What Is a Gamer? - WordPress.com · 2017. 12. 23. · have my PC and nintendo consoles :p...

What Is a Gamer?

What are the boundaries that define who is and is not a gamer? How permeable are these

boundaries? Who gets to decide? Why do they get to?

@MediaOracle I often get told I'm not a "real gamer" bc I am a lady who likes Nintendo. That

seems to be a common argument...

@LStoltzfusBrown I wanted to put GG hashtag on this, put ran out of room. I would love to

know the answer to the question in relation to GG.狼@LStoltzfusBrown You like Nintendo? Go to japan where your games are from! :3 And yeah, I

have my PC and nintendo consoles :p @MediaOracle狼@MediaOracle Done =) Also, I would say it is first a definition of what is a gamer. Personnally

anyone who say is a gamer is one, it is...

What Is a Gamer? https://storify.com/CarrieLynn/what-is-a-gamer.html

1 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

狼@MediaOracle ...their own feeling about the term itself. Might be an identity for some and just a

past time 4 others, so implications vary.

@MediaOracle In my opinion, someone who actively plays vidya on a regular basis and

participates to some degree in wider gaming culture(s)

@MediaOracle I'd say a Gamer is someone who regularly plays video games either competitively

or Casually

@MediaOracle according to some gators not supporting goobergate means you can't be a "real"

gamer. @voxday shared that. @LStoltzfusBrown狼@LStoltzfusBrown After all it is a self definition and a crowd one at the same time.

@MediaOracle

@MediaOracle said participation can be anything from chatting on gamer boards,playing with a

circle of friends, or simply having an interest

@MediaOracle in developments in gaming/gaming culture. at least thats how I see it


2 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@TheDamnedReport Ah, that participates to some degree is also what we see being used to

describe fans of anything. But what does it mean?

@fruitlesstoast So like a dimension, a range, from people who like Candy Crush as a way to pass

time to people doing big scale competitions?

@MediaOracle I specified in the follow up tweets :)

@MediaOracle Usually I would say it is someone who makes gaming their Hobby on a regular

basis and can play for hours as one would watch TV

@ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday @LStoltzfusBrown That is what I am curious about: the

distinction of "real" or "authentic". Why does that matter?

@MediaOracle i think though it can be compared to following a sport. one for example might

call oneself a football fan because they talk...

@TheDamnedReport So you also kinda see it as a range of things? What about someone who

just plays games to pass time, like Candy Crush?


3 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle ...about it socially, play it regularly with friends who also enjoy it, or actively

follow football related news

@a_man_in_vanta Is that the same as just playing games to pass time, like say killing time with

Candy Crush or the like?

@MediaOracle Is an accurate definition of a Gamer, however I believe a Caveat can be included

that anyone who identifies as a gamer is one

@MediaOracle As well, although it is typical among gamers to ask about the games you like or

have heard of when we find out you are a gamer.

@MediaOracle if they also chat about it with friends/online or actively follow CC related news,or

are part of a group who plays it regularly

@MediaOracle This is not to make you feel excluded, it's because we are excited to hear about

which fun games you enjoy! So you might feel

@MediaOracle I don't think anyone gets to decide for you. One could make that argument for

hardcore vs casual, IMHO.


4 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle then I would say yes. My cousin for example does all three to some degree with

her husband and I would thus see them as gamers

@MediaOracle Potentially put off if you identify as a "Gamer" while knowing very little about

video games. But anyone who identifies as

@MediaOracle now the degree of "how much a gamer" someone is,is as subjective as "how much

a justin bieber fan" one is. to some being a true

@MediaOracle Gamer is a fellow gamer in my book, just try to remember, some of us can talk

for hours about video games as gamers.

@MediaOracle belieber is simply listening to his music, others would say it means attending his

concerts, yet others would say it requires

@MediaOracle Correct. A HArdCore Candy Crush Addict is a gamer. My mom is addicted to

Tetris, she is a gamer in my eyes.

@MegaMike1983 Love the Doctor there. But that is one thing I have heard: the idea that only

hardcore gamers are true gamers.


5 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle Even though she might not identify herself as one she has the passion for it

whether she knows it or not.

@MediaOracle a stalker shrine and a heavily used bieber bodypillow. alas there is no real way of

determining who is correct on such matters

@a_man_in_vanta What about this perception that only the hardcore gamers are true gamers?

@a_man_in_vanta What about someone who is not hardcore, who is just casual?

