View source for Gamer

{{Short description|Someone who plays games}}
{{About|people who play any type of game, especially video games|gamblers|Gambling|other uses}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{weasel|date=December 2021}}
[[File:RTX 2015 - Gaming (19824807853).jpg|thumb|Several gamers playing a [[multiplayer video game]]]]
{{Video Games}}
A '''gamer''' is someone who [[Player (game)|plays interactive games]], either [[video game]]s, tabletop [[role-playing games]], skill-based [[card game]]s, or any combination thereof, and who often plays for extended periods of time. Originally a hobby, gaming has evolved into a [[Professional gamer|profession]] for some, with some gamers routinely competing in games for money, prizes, or awards. In some countries, such as the US, UK, and Australia, the term "gaming" can refer to legalized [[gambling]], which can take both traditional and digital forms, such as through [[online gambling]]. There are many different gamer communities around the world. Since the advent of the Internet, many communities take the form of [[Internet forum]]s or [[YouTube]] or [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] [[virtual communities]], as well as [[Real life#As distinct from the Internet|in-person]] [[social clubs]]. In 2021, there were an estimated 3.24 billion gamers across the globe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Number of gamers worldwide |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/293304/number-video-gamers/ |website=[[Statista]] |access-date=8 November 2021 |archive-date=November 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108202710/https://www.statista.com/statistics/293304/number-video-gamers/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=What constitutes a "gamer" isn't defined on Statista, and primary sources are paywalled. This is an important number; please clarify, rather than deleting.|date=November 2021}}

==Etymology==
The term ''gamer'' originally meant ''[[gambling|gambler]]'', and has been in use since at least 1422, when the town laws of [[Walsall]], England, referred to "any dice-player, carder, tennis player, or other unlawful gamer". However, this description has not been adopted in the United States, where it became associated with other pastimes. In the US, they made their appearance as [[wargame]]s. Wargames were originally created as a military and strategy tool. When ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' was released, it was originally marketed as a wargame, but later was described by its creators as a [[role-playing game]]. They called their players ''gamers'' and this is where the word changed definition from someone who gambles to someone who plays [[board game]]s and/or [[video game]]s.<ref name="willaert">{{cite web |last1=Willaert |first1=Kate |title=The Origin Of The Term "Gamer" |url=http://www.acriticalhit.com/origin-of-gamer/ |website=ACriticalHit |date=April 24, 2019 |access-date=June 26, 2019 |archive-date=December 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208014334/http://www.acriticalhit.com/origin-of-gamer/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Categories==
{{Further|Video game#Demographics}}
In the United States as of 2018, 28% of gamers are under 18, 29% are 18–35, 20% are 36-49 and 23% are over 50.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/189582/age-of-us-video-game-players-since-2010/|title=U.S. average age of video gamers 2018 {{!}} Statistic|website=Statista|access-date=2019-06-16|archive-date=June 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190616124758/https://www.statista.com/statistics/189582/age-of-us-video-game-players-since-2010/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the UK as of 2014, 29% are under 18, 32% are 18-35 and 39% are over 36.<ref name="Facts and Figures">{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/04/29/gaming-advocacy-group-the-average-gamer-is-31-and-most-play-on-a-console/|title=Facts and Figures|publisher=Askaboutgames|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613033013/http://www.askaboutgames.com/?c=%2Fpages%2FfactsFigures.jsp|archive-date=June 13, 2007|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-07-16}}</ref> According to [[Pew Research Center]], 49% of adults have played a video game at some point in their life and those who have are more likely to let their children or future children play. Those who play video games regularly are split roughly equally between male and female, but men are more likely to call themselves a gamer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/gaming-and-gamers/|title=Gaming and Gamers|last=Duggan|first=Maeve|date=2015-12-15|website=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech|access-date=2016-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160629023751/http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/gaming-and-gamers/|archive-date=2016-06-29|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2019, the average gamer is 33 years old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/|title=2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry|date=2019-05-02|website=Entertainment Software Association|access-date=2020-01-09|archive-date=January 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120101209/http://www.theesa.com/esa-research/2019-essential-facts-about-the-computer-and-video-game-industry/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Female gamer/gamer girl===
{{Main|Women and video games}}
A female gamer, or gamer girl or girl gamer, is any female who regularly engages in playing video games. According to a study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association in 2009, 40% of the game playing population is female, and women 18 or older comprise 34% of all gamers. Also, the percentage of women playing online had risen to 43%, up 4% from 2004. The same study shows that 48% of game purchasers are female.<ref name="Theesa.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp|title=The Entertainment Software Association – Industry Facts|publisher=Theesa.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141128145706/http://www.theesa.com/facts/index.asp|archive-date=2014-11-28|url-status=dead|access-date=2010-07-16}}</ref><ref name="Facts and Figures"/>
According to a 2015 Pew survey, 6% of women in the United States identify as gamers, compared to 15% of men, and 48% of women and 50% of men play video games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Duggan |first1=Maeve |title=Who plays video games and identifies as a "gamer" |url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/who-plays-video-games-and-identifies-as-a-gamer/ |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=September 17, 2018 |date=December 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914122932/http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/who-plays-video-games-and-identifies-as-a-gamer/ |archive-date=2018-09-14 |url-status=live }}</ref> Usage of the term "girl gamer" is controversial. Some critics have advocated use of the label as a [[reappropriation|reappropriated term]], while others see it as non-descriptive or perpetuating the minority position of female gamers. Some critics of the term believe there is no singular definition of a female gamer and that they are as diverse as any other group. However it is generally understood that the term "girl gamer" implies that it is a girl who plays video games.<ref name="Heather Barefoot">{{cite web | url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/10699-In-Defense-of-the-Casual-Gamer | title=In Defense of the Casual Gamer | publisher=Escapist magazine | date=October 30, 2013 | access-date=March 9, 2014 | author=Heather Barefoot | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140307122907/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/10699-In-Defense-of-the-Casual-Gamer | archive-date=2014-03-07 | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Psychology==
{{Main|Learning curve#Difficulty curves in video games}}
[[Shigeru Miyamoto]] says that "I think that first a game needs a sense of accomplishment. And you have to have a sense that you have done something, so that you get that sense of satisfaction of completing something."<ref>How the inventor of Mario designs a game – Vox</ref>

