Gamer "Inflation." Everyone is a "Gamer" now.

[Deviluk]

Its definitely harder to tell the difference between a gamer and someone who just plays games nowadays. But people on here can be as cynical as they like, but there is a huge difference. If a gamer, like me, wants to talk about games with his friends, the ones who are gamers will talk about graphics, gameplay, story, mechanics, the developer and publisher, the previous titles and how it fares against its rivals, and also what score it got on several different websites. The others may play the game, but afterwards they put down the controller and don't think about it again...like how most people act when they go to the movies.

Also I don't think its widely accepted as you claim. I think gaming still gets a bad rep, and when talking about people forgetting about their BABIES whilst playing games, or spending 72 hours playing CoD and forget to drink water, its suddenly a niche hobby for the basement-dwellers. Someone who plays angry birds will not understand how games can suck you in, and become part of your daily life. You could be an the most outdoorsiest guy ever, get onto WoW and then feel dirty for playing it for 4 hours straight. You won't admit that you enjoyed it, you'll tell your outdoorsy friends that you're 'addicted', instead of admitting you enjoyed something that millions of others do, just because its frowned upon by the mainstream. But CoD is ok.

 

[Vault101]

Did everyone get together and vote that gaming should be a secret club or something? I'm noticing a lot of angry nerds lately, none to pleased with how popular gaming has become. Is there a 'no casuals' sign next to the 'no girls' one I missed?

they were actually in the basement, in a locked filing cabinet located in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying ?Beware of the Leopard?.

I heard they are getting rid of the term "hardcore" gamer to build a bypass...

 

[tippy2k2]

Yes, people who play video games are gamers.

But people who go to the movies don't get a special tag.

Why do we give a tag to people just for doing something 99% of the Western population has done at least once in his life?

This might just be my own way to see it but I see the term "Gamer" the same as I see "Movie Buff".

Everyone watches movies but not everyone considers themselves a Movie Buff. There is no set criteria that determines if you are a movie buff; it's a self-given title. Other people can question my movie buff credits if they wish but ultimately, it's just a title that means absolutely nothing.

That's how I feel about the term Gamer. Anyone who plays games CAN attach that name to themselves but most people who call themselves gamers are people who play games often. My mum owns a Wii but I sincerely doubt she'll call herself a gamer.

 

[VanQ]

I remember man boobs in snug, white T-shirts with the EQ babe and big, thick coke bottle glasses- before hipsters wore them ironically.

I've gone ahead and bolded the one part of your post that is just plain wrong. They wear them because it being a nerd is the latest fashion trend and we all know just how cool it is to post "I am such a nerd." on your facebook page after a poorly spelled sentence with no grammar whatsoever.
Otherwise, it's just a case of saturation and those nerdy kids who grew up and had kids who were exposed to them to the point of it being totally normal. Hopefully the hipster phase wears off though, I want to punch people in the face whenever they wear those retarded glasses. There are far better options and coke bottle glasses don't look good on ANYONE, regardless of how big a nerd they think they are.

 

[Fasckira]

"Grass grows, birds fly, sun shines and brother..."

Wouldn't say MS has been brainwashing people into thinking they're gamers. I wouldn't say anyone is doing that. Gaming has become more acceptable and accessible is all. I wouldn't say every person that plays Angry Birds on their iPhone is a gamer though, I think the tag still settles on those who actively set aside time to play games, as opposed to those who just use it as a time sink while waiting for something else to happen.

 

[Shadowstar38]

This gaming inflation theory of yours sounds like boulderdash, as the people on their iphones and wii's(for the most part) are not gamers.

I say that a majority of my free time is spent playing games, or coming on this website to fuck about with you people. If a guy is really into COD where he's on his console just as much as I am, I'll say he's a gamer.

But the people playing iphone games to fill some time, or the old people playing the wii because "Oh look at this new piece of technology?" Are not the same people you're going to be selling Boarderlands to.

 

[MammothBlade]

I concede that there's no monopoly on being called a "gamer" anymore, but I reserve the right to look down on commoners who play weaksauce games and have the cheek to call themselves hardcore or expert gamers when all they play is Angry Birds and Farmville. That doesn't do justice to those who know what a masterful game is. There's still a pecking order, and social gamers should know their place. Yes, I'm an elitist, and proud of it. Not going to give some upstart farmville player the same respect as someone who's been playing hardcore PC games for donkey's years.

 

[Phasmal]

Did everyone get together and vote that gaming should be a secret club or something? I'm noticing a lot of angry nerds lately, none to pleased with how popular gaming has become. Is there a 'no casuals' sign next to the 'no girls' one I missed?

