Gamer identity: what is a "gamer"?

[madwarper]

It's time to go over some ABC's.

What is an actor? Someone that acts.
What is a baker? Someone that bakes.
What is a choreographer? Someone that choreographs.
What is a dancer? Someone that dances.
What is an editor? Someone that edits.
What is a fisher? Someone that fishes.
So, now you want to know "What is a gamer?" Anyone with a lick of sense and pattern detection will be able to tell you, Some that games.

Casual gamers are your "I only play candy crush/farmville", hardcore is "I just play COD/LOL/DOTA/CS/Starcraft/street fighter an insane amount"

I agree and disagree with you a little.

It's not the game played that determines whether one is 'casual' or 'hardcore', but the time they devote to it. For example, I'd say anyone that plays Farmville an "insane amount" is just as 'hardcore' as someone that plays CoD an "insane amount". And, someone that only plays Candy Crush once in a while is just as 'casual' as the someone that only plays Street Fighter at their friends house and always button mashes.

 

[Something Amyss]

I've been playing games since before I can remember and I've still had a laundry list of reasons posed to me as to why I'm `not a gamer` or `not a REAL gamer` (ranging from `you haven't played every game that I have played` to `You're a girl`).
Frankly, it's a little pathetic.

It's also kind of annoying. It's sort of amusing because I've been playing video games for roughly three decades now, and under several of the definitions I've seen, I wouldn't count as a gamer. It's also interesting the retcon we've seen with the "games enthusiast" thing, since in the 90s, pretty much anyone who picked up a controller was considered a gamer. And I'm not saying it to do a "kids these days" sort of thing (because I'm neither mature nor of the opinion that things were better when I was a kid), it's more a "look how much we've divided ourselves in so little time" thing.

Still, I enjoy the term because I find it helpful to identify myself with, but I would never presume to tell someone else that they aren't one. That's just rude.

It's a utilitarian term, one I use because I've been doing this for 30 years. What am I gonna call myself? A radish?

A gamer is a 15-25 year old straight white male, typically unhygienic, unattractive and involuntary celibate. They redirect their bitterness towards women, constantly harassing them at any opportunity they can.

Every game they play has scantily-clad damsels in distress and every player character is a completely RIPPED straight white guy with shades and a bad attitude. Every mission involves the subjugation of women in one way or another.

Their only friends are other straight white males and they actively exclude women, non-whites and LGBTs from any multiplayer games. The only occasions where they don't wear a fedora are when they go to bed or when they shower, though the latter isn't something that occurs often.

Every night they cry themselves to sleep because no girls like them. Eventually this rage will cause them to go on a killing spree.

Considering how offended you've acted to the various claims about gamers (including many that simply weren't made), maybe taking a pot shot at a strawman isn't the way to go.

 

[Little Gray]

It's time to go over some ABC's.

What is an actor? Someone that acts.
What is a baker? Someone that bakes.
What is a choreographer? Someone that choreographs.
What is a dancer? Someone that dances.
What is an editor? Someone that edits.
What is a fisher? Someone that fishes.
So, now you want to know "What is a gamer?" Anyone with a lick of sense and pattern detection will be able to tell you, Some that games.

So you are saying that in order to be a gamer you need to do it for a living? Everything that you listed is a job and not a hobby.

 

[Dizchu]

Considering how offended you've acted to the various claims about gamers (including many that simply weren't made), maybe taking a pot shot at a strawman isn't the way to go.

I was fooling around. It's an exaggeration of the kinds of sentiments that have spread around recently. An exaggeration many people find legitimate (and I don't). I don't believe these journalists ACTUALLY thought the gamer identity was "dying", it was more of an attempt at damage control and disassociation.

But despite any of the serious intentions I might have had, it was a joke. I know NOBODY actually believes those things. It's just poking fun at the kind of hyperbole I've seen on Tumblr from both sides of GG in particular.