In April 2020, researchers found that top gamers shared the same [[mental toughness]] as [[Olympic Games|Olympian athletes]].<ref name="QUT-20200611">{{cite news |publisher=Queensland University of Technology |title=Elite gamers share mental toughness with top athletes, study finds – The influence of mental toughness in elite esports |url=https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/quot-egs061120.php |date=11 June 2020 |work=[[EurekAlert!]] |access-date=11 June 2020 |archive-date=June 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200611184638/https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/quot-egs061120.php |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="FIP-20200423">{{cite journal |author=Poulus, Dylan |display-authors=et al. |title=Stress and Coping in Esports and the Influence of Mental Toughness |date=23 April 2020 |journal=[[Frontiers in Psychology]] |volume=11 |page=628 |doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00628 |pmid=32390900 |pmc=7191198 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

Escapism is a major factor in why individuals enjoy gaming. This idea of being in another world while gaming has become very common with gamers, these video games create a new world where these gamers feel they fit in and can control what is going on'''.'''<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Giardina|first1=Alessandro|last2=Starcevic|first2=Vladan|last3=King|first3=Daniel L.|last4=Schimmenti|first4=Adriano|last5=Di Blasi|first5=Maria|last6=Billieux|first6=Joël|date=2021-09-23|title=Research Directions in the Study of Gaming-Related Escapism: a Commentary to Melodia, Canale, and Griffiths (2020)|journal=International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction|volume=21 |issue=2 |pages=1075–1081 |doi=10.1007/s11469-021-00642-8|s2cid=237611120|issn=1557-1874|doi-access=free|hdl=10447/520312|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Gaming is a form of escapism,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Muriel |first1=Daniel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cHhQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT121 |title=Video Games as Culture: Considering the Role and Importance of Video Games in Contemporary Society |last2=Crawford |first2=Garry |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-317-22392-4 |page=121 |access-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125231331/https://books.google.com/books?id=cHhQDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT121 |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Hideo Kojima]] states that "If the player isn't tricked into believing that the world is real, then there's no point in making the game."<ref name="Holmes2012">{{cite book |last=Holmes |first=Dylan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DFBzOO17SHcC&pg=PA83 |title=A Mind Forever Voyaging: A History of Storytelling in Video Games |publisher=Dylan Holmes |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-4800-0575-4 |page=83 |access-date=April 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125231331/https://books.google.com/books?id=DFBzOO17SHcC&pg=PA83 |archive-date=January 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Types and demographics==
{{OriginalResearch|section|date=August 2024}}
===Sexes===
Two highly controversial issues surrounding the gaming world in today's day and age are ideas of gender roles and LGBTQ+ involvement in the gaming industry. It is first important to understand the difference between men and women in the world of gaming. Although roughly the same number of men and women play games, the stereotype of a gamer is one that is predominantly male. A justification sometimes given for this is that while many women occasionally play games, they should not be considered "true" gamers because they tend to play games that are more casual and require fewer skills than men. This [[stereotype]] is perpetuated by the fact that at a professional level, most of the teams competing are composed of men, while female gamers of moderate skill are rendered invisible. The average gamer is seen as a male player who is usually Caucasian.'''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ensslin |first=Astrid |title=Language of Gaming. |date=2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-35708-2 |oclc=965718557}}</ref> '''A study has shown 48% of game purchases are from female consumers, but in 2015 only 6% of women that are in the U.S. identify as a gamer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Ideas behind the word "girl gamer" tend to spark a contentious reaction, and the use of this name has been supported as a title that is seen as a [[Reappropriation|reappropriated term]].

