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Do you consider yourself a gaming enthusiast?

galv

galv

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,048
Thread title. I would define a gaming enthusiast as a person who constantly seeks out the latest and greatest technology, is willing to tinker and pay a premium to get the perfect gaming experience, whether it's a living room setup, the perfect on-the-go setup or a bedroom battlestation.

Examples of enthusiasts are forums like AVS for home theater enthusiasts, or HeadFi for audio enthusiasts, or the myriad of car forums for car enthusiasts...my question being, is Era a forum of gaming enthusiasts? And to what extent do you seek out the best equipment to enjoy your hobby?

Edit: I would like to extend my definition to also include people who are permanently interested in gaming to the extent that they go into depth in the games themselves, either reading up on lore, concept art, watch in depth analysis videos, buy collectibles, limited editions, artbooks, attend gaming conventions etc.
 
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Much

Much

The Gif That Keeps on Giffing
Member
Feb 24, 2018
6,067
I'm on a forum about gaming. Of course I'm a gaming enthusiast.
 
super-famicom

super-famicom

Avenger
Oct 26, 2017
25,136
Going by your definition, I am not an enthusiast because my current income prevents me from getting the latest and greatest equipment (PC wise), and I'd rather spend most of my money on other things. I do love video games, though.
 
Renna Hazel

Renna Hazel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,556
By your definition, not at all.

By my definition, absolutely.

And my definition is someone who loves video games.
 
Platy

Platy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
27,617
Brazil
I am the person who think people should go back to ps2 days of 1080p max no voice acting no-AAAA that games didn't needed micro transactions to make a buck.

I like retro gaming so I value each pixel appearing on a non aliased screen

What I am trying to say is that I almost the opposite of a "constantly seeks out the latest and greatest technology, is willing to tinker and pay a premium to get the perfect gaming experience" person
 
AlecKoKuTan

AlecKoKuTan

Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,256
Irvine, CA
Yeah, Im a huge nerd. I know game lore and canon more than just about anything else. Don't ask me about anything mainstream, including sports, completely clueless. I'm not very well rounded
 
Jiraiya

Jiraiya

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,277
Yes. It is my favorite leisure activity and one of the few non essential items I'll drop some money on. Few months ago it was a new TV and the x.
 
Bjones

Bjones

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,622
This is a good question because in my mind a video game enthusiast would be enthusiastic about video games no matter the platform or the tech. But those two points seem to go against a lot of people on the internet.
 
Unaha-Closp

Unaha-Closp

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,722
Scotland
I split my enthusiasm between different entertainment thingy's over time. Sometimes I only want to think about music. Others it's books. Then I start on my Blu-ray shelf. Then a game comes out and I play my PS4 for hundreds of hours. So no I wouldn't say I was a gaming enthusiast. More a generic 'things that pass the time that I enjoy doing/reading/listening/watching etc' enthusiast. I enjoy other people's passion a lot though - I love seeing someone hyped on here or in love with a game. E3 hype threads with gifs and jokes are more enjoyable to me as a lurker than most E3 pressers are lol.
 
Renna Hazel

Renna Hazel

Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,556
galv said:
You can't just say that and not give your definition! This is an open discussion and you are free to disagree with my definition and present your own.
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I edited my definition in, but I'll elaborate.

I love and play video games often enough, and I keep up to date with everything happening in the industry. I think that makes me a gaming enthusiast. However I don't really feel the need to buy things like PS4 pro or Xbox One X to play games in their optimal settings. I feel like the gameplay is the most important thing so the extra bells and whistles that those consoles introduce aren't as enticing to me.
 

Deleted member 2793

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
15,368
Going by your definition, no. I don't care and don't understand about tech. Low interest in that, most "oudated" games play and look fine to me. I just care about them being fun/quality.

I do play and talk more about games than most people and I think my taste is "niche". I don't call myself a gamer anyway.
 
Fou-Lu

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
I am a gaming enthusiast in the definition of being interested in analysis, game design and the industry as a whole. Plus pretty much everything else.

I don't care about having the absolute best audiovisual package for my games, games are about more than that.
 
WestEgg

WestEgg

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,047
Yep. Have at least 6 audiobooks on my phone about video game history, and it's my primary hobby. I mainly play on Switch these days, but got an Xbox One X just to play Monster Hunter World in the best possible way.
 

Deleted member 5535

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
13,656
By your definition, no. But I like more the name "gaming enthusiastic" than the trash that comes with gamer which I always disliked the therm.
 
carlosrox

carlosrox

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,270
Vancouver BC
Yes and no. I obviously prefer the best, if I can get it, or depending what I can afford.

As for the medium itself...

Gaming is more than just a "hobby" to me but I also don't necessarily need to associate as such, if that makes sense. I don't believe I need to dress or act a certain way cuz I am passionate about videogames. I've been gaming since I was 3 years old.

"You've been in my life so long...I can't remember anything else". - Ellen Ripley

I believe in the integrity of videogames, they're art to me. I like them unironically, but that doesn't mean I'm all in with "gamer culture". Quite the opposite actually. I don't treat games like a cheap joke or ever think they're beneath anything else.

There's an inherent integrity to games just like there is for movies, anime, books, theatre, dance, music, etc. It is simply an art form.

I think treating it as anything else is pretentious.

