12 Video Game Buzzwords to Make You Sound Smart

Image via Complex Original

Translation: A hidden feature or item in a video game.
Proper Usage: "My sister finished the game last night and found all the easter eggs."

When playing a video game and you come across an "easter egg," you've found something that the developers hid as an added bonus. Usually they're a feature or item that's a nod or a on-the-shot at another game or popular topic. For example, in the first BioShock game, the only time you get to see what your character looks like is when you go through Andrew Ryan's office and look at the security camera photos laying around. Also, in Rockstar Games' LA Noire during the "Silk Stocking Murder" case, you'll find a hat belonging to John Marston. The main character from the Red Dead Redemption video game.

Translation: "Player vesus player"
Proper Usage: "It wasn't until I had a PvP match that I realized how bad I am at this game."

A player versus player game is just what it sounds like; You play a video game against another human being on the other end. You'll find this a lot in online role playing games and first person shooters. What happens is that you leave the main story of the game and get set up against other players (usually in the same experience level).

Translation: A newbie.
Proper Usage: "That game is a lot of fun but it's not n00b friendly at all."

Take it as a fact or a pejorative, being called a "n00b" simply means that you're still green in a particular game. Especially in the world of first person shooters, a n00b is often seen as a hinderance in group matches or someone that more seasoned players can dispose of for fun. N00bs are often unaware of online playing etiquette and are prone to quit a game in a match or complain about cheating. Pro-gamer and video game personality Jace Hall gave Complex a detailed description of n00b behavior here. The good thing is that n00b hazing usually motivates a gamer to practice harder and become "1337" or elite.

Translation: "For the win"
Proper Usage: "Sonic the Hedgehog is still my favorite video game character ever. Sega FTW!"

Before "For the win," the letters FTW was a way of dismissing the world in vulgar manner. Now it's a proclamation of how awesome something is. Charlie Sheen had his "winning" moment and gamers have their moments and objects for the win. If something you've done is "for the win," dust your shoulder off as you've just gotten a lot of respect.

Translation: To own someone or render them completely helpless.
Proper Usage: "As soon as my character gets stronger, I will pwn everyone in my path."

Now just as popular as "LOL," the term "Pwn" came to be by accident. With the "P" key on a computer keyboard being so close to the "O" key, typing "Own" while full of adrenaline would come out as "Pwn." When you pwn someone, you completely annihilate them in video game combat. In war-related games, pwned players are usually "teabagged" afterwards where the victorious player would make their character squat over the deceased player's face.

Translation: A type of video game where the character can roam freely around an environment.
Proper Usage: "What attracted me most to the latest game is the open world environment."

Video games like Grand Theft Auto, Skyrim, World of Warcraft and the Saint's Row series all feature an open world style of gameplay. Instead of just going from one point to another, you can travel around the game's environment and interact with characters and objects outside of the primary missions. The best thing about open world video games is that you've got a choice of having a serious gaming experience or just fooling around depending on your mood. Either way, there aren't any score or time penalties for wasting time.

Translation: A gathering of PC gamers to compete against each other or another remote group.
Proper Usage: "Look at all the caffienated snacks I picked up for the LAN party this weekend."

"LAN parties" are where a group of gamers get together to play. The "LAN" part stands for Local Area Network where all of the computers are networked together in a big digital hootenany. Most of the time, the group goes in on a first person shooter or an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). But as technology continues to gift gamers faster internet connections, the era of the LAN party's days are numbered.

Translation: The amount of kills versus the amount of times you've been killed.
Proper Usage: "The head of the team told me that in order to join, I'd have to get my kill ratio up."

Just as physical sports fans are obsessed with statistics, so are hardcore first person shooter fans. One of the most important stats FPS enthusiasts monitor is their kill ratio. It's what puts the truly skilled above the lucky. If you've racked up a mess of bullet-riddled corpses but you've been bodied more than times than you've killed, you get no glory. It's those controller maniacs with a low amount of deaths and an awesome trigger finger who are the celebrated gunslingers.

Translation: A slick way of referring to adult films.
Proper Usage: "That's the teacher who fired because he had a hard drive full of Pokemon pr0n."

In the age of digital advertising, a great deal of sites are forced to curb the language of their users so they use special programs to block certain words. "Porn" is one of those blacklisted words and game geeks have found a way around it by switching the letters around and substituting the "O" for a zero. The play on the word became so popular that it's become common in internet language and pop culture.

Translation: Having to be connected to the internet in order to play a video game.
Proper Usage: "I would've finished that mission on the way home, but the always-on feature of the game wouldn't let me play in the car."

As one of the most talked about topics in 2013, the always on gaming issue is all about video games that require an internet connection to run. Video game companies use the method in an effort to combat piracy but at the cost of angering video game community. Games like Diablo 3 and Sim City have been marked as the poster children of what's wrong about having to always be on and rumors about the upcoming Xbox One having to always be connected rubbed many fans the wrong way. How the technology will be implemented for the Xbox One is yet to be seen but know that if you decide to mention the next generation video game system, expect the "always on gaming" subject to follow.

Translation: A blockbuster game.
Proper Usage: "Triple A titles are great, but games like Super Meat Boy are awesome and cost way less to make."

Whenever you hear someone refer to a video game as being a "triple A title," know that they're talking about a video game company's big-budget project. Triple A titles are the ones you hear a lot about like Grand Theft Auto, Halo or Call of Duty. That doesn't mean that every triple A title will be a sequel or a hit game, but it does mean that you can expect a huge marketing push and millions of dollars thrown in to make sure that it will be on your radar.

Translation: "leet" which is short for "elite"
Proper Usage: "I'm 1337, if you don't believe me ask my mom."

It's not the date that some old-time geek came up with the idea of a virtual first person shooter. Think of it as the arch-nemesis of the aforementioned "n00b." The "l33t speak," term means to be an elite gamer in one or more video games. That includes knowing a game's maps as well as the player's own living room and having an almost robotic skill with weapons and aiming. Calling yourself "l33t" is the same as calling yourself a gangster in the streets. If you do, someone else will always pop up to test you. As a word of advice, never refer to yourself as being "l33t" if can't back it up. Otherwise, you'll be in a virtual world full of humiliation.