[General Discussion] What is a gamer, anyway?

Lately I've been thinking about things like the release of all the next-gen systems: the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii, and how that has affected the general population of gamers.

For Colonel Skills, for example, the experience of sitting overnight in line for a PS3 was actually fun because he had friends with him. It put a picture in my head of the gaming system as the new kind of communal campfire, which people sit around and tell stories to one another. We have a notion that this is a kind of "hardcore" gamer, separate from the kind of hardcore gamer that might beat Super Metroid in 45 minutes, or be able to school everyone in a Halo tournament.

See, most of the articles I've been finding on the topic of the systems or their launches have been pretty technical, going into the specs, or the sales numbers, or whatever. What interests me is the ideology behind the systems. While 360 seems to be going for a kind of online community, connecting players and generally giving a kind of arena space in which people can game, the PS3 is trying to be an all-in-one entertainment and media system, giving users an internet browser and blu-ray player with its systems. Wii, meanwhile, seems to be trying to be a more localized system, working in terms of bringing the whole family together around one system.

It got me to thinking about entertainment in general and how that's changed in the past 10 years. Those of you who read my journal should know I did a feature article a while back on nerddom and how that's changed as well. This really follows from it, so I was wondering what opinions you guys have on how the perception of "Gamer" has changed over the years.

I'd like to keep this from being a fanboy fight, so please don't turn it into a "this system's better" argument. This is more about the general perception of gaming, in recent years, and as the systems premiered recently.

Basically:
1. What did gamer mean 10 or 15 years ago?
2. What does it mean for you and/or your friends now?
3. Has the next-gen done anything to change that?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'd say the answer to this is fairly simplistic. A "gamer" is anyone that plays any real kind of game usually a bit more than a normal person would, for entertainment/competitive purposes by themselves or with friends.

In the past, a gamer was simply anyone that played video games to any length. These days, there's more of a "hardcore/casual" inference going on with how people tend to describe others that play games. I wouldn't say next-generation systems caused it moreso than the advent of people who have given the connotation a derogatory meaning by playing certain games (WOW/Halo FTL) almost 24/7 in a bid to be the next raiding/highest ranked superstar.

The only thing that has really changed over the years is the demographic and the structure of how gaming is perceived. In the past, games were simplistic and could be beaten in one sitting usually. These days, games are a multimedia franchise with cinematics and symphonic musical scores.

Has it changed? You bet. Have most gamers that grew up with games changed? Some, but not all.

The only thing that will never change is that having a good game (or good experience in getting to that point, as per your example of Colonel Skills) with friends around is almost always going to be an entertaining experience regardless of the game.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I consider myself a gamer, but that doesn't mean that I play every day, sometimes not even once a week, and my last purchase was more than half a year ago. (But that's only because very few games catch my interest these days.) But when I play I immerse myself totally into the game, just like I did twenty years ago. In the last couple of years more and more crap got released (and less and less games down my alley), and so far the next generation has managed to announce exactly zero games that interest me. None whatsoever. Every franchise gets an update - more of the same in most cases -, and the only company remotely interested in innovation concentrates on kid's games and / or games for japanophiles. So my gaming life consists of playing my old C64, SNES, PS, PS2, PC etc. games over and over again. Still I consider myself a gamer, so IMHO a gamer doesn't have to be a gaming freak like I used to be.

Today everyone and their dog is a gamer because gaming's much more commonplace and a little bit more socially accepted than in the eighties. (Exceptions prove the rule - today's tabloids and politicians don't fuss over "killer games" that much more than those of yesteryear.) Back then it was a major hobby for me and everyone I knew. Today I feel like the last Mohican because all the others I personally knew have lost interest. Many of this generation's gamers seem to approach this hobby much more casually - switching on the PC or a console is on an equal footing with switching on the TV, and today's gamers don't get nowhere near as many puzzled or skeptical looks when they tell people what they do in their spare time.

So the games don't have improved all that much, but their acceptance has.

Zorro

How ya doing, buddy?

At first I thought this was gonna be a joke but I guess not. I'm not for one to post an essay about this so I'll answer your questions as detailed as i can then.
Basically:
1. What did gamer mean 10 or 15 years ago?
2. What does it mean for you and/or your friends now?
3. Has the next-gen done anything to change that?

