Just what is a "gamer"?
- Thread starter WaltC
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Cartoon Corpse
Veteran
im a gamer, i run an antique rig, cause im also one who doesn't like to throw away lots of money to keep on the bleeding edge. i want to strategically update my equipment.
i'd say im a gamer, since that's my chief way of spending my free time these days...past 3-4 years in fact.
i'd say im a gamer, since that's my chief way of spending my free time these days...past 3-4 years in fact.
Well WaltC... I surely do hope I wont "piss on your parade", so to speak...
I was also perplexed by the rather interesting findings that Valve's survey had reported. It never occurred to me that so many people playing such a Modern game as HL2 would be using hardware that I couldn't even fathom playing these games with... nonetheless tolerate the horribly reduced "game" settings such patterns of hardware would present.
I since discovered that a large portion of those reporting their system configuration were not HL2/Source engine game owners- but intead CS 1.6 owners (yes, the Quake2-style requirements 3d graphics engine that has millions of avid players worldwide).
This made perfect sense to me... since CS 1.6 was not only massively popular, but truly one of the ONLY games such hardware results could play reasonably well and with fairly decent mix of settings to boot. Heck, most crummy 1.0ghz laptops with 256mb will play CS1.6 well.. as the HP Pavillion I'm on at the moment will also suggest. In fact, CS 1.6 is the *only* game installed and used on this laptop since just about everything else that it's able to manage is either: a) dreadfully tired/old and grown boring, or b) requires too much visual sacrifice to obtain good playable framerate. Quake2 CTF and CS 1.6 are pretty much all it can handle that actually have any lasting power to stay installed/used.
So in essence- I wish Valve would redo a survey JUST of HL2 Source Owners as I believe the geographic yielded by such a survey would be dramatically different than the results they have currently collected. I'd also love to see the results of an EA Games similar survey- say of players of BF2, Need For Speed games or similar.
I find my own GAMING system (ie. not a crummy laptop for hotel stays) is also in that 1.33% category of Valve's survey... but it's not because I'm any more or less different from what I consider a "gamer"- but because my hardware *has* to remain at such a higher level in order to even have any hopes of playing anything released in the last 8-10 months.
I was also perplexed by the rather interesting findings that Valve's survey had reported. It never occurred to me that so many people playing such a Modern game as HL2 would be using hardware that I couldn't even fathom playing these games with... nonetheless tolerate the horribly reduced "game" settings such patterns of hardware would present.
I since discovered that a large portion of those reporting their system configuration were not HL2/Source engine game owners- but intead CS 1.6 owners (yes, the Quake2-style requirements 3d graphics engine that has millions of avid players worldwide).
This made perfect sense to me... since CS 1.6 was not only massively popular, but truly one of the ONLY games such hardware results could play reasonably well and with fairly decent mix of settings to boot. Heck, most crummy 1.0ghz laptops with 256mb will play CS1.6 well.. as the HP Pavillion I'm on at the moment will also suggest. In fact, CS 1.6 is the *only* game installed and used on this laptop since just about everything else that it's able to manage is either: a) dreadfully tired/old and grown boring, or b) requires too much visual sacrifice to obtain good playable framerate. Quake2 CTF and CS 1.6 are pretty much all it can handle that actually have any lasting power to stay installed/used.
So in essence- I wish Valve would redo a survey JUST of HL2 Source Owners as I believe the geographic yielded by such a survey would be dramatically different than the results they have currently collected. I'd also love to see the results of an EA Games similar survey- say of players of BF2, Need For Speed games or similar.
I find my own GAMING system (ie. not a crummy laptop for hotel stays) is also in that 1.33% category of Valve's survey... but it's not because I'm any more or less different from what I consider a "gamer"- but because my hardware *has* to remain at such a higher level in order to even have any hopes of playing anything released in the last 8-10 months.
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Sadly, I think the word 'gamer' has been mutated into a sort of description characterizing one who becomes an industrial puppet. There seems to be this attitude where one must have the latest hardware in order to be considered a gamer and the corporations play this strategy up which in turn feeds the hype machine. There are of course whole followings behind namebrands which also meld into this.
I think that is the media's version of a gamer. Then again, maybe I'm way off.
I think that is the media's version of a gamer. Then again, maybe I'm way off.
tahrikmili
Newcomer
Anyone who plays games, to me, is a gamer, even if they play Snood. As long as they have fun, more power to them. And I think video card reviews have lately been focusing way too much on the enthusiast segment, pretty much forgetting the gamer segment. What used to be about playing games is starting to become a pissing contest..
P.S. CTRL for crouch, SHIFT for walk/run.
P.S. CTRL for crouch, SHIFT for walk/run.
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chavvdarrr
Veteran
pfffff, FPS suckzzztahrikmili said:P.S. CTRL for crouch, SHIFT for walk/run.
M - move Hero
N - select next hero
ctrl-e - end turn
WaltC said:
So your opinion is that others opinions are invalid? Opinionated aren't you? My opinion is that to be too opinionated is not good
Anyway, I would agree, but you sure took a long while to say that a gamer is not defined by the hardware s/he plays on but rather the games they play.
And btw not everyone playes HL1 or 2, but I suppose it was still useful. Some people do consider "gamers" as those that have ridiculous sums of money ad do buy only the high end hardware though and their opinion is just as valid, but their market segment is tiny and if that is who they try to apeal to they will go bankrupt.
to answer the topic title.
