Do You Consider Yourself A Gamer?

[MARS]

I am most definitely a gamer and a nerd. I don't care to give a summary of my "why's", I play a lot of games, I read a lot of fiction. I stay inside, and everyone groans and tells me to stfu whenever I start talking about games or books.

[Frost Mage]

Well, that depends...I mean, how are we defining a "gamer"?

I really enjoy playing video games - albeit casually. I remember watching my oldest brother rock out on his NES to Mario and besting my peers in Duck Hunt, Mario Kart, Duke Nukem, and what have you; I spent my high school afternoons going to the boardwalk with my friends to play at the arcades and attract crowds on the DDR machines; and, yes, I took off of work for the Skyrim release. When I want to relax, I wake up and go for a run; then I come home and read a book; then I sit down and play a video game. I met my first boyfriend over video games; I broke up with my last serious one over video games (and other things, but video games had to do with it). I've always loved video games and I like the way that they tell a story and let me get over imaginative over something. When I play a lot of video games, I also happen to be at my most productive state for drawing and writing.

Would I call myself a gamer? I'm not super serious about it; it's really just something I enjoy, along the lines of the other things I enjoy. I mean, I also like kayaking, but I'm not a kayaker; and I like art, but I'm not an artist by any means of the term. Plus, I do have the problem of looking like this and not really coming off at the bar as "the chick who probably knows every single detail about The Elder Scrolls and can whoop my ass at Duke Nukem."

In fact, last year, after not really being too public about it with my university peers and my coworkers - although I didn't spend nearly as much time on the computer back then as I do now, since I was studying and working all day - I told some of them that I'm actually a big video game fan. Their reaction was, "What, really? You play video games? You?" But in the end they said, "Oh, well, okay!" and then went on to tease me about it, so I knew they were perfectly okay with it. I even very shyly, after realizing how dorky it was, said to my current boyfriend that I was a big fan of TES, and he, rather unabashedly, went off about the vampire quest from Oblivion and how it was so hard. He didn't even bat an eye...and it was really impressive. He didn't even bother to comment on it. He just accepted it as part of who I am.

I think the biggest question isn't whether or not I consider myself to be a gamer, but whether or not I can tolerate the social stigma that "successful and pretty girls don't play video games." Which is silly. It's like guys can't wear pink or Irish people can't choose a glass of water over a beer. I mean, I'm proud to say I'm a geek - because I am about the things I'm geeky about - but there's also that weird part of people that says, "Dude, there's no way they're right." I actually hate saying I'm a geek now because I feel like everyone suddenly became a technology loving, game meme repeating, cool T-shirt wearing geek...and I was doing that way before it was cool or I was even remotely socially acceptable. So there!

In the end, I just say, "Screw it" and do what I want. I'm happier this way.

Avron? A casual gamer?

[HatofMadness]

I consider myself a gamer, since in my heart of hearts, I love video games. But I don't play nearly as much as I used to. Partly out of lack to free time, but I admit partly out of a recent lack of interest.

[ZeRoc]

Recently I've found myself playing less games, but at the same time, I've found myself at rehearsals and on here a lot more.

[Frost Mage]

Sometimes I just need to take a break from games, or sometimes TES exclusively. In those cases, if I stop playing as many games, I'm on here more. If I stop playing TES for a while, I'm on here more, it's a win-win situation.

[Avron the S'wit]

Avron? A casual gamer?

Well, sure. I'm not about gamer points on my Xbox account and I don't care about accomplishments. I play to enjoy the game as I like to. Period.

Although, as I was thinking this through, being willing to spend $1000+ on a gaming PC that I'm building probably puts me in the "slightly nerdy" category...

[Frost Mage]

Avron? A casual gamer?

Well, sure. I'm not about gamer points on my Xbox account and I don't care about accomplishments. I play to enjoy the game as I like to. Period.

Although, as I was thinking this through, being willing to spend $1000+ on a gaming PC that I'm building probably puts me in the "slightly nerdy" category...

I don't go for Gamerscore either. That doesn't mean you're casual, though.