You must have x amount of sweaty manboobs before you are a gamer!

I'm kinda glad there's more gamers now, maybe people can stop with their stupid assumptions based on looks about who is and isn't a gamer.
Maybe the community will have to chill out more and deal with losing it's elitism.
And anything that pisses off dickheads makes me happy.


Gamers are anyone who wants to be.

 

[xDarc]

Doom sold over 10 million.

If you include sequels and expansion packs, and then count the past 10 years or so where you could likely get it for $5 or less. In it's day it sold about 1.1 milion.

http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Sales

Which should really make you think because CoD: Black OPs sold like 4.6 million in the US alone in it's first weekend. Doom took a decade to do what CoD does in a single weekend.

 

[NortherWolf]

Did everyone get together and vote that gaming should be a secret club or something? I'm noticing a lot of angry nerds lately, none to pleased with how popular gaming has become. Is there a 'no casuals' sign next to the 'no girls' one I missed?

I'm thinking it's sort of one and the same.

 

[Lilani]

But people who go to the movies don't get a special tag.

Why do we give a tag to people just for doing something 99% of the Western population has done at least once in his life?

Because etymology. I don't think anybody literally believes a "gamer" does nothing but play games, however not long ago it was unusual to play games, and the term came up (personally I think gamers themselves came up with the term, we certainly use it more than anyone else) to address those with the unusual interest.

But now playing games is not so unusual, so the term's previous use has been rendered useless. So apart from letting it die out, we've got two options: Get all picky about who we call a "gamer" and throw tantrums every time somebody uses the title and doesn't deserve it, or let the new place of games in society in conjunction with the new people playing games decide what it's going to mean.

That's totally not the argument the OP made, but okay.

I share the opinion that "gamer" is useless if you can just swipe a finger to earn a "title" that shouldn't be a title at all.

Now excuse me, I'm trying to get my "Breather" badge.

That's just it though--it's not trying to be a title. To everyone else, "gamer" just means somebody who plays games, it doesn't matter which ones. The only people who are having problems with the word's evolving meaning are the ones who are extremely picky about what they want it to turn out to be (which is pretty useless, honestly the word is going to take whatever meaning people want it to, getting all huffed about it is only going to increase your frustration).

And no, perhaps the OP didn't say those exact words, but when you start proposing that we change the number of sales a game has because you've decided some "gamers" are worth more than others and have caused "inflation" in the gaming community, you have to admit that's a pretty elitist and exclusionary mindset.

 

[xDarc]

**random sales numbers from Nintendo**

What is the actual question? Why are sales numbers the end all for judging the current status of gaming? Why should we only focus on one single system when over the time period of NES to Wii there have been literally 20+ systems that have come into existence? How better can you ask your question to get the answer you are looking for?

Because if what you said is true, and it's due solely to technology becoming cheaper and more gamers having gamer kids- there should be a gradual increase in sales of all games across the board. A nice upward slope. A trend.

It's not there.

It's also interesting to note that the CoD franchise is doing the opposite of mario on xbox 360; growing every year.

 

[Denamic]

Almost as if things change.
How about that.

 

[Lilani]

Because if what you said is true, and it's due solely to technology becoming cheaper and more gamers having gamer kids- there should be a gradual increase in sales of all games across the board. A nice upward slope. A trend.

It's not there.

It's also interesting to note that the CoD franchise is doing the opposite of mario on xbox 360; growing every year.

When did he say the cheapening of games was due SOLELY to technology getting cheaper? And have you seen the sales of the latest Mario games? Perhaps they aren't record-breaking, but you'd have to be blind to say he's going anywhere anytime soon.

Yes, there are different kinds of games for different kinds of people now. And oh my GAWD, what a horrible thing that is, right? More people playing games? More options for people's different interests and desires? How terrible it is to have a broad market. It's just like when the book The Pigman came out in the 1960s and broke open the door for writers to create young adult and teen novels. How terrible it was for a new genre to appear to appeal to a new audience that was being ignored before. What sort of horrid future is in store for games, a future where different people are enjoying games however they like, whether it be Angry Birds, CoD, or Bastion?

 

[IndomitableSam]

I think it's amazing what the gaming world has come to in the last 20 years. It's great, it means I can now tell people that I'd rather stay in and play a game than go out without being ridiculed. .. Or it could be that I'm old enough not to care what people think anymore. That, too.

Gaming has grown up with those of us who played in the 80's and 90's and now our kids are playing. Our parents are playing. The generation in between is playing. It's great. I'm really happy the industry is in the shape it is in now.

