Can I suck at games and still be a "Serious Gamer"?

Dargocitfer

PhD in Mad Science
Aug 30, 2011
46
0
0
Shark Wrangler said:
Very old thread of somebody wanting a tap on the head for something they do. Ever just stopped and thought, I don't need a bunch of random strangers giving me advice on something that isn't even needed. Really need the internets permission to not hit your girlfriend, or cheat on a test. Get confused by this kind of crap. I think you need to get better at these games you are playing and leave the serious part out of it. Like StarCraft a whole bunch, then chances are you will get better the more you play it, you don't need me to tell you if your having fun while doing it.
I guess I should have phrased things differently when I created the thread.

I don't care what other people think. I'm an unapologetic nerd, and learned long ago that I was very different from the majority of other people in my interests and passions, and I'm cool with that. (That's one reason why I love conventions like PAX and ECCC. I feel like "These are my people!")

What I was more interested in was why there seems to be (to me) this perception that you aren't a "real gamer" if you aren't very good. (Maybe this perception was all in my head?) I wanted to get people's input on what they thought "serious" gamers were, and indeed, what makes someone "a gamer". There have been some very cool ideas and well thought out responses.

I'm not looking for validation, or a pat on the head. I was just trying to start a discussion.
 

Fishyash

Elite Member
Dec 27, 2010
1,154
0
41
I don't think you failing all the time in CoD multiplayer (just a silly figure of speech) doesn't mean you can't take games seriously.
If you like playing games, (as one of your primary pastimes) then you can be a gamer. If you take such pastime seriously (in relation to other recreational pastimes you may be doing) then you're a serious gamer.
 

Wintermoot

New member
Aug 20, 2009
6,563
0
0
you shouldn't take games serious games are designed to be toys I myself suck at pretty much every game and still have fun
 

Blow_Pop

Supreme Evil Overlord
Jan 21, 2009
4,863
0
0
Not everyone is going to be good at every kind of game. Just because you enjoy playing it doesn't mean you will be good at it. I enjoy FPS but only on PC. I become a retarded monkey on consoles with them. I don't particularly enjoy multiplayer because of all the fuckwits that tend to frequent a lot of servers who if someone is new to the game or a girl they have to start flaming the person and being general dicks to them. I'm more a single player platformer kind of girl. I'm god awful at fighters no matter where I play them. So what? I still love playing Mortal Kombat. So what if I can't get half the combos down correctly? Long as I am having fun and enjoying it that's all that matters to me.

UnderCoverGuest said:
Just as long as the ratio of time spent playing video games exceeds time spent doing anything else, of course you can consider yourself a serious gamer.

I play video games infrequently, but the depth and extent to which I enjoy them makes me a serious gamer. It's all about finding that balance.

A Console gamer who spends a significant amount of their life playing video games = Serious Gamer.

A PC Gamer who spends a significant amount of time modding, leveling, scipting, modeling, skinning, or roleplaying = Serious Gamer.

--------

A Console gamer who spends an hour or two playing a game after doing homework = Casual Gamer

A PC Gamer who plays games with a similar time frame, and simply enjoys the game without additional addons = Casual Gamer

--------

A Console gamer who owns a Wii = Casual Gamer

A PC Gamer who plays Peggle = Casual Gamer.
So wait, because I'm busting my ass to find a job and don't particularly enjoy playing modded games on my PC I'm now a casual gamer? I need money to support my buying games. And to live. Also I own a Wii though that's more so that when my friends and I are together we can have drunken Mario Kart parties because they're amazingly fun. I use to ya know not have responsibilities or anything and spent half my time reading books and the other half the time gaming. Now it is about a third gaming, a third reading, and a third job hunting. I call that more of a balanced life since much as I'd like to just read and game I know I have other responsibilities that come first. Also I have Peggle as a for fun and I don't feel like playing anything harder kind of game....Maybe if someone exclusively played Peggle that could be determined but....*goes back to Bioshock*
 

UnderCoverGuest

New member
May 24, 2010
414
0
0
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
Under Cover Guest posted stuff here!
So wait, because I'm busting my ass to find a job and don't particularly enjoy playing modded games on my PC I'm now a casual gamer? I need money to support my buying games. And to live. Also I own a Wii though that's more so that when my friends and I are together we can have drunken Mario Kart parties because they're amazingly fun. I use to ya know not have responsibilities or anything and spent half my time reading books and the other half the time gaming. Now it is about a third gaming, a third reading, and a third job hunting. I call that more of a balanced life since much as I'd like to just read and game I know I have other responsibilities that come first. Also I have Peggle as a for fun and I don't feel like playing anything harder kind of game....Maybe if someone exclusively played Peggle that could be determined but....*goes back to Bioshock*
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell--look, I'll make a deal: you don't take my little chart thing up there the wrong way, and I won't take your response the wrong way--you make it sound as though I'm accusing you of something.