===Gaymer===
{{Main|Gaymer}}
[[File:Silicon Valley Pride Parade 2016 - -SVPride2016 (28844993833).jpg|thumb|Silicon Valley Pride Parade]]
Besides the distinction of a "girl gamer" from a "male gamer", there is also a common understanding as [[stereotype]] of a "Gaymer." A Gaymer is a depiction of a gay gamer, and someone who identifies their sexual orientation to be a part of the [[LGBT]] ([[gay]], [[bisexual]], [[lesbian]], or [[transgender]]) community while participating in video games. The concept of Gaymers is a part of two surveys in 2006 and 2009. The 2006 survey took note of the levels of detriment that Gaymers may have experienced, and the 2009 survey kept detail of the content that Gaymers would find to be normalized in [[video game]]s. Staying the topic of ideas behind gaming and the relationship with the LGBTQ community, it has been noted that video games are starting to develop more characters and depictions of members from this specific community. Some of the topics of these specific LGBTQ-friendly video games include such ideas as [[coming out]] stories and [[queer]] relationships.'''<ref name="theguardian.com">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-27 |title=Meet the gaymers: why queer representation is exploding in video games |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jul/27/meet-the-gaymers-why-queer-representation-is-exploding-in-video-games |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=the Guardian |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204203843/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jul/27/meet-the-gaymers-why-queer-representation-is-exploding-in-video-games |url-status=live }}</ref> '''These games are also providing the option of character creation with different forms of gender expression along with more LGBTQ romance options.'''<ref name="theguardian.com"/> '''One example of these games in the LGBTQ+ realm of dating would be ''[[Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator]],'' released in 2017.'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Winterhalter |first=Elizabeth |date=2021-06-02 |title=Venn Diagram of LGBTQ+ and Gaming Communities Goes Here |url=https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/ |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=JSTOR Daily |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203120218/https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/ |url-status=live }}</ref> '''The game had many queer individuals debating, but the overall representation of the game was applauded by many LGBTQ+ people due to its accurate presentation and the way that it provided comfort to people of many sexualities. Having more of these gender- and sexuality-friendly games is providing LGBTQ+ members with a safe space to feel welcome and explore their queerness in a more confident manner.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

[[File:GaymerXLogo.png|thumb|Gaymer Logo for LGBT Gaming Convention]]

Although the LGBTQ+ gamers are starting to make more of a mark in the gaming world, there are still many disadvantages to this process. Homophobia in the gaming world does tend to take a toll on the problem of an equally shared gaming experience. This is both an issue within the games industry and many areas of the games culture. The brings back the thought of importance for increasing LGBTQ representation in games, especially with such events as GaymerX.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Straightwashing ''Undertale'': Video games and the limits of LGBTQ representation |url=https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/1516/1866?inline=1 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=journal.transformativeworks.org |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205192426/https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/1516/1866?inline=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a study called the online roulette survey that shows that queer gamers are at a disadvantage financially for the fact that the highest earning professional gamers in the LGBTQ+ community bring in less money than popular heterosexual professional gamers.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-06 |title=LGBTQ+ Gamers Are Facing an Epidemic of Online Harassment |url=https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-gamers-facing-epidemic-of-online-harassment |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Them |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109233032/https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-gamers-facing-epidemic-of-online-harassment |url-status=live }}</ref> '''This highlights that not only is there a huge divide between male and female counterparts in the gaming industry, but there also happens to be a great divide when it comes to sexual preference in the gaming world, especially when it comes to the professional gaming scene. Often, tech companies' privilege men's point of view over women's participation in tech and their consumption, which could be seen as vice versa for people of a homosexual and heterosexual identity.'''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2005rgq |title=Gaming Representation: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Video Games |date=2017 |publisher=Indiana University Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctt2005rgq |jstor=j.ctt2005rgq |isbn=978-0-253-02573-9 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205190637/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2005rgq |url-status=live }}</ref> '''The two topics will always hold a big weight in the gaming industry.

==={{Anchor|Dedication spectrum}} Dedication spectrum===
It is common for games media, games industry analysts, and academics to divide gamers into broad behavioral categories. These categories are sometimes separated by level of dedication to gaming, sometimes by primary type of game played, and sometimes by a combination of those and other factors. There is no general consensus on the definitions or names of these categories, though many attempts have been made to formalize them. An overview of these attempts and their common elements follows.

