Let's get the pat definition out of the way.
gam·er
n.
One who plays a game.
While technically true, that definition ignores the subtleties in the word. It's still a useful starting point; I think we can all agree that a gamer necessarily plays a game. Beyond that is where things start getting fuzzy.
Amongst the gaming community, gamer is used as an exclusionary term denoting pride and a sense of belonging. When one gamer represents him or herself to another as being a gamer, the term connotes a set of specific criteria. Usually, the game type in question is assumed. Someone self-identifying as a gamer at a LAN party would be assumed to be a video gamer, while the same self-identification in a board game shop would be interpreted differently. Beyond that basic information, the term gamer gives some insight into a person's identity. By describing oneself as a gamer, one tells others that gaming is a significant part of his or her life.
That's how we come to the exclusionary bit. My sister is not a gamer. That doesn't mean that she never plays games; she's actually quite taken with Diner Dash, and I've roped her into a game of Settlers of Catan now and then. It means that gaming is not a significant part of her character. Not only would she not describe herself as a gamer, but even someone who saw her play games would be hard pressed to do so. Especially when contrasted with me, a self described gamer, it becomes abundantly clear she is not a part of the gamer clique.
Here is where the trouble starts. Whenever a group forms, members start to codify what being part of that group entails. Whether the group forms around a religion, an ideal or an activity, eventually someone will try to say that another person can't be a part of the group because they've transgressed some unwritten rule.
I know I'm being overly vague. Let's get specific; Right this very second, someone on the Intertubes is accusing another person of not being a real gamer. Gasp! The horror! Maybe the offending person admitted to pirating games. Maybe they said that they don't like Valve, no matter what all the fanboys say. Maybe they even said something unforgiveable, like... "Bobby Kotick isn't such a bad guy after all!" Another gasp!
Every gamer has a different set of criteria used to define what the term means. Many go far beyond the basic definition, incorporating a set of values, deference or antagonism to certain brands, genre tastes, and on and on. Often, arguments arise when people use the same word but assume different definitions for said word, and the purely subjective nature of gamer is a prime example of that. Most people assume they know what a gamer is, while the person they're talking with may think it's something vastly different.
So, let's get to questioning those assumptions! What's your definition for the word gamer? Do you have any criteria that you consider when deciding whether another person is a gamer? Do you think an objective definition would be possible? What would that definition be?
Feel free to comment here, or take it to the forums for more in depth conversation!
First of all, nice blog post, but slightly too long.
ReplyDeleteI think a gamer is someone who plays "geeky" games often. For example, you wouldn't call your gran a gamer because she plays on the Wii every weekend. But a gamer is someone with often expensive kit (like my new PC, thanks Dad) who will play quite regularly.
Well, I'd say that anyone who think themselves a gamer, goes under the criteria.
ReplyDeleteBut that wasn't your question.
I'd categorize a gamer as a person who, not only play games, but play many games, or alot af a game.
Also, a gamer (according to MY definition) usually go the extra mile for new information on games, like checking up on communities, clans, cheats and special in-game tricks.
In addition to this, I think that there are some games that is/should be common knowledge among gamers, like the Half-Life series, Street Fighter 2, Chrono Trigger for the SNES, or the first generation of Pokémon.
And, most gamers, not necessary all gamers, but most usually stay up to date on the new entertainment technologies.
Well that's my opinion.
With Love,
Nilsen, Nastyman
To me a "gamer" is a person who owns quite a few games, plays games on a regular basis and enjoys them, if a gamer could play a game that is widely accepted as an awfull game(carnival games for example) on a regular basis(among other games of course) and enjoyed it then I would count him a "gamer". The more tricky part is "casual gaming", although I am not too fond of casual gaming's culture, I do accept it as a sub-culture of gaming and I am happy that gaming is reaching a wider audience. My definition of "casual gamer" is a person who enjoys games, has a small collection of games and only plays once or twice a week or when friends are over. In the past I have wittnessed a few examples of problems arising when a gamer who is more specific with their definition of gamer meets a casual gamer, the gamer usually attacks the casual gamer verbally after realising that the person he is talking to is a casual gamer, these arguments can get pretty nasty and are generally unpleasant to listen to (note that every time I have seen this happening it has been over the Internet and always over Xbox LIve). At a time like this were games are being blamed for anything bad that it is happening in the world it is very important for us to not fight amongst ourselves, becaus if the world see's some of us as violent bigots, then the world is going to see all of us as violent bigots, and I don't think that can help us fight off the "games = murder" theory much.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I forgot to say that to me to be a gamer you must have a passion for gaming, I believe this very important.