 

[Something Amyss]

So, now you want to know "What is a gamer?" Anyone with a lick of sense and pattern detection will be able to tell you, Some that games.

You know, that sort of pattern doesn't always hold in language. For example:

If crime fighters fight crime, and fire fighters fight fire, what do freedom fighters fight?

 

[Ragsnstitches]

A gamer is someone who plays games. The only requirement is that they do so with some regularity. Your grandad playing the latest Mario game for 20 minutes and then never playing it again is not a gamer.

Yes, people who play candycrush or farmville or any other game of the sort are gamers. My sister plays those games potentially more then I play "typical" games. She won't self identify as a gamer, but we're talking about attributes that make you a gamer... which is simply "plays games".

People are gamers to different degrees. I would be very enthusiastic towards gaming to the point where I built my own PC from scratch mostly dedicated to gaming and am considering potential career paths into game development. This also ties in with me being a PC enthusiast. My sister would be pretty hardcore, having multiple accounts on Facebook as a workaround against monetary barriers, but she would identify as casual since she does not have too great an interest in the industry or the making of games.

There is spectrum of "gamers" and some of those will be self identified and other won't. People want to narrow it down because they fear that keeping it broad will devalue the term, but personally the term is about as valuable as "pizza lover".

I'm a "hardcore" enthusiast gamer. I'm also a PC enthusiast, an amateur animator, a casual book reader and Pizza lover.

 

[Something Amyss]

But despite any of the serious intentions I might have had

But that's the problem, right there. That thing you just talked about, just admitted to.

 

[omega 616]

Someone that only plays Candy Crush once in a while is just as 'casual' as the someone that only plays Street Fighter at their friends house and always button mashes.

So, am I casual? When I play street fighter, I button mash like I just picked up a controller for the first time.

Anyway, feel free to disagree, it's just how I see the terms and sub divisions of our medium. If somebody has different meanings, good on them for thinking about it but I will stick with mine.

 

[madwarper]

So you are saying that in order to be a gamer you need to do it for a living? Everything that you listed is a job and not a hobby.

No, and Wrong. Everything listed can be hobby, or a profession.

You know, that sort of pattern doesn't always hold in language. For example:

Not always, but it does hold true for everything I listed.

So, am I casual? When I play street fighter, I button mash like I just picked up a controller for the first time.

Do you only play the game casually, and not learn the game? If so, then yes.

Oh wait, do you think "casual" is supposed to be a derogatory term? Casual or hardcore on define how much you put into gaming.

Anyway, feel free to disagree, it's just how I see the terms and sub divisions of our medium. If somebody has different meanings, good on them for thinking about it but I will stick with mine.

Well, that's wonderful. I wasn't trying to convince you, I'm just stating that I disagree with you. People do that from time to time.

 

[Dizchu]

But despite any of the serious intentions I might have had

But that's the problem, right there. That thing you just talked about, just admitted to.

"My serious intention" was that I wanted to highlight just how ridiculous the exaggerations are. The kind that gamers are getting their knickers in a twist about and the kind that privileged Tumblr/Twitter users like spouting to boost their own egos. I have seen no shortage of "let's exterminate all gamers eheheh" kinds of posts. And yes I know they're just being provocative and bitchy.

 

[Little Gray]

So you are saying that in order to be a gamer you need to do it for a living? Everything that you listed is a job and not a hobby.

No, and Wrong. Everything listed can be hobby, or a profession.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[madwarper]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Wonderful. I'm a fan of The Princess Bride too.

But, I have to question whether or not you fully comprehend that scene. Because, Vizzini kept saying "inconceivable", where as I haven't been repeating any particular word.

Though, I will have to comment that you are Wrong about the exclusivity of the term "gamer".

 

[Something Amyss]

Not always, but it does hold true for everything I listed.

But that doesn't mean you can extrapolate "gamer" from them.

"My serious intention" was that I wanted to highlight just how ridiculous the exaggerations are.