* ''[[Newbie]]'': (commonly shortened to "noob", "n00b", or "newb") A slang term for a [[wikt:novice|novice]] or [[wikt:newcomer|newcomer]] to a certain game, or to gaming in general.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Misc/welaish.html |title=Masonry on the Internet |publisher=Web.mit.edu |access-date=2012-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708225739/http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Misc/welaish.html |archive-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/words-online-gaming-opinions-books-newbs.html|title=Gamer Speak for Newbs|work=Forbes|author=Anna Vander Broek|date=2009-04-23|access-date=2010-02-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409134803/http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/words-online-gaming-opinions-books-newbs.html|archive-date=2012-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Casual gamer'': The term often used for gamers who primarily play [[casual games]], but can also refer to gamers who play less frequently than other gamers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/30/core-and-casual-whats-the-difference/|title=Core and Casual: What's the difference?|date=2011-04-30|access-date=2017-08-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726181350/https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/30/core-and-casual-whats-the-difference/|archive-date=2017-07-26|url-status=live}}</ref> Casual gamers may play games designed for ease of gameplay, or play more involved games in short sessions, or at a slower pace than hardcore gamers.<ref name="Heather Barefoot"/> The types of game that casual gamers play vary, and they are less likely to own a dedicated video game console.<ref>Magrino, Tom, [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6178563.html?tag=result;title;1 GameStop: Casual gamers spurring hardcore holiday sales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072417/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6178563.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B1 |date=July 11, 2011 }}, GameSpot, September 11, 2007, Accessed May 3, 2008</ref><ref>Boyes, Emma, [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186207.html?tag=result;title;0 GDC '08: Are casual games the future?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072428/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186207.html?tag=result;title;0 |date=July 11, 2011 }}, ''GameSpot'', February 18, 2008, Accessed May 3, 2008</ref> Notable examples of casual games include ''[[The Sims]]'' and ''[[Nintendogs]]''.<ref name="inaCasualization"/> Casual gamer demographics vary greatly from those of other video gamers, as the typical casual gamer is older and more predominantly female.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6695921|title=Women driving 'casual game' boom|first=Troy|last=Wolverton|work=San Jose Mercury News|date=2007-08-23|access-date=2007-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006163201/http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6695921|archive-date=2012-10-06|url-status=live}}</ref> Fitness gamers, who play motion-based exercise games, are also seen as casual gamers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/04/19/plethora-of-fitness-titles-lined-up-for-playstation-move/|title=Plethora of Fitness Titles Lined Up For PlayStation Move#|work=PlayStation LifeStyle|date=2010-04-19|access-date=2010-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422210705/http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/04/19/plethora-of-fitness-titles-lined-up-for-playstation-move/|archive-date=2010-04-22|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Core gamer'': (also mid-core) A player with a wider range of interests than a casual gamer and is more likely to enthusiastically play different types of games,<ref name="IwataAsksWiiU3definition">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true/#/e32011/newhw/0/6|title=Iwata Asks: E3 2011 Special Edition|page=7|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2011-06-09|quote='''Iwata''': the definition of a core gamer is much wider, namely, someone who has a much wider range of interests, someone who enthusiastically plays many types of games that challenges different creative directions.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608122917/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true%2F#/e32011/newhw/0/6|archive-date=2011-06-08|url-status=live}}</ref> but without the amount of time spent and sense of competition of a hardcore gamer. The mid-core gamer enjoys games but may not finish every game they buy and is a [[target consumer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/are-you-a-mid-core-gamer/|title=Are you a mid-core gamer?|publisher=[[joystiq.com]]|author=Scott Jon Siegel|access-date=2011-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628160444/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/are-you-a-mid-core-gamer/|archive-date=2013-06-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NextGeneration">{{cite web | title=GameStop | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1277&Itemid=32 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203110531/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1277&Itemid=32 | archive-date=2007-12-03 | first=Colin | last=Campbell | date=2005-10-10 | work=Edge | publisher=Future| access-date=2008-02-07}}</ref> Former Nintendo president [[Satoru Iwata]] stated that they designed the [[Wii U]] to cater to core gamers who are in between the casual and hardcore categories.<ref name="IwataAsksWiiU3cater">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true/#/e32011/newhw/0/6|title=Iwata Asks: E3 2011 Special Edition|page=7|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2011-06-09|quote='''Iwata''': On the other hand, I certainly do not think that Wii was able to cater to every gamer's needs, so that's also something I wanted to resolve. [...] The keyword for our presentation at this year's E3 is "Deeper and Wider". With Wii U, I would like to offer this proposal with that concept.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608122917/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true%2F#/e32011/newhw/0/6|archive-date=2011-06-08|url-status=live}}</ref> A number of theories have been presented regarding the rise in popularity of mid-core games. James Hursthouse, the founder of Roadhouse Interactive, credits the evolution of devices towards tablets and touch-screen interfaces, whereas [[Jon Radoff]] of [[Disruptor Beam]] compares the emergence of mid-core games to similar increases in media sophistication that have occurred in media such as television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/9/4604088/the-rise-of-midcore-gaming|title=Core gamers, mobile games and the origins of the midcore audience|website=Polygon|access-date=2013-08-13|date=2013-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812005427/http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/9/4604088/the-rise-of-midcore-gaming|archive-date=2013-08-12|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Hardcore gamer'': [[Ernest W. Adams|Ernest Adams]] and [[Scott Kim]] have proposed classification metrics to distinguish "hardcore gamers" from casual gamers,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/from-casual-to-core-a-statistical-mechanism-for-studying-gamer-dedication | title=From Casual to Core: A Statistical Mechanism for Studying Gamer Dedication | work=Gamasutra | access-date=June 17, 2014 | author=Adams, Ernest | date=June 5, 2002 | archive-date=July 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225558/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131397/from_casual_to_core_a_statistical_.php | url-status=live }}</ref> emphasizing action, competition, complexity, gaming communities, and staying abreast of developments in hardware and software. Others have attempted to draw the distinction based primarily on which platforms a gamer prefers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/260885,the-problems-of-defining-a-hardcore-gamer.aspx|title=The problems of defining a hardcore gamer|access-date=2015-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205021102/http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/260885,the-problems-of-defining-a-hardcore-gamer.aspx|archive-date=2015-02-05|url-status=live}}</ref> or to decry the entire concept of delineating casual from hardcore as divisive and vague.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/10/22/call-of-duty-demonstrates-the-completely-fictitious-line-between-hardcore-and-casual-gaming/|title='Call of Duty' Demonstrates The Completely Fictitious Line Between Hardcore And Casual Gaming|first=Paul|last=Tassi|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=2017-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729125844/https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/10/22/call-of-duty-demonstrates-the-completely-fictitious-line-between-hardcore-and-casual-gaming/|archive-date=2017-07-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Professional gamer===