ReplyDeleteI think "Gamer" has become a term that nobody wants to hear. Think about it. When people talk about being a "gamer", especially people who aren't as into games as we are, they would think of someone who likes to blow stuff up and kill hookers. Yes, I know that's a stereotype, but that is what the gamer population is thought to be from the outside right now. Until we get that fixed up, I think the term Gamer is going to be used for ridicule more then anything.
ReplyDeleteA "gamer" in my eyes is a person who plays games (of the video kind) on a regular basis. He is not one of those people that play 1 game online for 1 hour and never plays again. A gamer must be constant in his work.
ReplyDeleteFrekydelic makes a good point about a certain part of society's view outside view on gamers. However, I wouldn't say it defines it. I see someone as a gamer if they have become fluent in gaming language and habits thanks to playing video games. I've been playing video games for literally as long as I can remember, and it's for that reason that I understand terms related to video games, as well as trends and the significance of certain game-related news. There is an entire culture of video games, and a gamer, by my definition at least, is defined by being involved in this culture.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the term gamer is vague and shouldn’t be too specific. You have subculture in the gaming universe, board gamers, video gamers, pen & papers gamers... each of those genre have specificity in themselves that you can't attach to the term gamer as it would imply that ALL gamer have those specificity.
ReplyDeleteSo what we have to established is what make someone a gamer, a definition that would apply to all type of gamers.
Here are some thought about it:
- Someone who love game and play them often
- Someone who can identify himself with the rest of the gaming community (we could leave this debate for another day!)
- Someone who enjoy NoG "-)
I think personally a gamer is one that takes an active interest in videogames. That's the most balanced way I think you can put it. I suppose that leaves out the scale of intensity of this "active interest," but If I'm the sort of middle form of gamer (at least I think I am) then I'm the sort of person who keeps gamespy on the bookmarks tab. Visits a couple of game specific sites, and can tell the difference between a good game and a bad one.
ReplyDeleteOh, and I definitely don't think these blogs are too long. As a blogger myself, I think these are a pretty nice and readable size :)
ReplyDeleteI think of a gamer as someone who is connected deeply to the activity of gaming, this is not a passive state. They take an active role in winning, discovering, or sharing this passion. This might be someone who buys a 2600 on ebay to expand their vocabulary of games or find all the edges of a hit box in a fighting game. They might read about the history of the d&d rule set or read about build orders in a RTS. They might travel to play a classic arcade game just to see the pixels in person. A gamer does not shutdown or turn off in the act of gaming he/she goes to a new gear of engagement where their mind incorporates the new sensations with past understanding.
ReplyDeleteI understand where Frekydelic may think that the "gamer" label may be subject to endless ridicule, but I see the basic term a little differently. As mentioned by Dwarth, the term should be broad and apply to many fields other than video gaming. However, I think you can still be considered a gamer even if you don't play the other sub-groupings of games (pen-and-paper, etc.)
ReplyDeleteA gamer is someone (in my limited opinion) who self-identifies with gaming as a part of their day-to-day life; perhaps as a casual hobby, or an everyday activity.
My other thoughts on gamers tend to subdivide the gaming culture into the particular labels people have devised over the years for the subject; casual vs. hardcore, console vs. PC, the various genres, video gamer vs. pen-and-paper etc.
In the past, gaming tended to carry the anti-social label, with the gamer habitually being portrayed as an age 30+ loner living out of a parent's basement. I still think gaming is still considered anti-social to an extent, but that's a different topic altogether.
But this was the case for a lot of gaming subcultures at their inception; and over time, people have modified their perceptions of the culture.
Alright, I'm getting too long-winded here, but I hope that clarifies my thoughts on what being a "gamer" entails. I have a lot more to say, but I'll be brief for now. =)
~Cyan
I think gaming is becoming quite "social" with voice coming into more games you find people having conversations much more. But in "real life" your finding more and more people talking about gaming itself. Heck most of my friends play Xbox versions of the games i play and i mostly hear "how is it like to play on a computer?" and "is it diffrent than the Xbox version?" gaming is also getting more and more acceptable in the fact that more and more people are playing each day.
