A Serious debate Thread - What does it mean to be a 'Gamer'

[The Demon Lord]

So recently, after getting married, we got a PS3. The Wifesicles refuses to play on a PC cause she can't handle the controls and so we got a PS3 and have been having the occassional game together.

However this has highlighted the difference between myself (who is a proud gamer) and my wife who just occassionally likes to play Games.

For example - I get enraged at the linear, scripted, Minigame infested,  and poorly designed levels of nearly all the RPG adventure games that we have played together.

Things like having an a barrier with sceneray behind it that I can't jump over (because its 1 foot tall) yet being able to double jump to ledges that are over 6 foot tall.
Things like having great big pulsating neon direction markers telling me where to go every 5 seconds.
Things like when I am exploring an area, destroying objects for shits and giggles or to find money/items - suddenly taking me to a cutscene I can't escape which then teleports me into a section where I can't go back to finish exploring the area I was in before.

Now while this is going on - when my wife plays, she struggles to figure out where she needs to go, or how she needs to get there.This is despite there beinga giant neon flashing sign indicating the way. Or when she plays, she runs straight past things that might give her items because they are a bit tricky to get.

So my thought is this - what does it mean to be a gamer?

To me a gamer is someone who relishes the challenges of a game - someone designed that secret area so that it is accessible and it is my half of the implied social contract to figure out how to access it - rather than just breeze past it cause it takes more than 2 tried to get.
A gamer is also a problem solver - we don't need giant neon flashing signs to tell us where to go - we should be able to figure it out on our own.
Finally a gamer is someone who instead of lowering the challenge to meet their skill level, raises there skill level to meet the challenge.

The problem is - there aren't many gamers any more - there are only the great unwashed masses who want to be able to jump on for an hour, complete a section without any real challenge, miss half the items, go through a series of mini-games that are essentially identical to every other game out there, by pointed in the right direction all the time and have no desire to try and explore.

Thoughts?

[Black Heart]

play more co-op... no console required. if you know what i mean.

[Bounty Hunter]

I'd say gamers are a lot like scientists, there's a curiosity in how this virtual world works, so we test the boundaries.

Maybe I'm just using 'sploits....

[Retardobot]

I like to piss and moan about the following people calling themselves gamers:

- If you play WoW and only WoW, you are not a gamer. You just like WoW.
- If you play CoD and only CoD, you are not a gamer. You just like CoD.
- If you're a female, and play The Sims / Farmville / Any Facebook game, you are not a rare, magical entity known as a girl gamer, you just like advanced crossword puzzles.

I guess I feel a bit hipster-ish about the subject, but I don't consider anyone a gamer unless you've allowed your taste in gaming to come from a good background. That you play a wide variety of games across all platforms and you experience the game and are able to properly describe your experience once done - not just sit down, blitz through a title and just describe it with "meh".

[playerB]

I would say a gamer is someone who plays games mostly in a competitive nature specifically multi player games to win and have fun and socializes with other competitors in social forums.
Someone can play games and not be a gamer, such as someone who plays single player games in their down time or even plays the odd multi player game but will only stick around for 1-2 rounds before shutting down and going on their way.
There needs to be a distinction like App-Gamers for people who enjoy games that are on Phones, Tablets ect. These people are not "Gamers".

[Bounty Hunter]

I would say a gamer is someone who plays games mostly in a competitive nature specifically multi player games to win and have fun and socializes with other competitors in social forums.
Someone can play games and not be a gamer, such as someone who plays single player games in their down time or even plays the odd multi player game but will only stick around for 1-2 rounds before shutting down and going on their way.
There needs to be a distinction like App-Gamers for people who enjoy games that are on Phones, Tablets ect. These people are not "Gamers".

so not you?

what's up with all these queers coming out of the woodwork?

[playerB]

I would always consider myself a gamer however I currently don't game, I play games.

If someone asks me if I'm a gamer I tell them no. I'm not a gamer anymore, I play games every now and then when the flatmates playing.

[kookynic]

I like to piss and moan about the following people calling themselves gamers:

- If you play WoW and only WoW, you are not a gamer. You just like WoW.
- If you play CoD and only CoD, you are not a gamer. You just like CoD.
- If you're a female, and play The Sims / Farmville / Any Facebook game, you are not a rare, magical entity known as a girl gamer, you just like advanced crossword puzzles.

I guess I feel a bit hipster-ish about the subject, but I don't consider anyone a gamer unless you've allowed your taste in gaming to come from a good background. That you play a wide variety of games across all platforms and you experience the game and are able to properly describe your experience once done - not just sit down, blitz through a title and just describe it with "meh".

What he said.

[DeeUnit]

Well, I come back after not visiting for 8 months, and it has become a ghost town.


Bit of a shame really, from daily posts/users of which there were more than 200, now I scroll through and see less than 20.


Oh well, life goes on, it was good while it lasted ICONZ/Gamerhub/GetSome

[Dr. Acula]

I like to piss and moan about the following people calling themselves gamers:

- If you play WoW and only WoW, you are not a gamer. You just like WoW.
- If you play CoD and only CoD, you are not a gamer. You just like CoD.
- If you're a female, and play The Sims / Farmville / Any Facebook game, you are not a rare, magical entity known as a girl gamer, you just like advanced crossword puzzles.

