Destructoid City Groups and YOU!

Did you know that Destructoid has dozens of regional groups spanning multiple continents? Did you know that Dtoid NARPs (No Apparent Reason Parties) are a long-standing tradition in our community, where Dtoiders from all walks of life get together to play videogames and enjoy each other’s good company? Did you know this stuff probably exists right next door to you?!

You didn’t?! Silly Dtoider! Hit the jump to find out how you can get more involved!

_{Hugs are kind of a thing we do.}

While our community groups have been a Dtoid mainstay for over half a decade now, the thing we’ve heard from the group leaders as of late is that most of the regional groups have been internalized into emailers and Google Groups. While these are a great way to keep people in the loop when they get busy or life gets in the way, the entire purpose of the NARP groups and the idea of community gets lost if they become the sole method of communication.

We’re saddened by the idea that someone new may join us and never know that there are other users or an established group in their area. To that end, we’re suggestnig a reboot of sorts! Obviously there are some groups that maintain a fairly active presence on the site, and that’s fantastic! Keep doing what you’re doing. Others, though, haven’t been updated in months or even years. In those cases, this is where we ask you to do your part.

We need new people to step up to the plate. More people in the community blogs making or resurrecting regional groups. Regional forum threads. Anything and everything. We want all of you to know if you are near each other, to optimize the amount of DtoidfunhugfestNARPgoodness you’re having!

We’re looking for people or groups of people that can establish or re-establish regional groups and update them about once a month. I’ve led a regional group myself (Midwest) and I can tell you that it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. You’ll meet a ton of people, and with a little bit of work create groups of friends that otherwise may not have come to be.

Along with this, we on the Dtoid Community Team are re-committing ourselves to giving the NARP groups the kind of front page attention they deserve. We’ll be highlighting meetups as they happen (like this awesome rafting trip from last month) and recapping the events afterwards so everyone who didn’t go can see the fun they’re missing out on.

So, sound like something you might be interested in? Good! Since PAX is soon, why not take advantage of what is traditionally the largest gathering of Destructoid members every year and talk about this! Go meet new people and find out who’s in your area. And who knows? Maybe a new group will be born!

However you discuss or think about it, if you decide you want to be more involved in the community and have questions about how to get involved, contact us at the Dtoid Community Team (community AT destructoid DOT com). We’re happy to answer any questions you have or offer any advice on how to get the ball rolling. Or if you just want to jump right in, go make a community blog and forum thread and see who might be around you! Whatever you do, be sure and let us know about any upcoming events so we can spread the word.

I’ll offer any help I can to get you started, but the key is just to meet up and have fun. So good luck, and be excellent to each other!