[[Professional]] gamers generally play video games for prize money or salaries. Usually, such individuals deeply study the game in order to master it and usually to play in competitions like [[esports]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Daniel Schorn |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146.shtml |title='Fatal1ty' article at CBS News |publisher=Cbsnews.com |date=2006-08-06 |access-date=2010-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312212033/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146.shtml |archive-date=2012-03-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A pro gamer may also be another type of gamer, such as a hardcore gamer, if he or she meets the additional criteria for that gamer type. In countries of Asia, particularly [[South Korea]] and China, professional gamers and teams are [[sponsorship|sponsored]] by large companies and can earn more than {{USD|100,000|link=no}} a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/7/23/235053/081 |title=A Brief Look At Professional Gaming |publisher=kuro5hin.org |access-date=2010-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315182456/http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/7/23/235053/081 |archive-date=March 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2006, [[Major League Gaming]] contracted several ''[[Halo 2]]'' players including [[Tom "Tsquared" Taylor]] and members of [[Team Final Boss]] with $250,000 yearly deals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-awards-1-75-million-in-contracts-for-top-pro-gamers |title=MLG Awards $1.75 Million in Contracts for Top Pro Gamers (press release) |work=Major League Gaming |date=December 18, 2006 |access-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119153203/http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-awards-1-75-million-in-contracts-for-top-pro-gamers |archive-date=2015-11-19 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many professional gamers find that competitions are able to provide a substantial amount of money to support themselves. However, oftentimes, these popular gamers can locate even more lucrative options. One such option is found through online [[live streaming]] of their games. These gamers who take time out of their lives to stream make money from their stream, usually through sponsorships with large companies looking for a new audience or donations from their fans just trying to support their favorite streamer. Live streaming often occurs through popular websites such as [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] and [[YouTube]]. Professional gamers with particularly large followings can often bring their fan bases to watch them play on live streams. An example of this is shown through retired professional ''[[League of Legends]]'' player Wei "CaoMei" Han-Dong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/11/3/7149137/league-of-legends-pro-player-retires-to-stream|title=League of Legends pro-player retires to stream games for more than $800,000|last=emilygera|date=2014-11-03|website=Polygon|access-date=2019-03-04|archive-date=March 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111423/https://www.polygon.com/2014/11/3/7149137/league-of-legends-pro-player-retires-to-stream|url-status=live}}</ref> Han-Dong had decided to retire from [[esports]] due to his ability to acquire substantially higher pay through live streaming. His yearly salary through the Battle Flag TV live streaming service increased his pay to roughly $800,000 yearly.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Live streaming can be seen by many as a truly lucrative way for professional gamers to make money in a way that can also lessen the pressure in the competitive scene. We are seeing a rapid increase in the young video game players wanting to be professional gamers instead of the "pro athlete". The career path of becoming a professional gamer is open for anyone any race, gender, and background.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bányai|first1=Fanni|last2=Zsila|first2=Ágnes|last3=Griffiths|first3=Mark D.|last4=Demetrovics|first4=Zsolt|last5=Király|first5=Orsolya|date=2020-08-05|title=Career as a Professional Gamer: Gaming Motives as Predictors of Career Plans to Become a Professional Esport Player|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=11|page=1866|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01866|pmid=32903792|pmc=7438909|issn=1664-1078|doi-access=free}}</ref> The gaming community now has developed at a much faster rate and now is being considered esports. These more serious gamers are professional gamers; they are individuals that take the average everyday gaming much more seriously and profit from how they perform.<ref>{{Citation|title=Players/Gamers|date=2014-01-03|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203114261-35|work=The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies|pages=223–229|publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9780203114261-35|isbn=9780203114261|access-date=2021-11-24|archive-date=January 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125231335/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203114261-35/shooting-gerald-voorhees|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Retrogamer===
{{Main|Retrogaming}}
A retro gamer is a gamer who prefers to play, and enough collect, [[retro games]]—older video games and [[arcade game]]s. They may also be called ''classic gamers'' or ''[[wikt:old school|old-school]] gamers'', which are terms that are more prevalent in the United States. The games can be played on the original hardware, on modern hardware via [[Video game console emulator|emulation]], or on modern hardware via [[Porting|ports]] or compilations (though those 'in the hobby' tend toward original hardware and emulation).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/articles/columns/game/gars-07142004.ars|title=NES Classics: retro gaming, at a price: Page 1|publisher=arstechnica.com|access-date=2008-04-14|date=2004-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607203445/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2004/07/gars-07142004.ars|archive-date=2011-06-07|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Classification in taxonomies===
A number of [[Taxonomy (general)|taxonomies]] have been proposed which classify gamer types and the aspects they value in games.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Gaymers-Difference-Makes-Video-Players-ebook/dp/B0192KWP06/182-5342459-6520231|title=Gaymers: the Difference a 'Y' Makes: How (and Why) to Make Video Games LGBT Players Care About|last=Nowak|first=Paul S.|date=2015-12-07|publisher=Prince Pocket Press|edition=1|access-date=June 2, 2016|archive-date=February 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214164459/https://www.amazon.com/Gaymers-Difference-Makes-Video-Players-ebook/dp/B0192KWP06/182-5342459-6520231|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Bartle taxonomy of player types]] classifies gamers according to their preferred activities within the game:

