I keep hearing people say they are “gamers”. What does this mean exactly? As in “There aren’t many female gamers” for example.
What makes someone a gamer. Is there a certain number of hours a week that you play video games for that makes you a gamer? What kind of games do you have to play to qualify? Does it online apply to multiplayer games?
I am too old to know these things.
Anyone know what year this word got invented? I’m gonna guess at 2010.
A gamer is simply someone who plays games. There are no real hard definitions about the amount of time or type of games. Its more of a qualitative term rather than a quantitative one.
Consider it the same type of word as a “footy fan” or “movie buff”.
Uhh… wtf is “footy fan”?
Don’t answer if it’s a sex thing.
My understanding is that it means anyone who plays video games at all…
except some people exclude certain casual types of games, like Cookie Clicker. If you’re only playing mobile games at the bus stop than you’re not a real gamer.
…
Also some people exclude those who only have Nintendo Consoles and not XBox or Playstation because Nintendo games don’t have pictures of blood-splattered muscle men on them.
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Also some people say that in order to be a gamer, you have to be able to play super-hardcore challenge games that have no easy-mode like Dark Souls and Sekiro.
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Except sometimes people use the word to refer specifically to people who play competitive multi-player games. You know, because pretty-much all single-player games are casual. The computer is not a real opponent.
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except this definition does not hold true in the context of e-sports, where “gamers” only refers to people who play e-sports are “gamers” because even multiplayer games can be casual if you’re not hard-core enough to play in the
big leagues.
…
In addition to these criteria, people who actually go to web forums, conventions and such, or are involved in video-game journalism, are “gamers” in such cases where the word “gamer” identifies you as part of a community and in this case it doesn’t really have anything directly to do with whether you play games or not.
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Also I’m pretty sure that in Las Vegas the word “gamer” refers only to gamblers and no one cares whether you play video games or not, but I’m not sure about that last one.
AND
220 × 330
If you get really mad about what Sonic the Hedgehog looks like in a movie trailer… you might be a gamer/
I think anyone who calls themselves a gamer presumably enjoys them. Come to think of it I’ve never met anyone who does not enjoy them who has played one. With that said I have met a few souls who don’t know how to use a computer and yes they’re a millenial. They usually major in agriculture or parks n rec type stuff here. One lady actually asked me whether I coded in ones and zeroes. That was a new one for sure.
The word “gamer” has been in use for decades. Hell, the magazine PC Gamer was founded in 1993.
Seem they appeared back in the late middle ages. wiki
“Footy fan” is shortening / slang from fan of football (none american football / rugby), or relevant.
Footy is simply football.
In UK for example, is common to hear “Are you coming play footy tonight?”. So “Are you coming play football tonight?”
You probably could also extend to second line of your quotation, if stretched it a bit 
I would bravely stretch date, to the period of invention of “game” word. Which is far older than anyone of use can guess.
Nope, sorry, I remain convinced that that’s a sexual thing. 
I don’t blame you, if you never heard before
But just in case, specially for you (may contain adult thingy?)…
Well, in fact I learned that footy also my apply to rugby. Interesting …
Pretty sure they don’t mean the etymological source of the word, but more its most common use.
ACKTUALELLY… females represent 60% of the world’s gaming population last I heard.
I have no idea. I hear plenty of people around work talking about the footy on the weekend. They describe themselves as footy fans. I think it has something to do with going outside? Or maybe watching other people that are going outside? Certainly plenty of complaining about other people mishandling balls, so maybe it is a sex thing.
Ugh, they’re clearly fans of American Football. Get it together.
See, this is why nobody likes soccer and why American Football is the world’s game.
@Murgilod this you? Bwahaha
Yup, there are lies, damn lies and then there is statistics!
Anyone that’s not gaming exclusively on mobile.
Here’s my small definition of what a gamer is.
A gamer is someone who likes videogames, and likes playing videogames.
There are different types and categories of gamers, and each group of gamers, have their own style and preferences too.
Like for example, 3d fighting games:
Some gamers, like basic 3d fighting games, that are unrealistically simple, with a more basic, barebones, arcadey, overexaggerated juggle heavy combat system, with a not so deep combat system with odd fundamentals, and with alot of movement restrictions, like Tekken.
Other gamers, don’t like basic level fighting games like tekken, and find the game not fun. But would rather play, and spend their time, playing more advanced, closer to realistic, super advanced, deep combat fighting games, with lots of combat mechanics, like Virtua Fighter.
And other gamers, like super fast, kinda over exaggerated, hyper fast combat fighting games, with lots of young babes, hot young dudes, and jiggly jiggle physics, like Dead or Alive.
And then there are others, who like 3d fighting games, where people fight with magic swords and weapons, like Soul Calibur, and another one, called Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein aka Star Gladiator.
And others, don’t like 3d fighting games at all, but would rather play 2d fighting games instead. Like King of Fighters, Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, Blaze Blue, Fighters History etc.
Note: There are many categories of gamers, who like fighting games. And there are many categories of gamers, who like other game genres as well. But there are too many for me write.
Gamer lvl 0: Play at least 1 free to play mobile game for more than 60 minutes a day
Gamer lvl 99: Own at least 6 oldschool consoles, and 3 of the mayor last gen consoles. Own 200 games. Play none of them
But I don’t believe playing the occasional game makes you a gamer anymore than an occasional run makes you a runner. You have to be really into playing games to be a gamer.
