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gamers = people who play games. same thing

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darz1

darz1

Member
Dec 18, 2017
7,087
Seriously, its so weird that on a gaming focused site there is this weird running sentiment that gamers are something else.

if you play games as a hobby you are a gamer. Its not the only thing you are, but it is something you are. If you believe there is a definition of gamers that you use for others but it somehow doesnt include you, well ive got news for you, there is also a definition of gamers that does include you and is used by others.

The following dont make you a gamer and dont stop you from being a gamer: Hetero, LBGT, black, white, asian, male, female, left-wing, right-wing, cool person, bigot, outgoing, incel, extrovert, introvert, socialite.

Being a "gamer" is not a worldview or a set of beliefs. Its just a shorter way to say "person who plays games" without having to say that whole sentence.
 
kennyamr

kennyamr

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,587
New York, NY, USA
That's exactly my reasoning.
The dictionary explains it in a very straightforward way too.

I won't stop saying something because someone else uses the word for their own shady business. If someone should stop using the word to identify something bad, it's them, not me.

I don't mind if others don't want to use it for themselves. That's each person's decision.

I'm just saying that I've always said it and I will keep saying it.

I'm a gamer. Deal with it. :p
 
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Laser Man

Laser Man

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,683
Being a gamer is a commitment of spending a bigger than usual chunk of time and thought on games... for the majority of people around the world that play games, that is not the case at all.
 
Feep

Feep

Lead Designer, Iridium Studios
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,602
Yes, that is the technical definition of the term.

However, video gaming, unlikely literally every other form of media consumption, seems to be an identity-defining trait. Words like "cinephile" exist, or bibliophile, but only for people who are basically "obsessed". Almost no one who goes to the movies with normal frequency describes themselves as "cinephiles".

People literally identify as "gamers", which no one does for just going to see films, read books, or listen to music. When the label becomes personal, human brains begin to feel attacked, defensive, and outright hostile toward anything they perceive as threatening that identity, like other groups coming in to the hobby, people writing negative reviews about certain things, different political viewpoints appearing in their games, and so on.

So, yes, while I'm certainly a "gamer", it's a term with a loaded connotation and I don't particularly enjoy associating myself with it, as much as I love games.
 
RM8

RM8

Member
Oct 28, 2017
7,902
JP
I wouldn't label my father a gamer just because he plays Mario Kart now and then. What's the point? I'm also not a cinephile just because I watch a movie every couple of months.
 
trugs26

trugs26

Member
Jan 6, 2018
2,025
Feep said:
Yes, that is the technical definition of the term.

However, video gaming, unlikely literally every other form of media consumption, seems to be an identity-defining trait. Words like "cinephile" exist, or bibliophile, but only for people who are basically "obsessed".

People literally identify as "gamers", which no one does for going to see films, read books, or listen to music. When the label becomes personal, human brains begin to feel attacked, defensive, and outright hostile toward anything they perceive as threatening that identity, like other groups coming in to the hobby, people writing negative reviews about certain things, different political viewpoints appearing in their games, and so on.

So, yes, while I'm certainly a "gamer", it's a term with a loaded connotation and I don't particularly enjoy associating myself with it, as much as I love games.
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"Film buff" is very common. There's also "muso" and books probably have a term too. So they all exist.

Edit: book worm is the last one
 
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
8,466
EH, I've been saying something of that sort for a while.
It's not even a qualifier I use often and frankly gaming is definitely not a topic I bring up usually in my everyday conversations, but the open disdain reserved to the term on this forum is almost grotesque to witness most of the times.
 
Rayman not Ray

Rayman not Ray

Self-requested ban
Banned
Feb 27, 2018
1,486
I find it funny when people won't call themselves gamers, but exhibit all the traits of a stereotypical gamer. I'm a great example! I hate the word, but then I'll turn around and be a stereotypical fanboy. It's hypocritical.

