Topical Tuesday: What Makes You A Gamer?

[Spinwhiz]

Topical Tuesday: What Makes You A Gamer?

Gaming has become so interwoven into everyday life, that the once all-encompassing term "gamer" is no longer quite so definitive. While we can agree that pretty much everyone everyone here at The Escapist is a gamer, we'd like to know why you consider yourself one?

Welcome back to Topical Tuesday! Every week we ask the community a question related to our weekly magazine topic. Our goal is to begin an intelligent discussion based on a topic that's uniquely relevant to us as gamers and nerds, and the industry we love. Opinions are welcome, but please justify your claim with support - such as quoting information from one of our featured articles - even if that requires a little research before posting.

Today's Question is about why people consider themselves gamers. Do you stay up to the wee hours of the morning playing WoW? Do you have have Dungeons and Dragons campaigns that last an entire weekend? Were you one of the original Magic: The Gathering players with all Power 9 cards? Do you rip apart and rebuild your PC rig just for minor tweaks? For one reason or another, you come to hang out at The Escapist because you feel you fit somewhere into the overarching title of "gamer." Which leads us to this week's question:

Why do you consider yourself a gamer?

Ladies and Gentlemen, to your keyboards and discuss!

 

[BioTox]

I consider myself a gamer because I play many styles of games, from RTS to MMORPG. I stay up late, even on work nights, to work on any game that I happen to be playing. I try to read up on everything that's changing in a game so I am prepared to use it to my advantage or counter it, like if my enemy gets a buff. I am always looking for the next challenge or the next great game. Lastly, I've been playing games since my first Nintendo (not old enough for Atari) and I am not going to stop until I am dead. =P

 

[pneuma08]

Simple answer, I'm passionate about games.

I love discussing the differences of games, what makes one game better than another, how they might be improved, where their failings are, what makes them good, what makes them loved, how people interact with games, and how people interact with each other through games.

Maybe that's something stronger than just a "gamer", but whatever I am, I certainly am a gamer first.

 

[Speakercone]

I am passionate about gaming, whether of the video, board, tabletop, or any other variety. The reason I consider myself a 'gamer' runs deeper than that though. Things just make more sense to me when I frame them as a game.

I learned to drive recently, and I approached it with an 'achievement' mindset. Three point turn? Achievement! Reversing around a corner? Achievement! Pass practical exam? Story achievement! Right now I'm looking for new career opportunities and treating the application process to jobs, courses, etc. as a game in itself. Sending out CVs scores points, getting and succeeding at interviews gets more points. I don't actually keep track of my score, but that's not important. The important part is that it's a game. And I beat games.

I'm a gamer, that's what I do.

 

[JEBWrench]

This week on Topical Tuesday: What makes you a gamer?

I play games.

Really, this is a discussion?

"What makes you a waiter?"
"I wait on people."

 

[JourneyThroughHell]

I enjoy playing games, I enjoy discussing games and I know enough about games.
That's it, basically.

 

[MellowFellow]

I really enjoy gaming, I play some form of a videogame pretty much everyday. Being a member of this site or visiting this on a regular basis proves you are passionate about games, which I believe makes a person a gamer.

 

[Spinwhiz]

I actually consider myself a "well rounded old school" gamer. I remember buying new Atari games (before the NES era) at a store and just seeing a wall of digital awesomeness. I still play games now but responsibilities normally push gaming to the back burner, which is okay. It's just part of growing up.

BUT, as the other parts of "well rounded", I play tabletop games like Rifts as well as played Magic since before 4th edition. I've even been to tournaments and never won *snicker*. I'm also really into casual online games, MMO (which I've spent too many hours of my life on), text adventures and board games (Risk and Monopoly are two of my favorite).

I think being part of a well rounded gamer is being able to appreciate all types and gaming. That doesn't mean I enjoy them all (I just can't get into Warhammer with the miniatures even though I've tried multiple times) but I respect the strategy and fun that can from them all.

 

[Visuality]

I remember that playing games isn't about getting some achievement that makes your e-peen look bigger, it's just about enjoying yourself ¬_¬

 

[varun619]

I play games. All types.

This is a weird question..

 

[AMMO Kid]

Because it allows me to be something I will never get the chance to be and go places I'll never get to go, while still enjoying myself. Also, lots of games have good storylines

 

[Magnatek]

I actually consider myself a "well rounded old school" gamer. I remember buying new Atari games (before the NES era) at a store and just seeing a wall of digital awesomeness. I still play games now but responsibilities normally push gaming to the back burner, which is okay. It's just part of growing up.