1.It meant that one would simply immerse oneself into a game more than usual and there wasn't anything wrong with it in my opinion. But back then games were a bit tougher than its modern predecessor thus requires more dedication to beat the said game(ie. Gradius,Raiden series, you know what i mean).

2. Not much, we're not that much dedicated to games anymore, more like casual players but still quite good.

3. Currently, since I nor my friend that I play with have one, No.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

long answer short for me, there are people who play games, then there are people who appreciate games. the appreciators are the games

I was speaking idiomatically.

Edit: sorry I misread the first post I thought it was guidelines not how you wanted the reply phrased

1. What did gamer mean 10 or 15 years ago?

As was said above someone who simply plays and enjoys video games. Hardcore gamers are nothing new compared to what some may think though in fact it was kinda encouraged if you were really into it since most games had no save file systems, the only difference now is being a hardcore gamer is encouraged for different reasons and compared to now hardcore gamers were just completly ignored kinda like outcasts of society in the past

2. What does it mean for you and/or your friends now?

2 Words spring to mind when you ask this question, rivalrys and free roaming games. 2 of the biggest factors in games these days but not nessarily what makes them great, almost everything seems geared towards proving you're best at doing things like shooting a total fictional gun or leading a group of people now. Alot of my friends still fall for new videogame gimmicks which is nothing new, but in comparision I've turned pretty cynical mostly because I've seen both the friendly and obssessive sides of videogames

3. Has the next-gen done anything to change that?

A hell of a lot videogames haven't really progressed since they went online it's just on a more 'user friendly' grander scale now, companies valueing graphics, recycling old game formulas they think that sell and challenging people to their limits forgeting that at the end of the day it's a game...

Frankly I think I've changed more then the industrys values have which just seems more and more geared towards getting players to play as long as possible 'rewarding' their winners who devote themselves to gaming and ignoring the 'losers' for the most part who don't show the same level of dedication as if it's some kind of career path although I guess how serious I took it at one time didn't exactly help, if anything playing online and seeing how worked up people get was an eye opener, now I laugh most of the time when my gaming contacts say to me "OMFG! *insert game name here* came out!" because I've played so many games in the past most of the new ones I play just feel like going over old ground or 'grinding' I think WoW players call it?

I realise now anyone who does things like spend a day (although most people I hear end up having to camp an area longer) killing the same monster 10000+ times trying to get a rare item for example, finding every tinyist gamebug to exploit and/or disconnecting from a game because they know they're going to lose in order to keep a perfect record seriously needs to rethink their life. The world might be a shitty place that needs escaping from and games are a good way to do it, but the scale that everyone is escaping to these virtual worlds in and this elitist rubbish isn't going to make the world any better either

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

1. What did gamer mean 10 or 15 years ago?

For me, simply someone who plays video games. I never thought of it too much as a person who's hardcore about a system and gets everything he/she possibly could. Although today, I could definitely classify myself as one. New game every other week.

2. What does it mean for you and/or your friends now?

To some ones, it's about arguing about how Sony Fanboys are stupid. To others, it's about how much the PS3 sucks and why the Wii is better. The other group is just one that plays games with me unbiased on opinion of system. I still have fun playing video games with all those groups though.

3. Has the next-gen done anything to change that?

Ooooooh yeah... I have a constant argument with my friends on how the PS3 isn't worth it and how Sony hasn't come up with an original idea in ages. Basically, out of my friends, it's my job to prove that the Wii is a good system, and not just another Gamecube.

FELIPE NO

Wow, this is an AWESOME thread idea. Sweet, Skex. =D

First off I'll say that Kostaki is quite right in most of his points and that I agree with him. So I'll elaborate on my own ideas a little further instead.

For me at least, a good chunk of the enjoyment of the hobby comes from discussing it with other people. That whole campfire thing you mentioned was a great analogy. One of the reasons that I enjoy this hobby as much as I do is that there are many other people who partake in it, and meeting them through it is fun and rewarding. On the internet, it's led me to a bunch of friends I made through this site and others, and in real life it's made me some good buddies too. That is, hands down, the best part.