Ps. I personally really dislike attitudes that treat games as cheap and disposable. So basically I can't stand let's plays or streaming culture. You do you, but to me it just cheapens it. I don't think videogames are (necessarily) something that should be yelled and talked over. Again, this to me cheapens it. It's like talking over a fucking movie. Who does that? Who talks over a play? So why should people talk over games? Cuz they're inherently "teh kiddy" and "not art"? I call bullshit.
 
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Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
I am, however I don't seek out the perfect sound and image quality. Those aren't important to me as 1080p is good enough for me. I'm absolutely crazy about videogames though. That's where my head's at.
 
Indelible

Indelible

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,595
Canada
I'am definitely a enthusiast in that I enjoy keeping up with gaming news and I play most of the new releases. Games are really the only physical media I still buy when it comes to entertainment.
 
OP
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galv

galv

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
2,048
Neptonic said:
No I'm a huge casual that's why I'm here on an enthusiast gaming forum
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I don't consider simply participating in a gaming forum as being an enthusiast. There are plenty of people on Era who stick to the smaller subcommunities and don't interact outside of them.
 
Breqesk

Breqesk

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,229
Eh, I gave up on chasing the best possible experience quite a while ago, honestly--these days, I'm quite happy with 'good enough'. Which is why I'm still running a 970 and a 1080p monitor, and have absolutely no intention of buying either console's 'Pro' iteration to replace my base versions.

In a broader sense, I've liked games a lot for most of my life, and certainly spend a lot of time playing them, thinking about them, and talking about them... But I fucking despise the term 'gamer' - I've never loved it, for a whole host of reasons, and over the last half decade or so, that feeling has grown into an active hatred - and I've got a lot of problems with gaming culture in general, so... Well, yeah, I dunno, honestly. I'm here, I guess.
 
Axisofweevils

Axisofweevils

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,836
I consider myself to be one, but I don't care about specs or framerate. As long as it runs smoothly, its fine with me.
 
Virtua Sanus

Virtua Sanus

Member
Nov 24, 2017
6,492
By your definition? Absolutely not, I usually avoid modern games for the most part.

But reading about them, studying their history, the companies and people involved? Absolutely, it is my biggest passion by far. I spend most of my free time looking up magazines and stuff from 20+ years ago trying to find articles and art assets of games. I find it more fullfilling than actually playing most games, heh.
 
Goldenroad

Goldenroad

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,475
I've been gaming for 30+ years so, yes. If you think "enthusiast" means you thrown money at the hobby blindly, then no. I am also an adult who has priorities, but your definition is incorrect.
 

Deleted member 7450

User requested account closure
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,842
I'm... I dunno, on the fence?

In a way, I love the medium, especially the potential. I don't have the income, intelligence nor time to invest myself as much as I would like but I'm always "there".
Reading news, meddling discussion, losing hairs about meaningless trite.


On the other hand, the "growing pains", the product x art dichotomy, the gaming populace and the business depresses me like no other. Sometimes I think everything is fucking childish garbage and I dunno what I see in all this shit.
 

CanUKlehead

Member
Oct 30, 2017
3,393
If I could afford all the new games and set-ups, I'd be on it.

Sadly, the mortgage prevents me :p

Still, I'm sucking up every bit of news on new games and would choose a night in gaming that going to the pub.
 
Freddo

Freddo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,639
Småland, Sweden
I don't see what "constantly seeks out the latest and greatest technology" has to do with being a gaming enthusiast. It's the actual games that are important, not the surrounding fluff. The PS4 Pro, XB1X, latest graphic cards, decorating the tech with dozens of RGB LEDs are pretty darn unimportant from my point of view, tech come and goes while games remain.

I do consider myself a gaming enthusiast though, I spend a very large chunk of my spare time playing games, during work breaks I usually read gaming news or this forum, I have thousands of games and it's one of the very few subjects I feel comfortable talking about. Not that I really talk much about it, cause the co-workers and others are only interested in talking about FIFA or CoD, which I have zero interest in.
 
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Deleted member 1759

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,582
Europe
I like to talk (mostly online) and read about games and I'm pretty sure that I spend more on video games than the average person. But I don't go out of my way to get The Perfect Gaming Experience™. Like RAM is too expensive atm so I'm not upgrading my CPU and I got a PS4 Slim instead of a Pro because I couldn't justify the 100€ extra. I also cheap out on games (not buying full price 95% of the time) and I don't buy any merchandise stuff (+ I guess my SO wouldn't approve if I did).

I wouldn't conider myself a gaming enthusiast going by your definition(s). It's just a hobby I enjoy.
 

Deleted member 3815

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,633
Nah, I am a causal with my interest in gaming kinda waning away as I focus on other parts of my life.
 
CRIMSON-XIII

CRIMSON-XIII

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,173
Chicago, IL
i consider myself a hardcore podcast listener and E3 and game trade show watcher, down to watching each main conference each year for E3, TGS, game awards, and PSX, those 4 at least, all live since 2005.

now as far as gaming. I dont play online like i used to as a kid in middle school or highschool 10-15 years ago. I play an hour or so a day or every few days depending unless it is a final fantasy , kingdom hearts or huge rockstar or sony title (like horizon or god of war) .


I still consider myself an enthusiast though even though i suck at videogames.
 
shaneo632

shaneo632

Weekend Planner
Member
Oct 29, 2017
28,971
Wrexham, Wales
The tech aspect? Not really. I buy consoles quickly but I don't have the money to have a huge home entertainment setup.

Between review codes, rentals and buying games I do at least sample 80+ games per year, so enthusiast? I would definitely say so.
 
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