ReplyDeleteTo me a gamer is someone who's interest in gaming is used as a means of socializing.
ReplyDeleteFor example, a "gamer" will talk about games regularly with their real life friends.
A gamer has also most likely formed networks with online friends.
I've always seen someone who plays videogames a 'gamer', and someone who plays pen and pencil games a 'roleplayer'.
ReplyDeleteYour comment on how some people give very certain characteristics to what a gamer is gave me horrible vietnam-esque flashbacks to Nonstop Gaming General on Gamefaqs, where anything below an 8.9 is a megaflopiX and if you play any game ever you are either a pstool, an xbot, or a nintendrone. GP's!
I wander where the limit is between being a gamer and not being classified as a gamer. Personally I think it's a bit of self-tagging. If you don't consider yourself to be a gamer then you're not, otherwise you probably are.
ReplyDeleteMe. Yeah, I'm still a gamer but lots of other bits of life get in the way of it sometimes, still, when the baby knows what he's doig with a controller / wiimote / kouse 'n' keyboard that's going to be great fun!
It seems that the standard definition of 'real games' ties closely towards to common view of 'elite' games vs 'casual' games. two terms which really make little sense when looked at from afar. Just because one game is targeted at a different demographic doesn't make it more or less elite / casual. It's just designed to be played by a different group of people.
ReplyDeleteElite / Casual may be indirectly referring to the skill based elements of a game or the difficulty curve throughout the games progression but again, the difficulty curve has probably also been tailored to it's intended audience to a great degree.
It comes down to this really there are games that you'll find are fun, and games that you'll aren't fun or boring to play. Be this down to poor programming / design choices in game development or the game simply being not your sort of game. It's still in my opinion just a game.
I still fricking love TF2 though since launch day!
A Gamer is split into either the Casual Gamer- someone who plays games for fun, but jsut for fun, and Hardcore- someone who play games for fun, but takes it to the next level.
ReplyDeleteCasual gamer- The casual gamer is someone who plays games, but don't play frequently. just for distration or cause they are bored. they don't normally have any real "identity" to the games that they are playing.
Hardcore gamer- The hardcore gamer takes personal glory in there acomplishments in a game. They are easily noticable usually bragging about hours in game or drops or overall just an obsesision they have taken with a particular game. A hardcore gamer usually can tell you the slight dynamic detail of a game. Such as max boss health or damage based on charges. Hardcore gamers usually, also, tend to find a particular genre of games over another. This is usually were there "identity" comes in. They identify with a certain genre of games and tend to play more of those kind of games. Lastly a hardcore gamer is, usually, never mis-judged as a casual gamer. Usually taking great pride in there knowledge, time, skill, or experience of a game or games.
A gamer is someone who enjoys playing games. Period.
ReplyDeleteNot someone who is GOOD at playing games, someone who ENJOYS them. (Although a true gamer will play games and then probably improve and become good)
Anyone who uses the words: "nooob, pwned, owned, etc." SHOULD NOT BE WORTHY OF THE TITLE OF GAMER.
Taking Zeo's stages one step further we have the difference between PC and Console games. But i will say while I agree with him I also believe that much of the casual/hardcore sides are purely a choice for the gamer. The superspy Jenning a good example of this being more hardcore than most yet maintaining a casual output of his gameplay.
ReplyDeletePC Gamers - All in all this Category is too big to really define. Casual Pc gamers can stem from someone who plays flash games online at work or school and never really care to me, a person who games for the fun of it frequently and has a pc slightly designed for gaming.
In comparison Hardcore gamers with have a PC almost totally customised right down to the weight of the mouse. They will seek to find anyway to increase their chances of being able to click first. Most MMO players unknowingly fall into this category.
Console gamers - Much more linear than PC gamers because of the specific design of a console. To play games. Casual gamers can range from someone who enjoys a few hours on the wii every now and then to someone who plays multiplayer with a headset and does not hurl abuse down the microphone.
Hardcore gamers in console gaming are almost always some of the worst examples of gamers everywhere. They are often overly agressive, prone to hurling abuse and being a general Assclown. They stay almost exclusivly to FPS games and even in team based games prefer to try and show of by going solo.