Look, I just wrote that up because that's what I think when I think of the various stages of gamer! I've only been into video games for a few years here, so I have only my knowledge of games to go by. I'm pretty experienced in terms of the depth I've gotten into games in a short period of time, but look, I was just voicing my own opinion--I thought that's what forums were for. Admittedly I don't always give an opinion people agree with, and sometimes change my mind on just what my own opinion might have been in previous posts I've made, but come on! No need to go on the defensive here, if you are--there are lots of people out there, and lots of people who play games differently. I'm just saying that people who play games with mods tend to be more 'seriously' into gaming--they want the best experience, and turn to sources other than game developers for content that they would enjoy. That shows somewhat greater dedication--and it depends on the type of game you play. MMO's demand lots of time and money, so you could be considered serious or casual, depending on whether you work to pay for the game, or play the game to relax after working; either way with that!

Just letting you know, I wasn't intending on being taken in such earnest with that post. It's just my opinion, and how I classify gamers, that's all.
 

Blow_Pop

Supreme Evil Overlord
Jan 21, 2009
4,863
0
0
UnderCoverGuest said:
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
Under Cover Guest posted stuff here!
So wait, because I'm busting my ass to find a job and don't particularly enjoy playing modded games on my PC I'm now a casual gamer? I need money to support my buying games. And to live. Also I own a Wii though that's more so that when my friends and I are together we can have drunken Mario Kart parties because they're amazingly fun. I use to ya know not have responsibilities or anything and spent half my time reading books and the other half the time gaming. Now it is about a third gaming, a third reading, and a third job hunting. I call that more of a balanced life since much as I'd like to just read and game I know I have other responsibilities that come first. Also I have Peggle as a for fun and I don't feel like playing anything harder kind of game....Maybe if someone exclusively played Peggle that could be determined but....*goes back to Bioshock*
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell--look, I'll make a deal: you don't take my little chart thing up there the wrong way, and I won't take your response the wrong way--you make it sound as though I'm accusing you of something.

Look, I just wrote that up because that's what I think when I think of the various stages of gamer! I've only been into video games for a few years here, so I have only my knowledge of games to go by. I'm pretty experienced in terms of the depth I've gotten into games in a short period of time, but look, I was just voicing my own opinion--I thought that's what forums were for. Admittedly I don't always give an opinion people agree with, and sometimes change my mind on just what my own opinion might have been in previous posts I've made, but come on! No need to go on the defensive here, if you are--there are lots of people out there, and lots of people who play games differently. I'm just saying that people who play games with mods tend to be more 'seriously' into gaming--they want the best experience, and turn to sources other than game developers for content that they would enjoy. That shows somewhat greater dedication--and it depends on the type of game you play. MMO's demand lots of time and money, so you could be considered serious or casual, depending on whether you work to pay for the game, or play the game to relax after working; either way with that!

Just letting you know, I wasn't intending on being taken in such earnest with that post. It's just my opinion, and how I classify gamers, that's all.
Oh I was just inquiring. I mean I can agree with parts of it in certain contexts but I question people A LOT. Tis what I tend to do. I just don't think that MOST gamers can be put in such "neat" little classifications.
 

UnderCoverGuest

New member
May 24, 2010
414
0
0
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
Under Cover Guest posted stuff here!
Aprilmarie posted stuff here!
Under Cover Guest posted more stuff here!
Oh I was just inquiring. I mean I can agree with parts of it in certain contexts but I question people A LOT. Tis what I tend to do. I just don't think that MOST gamers can be put in such "neat" little classifications.
Oh. Well, lots of folks classify people as 'black', 'white', 'hispanic' etcetera, so I usually go for the neat little classification because it's easier in the long run, if somewhat politically incorrect.
 

