In 2008, the fast-talking video game critic Yahtzee zero punctuation The phrase “Glorious PC Gaming Masters” was coined to joke about how snobby PC gamers look down on their “dirty console-playing peasants” counterparts. (I remember being funny at the time.)
Then, something unfortunate happened: the PC gaming community decide to brand yourself that way. “PC Gaming Master Race” became the largest subreddit in the community, and in 2014, someone also decided to use it to sell mouse pads, mice and keyboards to people, and the connotations of the Nazi era be damned.
some people Now he’s realized he’s doing it wrong – so his company “Glorious PC Gaming Race” dropped the name. It’s just “honorable” for now; the logo and product will change, and the company says its website, pcgamingrace.com, will be retired and replaced with a new domain name.
It’s a meme, but not just a meme
“The purpose of this name change is to better align the public image of this fast-growing startup with its own core values,” reads the press release, which is quick to point out that founder Shazim Mohammad He was only 24 when he started the company, and implied he didn’t know better – he was just following the meme. (It then points out how successful the brand has been: “The unusual name has drawn attention in a crowded industry, especially those of other members of the online community,” it wrote.)
I’m older and should of course know better, but I’ll admit that my own “Glorious PC Gaming Race” mousepad snuck into the photos of my Odyssey G9 monitor review before I retired in shame.
Unfortunately, it sounds like it might be a while before the company actually drops the phrase that apparently served its business well to this day. The company wrote that it will be a “multi-year transition period,” although new product launches are already moving in that direction.
While we’re on the subject of cringe gamer brands… Acer, are you listening? It may be time to stop encouraging your customers to find their inner predator.
I’m kidding…but just kind of.
