Definition of video gamer

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Definition of video gamer

Tatar_Khan

First and foremost, thanks @Matt-Mata for the idea for the post.

Let’s define the video gamer, that right we are throwing out the board gamers/table-top players out from the start. We are concerned with definition of the video gamer. Who is a video gamer? Do we restrict the definition to the members of the PC Gaming Master Race and Console Peasants?

Is the person playing Candy Crush Saga on the phone a video gamer, what about the person playing Final Fantasy game on the phone? Is person playing Gears of War using xCloud on the phone a gamer? What about those that play match 3 games on PCs or consoles?

Does the nature of the game that matters, the hardware, or the time spent playing?

Matt-Mata

As much as I love the PC Master Race meme, that’s all it is to me. A meme.
I don’t actually look down on console gamers. I understand the desire for a “black box” that does it job. And there is an underappreciated physiological value to having your “work rig” and “play rig” as two separate objects in two separate rooms.

You are right that a modern day phone can play mindless match 3 games and in-depth tactical RPGs. That being said, Tetris can be considered a simple game that can be mindlessly played OR high score/competitively.

I think it’s the nature of the engagement that matters. If you’re playing a block puzzle while watching television (like my mom does) you’re clearly not engaged with the game in question. You the user must treat the activity with a genuine level of interaction. And that doesn’t mean looking up strategies between play sessions or buying official merch. Just treating the hobby with some level of regard. Not as interchangeable with any of use of time.

But there’s definitely holes that can be punched in that definition, as well as “what about this specific example” XD
So looking forward to what other people say.

Isabella

I love my mobile games! No matter what people say 👅

I play them all the time, and I feel like they are really an amazing thing. It’s so easy to just pull out your phone and play a game, and I feel like it’s really nice to have something to do on the bus or something to do when you’re waiting for your food to arrive at the restaurant.

Tatar_Khan

Isabella Generally, I think mobile games are the worst, and my rating for them is always seriously uncool, that is because mobile gaming, as far as I am concerned, is done on the toilet. And there is nothing cool that happens on the toilet, therefore any game that goes on the mobile platform becomes seriously uncool. Please note that coolness rating of the game doesn’t reflect on quality of the game. Game like Goat Simulator is cool but is rubbish in quality.

Despite my view of mobile gaming, I am unwilling to throw them out of the video gamer group. I think that @Matt-Mata’s idea of using engagement is interesting way to measure if a person a gamer or not. This metric bypasses the considerations of hardware and type of games and focuses better on why person is playing the game.

The only issue with engagement metric is the fact that there could be positive and negative engagement. Positive engagement is when the person is playing because they are enjoying the world/narrative/mechanic of the game. Negative engagement is when the person became a slave to the game and is playing not out of enjoyment but to keep up with the meta. Something like I got to play so many games to get so much coal to buy this latest limited edition ship before it is gone (World of Warships reference).

So enjoying the video game is also important to the definition of video gamer. Person playing match 3 to pass the time because they are bored doesn’t count if they will put the game away as soon as something interesting comes up. Gamers make time for games, same way as people make time to read novels, or watch films, etc.

Valkyrie

Video Games in my life were more than entertainment for me, it’s part of my lifestyle(?). Like board games, I love the game mechanics, adventure and puzzle solving aspect to it. Also the camaraderie with family and friends that comes with it. It’s kinda like tv for a lot of baby boomers but I don’t let it control my time now.

It was also a form of escapism from a lot of difficult issues growing up but eventually aided in giving me a form of direction in life (thank you Sims 2).

I don’t play much now because priorities have changed. However when a series I really enjoy comes out, I will make the time to play it when I can.

Growing, my siblings and I played a lot of Nintendo and Sega games for entertainment and it was a a great bonding experience - Super Mario Brothers, Legend of Zelda, Sonic 1-3 + Knuckles, Mortal Kombat, etc… Going to Blockbusters was like going to the candy store to sample all the new games out. I also got into PC Games like Solitaire, Rollercoaster tycoon, Sims city, Duke Nukem, whatever game package my mom got at the department stores.

Never owned PlayStation so I missed out on the games they had. I rarely play hand held consoles until Nintendo DS came out but I can’t play it on commute due to dizzy spells.

Post- high school - I’ve mainly played PC games for long periods of time, one being an MMORPG because I have had difficult issues happened in my life and I just escape into them. Eventually it got boring, and after playing them for too long, it made me realize I was being unproductive and wasting away.

Now I mainly play games for entertainment and bonding time. My current partner and I enjoy a handful of games on our downtime. Some retro games, co-op, competitive or we take turns playing a game that doesn’t have coop. I’m happy I got him into the Zelda franchise 😜 and it gives me great joy watching him play games I grew up playing.

When I have friends coming over, we are always down for a good party game like Mario Party, Smash bros (I’m terrible at it), Rabbid Rabbits on the Wii. The Switch console has great group selections too esp Overcook if you wanna figure out who your friends really are 😂😁 and how well they handle team work.

Matt-Mata

Valkyrie Overcook if you wanna figure out who your friends really are

Have you tried “keep talking and nobody explodes”?

Valkyrie

Matt-Mata hahah yea I have!! That was stressful 🤣

capybara

All video game playing methods/platforms/modalities are equally enjoyable and valid in my books <3

Let’s not segregate, let’s unite the tribes <3

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