So who decided to start calling shooters "shmups"?

[o.pwuaioc]

Reminds me of my neighbour. He actually says LOL when something is funny, instead of laughing...

How are the two at all comparable?

Using written language in real life...

Are you telling me the language you write is entirely different from the language you speak?

And no, that's not even remotely close. LOL began as a verb describing what you're doing. It stands for "laugh out loud", which is short for "I laugh out loud", or, in better English, "I am laughing out loud." Shmup is just a name. So while saying LOL, which originally just let them know that you laughed, is incorrect, there's nothing at all wrong with shmup.

[sheath]

I have to say space ship shooter today. Before shooter was good enough, but now I have to offer the specific kind even though none of the other shooter genres have much in common aside from bullets.

[elmagicochrisg]

Are you telling me the language you write is entirely different from the language you speak?

And no, that's not even remotely close. LOL began as a verb describing what you're doing. It stands for "laugh out loud", which is short for "I laugh out loud", or, in better English, "I am laughing out loud." Shmup is just a name. So while saying LOL, which originally just let them know that you laughed, is incorrect, there's nothing at all wrong with shmup.

I just see shmup as a short and easy way to write shoot 'em up. Nothing more, nothing less...

But whatever man. Pointless discussion is pointless. Forget about it...

[dsheinem]

I don't get the hate for the word shmup. I do use it in conversation and think it is one of the best terms for describing a subgenre that exists.

[ZenErik]

I say shoot em up or shmup. And often refer to games like Gradius because most people would just think Call of Duty if I say "shooter".

[wip3outguy7]

Like it or not, "shooter" belongs to the FPS genre now. If I use the term around even my seasoned gamer friends, they instantly think I'm talking about Call of Duty or the likes.

While I do not usually say "shmup" in person, I refer to games in the genre as "shoot em' ups" or "space ship shooters". It is a term rooted in the west. I believe the fellas over at shumps.system11.org / shmups.com coined the phrase... at least that is the first place I had seen it used.

Our friends in the the far east refer to these games as an STG or shooting game. I remember reading an interview with Cave's front man. The interviewer asked him if he was aware of the term "shmup" and while he was amused with the term, he had never heard it before.

[o.pwuaioc]

Like it or not, "shooter" belongs to the FPS genre now. If I use the term around even my seasoned gamer friends, they instantly think I'm talking about Call of Duty or the likes.

I think I'm glad not to have any friends who are modern gamers.

[Redifer]

Shooters are shooters, there really aren't any sub-genres other than horizontal shooters, vertical shooters, rail shooters, etc. I guess 3D shooters (like Panorama Cotton or Space Harrier) could go in there as well.

Run and Guns are run and guns, not a shooter sub-genre. I would liken those more to platformers before I would liken them to shooters. If someone tells me he is interested in trading for shooters, those are the type of games I think of, not literally any game where you fire a shot from something.

[Zing]

I just see shmup as a short and easy way to write shoot 'em up. Nothing more, nothing less...

Truth. I would never consider it a "word", just like I don't consider "idk", "smth", or "u" a real word.

[Hatta]

I have to say space ship shooter today. Before shooter was good enough, but now I have to offer the specific kind even though none of the other shooter genres have much in common aside from bullets.

That would exclude games like Deathsmiles, Parodius, etc., and include games like X-wing or Descent.

I don't get the hate for the word shmup. I do use it in conversation and think it is one of the best terms for describing a subgenre that exists.

word