It’s more like…would you call yourself a fan of Japanese food if the only Japanese food you ever ate was sushi?
Videogames are a very mainstream medium, but it seems like anyone who plays them still considers themselves a gamer. Is my mom a gamer because she plays Candy Crush on her phone? At a certain point it became a hobby that anyone can enjoy, and the label of gamer is now more used for people who play a lot of games.
What’s the problem? My dad was a gamer when I was a kid watching him play Gamecube, and he was still a gamer the way he kept on top of Candy Crush and My Singing Monsters as new content was added when I was in high school.
Would you consider someone who exclusively plays Hearts of Iron IV for hours each week a gamer, even though they’re not playing lots of games?
What you’re describing I might call a hardcore gamer, but I think if someone feels gaming of some sort is a part of their identity enough to call themself a gamer, I’m fine with calling them one. It’s just too difficult to pin down one common definition that everyone can agree on for me to do otherwise.
If someone’s favorite board game is Settlers of Catan, I’m still happy to let them call themselves boardgamers if they so choose. I might try to subtly try introduce them to games that are more… good, but I don’t feel the need to exclude them just because they’re basic.
It’s more like…would you call yourself a fan of Japanese food if the only Japanese food you ever ate was sushi?
Videogames are a very mainstream medium, but it seems like anyone who plays them still considers themselves a gamer. Is my mom a gamer because she plays Candy Crush on her phone? At a certain point it became a hobby that anyone can enjoy, and the label of gamer is now more used for people who play a lot of games.
“I’m a fan of Japanese food, sushi specifically.”
“I’m a fan of gaming, Overwatch specifically.”
What’s the problem? My dad was a gamer when I was a kid watching him play Gamecube, and he was still a gamer the way he kept on top of Candy Crush and My Singing Monsters as new content was added when I was in high school.
Would you consider someone who exclusively plays Hearts of Iron IV for hours each week a gamer, even though they’re not playing lots of games?
What you’re describing I might call a hardcore gamer, but I think if someone feels gaming of some sort is a part of their identity enough to call themself a gamer, I’m fine with calling them one. It’s just too difficult to pin down one common definition that everyone can agree on for me to do otherwise.
If someone’s favorite board game is Settlers of Catan, I’m still happy to let them call themselves boardgamers if they so choose. I might try to subtly try introduce them to games that are more… good, but I don’t feel the need to exclude them just because they’re basic.