What defines a gamer?

[Erana]

So, if you don't know, I'm in Japan. Because of this, I have been required by nerdy law to go visit an electronic department store. I stumble upon this scale model GBA port of the original Legend of Zelda game. (for less than 600 yen, or about $6.00, too!)
I immediately went, "Squee!", and showed it to my companions. They all were too buisy looking at J-pop albums to care. The others were browsing PS2s while I was squee-ing over the fact that there was Halo 3, Oblivion, and Bioshock. In Japanese.(I don't actually have any of those games, unfortunately, so they still are shiny and new to me.) Then, one of them bought a Japanese PS2 so that she could play Kingdom Hearts: Final Mix.
Soon after, she calls herself a, "Gamer."

She does fit the definition of a gamer, but so do people who play poker on their cell phones. Considering her collection of anime and manga, as well as the nature of her game purchaces, I would more likely classify her as an anime fan than a true gamer.

How do you define the term, "Gamer," and what would you say about the above situation?

 

[coaster2001]

I was just watching the latest zero punctuation video and could help but notice your forum post and was curious to see what you had put and if anyone had replied yet. This same question has been puzzling me for some time now and I have found that the original definition for "gamer" as I knew it, being someone who played a variety of games on various platform for long periods of time with others and alone and who had an interest in more than what new game was coming out next has changed and I believe this to somewhat true due to the release of casual gaming.

I am unsure where the line is between being a gamer and simply playing casually and whether if you play on occasion you can call yourself a gamer. I agree that you would not define your friend as a gamer, I would say that she was also an anime fan but one that owns a console.

There are many people which own consoles in all there various forms including a pc and if all people that owned consoles but never played them called them selves gamers then there would be a lack of non "gamers" if that makes any sense.

I will more than likely have more to say on this once I have had time to think about it some more. Very interesting post.

Replies are very welcome as to other peoples definition of "gamer".

 

[Fire Daemon]

Take this to gamming discussion.

A gamer is someone who plays games enough to know how games work, what makes a good game and how the game industry works. They also have a basic understanding of gaming history and have favourite titles/characters.

 

[Quistnix]

and how the game industry works. They also have a basic understanding of gaming history

If you ask me, those are not required. Apart from that, good definition.

The question I find much more interesting: Why define "gamer"?

 

[wilsonscrazybed]

moved to the correct forum.

 

[Fire Daemon]

and how the game industry works. They also have a basic understanding of gaming history

If you ask me, those are not required. Apart from that, good definition.

The question I find much more interesting: Why define "gamer"?

I don't expect everyone to have an extensive knowledge about the history of games or the workings of the undustry but a simple understanding.

 

[Mister_moi]

In another thread I think we arrived at a pretty good definition: someone who cannot substitute another form of entertainment (e.g. books, movies, music) for games. Someone who has a craving to play games independent of whatever else entertainment they are consuming.

Well, I love movies but I hate TV series. I do like other forms of entertainment but im still a gamer, or atleast thats what everyone tells me. I like movies since they are impressive and amezing sometimes but not to long, yet long enough to be amazing. On the other hand I never watch TV or read books if I am able to game.

I think that you are a gamer when other people (non gamers) start telling you that you game alot, I also think that here is no solid definition for gamers, its not like an religion or a group you join, its something you are because you like certain types of entertainment and commit your free time to that or those type(s) of entertainment.

 

[Erana]

moved to the correct forum.

Thank you.

The question I find much more interesting: Why define "gamer"?

Well, to be frank, she had been irritating me. Hearing her define herself in a manner that I would made me question the meaning.

 

[Gavaroc]

What defines a gamer?

Tell me, if a tree falls in the woods and nobody hears it, did it fall on top of any animals?

...

Wait, that's not right...

Anyway, my point is, if I have one, that nobody can answer that question. It's like asking if the sky is blue.

...

Oh wait, that's wrong too...

Either way, 'gamer' really means 'a person who plays games.' Technically, athletes and elderly bingo players are just as much 'gamers' as any of us.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

I find the correctness of this statement moderately insulting, and move to have it stricken from the records....

Personally, I agree more with Fire Daemon's defintion: Someone who undertsands CPU/console gaming in at least a rudimentary fashion, has favourites and regards gaming as a seperate and legitimate form of entertainment.

