"Proper" gamer

[WPKenny]

How would you define a "proper" gamer. i.e. someone who plays enough games to have an opinion that counts.
Discuss.

 

[Brynn]

Proper as in more than 10 years experience, and on a multitude of consoles. As in more than just Nintendo/Playstation/PC.

 

[SilverHood]

Someone who has played a certain genre for more than 5 years, and keeps track of new developments, boh software wise and hardware wise.

 

[Louster]

Ugh. Arbitrary rules are bullshit. I'd say it's down to breadth and depth of experience to a certain extent - knowing what you're talking about - and passion for gaming in general. For instance, I hardly play online games at all these days, and am not interested in most new games released, but this is because I'm pretty experienced, and hence jaded, and as such would class as a "proper" gamer. Compare to people for whom games have to be totally convenient to play - the console-only gamers - or who only play one type of game - the CS or MMORPG crowd.
Clearly these are generalisations, but fuckit.

 

[Will]

I thought I was the only proper gamer...but I'm going to include Louster as a proper gamer now too. So its just Louster and I.

On a more serious note, I don't really divide people into proper gamers and cretins based on what they play, or what their experience is. If they can express an opinion well, then their opinion counts.

 

[Louster]

I'd agree with that, but when you have people that only play 4 games on a PS2 and the Sims on a PC, they're going to have a pretty limited knowledge base to draw from - though if they're able to express an opinion well, then they're probably also able to realise this.

 

[throdgrain]

Im the only important person, you're all ***** !

 

[Trem]

Everyone apart from Willeh and Louster.




























































;p

 

[babs]

The only 'proper' gamers can only come from cornwall, where everything is proper

But then I'd have to call myself a 'gay-mer' and tbh I'd rather grate my scrotum.

 

[gmloki]

Anyone who plays more than just CS or CS:S and Halo on the xbox is a proper gamer

Excluding Throdgrain ofc

 

[throdgrain]

Well, that was a short #xatrix interlude ...

 

[Will]

Thats a bit of a "pimp" there, throd.

 

[leggy]

Someone who thinks it's a potentially rewarding career move.

Aka "A fuckwit"

 

[Will]

Is that not a "pr0 g4m3r"?

 

[WPKenny]

I think of myself as a "proper" gamer. I've been playing games since I was about 5 or 6 on a ZX Spectrum. I used to get 3 quid a week pocket money which would go on a 1.99 or 2.99 computer game. I'd save up for the 10 quid need for the bigger releases.

Used to go down the arcades a fair deal too. Everything from pac-land to Wec Le-mans to street fighter 2 etc etc. (Arcades suck these days tbh. Trocadero is full of dancing games or drving games or shooting games. Fucking generic.)

After that I've used NES, megadrive, SNES, n64, playstation, dreamcast, gamecube, ps2. Only played on a x-box once for a bit (halo). I've used C64's and Amigas but not for any real length of time. The pc gaming has been since 386's were the bee's knees and 40 meg HDD's were more than you could ever need.

I don't necessarily avoid any genre but there are those that appeal to me more than others. FPS and RPG's recently but over the years I've gone through all sorts of phases.

Approx 20 years gaming experience in total accross a wide range of platforms

 

[PLightstar]

I would it is someone who plays more than the mainstream of game e.g. Halo/MGS/CS etc..

Prolly someone whos played in a tournament or spends more than 7 hours playing games a week.

n.b
talk about a hard question, so many ideas, I suppose at the end of the day it is someone who cares a bit much about games e.g follows news, knows who the big names are for example Warren Spector etc.. and reads reviews etc.

 

[throdgrain]

Console games are all fking toss though arnt they?

 

[PLightstar]

The pc gaming has been since 386's were the bee's knees and 40 meg HDD's were more than you could ever need.

Rich boy I only had a 20mg HD for my 386 and I thought I had a decent machine, where Chips and Ski were the only two games anyone every needed.

 

[leggy]

I think of myself as a "proper" gamer. I've been playing games since I was about 5 or 6 on a ZX Spectrum. I used to get 3 quid a week pocket money which would go on a 1.99 or 2.99 computer game. I'd save up for the 10 quid need for the bigger releases.

Used to go down the arcades a fair deal too. Everything from pac-land to Wec Le-mans to street fighter 2 etc etc. (Arcades suck these days tbh. Trocadero is full of dancing games or drving games or shooting games. Fucking generic.)

After that I've used NES, megadrive, SNES, n64, playstation, dreamcast, gamecube, ps2. Only played on a x-box once for a bit (halo). I've used C64's and Amigas but not for any real length of time. The pc gaming has been since 386's were the bee's knees and 40 meg HDD's were more than you could ever need.

I don't necessarily avoid any genre but there are those that appeal to me more than others. FPS and RPG's recently but over the years I've gone through all sorts of phases.

Approx 20 years gaming experience in total accross a wide range of platforms

That sounds suspicously like a personal statement on a job application.

 

[WPKenny]

That sounds suspicously like a personal statement on a job application.

Does it? Heh. Well if there's a job going in the gaming industry paying more than I'm on now I'll gladly take it but I'm not actively looking for another job.

 

[Clown]

Is there a difference between "proper gamer" and just "gamer"?

 

[WPKenny]

Is there a difference between "proper gamer" and just "gamer"?

I think a generic gamer is just someone who plays games but not as any great pass-time. But more than someone who just pops round their mates to spend an hour or two a week on the ps2. Someone who spends money on their own games and gaming rig, be it a console or a pc.

 

[throdgrain]

Only in the mind Clown

 

[Louster]

I guess the way I see it is that I can talk with "proper" gamers about games, why a game is good or bad or whatever, and they'll understand and be interested in the conversation. A "generic" gamer probably won't. It's about depth of interest.

 

[Clown]

I would have put it like this.
Someone who pops round to his mate's house to play on the PS2 or Championship Manager or something is just a person who plays games.

A gamer is someone like me or you. We play games. It is our hobby. We might have opinions on other games and stuff, and we might care to get into discussions about them. Or we might not. We have rigs that can play the game; not too shabby and not breaking technology.

A proper gamer is a person who can get into arguments about why the story line of Tekken is interlinked with Pong. He has/wants the best computer to play Quake 2 in the worst possible resolution and detail to get as much FPS as he can because it will help him headshot everytime.

 

[Louster]

You're taking the definition of "proper" to mean "obsessive/insane".

 

[dysfunction]

Console games are all fking toss though arnt they?

Indeed they are

 

[Frizz]

I have to say i agree with Clown's definition, and i regard myself as a "gamer" in this sense.

Let's see, i have 41 PS2 games (Online enabled, with other random amenities), with something like 80 odd for the PC which i've "collected" since about '94. In my time i've owned a Megadrive with 3 games, a PS1 with about 10 games made mostly of the FF series. I've also owned a GB and am currently "borrowing" a Dreamcast which has about 6 games.

I'd never try and go the elitist route (imo ofc) and buy all the consoles of a generation, just to get each exclusive. I'd never own more than one of the same console. And i'd never play games professionaly.

 

[dysfunction]

I would'nt necessarily call owning loads of games = Proper Gamer.

I would class that as being a Games Collector.

I would say a proper gamer is someone who plays in Leagues and things like that.

 

[throdgrain]

Well thats me then, I must be a proper gamer

But I dont own a console , how can I be? And , get this, I actually play online games most nights of the week ! Am I mad??