Blow_Pop

Supreme Evil Overlord
Jan 21, 2009
4,863
0
0
UnderCoverGuest said:
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
aprilmarie said:
UnderCoverGuest said:
Under Cover Guest posted stuff here!
Aprilmarie posted stuff here!
Under Cover Guest posted more stuff here!
Oh I was just inquiring. I mean I can agree with parts of it in certain contexts but I question people A LOT. Tis what I tend to do. I just don't think that MOST gamers can be put in such "neat" little classifications.
Oh. Well, lots of folks classify people as 'black', 'white', 'hispanic' etcetera, so I usually go for the neat little classification because it's easier in the long run, if somewhat politically incorrect.
Which is entirely why they exist in the first place. I classify myself race wise as ghost or pale depending on my mood but that's a different topic altogether.
 

Halo Fanboy

New member
Nov 2, 2008
1,118
0
0
If you understand the mechanic well enough as a game analytical commentator. You don't need good reflexes to explain how to counter zergling assaults or which moves are plus frames on block.
 

Nabirius

New member
Dec 29, 2009
135
0
0
I don't remember being good being a requisite for being a gamer. A real gamer plays for the experience and the fun, people might call you n00b but they are assholes anyway.
 

Therumancer

Citation Needed
Nov 28, 2007
9,909
0
0
Dargocitfer said:
So, here's the thing: I kind of suck at playing video games, especially ones that require any kind of fast reflexes. I've always had slow reflexes; it seems to be the way my muscles are wired.

But, I love playing games. So, if I'm playing Half Life 2 or Serious Sam, I set it to the easiest setting. I can solve the puzzles in Portal 2 with little difficulty, but if I need to shoot a portal on a tiny spot while flying through the air... that can become a frustrating 30 minutes of me dying a lot. But the games are still fun, in spite of any annoying (to me) parts.

This is a major reason why I don't tend to like multiplayer games. I know that I will be the one who ruins things for the rest of the group, because my "skillz" are lacking, and it's no fun being yelled at and called "N00b!" all of the time. I enjoy the persistent world concept of MMOs, but I always play solo, because I don't want to piss people off.

Anyone else in the same boat? Does one *have* to play things at the hardest level to be considered a "serious" gamer? Can't I love games and still suck at playing them?
The label comes down to the type of games that you play rather than how good you are at them. I'm pants at gaming myself when you get down to it, especially in the condition I'm in nowadays concentration/reflex/reaction wise.

The basic judgement is that it's better to be a player who plays serious, challenging games, that require thought and effort and fails/is bad at them, than someone who plays "everyone wins, all the time" casual games where it ultimatly comes down to degree of success and you rarely have to do/figure out much in order to see pretty much everything the game has to offer.

It should be noted however that despite some preconceptions most of the flashy action games and multiplayer titles are not "serious" games. Things like Modern Warfare, Battlefield, and others are very much casual games, they are the equivilent of Farmville but aimed at a differant kind of audience, the so called "bro" or "frat boy" mindset rather than bored housewives so to speak, a differance face of the same thing.

Of course a lot of this comes down to people who play a lot of games not wanting to not be considered "serious gamers", which leads to huge arguements about the label.

It should be noted that popularity is not what makes a game casual in of itself, many serious games were VERY popular in the gaming community before the market became flooded with casuals. Right now it just seems to go together, because in order to sell millions upon millions of copies a game by and large has to appeal to and be approachable by the lowest possible denominator by definition, and that is one of the design priorities of the giant cash vaccuums that are the modern gaming industry. By definition you cannot create a game that literally anyone with brain wave activity can sit down and finish and then claim it's a deep, challenging, and intelligent product. The type of content in the game aside, the simple fact that you have 11 and 12 year olds playing games like "Modern Warfare" successfully (even if the content means they shouldn't be) should pretty much tell you the level the game is actually at.

One other point I will make though is that playing casual games doesn't nessicarly mean someone isn't a serious gamer either. Plenty of people who are serious gamers DO play casual games part time, it's the equivilent of intellectual slumming, the way how someone who has a PHD in engineering and classic literature might enjoy watching the WWE occasionally, specifically because it's low brow. Other than intellectual slumming there is also the ever popular ironic appreciation, which you can find when you see serious gamers who obviously play games like say "Halo" or "Modern Warfare" with some regularity, but also make constant biting (and yet oh so accurate) mockeries of them.

I know this isn't a popular viewpoint, but it should answer your questions.
 

Voulan

New member
Jul 18, 2011
1,258
0
0
If you like games, you are a Gamer.

Welcome to the club, my friend. ;D