I like to think that a gamer is anyone who plays video games, anyone who takes an interest in them. But I don't think a gamer should be broken into groups. While Zeo's post makes alot of good points about casual and hardcore gamers, it doesn't necessarily answer the question. A gamer is a person who games. No matter what console you play, no matter what company you like. I hate how some gamers feel as though they are better than others either due to skill or to the console they play. Casual or not, we still play to win or play for fun. We're all the same monster deep down inside.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad to say thought but I agree with Freky - the term gamer has become something that has a much more violent meaning to it. My parents don't agree with the fact that I'm a so-called gamer. They don't openly say to me what they think either - they jump through hoops to passive-agressively turn me off of games and rub me off on something else, something they deem more productive.
A think the word gamer can be used with so many different meanings. Good, bad, all it comes down to is whether you play video games or not.
A gamer is a person who has a love-hate relationship. They always seem at odds but at the end of the day it's all fun and games. Sort of like the Odd Couple.
Okay that was a terrrible analogy.
Love the new show.
ReplyDeleteTo me being a gamer is a mind set, tied directly to emotion. People have often described me as one addicting to gaming, and I beleive they say that because they see how gaming effects my life. It changes how I act and what my perceptions of the world are. I talk about games, I dream about them, I would rather starve then miss a mission or leave a level unfinished.
A gamer sees gaming as an avenue of self expression and exploration and then wants to share his/her new found world with everyone he/she knows.
47
P.S. Thanks for all the good times w/ CP, I look forward to more of NOG.
http://www.gamertonight.net/cartoons.php
ReplyDeletescroll down.
well, for me a gamer is a person, who's hobby is to play games. but it's the umbrella term for hard core games, casual gamers etc... because not every gamer is the same.
I definitely think that a gamer is anyone who plays any sort of games regularly. Also, anybody who lets it become a large part of their time...such as this podcast...and most of the people listening (me included).
ReplyDeleteI think a gamer is someone who sees games as a lifestyle, not much as a form of entertainment.
ReplyDelete-"I game, therefore I am...a gamer"
ReplyDeleteI define gamer as anyone who enjoys playing games on a regular basis. Be it the so called "hardcore" gamer, a casual gamer, or a board gamer, they are all gamers to me. The question, "What is a gamer?" is unlike most social 'cliques' due to there being so many different types of gamers. One gamer may think that only people who play online video games, like First-Person Shooters and Real-Time Strategy games, are gamers. While another gamer may agree with me, if you play games of any kind, you are a gamer.
Then there is "THE Gamer". The Gamer who goes above and beyond simply going to Gamestop and browsing for interesting titles. The one who subscribes to GameInformer, PC Gamer, Nintendo Power, and other gaming-based magazines. The one who reads RSS feeds of Kotaku, Destructoid, Joystiq, and other sources of news in the industry. The person to which gaming is not a hobby, but a lifestyle. Gamers like these have a lifelong passion for gaming, and make friends through the common interest of gaming.
-Fried "Wall of text" Gold (:
And I totally agree with Nolan. I take pride in calling myself a gamer. I'm on a freaking hawk.
ReplyDeleteA gamer is someone who plays games (computer or console) on a regular basis. I would say "regular basis" consists of doing at least 15 hours per week - enough to earn the label of nerd/geek/virgin. Also likes to keep up-to-date on gaming news and frequents youtube to watch machinimas, game trailers, or anything game-related.
ReplyDeleteOr if you listen to a (former) podcast dedicated to a certain PC game or a current podcast which discusses gaming then you're probably a gamer.
First i'd like to be the 40th person to say. It's great to have you guys back on my i-pod.
ReplyDeleteNow, a gamer has different levels.
Hardcore: You turn of all the lights play for hours drink energy drinks to beat the level 35 dark elf or frag them n00bs.
Hardcasual: You sometimes turn of the lights and all that stuff but most of the time you play serious but not as serious as hardcore.
Casual: You play when you feel like you want to and you play for fun. You may play serious but usually fail.
Wes: Enough said.
Skill levels may vary.
I beieve that a person who plays games is a person who will play a game once then put it aside, with the possible exception of online games.
ReplyDeleteA gamer however is a person who will for example complete the side quests of a game or perhaps play it through a second, or perhaps third time, just for the sheer joy of the experience. It must be noted however that a gamer will not be driven to do this for every game, just those they really enjoy; which brings me onto another characteristic of gamers, they will activly seek out games that are above average standard as they realise that you can get more out of playing one superbluy designed game than fifty terrible ones.
Thanks for reading
groovymann