@MediaOracle (and no. I have no goddamn idea where that comparison came from, but I think

it is still appropriate)

@MediaOracle *some* think that way. Based on my experience at least, that attitude is dying

out, as Esports become more popular.

@TheDamnedReport Not correct, but I do know passions arise when people think someone is

not a "true gamer" which seems to mean not hardcore.


6 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle It's very difficult to say one is more dedicated that's a professional.

@MediaOracle *than a professional.

@MediaOracle The reason some gamers identify as hardcore it is true some use it to feel

"Superiority" However I believe that it was done for

@MegaMike1983 But that would indicate gamer = athlete, in terms of the professional players,

and not gamer - fan, in terms of everyone else.

@MediaOracle A slightly different reason, a hardcore gamer will tend to know slightly more

about Video Games in general, then a casual gamer

@MediaOracle I believe the differentiation was done so as to not make a casual gamer feel put

off for not knowing as much, so if they

@MediaOracle unfortunately, that particular topic is so drenched these days in ironic/semi

ironic " GLORIOUS PC GAMING MASTER RACE" type...


7 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@a_man_in_vanta Which we could say is probably true of any hardcore versus casual fan. But

they are all still fans all still love something.

@MediaOracle Indeed. But as we see more pro players, I see more people lumping all non pros

into the same category. That said 1/2

@MediaOracle identify as a casual gamer, we sort of instinctually know not to expect them to

know as much about various other games as us.

@MediaOracle outside of gaming as a hobby, most people don't see the difference. I guess we're

all being seen as fans more now 2/2

@MediaOracle Correct. It's like saying that a person is a FootBall fan, but one has a favorite

Team and follows a lot of players.

@MediaOracle ...talk, of which it is rather hard to see who is serious and who is just joking.

While there are undoubtedly true fanatics tho

@MediaOracle The other only manages to watch a game once in a while but still loves football

enough to call themselves a fan.


8 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle So a hardcore football fan, versus a casual football fan. One will know more then

the other, but they both love it.

@MediaOracle I would say that for the most part much of the passion is a feedback loop of trolls

and their victims arguing about it

@MediaOracle again though, thats just my opinion

@MediaOracle Some people have admitted taken the hardcore versus casual too far in gaming,

just as some do in football. But in the end both

@TheDamnedReport What do you think would be a way to handle these times when tensions

flare and people clash about who is the truer fan?

@MediaOracle are just people who love the thing that they do, and I think that's a really good

and healthy thing.

@a_man_in_vanta I agree: share the love we all share. But what do we do when there are

clashes, tensions because people aren't doing that?


9 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MegaMike1983 Except for those professional players who are gaining more legitimacy, just as

games gain more legitimacy overall.

@MediaOracle Yeah. But gamers do split off into several subgroups. You have casual gamers.

Phone gamers. Competitive gamers and all that.

@MediaOracle You will have to better define what you entail. I have been a part of some rather

epic Pokemon debates which are a "clash"

@MediaOracle same way one would deal with other probable trolls. ignore and relocate the

conversation elsewhere. and if an apparent troll...

@MediaOracle True. To use an analogy, it's like Sunday league soccer vs the Premier League.

Both are soccer players, some are just 1/2

@MediaOracle ...turns out to legit believe whatever extreme thing he/she says about the issue

then one might add them to the discussion

@MediaOracle seen as more highly skilled. That's where I see things headed. I might be wrong,

but I don't think one hurts the other 2/2


10 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle The thing about some of the Pokemon debates, at the end of the day we debated

it because we love it. Not because we want to

@a_man_in_vanta Would you say those clashes are "healthy debates"?

@MediaOracle hate the game or each other for the love of the game, just debating aspects of it.

@MegaMike1983 Indeed, one could help the other, as becoming more professional more

legitimate allows the competitors to negate stereotypes.

@MediaOracle Clashes that debate aspects of a game I would say "Can Be" healthy debates,

some of them can end up not being so.

@MediaOracle It is when it delves into personal attacks such as "You must be bad if you don't

want the game to change like this" that the

@fruitlesstoast I know academics have been trying to subdivide gamers for years, but do gamers

do that themselves, create categories?


11 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle debate can become toxic, or when people straight up lie about the position in the

debate they hold Those can get out of control

@a_man_in_vanta Right, the logical fallacy of strawman arguments.

@a_man_in_vanta Would straight up lying be considered trolling?