Which were strawmen to begin with. Which are a part of your overreaction. Which is a double standard.

You won't take a "joke" like that from others, why would you make it yourself?

 

[Dizchu]

Which were strawmen to begin with. Which are a part of your overreaction. Which is a double standard.

You won't take a "joke" like that from others, why would you make it yourself?

I know that they ARE strawmen. Strawmen constructed by both sides of the dichotomic gamers vs journalists "controversy" that has been going on. That's why people are characterising it as "misogynists vs SJWs" or even more ludicrously, "left wing vs right wing" (and this has happened). I'm just mocking the fact that countless discussions have been ruined by one side or another stereotyping their opposition to avoid dealing with more complicated questions.

And I welcome jokes at my expense. It'd probably hurt my feelings to be called a "tranny" or whatever but most of anything else is fair game.

 

[laggyteabag]

Someone who plays games semi-regularly, regardless of platform. I don't care if you play on a mobile, console, PC, or even on Facebook; if it is something that you enjoy, and you do it pretty regularly, then I say that you qualify as being a "gamer".

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

A person who enjoys playing games. Everything else is hot air.

 

[Stephen St.]

It's time to go over some ABC's.

What is an actor? Someone that acts.
What is a baker? Someone that bakes.
What is a choreographer? Someone that choreographs.
What is a dancer? Someone that dances.
What is an editor? Someone that edits.
What is a fisher? Someone that fishes.
So, now you want to know "What is a gamer?" Anyone with a lick of sense and pattern detection will be able to tell you, Some that games.

But these are all descriptions. I was wondering about "gamer" as an identity, something you identify with. Not something other people use to describe you, but something you consider an important part of who you are.

All these "gamers are dead" articles certainly didn't use the term as merely descriptive of what a person does with their free time. There was someone else in those, and I wonder what it is. I also wonder how this identity reconciles all the bad sides of gaming, namely what a massive time-sink it can be.

 

[madwarper]

But these are all descriptions. I was wondering about "gamer" as an identity, something you identify with. Not something other people use to describe you, but something you consider an important part of who you are.

In any conversation, there's intention (what you mean) and interpretation (what they assume you meant). And, while it's unfortunate, people don't always interpret things said as they're intended.

All these "gamers are dead" articles certainly didn't use the term as merely descriptive of what a person does with their free time. There was someone else in those, and I wonder what it is.

I cannot speak for the authors of those articles, but it seems that they intended to use the term as slight against those that identify as gamers. And, it's not beyond the realm of understanding that someone would become highly incensed when they believe they're being insulted.

I also wonder how this identity reconciles all the bad sides of gaming, namely what a massive time-sink it can be.

What's bad about being a time-sink?

 

[StriderShinryu]

As a few others have already said, a gamer is a videogame enthusiast. It's the videogame equivalent of a car nut or a cinephile/movie buff. Many people drive cars and most people watch movies, but there is a very obvious extra level of interest and dedication in the enthusiasts just as you see in gamers regarding games. This is the definition I have used for a long time, and big wigs at The Escapist have stated that they agree with it as well.

See that's the bit that is completely subjective and a grey area. While I can accept people using these throwaway lines in passing, in reality, when you get down to it, they hold no distinct meaning.

Movie buff gets tossed around in all kinds of circles. I've seen people call themselves movie buffs because they own like 30 DVDs. Are they therefore the equivalent of someone who identifies as a movie buff such as say Movie Bob who has a critical mindset and more experience? Even Moviebob probably isn't fluent in every film genre so is it still fair to use the term?

In this case, where do you draw the magic invisible line that separates 'enthusiast' and regular 'gamer' or 'casual'?

You simply cannot. Too many variables and nuances.

Enthusiast as in level of interest, not as in level of knowledge or education. It's really not that complicated.

 

[Blt3200]

Who ever plays video games is a gamer, whether its Tetris, CoD or Candy Crush.