BUT, as the other parts of "well rounded", I play tabletop games like Rifts as well as played Magic since before 4th edition. I've even been to tournaments and never won *snicker*. I'm also really into casual online games, MMO (which I've spent too many hours of my life on), text adventures and board games (Risk and Monopoly are two of my favorite).

I think being part of a well rounded gamer is being able to appreciate all types and gaming. That doesn't mean I enjoy them all (I just can't get into Warhammer with the miniatures even though I've tried multiple times) but I respect the strategy and fun that can from them all.

I would consider myself this, though with less miniatures, or the Atari, as I grew up with the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. I was always excited when I got a new game, much like I'm excited when I get a new game now (though with more emotional control). Text adventures don't quite bore me, if I'm in the right mindset, as is the case with board games. It's all a matter of if I'm in the mood for a certain type of game.

For the most part, I enjoy any game, if I'm in the right mood for it. Heck, even sports games get a bit of a spark in my eye, which is usually weird, since I'm not really into sports at all. Those that I don't really enjoy, I understand most reasons as to why others would.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

Ostensibly because I play games, specifically video games. Although I did dabble in Magic: The Gathering for a bit waaaaaay back in Jr. High, but was never any good. In fact the only thing I was good at when it came to that game was getting ripped off by a 'friend' of mine. Now I avoid trading card games like the plague.

 

[GLo Jones]

I'm passionate about video games in general. I'll often play late into each night, I do my best to keep well informed of upcoming titles, and what to look out for, as well as taking a strong interest in developments within the industry.

I think that about sums it up.

Edit: MMORPGs are the only exception to this. They tend to repulse me.

 

[AboveUp]

Because I am passionate about playing videos games and I pride myself in that.

 

[Flying-Emu]

Eliras Dawnstrider, level 15 Dwarven Defender/Cleric of Pelor here.

Tabletop gamer first, Video gamer second.

 

[The_Deleted]

I play games over anything else. I don't do TV, don't have the patience for films like I used to and gaming is just so much more exciting.

If I've not got my nose in a book I've got it glued to any one of my consoles.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

To be honest, I consider myself more of a browser gamer than an actual gamer nowadays. As far as browser gaming goes, quite a bit of my time on the Internet is split between that and The Escapist. I just find the light-heartedness of browser gaming more tolerable and more suitable for my level of dedication to gaming, especially because I can't be bothered to spend potentially hundreds of pounds on a new console and even after a few years it's now an impossibility to find games for my Gamecube on the street nowadays.

Considering how diverse the term 'browser gamer' actually is, I'll just take a few words to define what I do as far as browser gaming goes now: Not Farmville, just in case any of you were wondering. I don't play games on Facebook, nor do I play free online multiplayer games such as Runescape (though I did have an account for about an hour at most before getting bored of it). Typically, my browser gaming consists of single player stuff split between Kongregate and Armor Games, generally made up of puzzle games and point-and-click adventure games. Oh, and I don't play strategy games. I suck at those.

Don't get me wrong, I did mean it when I signed up and made almost 5,500 posts that I do have a fair bit of fondness for gaming and the stuff contributed to this site has definitely helped me learn more about the hobby, and whenever I go round a friend's house or a friend is playing on a handheld console I love getting in and playing with them at console games, it's just that gaming isn't my top priority anymore. It definitely used to be back when I was more of an avid console gamer, but things have changed since those years. I've found that browser gaming has allowed me to keep that hobby up whilst trying to juggle around other necessities and hobbies as well, both money wise and time wise.

I guess you could call me a gamer in that sense. My addiction to browser gaming, whilst not being anywhere near the likes of people like tasselfoot [http://www.youtube.com/user/tasselfoot?blend=1&ob=4], is still very similar to some of the dedication I've seen gamers give to gaming. I guess it all depends on if and where you draw the line between casual gaming and hardcore gaming and whether one of them isn't by definition 'gaming'.

 

[zagazsano]

I guess you can call me one of those "childhood" types. I grew up around games, (NES, some joystick console that i can't quite remember, SNES, N64, Dreamcast) and now I own an Xbox 360, Wii, and a PC. Multiplayer games and FPSs take up some of my spare time when I'm not sketching/reading a book/soccer/school. I'm a casual gamer, loving the original consoles, but spending hours on modern games (Left 4 Dead one of my favorite games)