@MediaOracle @LStoltzfusBrown My answer: those passionate enough about gaming to call

themselves gamers

@MediaOracle Exactly. To use my analogy, even though Sunday leagues are seen as fan leagues,

they're given (mostly) the same respect 1/2

@MediaOracle as the pros. Looking from my perspective that's where gaming has been headed,

with less focus on how much of a gamer you are

@MediaOracle Sometimes, but not necessarily. Some people lie because they honestly believe it

is true. Which is then actually more misguided


12 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle @LStoltzfusBrown I'm a casual. I play mostly single player story driven games.

And do so rarely. Yet I consider myself a gamer

@MediaOracle It's mostly gamers themselves. Yeah

@MediaOracle But when you try to correct them with the facts to prove why they are wrong they

buckle down and defend their position further

These are great questions. It really depends I think on motives. I personally have no issue w/

most ppl saying they're gamers. @MediaOracle

What I think is an issue is if you want to call yourself a gamer, know little about the history, then

pretend to be an expert @MediaOracle

@CCiocian @LStoltzfusBrown Do you ever get into debates with others about what it means to

be "passionate enough"?

@MediaOracle quite often. Which turns potential misguidedness to an actual lie over time by

ignoring the evidence.


13 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle @LStoltzfusBrown That would be poitless. If they're passionate enough to enter

a debate over it, you see where I'm going, right

That goes for just about any hobby / interest. @MediaOracle

@MediaOracle Generally, if you overlook those who have yet to get through puberty, gamers are

a pleasant, welcoming and inclusive bunch

@MediaOracle One could say it might end up just being lying to yourself, but I digress.

@MediaOracle You call yourself a gamer? Fine. You're one of us

@MediaOracle "Now let's discuss how iterative the CoD francise has become" :p

.@MediaOracle A gamer would be a person who plays video games. For the deviations therein,

try youtube.com/playlist?list=… #GamerGate


14 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

Sarcasm is a troll, #GamerGate doesn't have a problem w/ gamers outside of GG @MediaOracle

@ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday @LStoltzfusBrown

For the record, I grew up on Nintendo games, and still love them. @MediaOracle

@ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday @LStoltzfusBrown

@MediaOracle @ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday @LStoltzfusBrown If you call yourself a gamer,

you are one. There are no barriers to entry. #GamerGate

@CCiocian So maybe a better question then is who is not a gamer.

@MSamenfink So maybe a better question then is who is not a gamer.

@MediaOracle they have an invested interest in proving those against gg are not real gamers.

interlopers in their culture. @LStoltzfusBrown

@colepram @MediaOracle @ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday As do I! Although my passion means

nothing to GG- I'm just missing specific anatomy to them.


15 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle those that have no interest in gaming. Except maybe to criticize it for all the evils.

@MediaOracle odd dilema. I have both gamer and non-gamer friends. Never had any trouble

telling which is which :p

#GamerGate has no problem w/ your gender, there are plenty of women gamers in GG

@LStoltzfusBrown @MediaOracle @ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday

@MediaOracle People who don't play or enjoy video games, generally. This can include people

who comment on them, even write on them.

@colepram @LStoltzfusBrown @MediaOracle @ExcuseMySarcasm @voxday Looks like a job

for #NotYourShield

@MediaOracle I suppose I am curious as to why you want to know what is or is not a gamer.

What I guess I would ask, is what is a non gamer

@MediaOracle to you precisely? Do you have an opinion on such?


16 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MSamenfink Is a non-gamer's opinion on games, gamers, gaming culture not valid in some

way?

@colepram @MediaOracle especially when people are being critical about an entire subculture

they claim to identify but know little about.

@CCiocian Is a non-gamer's opinion or criticism on games, gamers, gaming culture not valid in

some way?

@a_man_in_vanta I study identity. I am interested in how people position themselves and

others in terms of labeling to legitimize identity.

@a_man_in_vanta I have been playing games since Commodore 64, but I wouldn't consider

myself a gamer because I am not hardcore about games.

@MediaOracle Sometimes, said criticism can be completely besides the point. So yes!

@MediaOracle Non fans can make valid points. Don't get me wrong.


17 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@a_man_in_vanta I teach game theory and design, and I still play games. But I am not certain

about calling myself gamer bc I'm not hardcore

@MediaOracle It's not that their opinions aren't valid, it's that they're often uninformed, or

based on false premises.

@CCiocian When would the criticism not be besides the point? I ask because I see it everywhere

in pop culture, people dismissing criticism.