And that's common here. You've got people getting sucked into hype cycles, bring entitled about series that they are fans of, and defining themselves by the games they play or don't play. It's interesting how people (myself included) think that by just not using the term, we're free of the baggage. It's wishful thinking.
 

Cap G

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,488
ITT: an alternate world where the terms moviegoer and reader do not exist
 
DaciaJC

DaciaJC

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
6,685
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico said:
EH, I've been saying something of that sort for a while.
It's not even a qualifier I use often and frankly gaming is definitely not a topic I bring up usually in my everyday conversations, but the open disdain reserved to the term on this forum is almost grotesque to witness most of the times.
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More or less how I feel. I imagine a dog biting at its own tail when I read some of those posts.
 
trugs26

trugs26

Member
Jan 6, 2018
2,025
Feep said:
Those terms are not used for people who merely engage with the hobby, as "gamer" does.
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I have not met anyone say they're a gamer if they merely play a few games. I only see people who are very active with it as a hobby. Just like musos, film buffs and book worms.
 
takriel

takriel

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,221
You don't say I'm a runner, I'm a cook, I'm a book reader. You say I like to go for runs, I like to cook, I like to read books.
 
Xeontech

Xeontech

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,059
But it's so hard to generalise an entire segment of humanity if you use such logic.

(I agree with you)
 

Normal

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,296
Always found it funny when people on this forum go " I'm not a gamer."

Ok dude, you post on a videogame forum where people discuss the sales in the industry, get "hyped" over trailers, and where conference threads end up getting over a 100 pages. Oh and you need a special email to sign up for this site and need verification. But you're not a gamer.
 
Feep

Feep

Lead Designer, Iridium Studios
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
4,602
trugs26 said:
I have not met anyone say they're a gamer if they merely play a few games. I only see people who are very active with it as a hobby. Just like musos, film buffs and book worms.
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Eh, agree to disagree. Basically anyone who owns a PS4 would probably consider themselves a "gamer".

Regardless, the point is that there's a lot of cringy defensiveness when the term "gamer", or games themselves, come under criticism. It's a hobby you enjoy, not who you are. Stop taking everything so personally.
 
Imran

Imran

Member
Oct 24, 2017
6,584
Am I TVer, too

Or a movier

Using the technical definition of a term and ignoring all social aspects of it seems like a linguistic prescritivist's wet dream but also seems pointless except as a weird form of defensiveness
 
Chaos2Frozen

Chaos2Frozen

Member
Nov 3, 2017
28,041
The "We're not like those gamers, we're one of the good ones" attitude that some people used to justify not wanting to be called gamers is weird.
 
Gio

Gio

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
837
Manila
Call yourself whatever you want and don't prescribe who is and isn't that. This is the pettiest shit.

Also gamers aren't an oppressed class of people. There are plenty of reasons to roast us.
 
Vishmarx

Vishmarx

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,043
Usyren said:
Always found it funny when people on this forum go " I'm not a gamer."

Ok dude, you post on a videogame forum where people discuss the sales in the industry, get "hyped" over trailers, and where conference threads end up getting over a 100 pages. Oh and you need a special email to sign up for this site and need verification. But you're not a gamer.
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funnier still when they go "ugh gamers"
 
Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Tuco Benedicto Pacifico

Banned
Oct 31, 2017
8,466
takriel said:
You don't say I'm a runner, I'm a cook, I'm a book reader. You say I like to go for runs, I like to cook, I like to read books.
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People self describe themselves as "runners" even when they do it as merely hobbyists all the goddamn time, being a "cook" is a term with a precise connotation and implications very different than cooking sparsely (still, plenty of people casually comment of "how good of a cook" they may or may not be when the topic comes) and there are terms to describe people who are avid readers in pretty much any major language.

Enough with these stupid false equivalencies.
 
Teeth

Teeth

Member
Nov 4, 2017
3,937
Can I get sold Bookworm Fuel?