I guess I feel a bit hipster-ish about the subject, but I don't consider anyone a gamer unless you've allowed your taste in gaming to come from a good background. That you play a wide variety of games across all platforms and you experience the game and are able to properly describe your experience once done - not just sit down, blitz through a title and just describe it with "meh".

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[Flannel]

IMO

Someone who plans to play games ahead of time, is a gamer. Not someone who hops on when they have nothing else to do.

Preorderer -> Gamer
Sitting at work using a talent calculator -> Gamer
Upgrading your Wife's PC so she can play PoE and increase your chance for loot -> Gamer

Edit, +1 to retardo as well.

[Lias]

I'd put the following criteria on "a gamer". I'm sure others will disagree.

A: Plays on computer, not a console, tablet, mobile, or pocket watch.
B: Playing computer games is their primary recreational activity. You spend more time doing it than anything else outside work/sleep
C: Plays a multitude of games and genres. Not just an FPS player or am MMO player (let alone just wow/COD as mentioned above)
D: Frequents gaming communities and websites. (Here, GP, Kotaku, IGN, etc)
E: Would sell a kidney to get into the Beta of

[Spigalau]

F: Needs g33k ink.

[Retardobot]

The line work in those are shotty as shit.

I should know, I've watched a bit of TV.

[The Demon Lord]

The line work in those are shotty as shit.

I should know, I've watched a bit of TV.

No - its just he needs to adjust the Resolution....

Liking some of the responses here - I think something else to be raised is the Social Aspect, Getting with your Mates/Clan/Lan/Guild and being social is also the mark of a true gamer

[Tiwaking!]

So my thought is this - what does it mean to be a gamer?

I used to think there was a distinction between gamers, but after making a few games you suddenly realise that there are only two distinctions:

Video Game Designers
Video Game Players


A designer chooses. A player obeys.

[Pyromanik]

Well, I come back after not visiting for 8 months, and it has become a ghost town.


Bit of a shame really, from daily posts/users of which there were more than 200, now I scroll through and see less than 20.


Oh well, life goes on, it was good while it lasted ICONZ/Gamerhub/GetSome

It's because people are playing games these days, not being gamers.
The industry is pushing that way, so it's kinda funneling itself into a shithole. But they don't care, so long as they get they monies.

Each next big release is either an instant flop through being shit / 0day bugs / poor support / promising everything delivering nothing.
Or they are fads that last 2 months, like CoD / BF3 / The next big thing / foster no community / release half a game and charge people increasing amounts to get the rest.
Or a bit of both.

[420fairy]

So recently, after getting married, we got a PS3. The Wifesicles refuses to play on a PC cause she can't handle the controls and so we got a PS3 and have been having the occassional game together.

a real gamer would have gotten his wife the game controller/game pad than cave in to the world of console

I agree with this:


A: Plays on computer, not a console, tablet, mobile, or pocket watch.
B: Playing computer games is their primary recreational activity. You spend more time doing it than anything else outside work/sleep
C: Frequents gaming communities and websites. (Here, GP, Kotaku, IGN, etc)
D: Would sell a kidney to get into the Beta of

[Obble]

a real gamer would have gotten his wife the game controller/game pad than cave in to the world of console

A real gamer would of got a new wife.

[Emrico1]

I think what you are searching for is a title to elevate one group of gamers from another.
If someone only plays WoW, they are of course, a gamer. What else could they be?
If someone whores the Xbox, they are gaming still, therefore a gamer, just not to what you or I would consider to be any kind of elite level.

Maybe it's appended titles, like pro-gamer, casual-gamer, console-gamer, pc-gamer, fps-gamer, mobile-gamer, hipster-gamer or retarded-facebook-game-gamer  that you are looking for?

A real gamer would of got a new wife.

A real-gamer lives in solitude

[Obble]

No need to describe my life, dick.

[Kayne]

I hate sports, so I'm constantly asking people when I meet them "You into games?"

Most common response is "Fuck yeah bro. I fucking OWN at modern warfare 3 on xbox!"

I don't really count it as gaming. Simply because I feel that games like Halo, Assassins creed, Cod, And other kind of games, simply because they're just the same thing spat out multiple times.

I disagree with having to own a PC to be a gamer. Shit, Gaming started on consoles, didn't it?

To me, A Gamer is someone who enjoys more than one game, Someone who can make better game references than "I know that gun from CoD, It's a MP5" and pretty much someone who just loves games.

[Pitchey]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_video_game

lol, first ever game is a "war game".

[Pitchey]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_video_game

lol, first ever game is a "war game".

[Retardobot]

I find it funny that most of you discount someone a gamer if they play on a console and a gamer can only be considered a gamer if they play on a PC/Computer...

PC master race etc...

Playing soley on a console does not make you a gamer the same as someone who exclusively games on a PC. Let's not forget, 'gamers' started out on consoles/arcade systems and played a wide variety of games across different platforms (gameboy, SNES, atari etc.).