@MediaOracle But for any in depth criticism, being familiar with the subject is a requirement

@MediaOracle For example, when someone claims things like the gaming landscape is devoid of

female protagonists, they're wrong.

@MediaOracle See to me what has become terrible is that others are defining other peoples

identities for them. It's why I add a person

@MediaOracle Question becomes, are they wrong due to ignorance, or malice?


18 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MSamenfink In research we have this distinction between outsider perspective and insider

perspective, and how both can be useful for

@MediaOracle should self identify as a gamer, as opposed to letting other people call other

people a gamer by some arbitrary rule.

@MSamenfink understanding a culture. But perhaps the utility is in opening a dialogue, to

show the group something they didn't think

@MSamenfink about themselves and then talk about it with the group, rather than just

lambasting the group for how it is.

@MediaOracle My whole thing is, unless it is being used to cause demonstrable harm, a person

should be able to identify how they want.

Exactly. If you just want to call yourself a gamer and have fun, do it. @notagoodfatty

@MediaOracle

@MediaOracle #gamergate embraces criticism. We mostly want to be allowed to criticize right

back Without being shouted at as hate mob


19 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

You want to call yourself a gamer and pretend to speak for gamers, you better know your shit.

@notagoodfatty @MediaOracle

@MediaOracle Agreed. Alternate perspectives are good, but adversarial opinions from external

sources suspend dialog, rather than encourage.

@MSamenfink Well, I wouldn't say devoid, because obviously wrong, but I would say there are

patterns in representation that are worrisome.

@MediaOracle However, I believe it becomes dishonest if you use an "Identity" as a means to

push an agenda or to deflect criticism.

@MediaOracle Yeah, lots of lazy writing and character design. You'll get no argument from me

there.

@MediaOracle As an identity is meant to be about what you believe defines you personally. Not

what agenda or deflection of critique you gain

@MediaOracle Criticism is like everything else spoken. Some are smart arguments, others are

dumb ideas and few are outright lies


20 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle At least IMHO. Honesty is key in so many things in life, and it would be good if

more people remembered that sometimes IMO.

@MediaOracle You're overthinking the issue. Cannot generalize. Just go on a case by case basis

@MediaOracle For example. I am skeptical of people who call themselves Scholars or

Academics, not because I have anything against either but

@MediaOracle Because I have seen them so often turn on me, a gamer, as something to decry

and denounce as evil. But if I feared them all and

@MediaOracle never gave any of them a chance, what chance would I have for a basic

understanding to occur in anything? So I have to keep

@MediaOracle Trying even if it means continuing to be called evil by the rest of the world at

times.

@a_man_in_vanta I would never call a gamer evil. That is ridiculous and devalues the word

when it is applied to the true evils out there.


21 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@MediaOracle I agree, unfortunately that has not been the treatment I have experienced for

speaking up against lies said of gamers for

@MediaOracle nearly a year, but I digress that is a different topic altogether. My point is I

should make every effort to give Academics

@MediaOracle As well as those who study Identity the benefit of the doubt despite having a

reason to have a level of distrust.

@MediaOracle If we can't be honest with one another or well reasoned, does anyone ever gain

anything? Just pondering things is all.

@a_man_in_vanta I wonder how much those people you engaged with were real academics.

Real academics might be critical, based on

@a_man_in_vanta their research, but such criticism should not include lambasting anyone

on the basis of one study. A true academic

@a_man_in_vanta who has had to go through the rigors of PhD research knows that one

study proves nothing, only adds evidence toward


22 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@a_man_in_vanta something, so if they were drawing conclusions based on one research

study, enough to vilify, then I would not

@a_man_in_vanta consider them true academics, scholars, or intellectuals. Possibly just

something using the ideas of such people

@a_man_in_vanta without true appreciation for those ideas and for how they work.

@MediaOracle I entirely agree actually. Which is why I say I can not dismiss people who define

themselves as such off hand.

@MediaOracle I myself am highly interested in Academia, but do not identify as such because I

feel I should be better studied.

@MediaOracle The idea is to take in as much evidence as possible IMHO, and while I may fail

from time to time, I still believe it is vital

@MediaOracle in society.


23 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

@ExcuseMySarcasm @MediaOracle @voxday @LStoltzfusBrown Cool, GG! I've been playing

video games for over 30 years. I'm OK with being unreal.


24 of 24 12/23/2017, 10:35 AM

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