You call yourself a Gamer?!?

[New Troll]

So, most all my life, ever since I was a wee little thing, I considered myself a Gamer. Since the first time I lifted an Atari controller to blow me up some Space Invaders. And even more-so once I got an actual computer (Commodore 64 an actual computer?!? Hahahahaha!) Took my first step into a Faerie Tale Adventure and never looked back.

But even as a Gamer, owning every console imaginable between my brother and I, there was always something holding me back from becoming all I ever dreamed to be with that title. Lack of skill at certain games like fighters (while all my friends got "Flawless Victory"s all I ever pictured were my 'Flawless Defeat's), lack of money to afford every single title out there (am I the only one to miss out on E.T. on Atari?!?), and of course social stuff like school responsibilities and horniness. Growing older I always felt out of the loop, focusing on brands like Sega, Blizzard, Black Isle and Sir-Tech only to miss out on the going-ons with EA and Lucas Arts. Just too much spread out information jumbled all over the place (which is why I love this site now.) And then of course my dream of working in the gaming industry never happened, so yet again I felt I lost some Gamer status.

And now... single father who's time is split between trying to make money and trying to be there for him. Am I even a Gamer anymore? I try. I do still have some of that desire. But at some point I have to face reality. I will always enjoy my games, what I do get to play. And I will just have to hope that will be enough to keep my self-given title for the rest of my years.

So what has kept you from being all you wish you could be? Do you even consider yourself a Gamer? What is holding you back? Do you even exist?!? Oh my...

Edit: To me, a "gamer" is someone who plays games while a "Gamer" is someone who goes beyond just playing the game and has dedicated at least some part of his life to the medium.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Do you still love games with a passion?

 

[Drummie666]

Yeah. I'm a gamer. Because I play video games.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

I play games, therefore I am a gamer. Simple enough.

What we need is a primarily derogatory term for the cult-like followers of the media. Like the Otaku in regards to Anime.

 

[hutchy27]

I'm also a gamer because I play video games. However, I suck at racing games but I will dominate you on the majority of others from rts-fps.

 

[New Troll]

Do you still love games with a passion?

Passion is very misleading. There are some games I love to play, others I play mainly because I feel a dedication to them. And some I only play because a friend plays and I wish to hang out with them, even if only in a game. I have never and hope never to feel passionate towards games like I have lost loves or my children, but I do hope to always feel a spark while gaming. Do I? Sometimes. Do I wish I felt more of a spark? Always have and hopefully always will.

But this topic isn't about being a Gamer. It's about what's holding us back from becoming what we see as our ideal gaming self. Or perhaps the most bad-ass, hardcore, ultimate pawning superfreak to ever exist. Whatever lights our fire.

 

[sageoftruth]

I play games, therefore I am a gamer. Simple enough.

What we need is a primarily derogatory term for the cult-like followers of the media. Like the Otaku in regards to Anime.

Agreed. There are very few geeky obsessions out there (if any) that I wouldn't find preferable to being a regular subscriber to Star Magazine.

 

[moosek]

I play video games. I also like to think of myself as having a good amount of games literacy. Media literacy helps give people a quality filter.

 

[ScoopMeister]

At the moment, the only thing holding me back is my Xbox Live not working and that I can't be bothered to do anything about it.

 

[New Frontiersman]

If you play video games you're a gamer, that's all that matters, you don't to have obscene amounts of skill or buy every new title on release day to be a gamer.
And it's a good thing that you're managing your real life responsibilities like your son, and putting those things first, that's what's important in life. You can't let games interrupt your life, and from what it seems, your doing a good job managing that.

I'm a gamer I enjoy games. I don't let them get in the way of my studies, and when I have job I won't let them get in the way of my career, and when I have a family I won't let games get in the way of that either (although I don hope I'll be able to share my games with my family). But I'll still continue to enjoy games even if they aren't as big of a part of my life as they once were.

 

[NoOne852]

If you play video games you're a gamer, that's all that matters, you don't to have obscene amounts of skill or buy every new title on release day to be a gamer.
And it's a good thing that you're managing your real life responsibilities like your son, and putting those things first, that's what's important in life. You can't let games interrupt your life, and from what it seems, your doing a good job managing that.

I'm a gamer I enjoy games. I don't let them get in the way of my studies, and when I have job I won't let them get in the way of my career, and when I have a family I won't let games get in the way of that either (although I don hope I'll be able to share my games with my family). But I'll still continue to enjoy games even if they aren't as big of a part of my life as they once were.

Very well said. I have to agree with you 100% there.

 

[varulfic]

If someone would ask me if I was a gamer, I would say yes. I wouldn't describe myself as one though... seems superfluous. Almost everyone I know likes video games.

 

[basm321]

I am a gamer because I have a dog.





F*ck I messed that up didn't I?

OT: There are not gamers just like there are not moviers or readers. Most people do all three of those activities.

What makes one a game/book/movie ENTHUSIAST is that we/they know the names of at least some dev teams/directors/writers ect. What makes one an enthusiast of anything is that they take the time to learn about the "behind the scenes" stuff and tend to keep up with news about the subject.

EDIT: Would have expanded more and maybe I will, but I NEED to get some things done at the store and since I made an account the forums have been the bane of productiveness.

 

[Magicmad5511]

I'm sort of in a similar manner when it comes to games(only vaguely). I don't have massive disposable income as I don't have a job yet and am generally not great at some games (I suck at Halo: Reach).
I'd still say I'm a gamer, especially considering I am currently on a games development course at college.
As long as you enjoy playing games I think you can be classed as a gamer.
It was only relatively recently that I came to be on the edge of gaming news and pre-ordering games and that's mainly because I'm a 17 and constantly on the internet.

By the way, playing games with your son sounds like a good way to bond(depending on his age). Remember though that gaming is not the most important thing in life (I know. It's a massive shock).

 

[ace_of_something]

Once you start having a mortage/kids/both free time gets siphoned away. Being a grown-up means less free time.

 

[TCPirate]

I'm a gamer because I love games with a passion and I don't restrict myself to 1 title or 1 genre. I played RPG, RTS, Racing, fighting, FPS, simulation, sports (not all that much), survival horrors and I consider myself a gamer because I've been playing since I was like 4. My biggest achievement at that age was completing the first two zones on Sonic, on the sega.

I don't like people who call themselves gamers, because they spend all night on CoD or fifa. I remember the days when people thought I was weird because I'd rather sit at home, play a bit of golden eye on the N64, rather than go out and play football or w/e.

Now everybodies doing it. I kinda liked people thinking I was weird because I would rather play a bit of Doom rather than go out. It means they would ask me to come out with them, so I had more time to play video games. Now, I sign into Xbox and get "Hey bro, up for a quick SnDHC on Black ops?"

How about No? and also, go buy a game with a real story line, something that's also challenging, and come back to me when you can tell me how old Amy is, in the sonic universe.

 

[Delsana]

Gamer shouldn't be capitalized as a title in this case.

 

[Flyingchciken93]

To all those people saying im a gamer cause i play games id just like to say SHUT UP!!!, if you love games with a passion and are genuinely exicted to be playing them you are a gamer. Those "casual gamers" who play wii fit and nintendogs aree not really gamers more often than not they are old women or children