Why I'm a Gamer and What Does That Mean Anyway?

So, as I promised before, I have content in the works. This is one piece of that content, and I'll try and keep it short, but not short enough to not cover at least some small, vague portion of the topic. Hold on, I'm going to grab a Coke Zero and some popcorn while I explore just why, exactly, I'm a gamer. Wait a minute, that's you're job! I have to do the typing... *grunble grumble*

I would say that gaming started early for me, like most of us here. However, I was always a little farther behind everyone else I knew when it came to gaming. I ended up skipping around a bit because my parents didn't quite understand what I was talking about when I asked for something specific. For me, the first thing I had was an ATARI 2600.



I've spent so much time playing games rather than watching movies or TV shows, that I honestly don't know much about either. I see some of the better movies when they come into the theatre and at home. Right now, the wife and I are enjoying Game of Thrones. However, there's not a whole lot else! I spend most of my time dicking around in games and reading/studying IT related topics from my computer.

But when it comes down to what my favorite is, I still think it's PC gaming. I have an XB360, but I spend considerably less time on it than I do my PC. I enjoy the things that PC games try to do and a lot of times it ties in with one of my other favorite things in life: technology. PC games will tend to take advantage of some really great things, like Eyefinity/Multi-monitor and incredible new graphics capabilities. To me, the PC is the experimental platform and that's why I enjoy it most.

But, I think really we have to break it down a little. What is a gamer? Is it anyone who has ever played a game? Is it someone who simply derives enjoyment from playing video games? Is it someone who spends a majority of their time gaming? These are all hard questions. They are questions without any one good answer. I think "gamer" is actually a really vague term that we give ourselves to associate with one another.

From my perspective, I don't see too many other forms of entertainment assigning broad labels to those who enjoy them. There's no Bookers or Filmers that broadly describe people who read books and watch movies. Sure, there are bookworms and movie buffs, but those define a very niche group from those mediums. So why do gamers call themselves, gamers? It's kind of a unique thing once you start to really look at it.

It's a great thing, really. We've created a sub-culture completely based off of references we've created and contextual humor from those references. We truly enjoy ourselves when we've got a bunch of us together to frag the hell out of each other and completely obliterate each other in a whirl of pixels and yelling "PWNED, BITCH!" across the room or over the internet to our buddies.

I wouldn't give it up for the world.


God damn it, get back here squirrel! Stop throwing popcorn at me! *chases after the pants squirrel.*

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