* Achievers, who like to gain points and overall succeed within the game parameters, collecting all rewards and [[game badge]]s.
* Explorers, who like to discover all areas within the game, including [[Secret level|hidden areas]] and [[glitch]]es, and expose all game mechanics.
* Socializers, who prefer to play games for the social aspect, rather than the actual game itself.
* Beaters, who thrive on competition with other players.
* Completionists, who are combinations of the Achiever and Explorer types. They complete every aspect of the game (main story, side quests, achievements) while finding every secret within it.
The [[MDA framework]] describes various aspects of the game regarding the basic rules and actions (''Mechanics''), how they build up during game to develop the [[gameplay]] (''Dynamics''), and what emotional response they convey to the player (''Aesthetics''). The described esthetics are further classified as Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission. [[Jesse Schell]] extends this classification with Anticipation, [[Schadenfreude]], Gift giving, Humour, Possibility, Pride, Purification, Surprise, Thrill, Perseverance and Wonder, and proposes a number of generalizations of differences between how males and females play.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ePcYCwAAQBAJ|title=The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Second Edition|last=Schell|first=Jesse|date=2015-09-15|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781498759564}}</ref>

==Avatar==
{{Main|Avatar (computing)}}
{{See also|Player character}}
{{More citations needed section|date=August 2023}}

Creating an avatar can be one of the first interaction that a potential player makes to identify themselves among the gaming community.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thegamer.com/pro-gamer-steps-important/ |title=26 Important Steps To Become A Pro Gamer |date=2018-08-13 |website=TheGamer |access-date=2019-01-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121040/https://www.thegamer.com/pro-gamer-steps-important/ |archive-date=2019-01-19 |url-status=live}}</ref> An avatar, username, game name, alias, gamer tag, screen name, or handle is a name (usually a [[pseudonym]]) adopted by a video gamer, often used as a main preferred identification to the gaming community. Usage of user names is often most prevalent in games with [[online multiplayer]] support, or at [[electronic sport]] conventions. While some well-known gamers only go by their online handle, a number have adopted to using their handle within their real name typically presented as a [[middle name]], such as [[Ninja (video game player)|Tyler "Ninja" Blevins]] or [[sinatraa|Jay "sinatraa" Won]].

Similarly, a ''clan tag'' is a prefix or suffix added to a name to identify that the gamer is in a clan. Clans are generally a group of gamers who play together as a team against other clans. They are most commonly found in online multi-player games in which one team can face off against another. Clans can also be formed to create loosely based affiliations perhaps by all being fans of the same game or merely gamers who have close personal ties to each other. A ''team tag'' is a prefix or suffix added to a name to identify that the gamer is in a team. Teams are generally sub-divisions within the same clan and are regarded within gaming circuits as being a purely competitive affiliation. These gamers are usually in an online league such as the Cyberathlete Amateur League (C.A.L.) and their parent company the Cyberathlete Professional League (C.P.L.) where all grouped players were labeled as teams and not clans.

==Clans and guilds==
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2021}}
A [[Clan (video games)|clan]], squad or [[guild]] is a group of players that form, usually under an informal 'leader' or administrator. Clans are often formed by gamers with similar interests; many clans or guilds form to connect an 'offline' community that might otherwise be isolated due to geographic, cultural or physical barriers. Some clans are composed of [[E-sports|professional gamers]], who enter competitive tournaments for cash or other prizes; most, however, are simply groups of like-minded players that band together for a mutual purpose (for example, a gaming-related interest or social group).