I need some bookworm Fuel to maximize my reading enjoyment.
 
trugs26

trugs26

Member
Jan 6, 2018
2,025
Feep said:
Eh, agree to disagree. Basically anyone who owns a PS4 would probably consider themselves a "gamer".

Regardless, the point is that there's a lot of cringy defensiveness when the term "gamer", or games themselves, come under criticism. It's a hobby you enjoy, not who you are. Stop taking everything so personally.
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I prefer it used just like the other 3 categories. Makes sense to have a word to describe an enthusiast just like in the other mediums.
 
texhnolyze

texhnolyze

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,157
Indonesia
People simply don't want to be associated with the cringy memes.

cecc9094b00276133b785abadd04b924.jpg
 
spineduke

spineduke

Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
8,748
I disagree - you're completely ignoring what the term represents in todays social and political landscape.

"Gamers" own so much shitty behavior that I find the term repulsive to its core. I like games, lets leave it at that.
 
bobbychalkers

bobbychalkers

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,603
Feep said:
Yes, that is the technical definition of the term.

However, video gaming, unlikely literally every other form of media consumption, seems to be an identity-defining trait. Words like "cinephile" exist, or bibliophile, but only for people who are basically "obsessed". Almost no one who goes to the movies with normal frequency describes themselves as "cinephiles".

People literally identify as "gamers", which no one does for just going to see films, read books, or listen to music. When the label becomes personal, human brains begin to feel attacked, defensive, and outright hostile toward anything they perceive as threatening that identity, like other groups coming in to the hobby, people writing negative reviews about certain things, different political viewpoints appearing in their games, and so on.

So, yes, while I'm certainly a "gamer", it's a term with a loaded connotation and I don't particularly enjoy associating myself with it, as much as I love games.
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I'm just gonna echo this since it nails how I feel on the subject.
 

TentPole

Member
Oct 28, 2017
76
I decide what I am. I play video games. I am not a gamer. If you don't like the way I view myself then tough shit.
 

Vaibhav

Banned
Apr 29, 2018
340
While I appreciate with your effort to make gamer an all encompassing term, for me, anyone to qualify being a gamer:

Does not plays games to kill time. Games are one of reasons he goes to work so he can afford games. It should be slightly more important to him than a throwaway piece of software. Can get into deep conversations about games on various levels.

Having weird ocds and opinions help as well.
 
massoluk

massoluk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,584
Thailand
Feep said:
Yes, that is the technical definition of the term.

However, video gaming, unlikely literally every other form of media consumption, seems to be an identity-defining trait. Words like "cinephile" exist, or bibliophile, but only for people who are basically "obsessed". Almost no one who goes to the movies with normal frequency describes themselves as "cinephiles".

People literally identify as "gamers", which no one does for just going to see films, read books, or listen to music. When the label becomes personal, human brains begin to feel attacked, defensive, and outright hostile toward anything they perceive as threatening that identity, like other groups coming in to the hobby, people writing negative reviews about certain things, different political viewpoints appearing in their games, and so on.

So, yes, while I'm certainly a "gamer", it's a term with a loaded connotation and I don't particularly enjoy associating myself with it, as much as I love games.
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Same
 
Crossing Eden

Crossing Eden

Member
Oct 26, 2017
53,320
Feep said:
Yes, that is the technical definition of the term.

However, video gaming, unlikely literally every other form of media consumption, seems to be an identity-defining trait. Words like "cinephile" exist, or bibliophile, but only for people who are basically "obsessed". Almost no one who goes to the movies with normal frequency describes themselves as "cinephiles".

People literally identify as "gamers", which no one does for just going to see films, read books, or listen to music. When the label becomes personal, human brains begin to feel attacked, defensive, and outright hostile toward anything they perceive as threatening that identity, like other groups coming in to the hobby, people writing negative reviews about certain things, different political viewpoints appearing in their games, and so on.

So, yes, while I'm certainly a "gamer", it's a term with a loaded connotation and I don't particularly enjoy associating myself with it, as much as I love games.
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/thread
 
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