In light of all that's being going on within games this week, Leigh Alexander wrote a rather passionate article on the death of the term gamer. (http://tinyurl.com/nlf4zh8). At the same time, Dan Golding wrote a similar piece on his personal blog. (http://tinyurl.com/lsel7wf).
The general conceit is that "gamer" as a term is weakening because the demographics that constitute players are shifting away from the group the name was originally made to represent. Essentially, the notion that gaming became a place where a certain subset of individuals were told they were the most important part of the market and that as that reality shifted, more people began to fight against perceived obsolescence.
So, people. I want to know: What does the term "gamer" mean to you? Is it sufficient in this day and age? What connotations does it carry for you? Is the term dead?
The general conceit is that "gamer" as a term is weakening because the demographics that constitute players are shifting away from the group the name was originally made to represent. Essentially, the notion that gaming became a place where a certain subset of individuals were told they were the most important part of the market and that as that reality shifted, more people began to fight against perceived obsolescence.
So, people. I want to know: What does the term "gamer" mean to you? Is it sufficient in this day and age? What connotations does it carry for you? Is the term dead?