==Identity==
The identity of being a gamer is partly self-determination and partly [[performativity]] of characteristics society expects a gamer to embody.<ref name="adaNotGamers"/> These expectations include not only a high level of dedication to playing games, but also preferences for certain types of games, as well as an interest in game-related paraphernalia like clothing and comic books.<ref name="adaNotGamers"/> According to [[Graeme Kirkpatrick]], the "true gamer" is concerned first and foremost with [[gameplay]].<ref name="overlandClueless"/> ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]'' founder Alexander Macris says a gamer is an enthusiast with greater dedication to games than just playing them, similar in connotation to "[[cinemaphile]]".<ref name="escapistPublisherNote">{{cite web|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/12223-The-Escapist-Publisher-Issues-Public-Statement-on-Gamergate|last=Macris|first=Alexander|work=The Escapist|title=Publisher's Note: The State of Gaming|access-date=2015-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160117150925/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/editorials/12223-The-Escapist-Publisher-Issues-Public-Statement-on-Gamergate|archive-date=2016-01-17|url-status=live}}</ref> People who play may not identify as gamers because they feel they do not play "enough" to qualify.<ref name="adaNotGamers"/> Social stigma against games has influenced some women and minorities to distance themselves from the term "gamer", even though they may play regularly.<ref name="adaNotGamers">{{cite journal|url=http://adanewmedia.org/2013/06/issue2-shaw/|last=Shaw|first=Adrienne|title=On Not Becoming Gamers: Moving Beyond the Constructed Audience|journal=Ada|issue=2|date=October 2014|doi=10.7264/N33N21B3 |doi-broken-date=July 12, 2025 |access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123185112/http://adanewmedia.org/2013/06/issue2-shaw/|archive-date=2015-11-23|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="newmediaDoYou">{{cite journal|url=http://nms.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/06/15/1461444811410394|last=Shaw|first=Adrienne|title=Do you identify as a gamer? Gender, race, sexuality, and gamer identity|date=June 16, 2011|journal=New Media & Society|volume=14|pages=28–44|doi=10.1177/1461444811410394|s2cid=206727217|access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611090659/http://nms.sagepub.com/content/early/2011/06/15/1461444811410394|archive-date=2016-06-11|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Demographics===
Games are stereotypically associated with young males, but the diversity of the audience has been steadily increasing over time.<ref name="bizNotGender">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-10-30-platform-not-gender-drives-gamer-differences-eedar|last=Nofziger|first=Heather|title=Platform, not gender, drives gamer differences|date=October 30, 2014 |access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222140357/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-10-30-platform-not-gender-drives-gamer-differences-eedar|archive-date=2015-12-22|url-status=live}}</ref> This stereotype exists even among a majority of women who play video games regularly.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/public-debates-about-gaming-and-gamers/|title=2. Public debates about gaming and gamers|last=Duggan|first=Maeve|date=2015-12-15|website=Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech|access-date=2016-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160703000939/http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/public-debates-about-gaming-and-gamers/|archive-date=2016-07-03|url-status=live}}</ref> Among players using the same category of device (e.g., console or phone), patterns of play are largely the same between men and women. Diversity is driven in part by new hardware platforms.<ref name="bizNotGender"/> Expansion of the audience was catalyzed by [[Nintendo marketing#Demographic shifts|Nintendo's efforts to reach new demographics]].<ref name="inaCasualization"/> Market penetration of [[smartphones]] with gaming capabilities further expanded the audience,<ref name="inaCasualization"/> since in contrast to consoles or high-end PCs, mobile phone gaming requires only devices that non-gamers are likely to already own.<ref name="bizNotGender"/>

While 48% of women in the United States report having played a video game, only 6% identify as gamers, compared to 15% of men who identify as gamers.<ref name="pewGamer2015">{{cite web|url=http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/attitudes-about-video-games/|last=Duggan|first=Maeve|publisher=Pew Research Center|title=Gaming and Gamers|date=2015-12-15|access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151219073925/http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/12/15/attitudes-about-video-games/|archive-date=2015-12-19|url-status=live}}</ref> This rises to 9% among women aged 18–29, compared to 33% of men in that age group. Half of female [[Pc game|PC gamers]] in the U.S. consider themselves to be core or hardcore gamers.<ref name="pcgamerFemale">{{cite web|url=http://www.pcgamer.com/researchers-find-that-female-pc-gamers-outnumber-males/|title=Researchers find that female PC gamers outnumber males|newspaper=PC Gamer|date=2014-10-29|access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218143012/http://www.pcgamer.com/researchers-find-that-female-pc-gamers-outnumber-males/|archive-date=2015-12-18|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="superdataWhyAll">{{cite web|url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/why-all-gamers-matter/|title=Why ALL gamers matter – my view as a female games analyst|date=October 28, 2014|access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151224230547/https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/why-all-gamers-matter/|archive-date=2015-12-24|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Connotations of "gamer" with sexism on the fringe of gaming culture has caused women to be less willing to adopt the label.<ref name="nytimesShunLabel">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/technology/personaltech/women-who-play-games-shun-gamer-label.html|last=McPhate|first=Mike|work=The New York Times|title=Women Who Play Games Shun 'Gamer' Label|date=2015-12-16|access-date=2017-03-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708010149/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/17/technology/personaltech/women-who-play-games-shun-gamer-label.html|archive-date=2017-07-08|url-status=live}}</ref>