Also, everyone has had a rough go of it in gaming here. Most of us were playing games as kids, and all were abused for it. I was a girl in the 80's and 90's who played games - everyone had it rough. Now? Why are we bitter about it? I'm just happy I can pop onto voice chat and not be called a lesbian, fat, or a whore just for being a girl.

.. Not to say that still doesn't happen sometimes, but it's a hell of a lot better than it used to be. I don't have to pretend to be a guy anymore, or if I do say I'm a girl worry about harassment from men - or worse, from other women thinking I'm competition.

Gaming is so open and welcoming now - and that is a REALLY amazing thing. Don't be bitter.

 

[Tsukuyomi]

I think I understand where the OP is coming from in a way, because I've felt it on occasion before. I think it's not uncommon for some lifelong gamers, really. It's that feeling of insult to injury that not only before were people a jerk to me, but NOW they get to enjoy what I enjoy without any of the same social stigma I got? Sorry but I can see where that can feel pretty unfair. I think I'd feel a damn sight better about Jerry McDouchepants over here being a gamer if he went through even some of the same stigma he put ME through. They punished ME for not being interested in 'normal' things like sports, cars, etc. At some petty level it doesn't seem fair that I don't get to at least see THEM punished for suddenly liking games.

I guess the basic complaint is that we as a community didn't open the social/casual gaming door and let everyone in, and to some people that's not fair because the people that are in now are people we think we don't want. Which there's two problems with that:

1: Sometimes change is inevitable and unavoidable. Sometimes you NEED it. The gaming industry NEEDED the change that a wider audience and opinion and resource pool would bring it. Moreover I think the gaming community needed it. Do I personally feel more accepted now? Perhaps not by much, but I can think of a few people who I finally have some common ground to stand on with that I wouldn't have had before. Thanks to CoD I've found friends, converted some of them into higher levels of geekdom, and generally had a wider experience than I would have had before. While it seems bad on the outside, the fact remains that we needed this, not just the industry needed it, but the players, the community needed it too.

2: I think this is the more important one. WE DID DO THIS. The developers of CoD are also gamers. They are part of the community just like almost every developer out there. You can try blaming Microsoft, but Microsoft is probably made up of a good chunk of gamers. We DID open the door. Trying to blame someone else is pointless because, if we're all united as a gaming community, that includes developers, programmers, and the other people who not only love games but make them too. So in a sense it IS our fault, and we DID ask for it. It wasn't all of us, but we let people in. There's no going back, no matter how much you wish it.

--------------------------------

If you don't like it, well...I understand. But I got tired of being angry about it a long time ago. Your resentment does you exactly 0% of good. The world wants what geeks and gamers have and can make. In return we're being offered a chance to expand our horizons and build some bridges and be accepted more easily than before. I didn't like cars much when I was a kid. Now restoring a classic car of a certain era is on my bucket-list. I was never a fan of sports, but from talking with friends who are, I find I can actually keep up and enjoy it when we all watch together.

Instead of focusing on how so many people who don't fit your standards of 'real gamers' are around, just use it to your advantage to grow your horizons and find new things to try and do and new people to meet. Turn this influx of people into an opportunity for your own ends instead of whining about it.

 

[DugMachine]

There is still a difference obviously. Yeah so maybe the title of "gamer" is pointless now but just because there is a mass influx of dudebros playing COD and Madden doesn't mean shit. If you still enjoy RPG's and fantasy's n such you'll still be made fun of because "DUDE WHERE THE GUNS?!" Nothing has changed in my eyes.

Good thing is with all this publicity games are getting more and more money and we'll be seeing way better games in the next few years. Hell, just now we have amazing games whether they're shooters or RPG's. Take it all in stride and stop worrying about what happened to your little club.

 

[xDarc]

Yes, there are different kinds of games for different kinds of people now. And oh my GAWD, what a horrible thing that is, right? More people playing games? More options for people's different interests and desires? How terrible it is to have a broad market.

Horrible? I don't know, is it? The whole point was to acknowledge that it happened, and very quickly post xbox360, and then to wonder how or why.

The original points made by the person I was quoting were that technological capability has become cheaper and original gamers now have gamer children; but the dots don't really connect for those two factors as there was no gradual progression to where we are today. There was a drop off in the 90s into the early 00s and within the past 7-8 years there has been this tremendous drive upwards and a total shift in the perception of gaming in general.

And no one ever talks about it. I'd like to know why. Apparently it's too controversial to even question the real source of all this sudden influence because half of the quotes I woke up to this morning are seeing things that are not there and way off track.

Don't even know how to respond to most.