The term "Gamer".

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Oh my fucking God, few arguments and discussions are as pointless and dumb as this one. If you play games then chances are you're a gamer, regardless of whether you like the term or not. It's a general term for people who play games, get over yourselves you self-obsessed, pseudo-intellectual narcissists.

 

[fenrizz]

The people who call themselves gamers generally know little about games at all, and spend most of their game time on facebook/ios apps or casual trash like Skryim and Cod.

How delightfully elitist of you.

OT:
I'm fine with the term.
To me a gamer is simply someone who enjoy games.

 

[N3squ1ck]

snippedysnip

Dude, calm down. Nobody wants to harm you, we are friends here D:

OT:
I go with the "if you play games regularly you are a gamer" definition, and I don't care what the dictionary says.

Also the German term "Spieler" is not something I would use (being from Germany) because basically sounds like "gambling-addicted" or gambler. So I use the term Gamer even when speaking German.

 

[Joccaren]

My friends and I will call ourselves gamers because, well, we game. Its our hobby. I swim and sing in a choir as well, but the majority of our time is spent playing, modding or researching games.
Sure its got a negative connotation in some groups, but that all depends on your frame of reference. In my life, the groups that it has a negative connotation in are the groups that have a negative connotation in my circle; 'Normal' people [Vague, yes, but those in my friend group understand what you're talking about, and its the most appropriate label that isn't somewhat insulting], sports nuts and politicians.
Yeah, its got a negative connotation in those groups. I'm not in those groups, so honestly why should I give a f***? They're not a big or important part of my life, and I don't want them to be, so why should I care if they don't like me because of my hobby?
Also, I realise that may come across as somewhat hypocritical, but those groups generally receive the negative connotation thanks to their attitude towards gamers. If one of them comes along who is open minded, I'm all good to be friends with them - and I often am.

I personally don't see anything wrong with the term. Its an extremely vague descriptor taken literally, but add in context and you get a more narrowed term that describes a group of people. Yeah, people can't be summed up by one word describing their main hobby, but that's not my problem. Ignorant people will be ignorant and discriminate regardless of whether you openly state that is your hobby by calling yourself a gamer or not, and they're, IMO, not worth wasting time to try and please.

 

[N3squ1ck]

snippedysnip

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. So that is why you act you are the only sane person in a room full of brain damaged children? Oh Gee, I wonder why people get verbal bowel movements when you start to post.

and well, I did okay, I suppose, since I am studying that shit now (also, alongside others, Middle-German and if that taught me anything, that is that language changes as often as it wants to with out asking the dictionary first)

Language belongs to the people and not to a book. That is only a attempt to standardize something that is hard to standardize. It can't be right everywhere.
For example with the relatively young term "gamer", at least from my feel for it.



Captcha: Feces are cool
Ewwwwh

 

[SextusMaximus]

You have a problem with nouns?

People here do, apparently. Not only that, they apparently know better than the linguists.

People seem to be confusing gamer with game enthusiast.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

A gamer is someone who plays games. I, however, (and I would argue everyone on this site) am a games enthusiast. I keep up to date with news in the industry, I spend a not insignificant portion of my time playing games etc.

I have to agree with this. This is actually what I came in here to say.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone that plays games is a gamer. Some more or less than others. But those of us that are passionate about gaming, spend a significant amount of time playing games and enjoy keeping up to date with game news, I prefer to refer to as a game enthusiast. We're a type of person no different than, say, a sports enthusiast that sits in the break room discussing their favorite sports teams and their favorite players.

 

[N3squ1ck]

So Pou1mty, N3qu1ck, let's set a final, objective, and once and for all bar for what a gamer should be. I'm going to begin a petetion to give all of you what you want and settle this, but I need to know the following.

1: What is the minimal requirement for someone to be able to legally call themselves a gamer? What games are required and what level of time investment is required?

2: What should be the legal sanction for anyone not meeting those requirement and using the term to describe themselves? Should this fall under fraud laws that already apply to medical and legal practice?

3: What should the qualifications and structure be for a gamer liscensure board to review and approve applications to be called a "gamer"?

We can solve this problem if you'll actually be willing to do something about it.

What the flying eff are you talking about. Calm down and breathe slowly.
I told you what it means to me, I am not talking about a gamers' licence.

In my book

Spoiler

ME BEING GERMAN SO THE DEFINITION HERE DIFFERS ANYWAYS

is a gamer someone who plays games rather regularly. So rather what Sl33tbl1nd called a games enthusiast.

Now we all calm down and grab a beer and relax, maybe watch a movie, and maybe play a game, which is something, I hope, we all like here.

 

[Artemis923]

-I've played games on almost every gaming console since the Atari 2600.
-I've played Dungeons and Dragons ever since I could read and roll dice.
-I was a HUGE Magic: The Gathering player from Fourth Edition until the end Kamigawa.
-I had multiple Mage Knight: Apocalypse armies, with battlements, siege engines, dragons, tanks, etc.
-I am an avid fan of Warhammer 40k, and I own Eldar, Dark Eldar, Chaos, Black Templar, and Sisters of Battle armies.
-I also play Warhammer Fantasy; High Elves, of course.
-I have a small Hordes army; Legion of Everblight, Thagrosh the Prophet as caster.
-I play tons of board games, preferably Fantasy Flight ones. Twilight Imperium 3rd Ed is one of my favorites.
-My current most played games include LoL, Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Guild Wars 2 and Halo 4.

If that's not fit to be called a gamer, than I don't know what is. Not everyone that's a "gamer" has my sort of gaming tastes or background, but that doesn't mean I'm not one myself.

 

[T_ConX]

I have a handy chart for things like this. You have to get to level three to actually be a gamer.