Racial minorities responding to Pew Research were more likely to describe themselves as gamers, with 19% of [[Hispanics]] identifying as gamers, compared to 11% of [[African Americans]] and 7% of [[whites]].<ref name="pewGamer2015"/> The competitive [[fighting game]] scene is noted as particularly racially diverse and tolerant.<ref name="polygonFightingGame">{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/2/6/5361004/fighting-game-diversity|last=Bowman|first=Rich|work=Polygon|title=Why the Fighting Game Community is Color Blind|date=2014-02-06|access-date=2015-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222112413/http://www.polygon.com/features/2014/2/6/5361004/fighting-game-diversity|archive-date=2015-12-22|url-status=live}}</ref> This is attributed to its origin in arcades, where competitors met face to face and the barrier to entry was merely a [[Quarter (United States coin)|quarter]].<ref name="polygonFightingGame"/> Only 4% of those aged 50 and over identified as gamers.<ref name="pewGamer2015"/>

===Casualization===
Casualization is a trend in video games towards simpler games appealing to larger audiences, especially women or the elderly.<ref name="inaCasualization">{{cite web|last=Sarrazin|first=Vincent|date=October 7, 2011|url=http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/video-games/article/casualisation-video-games|title=The Casualisation of Video Games|work=ina global|publisher=[[Institut national de l'audiovisuel]]|access-date=June 3, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906195110/http://www.inaglobal.fr/en/video-games/article/casualisation-video-games|archive-date=2017-09-06|url-status=live}}</ref> Some developers, hoping to attract a broader audience, simplify or remove aspects of [[gameplay]] in established genres and franchises.<ref name="gamasutraDumbingDown"/> Compared to seminal titles like ''[[Doom (1993 video game)|DOOM]]'', more recent mass-market action games like the [[Call of Duty]] series are less sensitive to player choice or skill, approaching the status of [[interactive movie]]s.<ref name="eurogamerDoom">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-06-22-years-on-doom-retains-the-ability-to-shock|last=Stewart|first=Keith|work=The Guardian|title=22 years on, Doom retains the ability to shock|date=2015-07-07|access-date=2015-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222081803/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-06-22-years-on-doom-retains-the-ability-to-shock|archive-date=2015-12-22|url-status=live}}</ref>

The trend towards casual games is decried by some self-identified gamers who emphasize gameplay, meaning the activities that one undertakes in a game.<ref name="overlandClueless">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamestudies.org/1201/articles/kirkpatrick|title=Constitutive tensions of gaming's field: UK gaming magazines and the formation of gaming culture|last=Kirkpatrick|first=Graeme|work=Gamestudies.org|access-date=2016-06-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160623063357/http://gamestudies.org/1201/articles/kirkpatrick|archive-date=2016-06-23|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Brendan Keogh, these are inherently masculine activities such as fighting and exerting dominance. He further says that games women prefer are more passive experiences, and male gamers deride the lack of interactivity in these games because of this association with femininity.<ref name="overlandClueless"/> Belying these trends, games including ''[[The Sims]]'' or ''[[Minecraft]]'' have some of the largest audiences in the industry while also being very complex.<ref name="gamasutraDumbingDown">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JohnathonSwift/20140110/208440/quotDumbing_downquot.php|last=Swift|first=Johnathon|work=Gamasutra|title=Dumbing down|date=January 10, 2014|access-date=2015-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222164844/http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/JohnathonSwift/20140110/208440/quotDumbing_downquot.php|archive-date=2015-12-22|url-status=dead}}</ref> According to Joost van Dreunen of SuperData Research, girls who play ''Minecraft'' are "just as 'hardcore' as the next guy over who plays ''[[Counter-Strike]]''".<ref name="washpoMoreWomen">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/10/17/more-women-play-video-games-than-boys-and-other-surprising-facts-lost-in-the-mess-of-gamergate/|last=Harwell|first=Drew|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=More women play video games than boys, and other surprising facts lost in the mess of Gamergate|access-date=2015-12-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223202854/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/10/17/more-women-play-video-games-than-boys-and-other-surprising-facts-lost-in-the-mess-of-gamergate/|archive-date=2015-12-23|url-status=live}}</ref> Dreunen says being in control of a game's environment appeals equally to boys and girls.<ref name="washpoMoreWomen"/> [[Leigh Alexander (journalist)|Leigh Alexander]] argued that appealing to women does not necessarily entail reduced difficulty or complexity.<ref name="edgeDumbingDown">{{cite web|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/too-many-gamers-think-diversity-means-dumbing-down-its-time-to-forget-that-outmoded-view/ |last=Alexander |first=Leigh |work=Edge |title=Too many gamers think diversity means dumbing down – it's time to forget that outmoded view |date=August 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713174818/http://www.edge-online.com/features/too-many-gamers-think-diversity-means-dumbing-down-its-time-to-forget-that-outmoded-view/ |archive-date=July 13, 2014 }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Video Games|Society}}
* [[Entertainment Consumers Association]]
* [[Esports]]
* [[Gamers Outreach Foundation]]
* ''[[Going Cardboard]]'' (documentary)
* [[List of gaming topics]]
* [[Player (game)]]
* [[Video game addiction]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=2021-09-03|En-Gamer.ogg}}
* {{Commons-inline}}

{{Fandom}}

[[Category:Gaming]]
[[Category:Nerd culture]]
[[Category:Stereotypes]]
[[Category:Video game culture]]
[[Category:Video gaming]]
[[Category:Video game terminology]]