I’m always flabbergasted by the prevalence of the “gaming chair”. For one they are almost without exception breathtakingly ugly. A bucket seat in a sports car is a beautiful thing but without that context and purpose it just turns into this garish ulcer in your living room. That’s without adding the “gaming aesthetic” with neon colors and sharp angles that already plagues the gaming peripheral market. The second and…
Throne of Games
21–28 of 28 posts
Re: Throne of Games
#22The "ultimate outcome" of all "dynamics" is death. Human lives are finite. And with all the very pointed and worthwhile critiques there are to be made of the video game industry, from its labor practices to its exploitation of customers to its constant evasion of legislation and more, it's remarkable this author should do such a poor job of identifying any of them.
the article is really about the gamers and their culture, and even so, it's not really about their culture in general, but about what they sit on.
I am always reminded of wal-e (pixar movie) when reading about this.
Re: Throne of Games
#23I’m always flabbergasted by the prevalence of the “gaming chair”. For one they are almost without exception breathtakingly ugly. A bucket seat in a sports car is a beautiful thing but without that context and purpose it just turns into this garish ulcer in your living room. That’s without adding the “gaming aesthetic” with neon colors and sharp angles that already plagues the gaming peripheral market. The second and…
Curious as to what you think about the Herman Miller gaming variant of the Embody? In my opinion, it might be the only decent "gaming chair" that I've seen on the market.
The Embody is interesting. Up front I’m much more willing to trust a brand like Herman Miller to produce a chair that’s actually functional and ergonomic so that’s a plus. The interesting thing to me is really that they have a regular version and a gamer version and they appear to be really be the same with some minor tweaks (added foam in the seat and different material to help with cooling) and then a bit more flamboyant styling. I will say they actually did a good job with the styling. The original design is pretty subdued and the blue while somewhat aggressive isn’t too over the top and is only really noticeable from the back. I guess then my take is it seems like a reprint with a “For Gamers” sticker slapped on it to try and break into the gamer market. Personally I’d probably buy the plain black one if I was going to buy one but I’d be interested to see a side-by-side comparison from someone to see if those minor tweaks are actually worth it.
Re: Throne of Games
#24After going back and forth on a chair replacement, wanting a Herman Miller like I had at the office, but not wanting to actually pay for a Herman Miller, I ended up picking up an "AKRacing" model on mass drop after watching a ton of reviews. Coming from a automotive background, here's the thing no one seems to point out about these racing "inspired" gaming chairs (presumably because the people reviewing them have nev…
From someone who has now owned these in this order. 1. New DXRacer 2. New Ergochair2 3. Used Aeron Classic I currently use the Ergochair2. The DXRacer had all the problems you stated, I could never feel like I was comfortable. Sold to a friend. The Ergochair2 was my 'I want a Herman Miller but I don't want to buy a Herman Miller' purchase. It's comfortable for me, and is the perfect height for my setup. My complaints…
Re: Throne of Games
#25The "ultimate outcome" of all "dynamics" is death. Human lives are finite. And with all the very pointed and worthwhile critiques there are to be made of the video game industry, from its labor practices to its exploitation of customers to its constant evasion of legislation and more, it's remarkable this author should do such a poor job of identifying any of them.
the author is not talking about (nor reflecting on) the industry which makes the games, if he's refelcting on any industry it's the chair-makers. the article is really about the gamers and their culture, and even so, it's not really about their culture in general, but about what they sit on. I am always reminded of wal-e (pixar movie) when reading about this.
From what I concede is an outside perspective, I've never been able to understand what benefit or value there is in that identification for the people who hold to it; all it seems to do is establish them as members of a specific market segment with the aesthetic taste of an insufficiently socialized eleven-year-old boy. That, and its interaction with the industry that exists to exploit it, is something I would expect to see explored in an article purporting to discuss "gamer culture" in the context of its specifically sedentary aspects, but Gordon appears content merely to brush against the opportunity of such incisive analysis on his way to invoke Cronenberg and Hemipepsis - which leads me to wonder if Lewis Gordon wouldn't really rather have been J. G. Ballard. No shame in that, but if so, he's got a lot of work to do.
It's also worth considering that "gamer chairs" aren't just bought and owned by gamers. A lot of folks I work with have used them to furnish the home offices they've had to set up this year thanks to COVID, because they're marketed as being designed for long periods of sitting, and because Herman Miller and Steelcase and so on typically price in the next higher order of magnitude - a significant point for folks with larger families and less disposable income than, I think, a lot of HN participants, myself included. Such a blurring of categories might likewise be part of an analysis produced by someone willing to invest effort in developing a broader view than Gordon seems to have bothered with.
It's a shame, really. There are hints here at a much better article than the one we've actually gotten to read.
Re: Throne of Games
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
From someone who has now owned these in this order. 1. New DXRacer 2. New Ergochair2 3. Used Aeron Classic I currently use the Ergochair2. The DXRacer had all the problems you stated, I could never feel like I was comfortable. Sold to a friend. The Ergochair2 was my 'I want a Herman Miller but I don't want to buy a Herman Miller' purchase. It's comfortable for me, and is the perfect height for my setup. My complaints…
Which Aeron did you buy? There are three sizes for different heights so it‘s possible you bought one not compatible for you.
My assumption is that mesh was warn out and sagging a bit too much causing the pinch. If for some reason I need a new chair I'm going to see if I can try a new model to see if that was the problem.
I wouldn't be sad though if I had to keep it, it's a nit from me. It's a great chair and deserves all the hype.
Re: Throne of Games
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I can't imagine being comfortable in a chair that presses your shoulders forward. Now I'm considering just buying one of those cheap IKEA chairs that I know from work. I'd like to try a Herman Miller too and see if it's worth the money, but I hear they are not made for tall people (I'm 195cm). A standing desk would be nice, but I doubt that my desk-mounted bunch of monitors would not be swinging around like crazy whi…
I set up my standing desk with my monitor (a 33lb 43” monster from LG) on a separate rolling tv stand. My desk is a small hand cranked standing desk from Amazon. It’s far from perfect but it works for now. My next setup will have motor legs for both desks and built-in storage and attachment points on the desk part.
Re: Throne of Games
#28The "ultimate outcome" of all "dynamics" is death. Human lives are finite. And with all the very pointed and worthwhile critiques there are to be made of the video game industry, from its labor practices to its exploitation of customers to its constant evasion of legislation and more, it's remarkable this author should do such a poor job of identifying any of them.