Since gaming became more mainstream in the 32 bit era, the broad definition of gamer certainly has changed. Instead of "That guy who's got a SNES, Genesis, and NES", it's now anyone with half a dozen PS2 games or more. It's become a term so easily thrown around that it's meaning has changed dramatically. It's no longer a term describing someone who's quite into a hobby as much as it's a word describing anyone who partakes in it as all.

And lastly, personally, the last gen hasn't changed anything for me. It's given me new and creative ways to enjoy the hobby, it's given me easier ways to play with friends, and it's given promise to have some revolutionary new ideas. But no, it's still the same hobby it was before, and my enjoyment of it hasn't really changed. The new ideas and implementations will make some new gamers, but it hasn't changed my perceptions.

Has it changed what it means to be a gamer? I wouldn't say so either. Although the term has been bastardized, if we go by what it used to mean, I'd still say no. The new generation is just giving you a different way of becoming one.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by Skexis

1. What did gamer mean 10 or 15 years ago?
2. What does it mean for you and/or your friends now?
3. Has the next-gen done anything to change that?

1. Well, as for people in my age range, from what i can remember, gamers didn't really exist. Gamers were just about everyone (just boys actually) who would play video games because they were new, and exciting. Gaming was more or less a novelty, not something you deticated yourself to. Almost like a trial period to see if you would be into this gaming thing. More and more of my friends are dropping out of playing video games. The last time i actually played a serious game of something with a person i call a close friend was at least a year ago. Ever since then, it's all been with friends who think video games are just there for kitch value, and not something that actually means anything. To me at least, gaming was something you did because everyone else was doing it.

2. Well, i guess i started this one in number 1. Today, i'm the only person who plays games with any seriousness anymore. I do have select friends who game as well, but we all cover such a wide range of tastes, that we can't share any experiences together. I can think of maybe one person i'd want to be with who would be willing to join me if i were to camp out for a next gen console.

3. Many of my friends still have no idea what the Wii is, have come off of Wii prejudice and are completley on the fence as to whether or, still think it's a bad idea and are staying away from it. I seem to be the only one of the people i know who actually wants one. I think that some education among my former/non gaming friends might sway them, but it's not likley.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

A MISERABLE PILE OF SECRETS.

Gaming has definitely changed over the years and it's going to continually change until it becomes ridiculously mainstream. That's what they want, but it's the opposite of what I want.

I'm losing more and more interest in gaming as time is going by. I prefer 2D, older games from the 90's to early 2000's. This is why I seem to stick by my PS2 most of the time because there's a lot of games in 2D. Most of the fighters/shooters/mecha games are in japanese though, which is why I import like hell.

I don't mind this, but I don't have any interest in the 360 or PS3. I have too many games to complete and finish, to start worrying about the next generation and what it has to offer.

I'd consider myself a hardcore gamer, since I dedicate my time to a single game (re: shooters) and work at it. The same could be said of any game, but I don't aim for that with all of them.

If I genuinely enjoy a game I'll go the extra mile to obtain items relating to that game. This is where my gamer/collector side comes in and I start spending even more money on game related stuff.

It's also nice to talk about games, like right now, online. I'm a pretty good typistr and I could go on for page after page about games. This is why I enjoy coming here, to spend my time talking about my prime hobby; gaming as a whole.

I'm more of a solo gamer who likes to spend his time alone. The party games are neat, but they don't really grab me that much. Fighters are the only genre I'd rely on having someone to play with to enjoy more of. Also, 2 player shooting games aren't all that fun for me either. I find the second player distracting.

The Wii looks fun even for solo player, but I'm even more impressed by the use of the Freeloader. That's the only thing at the moment that's really caught my interest in the next generation.

My taste in games is fussy on an abysmal level. Even slight things can irk me into not playing a certain game (ESP Galuda is guilty of this) but it doesn't necessarily mean I won't play them at all.

I think the "talking of", the "being apart of", and "involving with" aspects of gaming is what makes it great. It isn't just gaming in itself that's made it more popular - it's through the media, the community in itself, and the whole branching out of obscurity it's done. Back in the 90's, gaming wasn't all that popular. Even less in the 80's. But now there's almost at least one console on every street.

It's perfectly fine for it to be mainstream, but games are appearing less and less original. We need less generic first person shooters, war simulators, sports titles, etc, and more quirky games that shed new light on unseen concepts.

There's nowhere I can't reach.