The term "Gamer".

[Reece Borgars]

i would call myself a gamer, albeit a more casual one. A lot of my free time is spent on games, but im quite happy to do other stuff like go shooting or parties and nights out and stuff. But i predominantly game. I have nothing against the term 'gamer' in itself, but it does mean different things to different people - as a rule of thumb, actual gamers just see it as people who like to play games, whereas the rest of the population see it as a much more life-consuming hobby. Thats very vague, and theres a lot of exceptions, but its mostly right, and i cant say i like the non-gamer view very much. the fact that its incorrect aside, that view very much discourages me from talking about gaming with a lot of people (not that its all i talk about, but im learned enough in this field to not make the conversation awkward even when talking to non-gamers)
as a conversation topic, gaming is very much the same as sport, especially to people who dont know much about it, which is why i dont really like the image of your life it presents if you discuss it. When i talk to sportsmen i dont see their life entirely consumed by training and protein shakes

 

[Cheesepower5]

I haven't entered or read the full discussion yet, forgive me if I'm being repetitive.

I've heard plenty of people describe themselves as "reader," "film geek," "motorist," etc. So I don't see how it's particularly degrading to say "gamer." I don't agree with the whole "hardcore gamez" movement, but if you play a lot of video games, it's a perfectly accurate descriptor. I'm a gamer, a reader, an internet user, a recovering television-viewer and a guy who really likes tacos. None of these matter on the whole, but they're all perfectly accurate things to say.

 

[deathzero021]

this topic just popped up on another forum i go to... so i'll just quote myself:

A Gamer is anyone who plays video games. Oh but i do have a theory as to why some people feel the need to make a stricter definition and it's usually to separate themselves from people that don't play the same way they do. They believe their way is superior and deserves a better title. Thus hardcore-gamer was born. it's really stupid and shows elitism which i hate.

The type of gamer i am, i'd say retro-gamer and indie-gamer. Also a bit hardcore in terms of the difficulty i prefer, however i do not spend a lot of hours playing games so i don't meet that qualification completely. I also don't have much of a dedication to playing a game, if it annoys me or i can't beat a part after 10 tries, i usually stop playing. Maybe i'll return another day, maybe not. if i dont enjoy it, i wont play.

I'm actually pretty open minded about games, i'm not picky on what i'll try, but i am picky on what i like.

ALSO: i can understand why some people don't want to call themselves gamer at all, because of all the stereotypical traits others might associate with you if you call yourself that.

 

[Monsterfurby]

"Gamer" is often used as sort of a collectivizing term, mainly by people who either want to count themselves as part as some group or who want to put others in groups.

I believe that defining yourself primarily as part of a group is weak, dangerous and quite idiotic, as is the use of terms lik "gamer" to define yourself.

I prefer being an individual. Does not mean that I'm not part of a "gamer community", but I am not a "Gamer" as in "I define myself as part of that group".

 

[Full]

snip

The things here is how casually it's thrown around, why that is, and what would classify someone as "one". I personally don't feel the need to complain about the negative connotation it brings, as it's just another label, but you aren't wrong.

 

[N3squ1ck]

snippediysnip

I'll just leave it with that:

Spoiler

We're not going to agree ever on thise -very- important thing so yeah
kthxbye

 

[veloper]

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.

Can we? What qualifies as "playing a game"? I mean, we don't even know what someone who plays a game is even called!

I can help there. That someone is called the player.

 

[6SteW6]

I game therefore I am a Gamer. People who make that into a negative either about my hobby or my standing in society are assholes and I won't give them the time of day.

It's like if I see a guy standing on a lake fishing, I would call him a fisherman. I could say to myself:

'Well he's just out there to drink beer and get away from his nagging wife and annoying children.'

He is a fisherman, that's correct. Me making that a negative thing is just me being an asshole.

The name isn't a bad thing. It's what people associate to the name that makes it bad.

 

[N3squ1ck]

snippediysnip

I'll just leave it with that:

Spoiler

We're not going to agree ever on thise -very- important thing so yeah
kthxbye

Concession smugly accepted. Wasn't so hard, was it?

Well. yes, I can be horrible like that, lol
But yeah