Man, this is a big one. Let’s settle this once and for all. Do you write video games like ‘video games’, with the space, or ‘videogames’? This debate has gone on long enough.
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have already spotted my position on the matter. I am and have always been a ‘video game’ man. I like the space between the words. I don’t know why, I just do.
The most important thing, for me, is to be consistent. So I’ve been writing ‘video game’ as two separate words. I’ve been doing it for a long time and I intent to continue along this path.
What say you?
Comments
48 responses to “The Big Question: Video Games Or Videogames?”
No love for the poor neglected vidya games
Whaddabout vijagamz
Or “compewtah games” for the particulrly enlightened.
I’ve always been a videogames guy.
GAEMS
Nope, thats a US company that makes console cases / mini-monitors.
Leisure Stimulants.
I’ve always seen it as an adjective/noun combo.
‘board games’
‘ball games’
‘kids’ games’
‘video games’
video store
video player
video killed the radio star
video games
I always seem to write “computer games”, even for console, handheld and mobile games, not sure why. Sometimes I get a bit annoyed that there’s not a good single word title for the medium that I find satisfying.
I see ‘computer games’ different to ‘videogames’ as a ‘computer game’ can only exist on a PC/Mac. Whereas a Videogame can exist on any platform whatsoever.
Nah, you’re all good, because a console, smart phone etc is just a mini computer by a different name.
I have never actually paid attention, but my preference is “video games” because “videogames” feels like it’s the same as writing “alot”, which is only acceptable if you are talking about fictional mammals.
Yep. Like writing ‘thankyou’. Just because people do it, doesn’t make it okay.
I’d say two separate words.
I think these days though, I just say games (sans the video).
Whatever my phone decides.
http://i.imgur.com/t8IHP.gif
Numberwang!
Two words I guess, but I usually just say “games” because … “have we got a video?”
Interestingly, ‘videogames’ looks wrong, but ‘boardgames’ seems fine to me.
Videodrome
digital board games
Vidya Gamez 4 life.
Or ‘Puter Gamez!
You mean that thing what controls them people on them there moving picture box?
Yahuh.
digital audio visual interactive content.
BTL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What about video-games Mark? What about video-games…
I always purposely mispronounce all games as ‘gams’. Kind of like how I emphasise the “Ginal’ part when talking about an packet of original flavoured chips. Actually, just disregard everything I say.
You can’t just throw in a hyphen anywhere you want! Can’t we mainatain some basal level of civility here!
I use both.
I use the adjective/noun form – Video Games – when I’m thinking in the academic/formal sense of “game”. In other words, in terms of rules and goals.
And I use the compound noun form – Videogames – when I’m thinking about electronic interactive experiences as a whole, because Electronic Interactive Experiences hasn’t caught on as a common phrase and isn’t likely to.
Compound words are common in English (http://www.enchantedlearning.com/grammar/compoundwords/), and “videogame” may or may not be part of the list one day. Or a better term might come along. For now, this works for me.
http://cerebrate.com
https://twitter.com/Sumaleth
I used to write/think videogames (or simply games), but I think my love of board games over the years has changed it so I now go with video games.
This is an evolution of the oft-used ‘thankyou’, ‘alot’ or ‘instore’. Cramming together two word components is generally a US style preference, but in British/Australian English, it’s just generally shoddy grammar.
Welcome to our instore training. We have plenty of awesome things in store for you, so hold onto your hats. I’d like start by saying thank you for the thankyou card I received. It means a lot to me. I’m now going to allot you all seats so we can begin.
Pixel art! Come on guys if comics can be called “graphic novels” surely we can start calling video games pixel art!
Video Games….
Or just…’gamez’
Video games as a singular word!?
GET OUTTA HERE.
It’s videogames.
PEOPLE WHY ARE YOU VOTING FOR ‘VIDEO GAMES’
Because it’s right.
Vidya Gaems for me
It’s one word.
“Video Games” are games that are played with video
“Videogames” is a single noun for all videogames
Glad to see we’re covering the hard-hitting issues here. And I have say, that article photo is awesome! Love the look of that intense, almost cross-eyed, expression!
you don’t have to start another article, but solve this for me:
Pre Order, Pre-Order, or Preorder?
That must be one intense game that kid is playing XD
two words video games i don’t understand why we have this questions
Video games. Videogames is just barbaric.
Media for my leisure computer.
I wish all my computing was for leisure