 

[Ultrajoe]

THE ARGUMENT IS ENDED: ULTRAJOE WILL HAVE HIS MONEY NOW

ok, so perhaps i should earn it first:

someone who cannot substitute another form of entertainment (e.g. books, movies, music) for games.

ok, this i have to rebuke, i read books sometimes over playing games, ill go see a movie over a LAN, but i own a PS3, XBOX360 and am pretty damn good, i look up new releases and i can fanboy with the best of them, this definition is too exclusive.

So, lets break down the premise of the thread

what defines a gamer?

a definition is something that describes an object, idea or concept, if it fits the definition, it is thus.

this allows us to have something fit multiple definitions, so perhaps a person can be 'more' than a gamer (not in the achievement sense, gamer is firmly at the top of that list) and branch into other mediums, like... home owner, polo enthusiast, dog lover. A person is more than one 'definition'.

So, what can we say identifies a person as a Gamer as well as their other features?

Someone who plays games? i think not, gaming is a culture, so someone who has the gamer mentality? not so, i can think like a hockey player but that does not make me one. Allow us then to dip into example, take religion, what makes a Christian? someone who does the rituals? if i didn't but claimed i was a christian, could you refute me? So is the claim of being a gamer enough?

i say: Yes

the definition of a gamer is one who identifies themselves as one. As a culture, not an occupation or activity (in essence) this is the nature of all definition in the culture archetype.

Someone who never played a game before kingdom hearts says she's a gamer? she is, just not a good one, its the difference between our hypothetical friend the self-declared Christian and the Pope, the Pope wins hand down, and you wouldn't want to mess with him, he has friends in high places.

NOW I WILL HAVE MY MONEY

 

[Ruffythepirate]

I agree with ultrajoe, a gamer is one that defines him/herself as a gamer. Gaming is culture!

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

A gamer is NOT someone who plays games whenver the need takes them, end of defintiony thing, that would mean every single one fo your moms who play peggle and such will be called gamers. A gamer in my opinion is someone who owns at leat one console, reads reviews, researches the games they want and stays up with gaming current events. eg like GTA4 tonighty over here

someonelikethat is called a gamer

 

[Gavaroc]

Again: Where does it say 'video' in the term 'gamer?'

 

[Ultrajoe]

A gamer is NOT someone who plays games whenver the need takes them, end of defintiony thing, that would mean every single one fo your moms who play peggle and such will be called gamers. A gamer in my opinion is someone who owns at leat one console, reads reviews, researches the games they want and stays up with gaming current events. eg like GTA4 tonighty over here

someonelikethat is called a gamer

once again, do not confuse a culture with an occupation

"the act maketh not the man in his faith, therein lies his conviction."

as a culture, defining gaming by an action is futile, see my post above for this fleshed out.

ULTRAJOE WILL HAVE SOME MORE MONEY NOW PLEASE

 

[bobraj]

Welcome to fold, young nerd. Yes, that's what you are.

For me, the definition of a proper gamer is someone is interested in the politics and minutiae of the game industry. The fact that you squealled when you saw this game says an awful lot about youas a proper gamer.

 

[Nordstrom]

People feel the need to define and categorize themselves with statements such as "I am X, Y, or Z". These kinds of definitions are context sensitive. So, when a person labels or unlabels their friend as a "gamer", what they really mean is "do they like and play games the same way I do." They feel insulted if someone likes or plays games in a significantly different way.

Like minded people who use the same label form group consensus on the meaning of words. This group thinking forms us vs. them boundaries between people, excluding people unworthy of the label. This is the way that we think and act in groups.

With definitions, we attempt to find objective reasons for including and excluding people. However, the definitions are slippery. There are always borderline cases where people don't fit the definition but do fit the group. Alternately, there are people that do fit the definition but don't fit in our group. We argue with reason and logic but we're really thinking in terms of social inclusion and exclusion.

She does fit the definition of a gamer, but so do people who play poker on their cell phones. Considering her collection of anime and manga, as well as the nature of her game purchaces, I would more likely classify her as an anime fan than a true gamer.

This tribal thinking is useful for cultural cohesion, but I don't think that it has basis in reality. My wife isn't a "gamer" but she spends more time playing online puzzle games than I do playing console games. I often don't think of one of my friends as a "gamer" because he doesn't think and analyze what he is playing. However, he plays and finishes more games than I do.

What I'm saying is that the label "gamer" is culturally created based on whether people "play games like I do". It will be difficult to impossible to find group consensus on a definition.