people. If you take gross numbers, we never have had it better. And I mean it.

Now when you go to a party or work event and say that your game, there are high chances that at least other people say that the game too. Or that they have a boyfriend/girlfriend/friend who does. We have become mainstream.

But some people are stuck in the old days when we were a minority and were considered losers at high school. But we have left high school, we have money, partners, and plenty of friends.

So some people tell you to “get a real job”, so what? When I started reading comics, playing D&D, or gaming people keep telling me that “it wasn’t for girls”. And that “it wasn’t feminine”. And worse, other gamers told me that they thought I was there to get a boyfriend. At the end of the day, we kept doing our thing and now it has become normalized. I mean, you would have difficulties finding people under 30 who haven’t played games.

Who is telling you to find a “real job”? The same people who “peaked” at high school? Well, maybe you need to remind yourself that their opinions never mattered. You don’t need social acceptance from all people. I sure don’t need to be accepted by racists or homophobes. I would worry if I were accepted by them. The same applies here.

And in general terms, we have won, since many new people are joining the hobby. We should focus on being welcoming to that people and ignore the haters. They are bound to be the minority anyway.