verb
1. To gain or get in return for one's labor or service.
2. To merit as compensation, as for service; to deserve.
3. To acquire through merit.
4. To gain as due return or profit.
EX. I think that this little comic is pretty interesting bit of commentary on the difference between core and hardcore gaming; for one, it would be easy for some to jump to the conclusion that the comic is simply critical of "hardcore" gaming, which appears to involve a lot more violence, in comparison to the the "casual" experience, in which "fun" (and all that "fun" entails) is handed to the gamer on a silver platter. But, that would be just the shallowest gleaning of the comic, that I made the first time I saw it.
The comic is actually a decent definition of the difference between these two types of gaming; casual gaming is defined by how easy it is to enjoy. You start the game, play it until you're done having fun, and that's the experience. It is fine, but not fantastic. Hardcore gaming, on the other hand, is not as easy to enjoy. Sometimes you have to fight past something frustrating or stressful, overcoming an obstacle of some sort, to get to the best part of the experience. And because that experienced feels earned, it is more enjoyable and the impact has a longer lasting effect.
To simplify the difference: I love Tetris. But Tetris doesn't give me confidence or change my philosophy. It helps my critical thinking and distracts me, kills time, when I play it. Mass Effect 3 on Insanity isn't always fun. It can be really hard. It can be frustrating. It can even make you curse as your character is beaten to death by a little bug. But when you work hard, when you earn your way to the next checkpoint, and when you complete the story, that satisfaction can last a lifetime.
P.S. Because this is probably just a way for me to fill three paragraphs and doesn't go into enough depth to satisfy my more discerning readers, um... rainbows will defeat the Reapers!
