The title is probably more provocative than my actual opinion, but it’s an area I’m quite passionate about and who better to discuss it with than the great community here at MMOAttack. The term gamer has a very loose definition nowadays, with some even considering it to be a gender exclusive title, but if there’s one thing I cannot stand; it’s mobile players.
I don’t care what genitalia you have, what religion you follow or where you come from, we’re all entitled to enjoy games and the experiences they offer, however I don’t feel that someone who enjoys games is necessarily a gamer. Gaming is a hobby, just like playing golf, soccer or any other sports but I don’t consider myself a golfer purely because I swing a club once a week.
In the same space, I feel people use the term gamer as some kind of social leverage. Maybe they enjoy going against stereotypes or maybe there’s a reason I’m unaware of, but the amount of people I meet that introduce themselves as gamers is shocking.
Obviously there are different levels of gamer, such as casual and hardcore, but people don’t feel the need to differentiate. When I meet someone that considers themselves to be a gamer I’d like to think we would share quite a lot of interests within the industry, however I often find the total opposite.
One example, a friend introduced me to someone that he said worked in the industry. Sounds great, it’s rare I find someone that works in a similar industry to myself. I sparked up some conversation regarding the Wii U almost 2 weeks after release, yet he had no idea what I’m talking about.
To me, a gamer is more than just a title. It’s an interest, a hobby, a passion. Much in the way that I would expect a golfer to know the difference between a Pitching Wedge and a 9 Iron, I would expect someone that considers themselves a gamer to at least have basic knowledge of the industry.
A gamer is not someone that plays 10 different Tetris variations on their iPhone, or someone that spends 5 hours a week on a Zynga game on Android. A gamer is someone that is genuinely interested in the industry, someone that cares about the future of gaming, not someone that dumps a few hours a week into games that take just as long to program.
What do you guys think? Am I just a leetist asshat or do you agree that the term gamer is used too loosely? Let us know in the comments below.