[Witchery]

Yeah, I'm a nerd. But mostly for books and studious activities . . . the only video games I play are Skyrim and occasionally Oblivion. I 4srs love TES, but other video games aren't really my thing. Not a gamer.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Avron? A casual gamer?

Well, sure. I'm not about gamer points on my Xbox account and I don't care about accomplishments. I play to enjoy the game as I like to. Period.

Although, as I was thinking this through, being willing to spend $1000+ on a gaming PC that I'm building probably puts me in the "slightly nerdy" category...

Damn, that's more than "slightly nerdy".

[Taters]

I have been gaming since...1988? 89? I don't remember, but it took off in Christmas of '92 when I got an SNES. From there on out, I was a gamer. Yeah, I might not be as hardcore as some, and I don't have every system known to man, but I'm probably the only person on this forum who ever spent $3600 on a gaming laptop.

[Gideon Dragontongue]

Whoa.

Interestingly, it was my parents who introduced me to the Elder Scrolls, and they're probably the people I'd last expect to be gamers.

[Arch-Mage Matt]

Considering I cheat often and just got around to beating Portal yesterday, I'd say no.

[Generalno1]

Very much so. game informer is my homepage, and I play nearly everyday.
I wasn't playing during my hiatus, and my mom said i got snippy. I've been playing games as my favorite pass time since i was 5, and play a large variety. Other than that, i read.
I don't get out much.
I don't like the whole gamer stereotype thing though, I play a lot of games, doesn't define any other characteristic about me.

[Frost Mage]

Very much so. game informer is my homepage, and I play nearly everyday.
I wasn't playing during my hiatus, and my mom said i got snippy. I've been playing games as my favorite pass time since i was 5, and play a large variety. Other than that, i read.
I don't get out much.
I don't like the whole gamer stereotype thing though, I play a lot of games, doesn't define any other characteristic about me.

UESP is my homepage.

[Iamgoofball]

I've played hundreds of games, and actually own a probably still working NES with also probably still working Duck Hunt Cartridge and Gun.

So, yeah. I consider myself a gamer.

[Generalno1]

Wow, i did not expect that to blow up in my face.

[Iamgoofball]

Mine is google, so that I can look up things with one click.

[Stormborn]

Gamer has quite a few negative connations so it's not a label I would apply to myself. However, as I have been playing video games since the Atari 2600 came out (which makes christmas this year the 30th anniversary of my love of all things pixelated) most people would consider me a gamer.

UESP is my first expriment with social media seems a much nicer place than The Vault (or whatever their called this week) or the Dragon Age & Mass Effect forums they are such flamefests.

BBC News is my home page, have to keep up with the Cricket.

[The Raven]

Very much so. game informer is my homepage, and I play nearly everyday.
I wasn't playing during my hiatus, and my mom said i got snippy. I've been playing games as my favorite pass time since i was 5, and play a large variety. Other than that, i read.
I don't get out much.
I don't like the whole gamer stereotype thing though, I play a lot of games, doesn't define any other characteristic about me.

UESP is my homepage. ;)

That's very nerdy. Mine is google or TVTropes.

[Jeff]

Nope, not a chance... I play games to waste time. I am glad that there were no video games when I grew up.

[Frost Mage]

Very much so. game informer is my homepage, and I play nearly everyday.
I wasn't playing during my hiatus, and my mom said i got snippy. I've been playing games as my favorite pass time since i was 5, and play a large variety. Other than that, i read.
I don't get out much.
I don't like the whole gamer stereotype thing though, I play a lot of games, doesn't define any other characteristic about me.

UESP is my homepage.

That's very nerdy. Mine is google or TVTropes.

Why wouldn't you have UESP as a homepage?

[Gideon Dragontongue]

I have my e-mail as my homepage, so I can check if I have any non-forum related messages, and then I go to the forums. Standard procedure for logging online.

[ZeRoc]

That's very nerdy. Mine is google or TVTropes.

ZeRoc
^ZeRoc stamp of Approval

[ironmaiden83]

Yes. I play videogames, therefore I am a gamer.

[Crepe the Ashlander]

God yes.