A gamer is a person whose major hobby - entertainment - free time activity is gaming... now you could have console gamers - ie people who game majority of the time on consoles, or PC gamers, overall people who do gaming a lot, and some of us do it more or at least equal to watching TV, or watching the movies, go to the pub etc... now some people who do not fall in that category get lumped in for whatever reason, but people like me who play games as major "free-time" activity are gamers. In my case I watch TV or movies only because of my family, if I was - or when I am- on my own this would almost never happen, I would either go out or play something if I stayed inside, if I am on my own and have spare time, than it's some form of gaming that is for sure. Games are just infintely much better than other forms of passive entertainment for me of course.
Not that I dont love movies, and I watched them far too many, but there is only now and agin a great movie you can see, maybe 1-2 per year, with the rest being mediocre crap.bottom line is the overall time that a gamer spends on gaming dwarfs everything else... thus thier spending habits and priorities make them into a "gamer" demographic (and me too, even though it is barely more than 5-6 hrs a week these days, but this is because I haven't got much free time ) so there...
A gamer is a person whose major hobby - entertainment - free time activity is gaming... now you could have console gamers - ie people who game majority of the time on consoles, or PC gamers, overall people who do gaming a lot, and some of us do it more or at least equal to watching TV, or watching the movies, go to the pub etc... now some people who do not fall in that category get lumped in for whatever reason, but people like me who play games as major "free-time" activity are gamers. In my case I watch TV or movies only because of my family, if I was - or when I am- on my own this would almost never happen, I would either go out or play something if I stayed inside, if I am on my own and have spare time, than it's some form of gaming that is for sure. Games are just infintely much better than other forms of passive entertainment for me of course.
Not that I dont love movies, and I watched them far too many, but there is only now and agin a great movie you can see, maybe 1-2 per year, with the rest being mediocre crap.bottom line is the overall time that a gamer spends on gaming dwarfs everything else... thus thier spending habits and priorities make them into a "gamer" demographic (and me too, even though it is barely more than 5-6 hrs a week these days, but this is because I haven't got much free time ) so there...
Cartoon Corpse
Veteran
someone who proudly plays checkers in the park is a gamer?
Anybody who "games" is a gamer. You can divide the community in whichever segments you like.. but I think there is 2.. no more than 3 groups.
Casual: They'll play a game from time to time, maybe once or twice a week. They probably own one console and it's probably a PS2 with no more than half of the games completed. If they have a PC, it's not likely equipped well. Most people I know are casual gamers. They could probably name only the most well-known game developers (Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Rockstar) ... They may play online if only because the option is there.
Hardcore: Most people that'd post here have been hardcore gamers at one time or another. Basically, these people are the ones that care enough to discuss games. They incontrovertably have more than one gaming platform in their home. Not every hardcore gamer has a mid-high end PC, but those who specialize in PC gaming usually do. Gaming is an artform to them that demands respect, where as to casual gamers it's a fun time-waster. They can probably name a bunch of game developers. (Hideo Kojima) They play online and can be very competitive but do it mostly for pure fun.
Before I go on to the next group.. I should say that IMO if you have a friend that plays only one game..
No matter how many hours they play it.. they're definitely casual.
If there is a third category, I'd consider it a transcendent version of the hardcore gamer. Let's just call it,
Pro: These people are intense. If you've ever seen one of those "game room" guys with 5,000 games and 10+ consoles.. that's "pro". If you see somebody craft a case that looks like the Doom 3 space station, that's what I'm talking about. If you have a weekend warrior, living-in-his-parents'-basement nerd that spends virtually all of his income on games and beats the majority of them and masters others.. that's a pro. Now, you might think me something of a fool to confuse true "pro" gamers like Fatal1ty with uber-nerds.
I consider a guy that spends upwards of $10,000 on games just as focused on the lifestyle as I do a guy that plays upwards of 6 hours a day of a single game for a year so he can play in CPL matches and win more money in a year than some of you will make in the next decade.
The only difference is.. one person plays 50 different games a year.. one person plays 1-2 and rips the living shit out of his opponents.
Casual: They'll play a game from time to time, maybe once or twice a week. They probably own one console and it's probably a PS2 with no more than half of the games completed. If they have a PC, it's not likely equipped well. Most people I know are casual gamers. They could probably name only the most well-known game developers (Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, EA, Rockstar) ... They may play online if only because the option is there.
Hardcore: Most people that'd post here have been hardcore gamers at one time or another. Basically, these people are the ones that care enough to discuss games. They incontrovertably have more than one gaming platform in their home. Not every hardcore gamer has a mid-high end PC, but those who specialize in PC gaming usually do. Gaming is an artform to them that demands respect, where as to casual gamers it's a fun time-waster. They can probably name a bunch of game developers. (Hideo Kojima) They play online and can be very competitive but do it mostly for pure fun.
Before I go on to the next group.. I should say that IMO if you have a friend that plays only one game..
No matter how many hours they play it.. they're definitely casual.
If there is a third category, I'd consider it a transcendent version of the hardcore gamer. Let's just call it,
Pro: These people are intense. If you've ever seen one of those "game room" guys with 5,000 games and 10+ consoles.. that's "pro". If you see somebody craft a case that looks like the Doom 3 space station, that's what I'm talking about. If you have a weekend warrior, living-in-his-parents'-basement nerd that spends virtually all of his income on games and beats the majority of them and masters others.. that's a pro. Now, you might think me something of a fool to confuse true "pro" gamers like Fatal1ty with uber-nerds.
I consider a guy that spends upwards of $10,000 on games just as focused on the lifestyle as I do a guy that plays upwards of 6 hours a day of a single game for a year so he can play in CPL matches and win more money in a year than some of you will make in the next decade.
The only difference is.. one person plays 50 different games a year.. one person plays 1-2 and rips the living shit out of his opponents.
You haven't moved him on to PC games yet?Reverend said:
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