So i got 'that' comment about the hobby last night.

tigerstyle

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So i got 'that' comment about the hobby last night.

My girlfriend was over with her daughter (not mine), and her 8 years old daughter LOVES to play on my arcade games. It's hilarious to watch her play Super Chase HQ because she is barely tall enough to reach the top of the steering wheel. Last night they were over and the kid was playing (and really enjoying) Virtua Tennis; and I told her next time she would be over, the Virtua Tennis cab and game would be completly different and there would be another game in it , Marvel Vs Capcom 2. The kid was like OMG REALLY THIS IS AWESOME YOU ARE A GENIUS HOW CAN YOU CHANGE THE GAME LIKE THAT' and asked her mom 'can I come back monday? please please please please', to which her mom answered 'we'll see'. Not even a minute later, I got THAT comment..

'Why are you spending so much money on this old videogames stufff? It's kind of a moneysink and its all old stuff you can buy ultra cheap on console compilations'

... I told her It wasnt really all that crazy expensive, and it was far cheaper than some of the stuff that my friends were into, and it was certainly fun when people came around.. She quickly changed subject after that, but still.. Damn. I'll well off, i make a good salary, and im grateful for that, but the hobby has not taken over my life, social or financial. Her comment didnt really kill the mood, we still had lots of fun and I even had a blast teaching the kid how to play Mortal Kombat (she was so proud of having learned Sonya's leg grab attack). My girlfriend and her spent like 30 minutes after that, fighting each other.

How do you guys deal with those kind of comments? I know that some of you guys have huge basement filled with far more games that I have.
 
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I'll well off, i make a good salary, and im grateful for that, but the hobby has not taken over my life, social or financial.

Given this situation ^^^ and that you are not married/cohabiting, the correct answer is "Because I enjoy it".

If you have co-mingled finances, then she gets an equal say in how the household money get spent, including hobbies. Even then, the fact that it's a not a financial or emotional drain on the household weighs heavily. If the bills are paid, and you have money left over for his *and* her hobbies, what they are and whether the other person finds them "valuable" isn't relevant.
 
Thw WTF look...

Everytime I buy a game the wife gives me the WTF look and my response is that I don't spend money on alcohol or cigarretes so it is justified in my mind. She actually said to me a few weeks ago, "Are you trying to buy all the arcades games ever made?"

The trick is to find a few games the wife likes and bribe her. I just bought 2 Ms Pac/Galaga reunion cabs and planned on selling both. I really wanted to keep one but the wife wanted the extra cash. One of the games had an Arcadeshop mutliboard in it with DK Jr. When she saw that she got all excited and told me that was her favorite game. I was surprised because we have been married 15 years and I did not know she ever even played that game. Needless to say that machine is staying now....woohoo!!
 
Yeah, time to find another GF. It's YOUR hobby, not hers. Seeing others enjoy the games is part of the hobby.

My wife will never have that talk with me as she knows it's my hobby...
 
I usually start crying and say "My my father spent his life creating video games but he never got the recognition he deserved. He loved the games so much and he always wanted an arcade for his kids. It was his dream to make me and my little brother happy. But we were very poor, and my mother died in childbirth when my brother was born. While we slept my father spent his evenings working the late shift at 7-11 to make ends meet. It was a degrading job and his boss treated him bad but he did it to support me and my brother. When I was 10 he was killed by a robber. The man killed him over $40 in the register. Since that day I've been trying to carry out his dying wish. Every Sunday morning my brother comes over and we spend the morning playing games and talking about dad and how much we miss him. How great it would be if he could play the games with us."

Then I say "don't you feel bad now?" Then I run away to my bedroom and slam the door.
 
How do you guys deal with those kind of comments?

Bring up Tron on MAME, which is free. Set the person up with the correct keyboard / joystick controls, and let them play for a few minutes.

Then, put them in front of a Tron machine. Let them play for a few minutes.

Works every time for me.
 
i usually start crying and say "my my father spent his life creating video games but he never got the recognition he deserved. He loved the games so much and he always wanted an arcade for his kids. It was his dream to make me and my little brother happy. But we were very poor, and my mother died in childbirth when my brother was born. While we slept my father spent his evenings working the late shift at 7-11 to make ends meet. It was a degrading job and his boss treated him bad but he did it to support me and my brother. When i was 10 he was killed by a robber. The man killed him over $40 in the register. Since that day i've been trying to carry out his dying wish. Every sunday morning my brother comes over and we spend the morning playing games and talking about dad and how much we miss him. How great it would be if he could play the games with us."

then i say "don't you feel bad now?" then i run away to my bedroom and slam the door.

hahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!!
 
Bring up Tron on MAME, which is free. Set the person up with the correct keyboard / joystick controls, and let them play for a few minutes.

Then, put them in front of a Tron machine. Let them play for a few minutes.

Works every time for me.

That's why I had to get a DOT as well.

I never get the comment, but I get the look.
 
I just tell them that I found it to be a far cheaper and more healthy replacement for my previous 2 hobbies, "hookers & blow"
 
Just get used to it because Women and arcade games are like pig and elephant DNA , they don't mix .
 
I try to explain that the hobby is self-sufficient and really doesn't cost me any money. I usually get the 'wink wink, nod nod' response. It irritates me, but I let it go.

As for your situation, log that one in the back of your mind as a minor red flag bud.

As the wise saying goes: Before marriage keep your eyes wide open. After marriage keep your eyes half closed.
 
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