The Energon Pub

I was thinking about this a lot. What does it mean to be a True Gamer. Sure we have Fanboys, Hardcore Gamers, and all other sorts of names for different types of Gamers.

But what does it mean to be a True Gamer?

I'll post my thoughts on it in a bit.

A "True" gamer would be the complete antithesis of a fanboy.

A fanboy thinks that one console is the best.

A "True" gamer would be able to get into any game, and see both the good and the bad in every console.

Shadowman wrote:A "True" gamer would be the complete antithesis of a fanboy.

A fanboy thinks that one console is the best.

A "True" gamer would be able to get into any game, and see both the good and the bad in every console.

Or have a logical reason for why one is dominant over another.

A true gamer wins with skill and loses with grace.

Shadowman wrote:A "True" gamer would be the complete antithesis of a fanboy.

A fanboy thinks that one console is the best.

A "True" gamer would be able to get into any game, and see both the good and the bad in every console.

I agree a true gamer should be able to see the good and bad points of a game and not just go OMFG Halo roXor and completely ignore its problems, same goes with consoles.

The 360 has awesome games and xbox live, but isn't the most reliable.

The PS3 has bluray for movies and storage space, but is bogged down with the same poor interface off the psp and it currently lacking good games even 11 months after its launch.

The Wii has an ingenius control scheme, but is underpowered in comparision and has a lack of games that make good use of said control scheme.

I've played my share of games from pretty much every genre in my 19 years of gaming and have seen any excellent and poor games from all of them, and the downright pathetic(Hellboy anyone? 3% review PC Gamer UK).

The games that I keep coming back to though are those that really engage me or are humourous as well as well thought like rts games or quirky stuff like the sorely under rated Giants: Citizen Kabuto(although the ps2 version deserves its critisism).

As with people who define themselves by their musical tastes, people who define themselves by their gaming habits are amoungst the most shallow, pathetic little turdlings on the face of the planet.

That being said, I imagine the "True" gamer lies somewhere inbetween the "casual" and "hardcore" and while you may not care about WRs and have spent thousands on PCBs, in order to qualify you still must:

- Appreciate the merits and faults of all systems.

- Have dabbled in every genre.

- Not judge the quality of games based on how obscure or mainstream they are.

- Own at least one import-only title.

- Have caught Mewtwo without the Master Ball.

- Beaten Final Fantasy VII.

- Own at least 1 item of gaming merchandise (Sonic plushie etc)

- Have participated in some sort of online death match.

- Have spent at least 200 hours in an MMO.

- Have played Goldeneye four-player

- Have experimented with modding/creating your own content.

- Know who Chris Hueslbeck is.

- Know what game this is from ---->

- Really, really want to know what Spore is going to be like.

- Have 1CCed at least one shmup.

- Be attitude for gains.

- Understand what the above two sentences mean.

A true gamer is one who truly enjoys a game for one reason or another, regardless of the console it's on, genre, age, critical evaluation, whatever.

But to go a little deeper, I think a true gamer who is a "fan" of X particular game ore genre should respect every console, good or bad, and not say "That game is so old, the graphics suck", or "Since X game is gonna be released on this console, it's gonna suck, why can't it be on this console, then it would rule, blah blah blah".

My definition of a true gamer is one who puts more emphasis on the actual game as opposed to what console, or computer its running on. Who sees these machines for precisely what they are, games machines.
Someone who can see the good and bad points in a given piece of software despite hype or personal basis/taste.
I for one do not like the grand theft auto series, however i do respect the innovation they have supplied to the sandbox genre of games.
And most definitely, someone who doesn't judge a game until they've sat down and played it. They don't like a game because it sucks, not because of what system its for, who make it, or what score ign gave it!

Being one or not being one doesnt make anyone a better person than the other, i wish people would stop acting like it does somehow. So the question is moot in my opinion.

But that said i think a true gamer is anyone who can spend hours having fun with a video game. Simple as that.

Being that I have a post count of three(ish), I haven't posted in any TF-related threads, and that I'm far too obnoxious to voice my opinion as it immediately pops into my head, I'm going to check my ego at least until post 20 and say this tactfully.

I don't believe, if we were to really think about it, there is a criteria for a true gamer, just as there never will be for a movie-buff (or cinephile, if you prefer), or music...aphile. Different generations of gamers have different interest, different exposures, tastes, etc.

That said, I think (aside from the aforementioned "to be a 'gamer' one must <3 sum gaemz") you've got be interested not just about the games, but the industry, where games are headed, good ideas that should be implemented, and so on. I think it helps to appreciate ANYTHING by knowing at least some cursory stuff about how it's created, and vidya gaemz are no exception. I, for example, believe the Wii is too focused on how it presents itself just as the Cube did, but that's not a fault of the hardware and capabilities, it's more on Nintendo's approach to marketing it. Just little opinions beyond "lol hay isn't dat Portal awesome".

It's hard to get into this without being super-biased for defining criteria, or getting so specific you begin to dip into the elitism area, but it's a medium I've grown up with and still love to death, so hopefully we can see it and the consumers like ourselves grow even more.

---

Oh, and on a side note, G4 is the biggest piece of sweaty garbage even remotely gamer-related, a cacophony of poor tastes, slapping sex appeal on braindead blanket statements that in no way reflect any depth of opinion or real journalistic insight. They are the FOX news of video games.

...I had to be meanspirited. Just a little.

A perfect day:

No work, no girlf at home and 5-7 hours non-stop gaming.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Sonray wrote:Being one or not being one doesnt make anyone a better person than the other, i wish people would stop acting like it does somehow. So the question is moot in my opinion.

But that said i think a true gamer is anyone who can spend hours having fun with a video game. Simple as that.

We may not get a long that much, but that is a perfect post and I agree 100%

I haven't read the thread, because there is no such thing as a "true gamer".

The only people who purport to be such a thing are pretentious, elitist morons whose own lives are so empty that they desperately need to imagine that they epitomise at least one thing about which they can act superior and condescending to others.

homelessjunkeon wrote:I haven't read the thread, because there is no such thing as a "true gamer".

The only people who purport to be such a thing are pretentious, elitist morons whose own lives are so empty that they desperately need to imagine that they epitomise at least one thing about which they can act superior and condescending to others.

Nice!

In order to be a *true* gamer, you need to have spent at least 12 continuous hours playing the same game

homelessjunkeon wrote:I haven't read the thread, because there is no such thing as a "true gamer".

The only people who purport to be such a thing are pretentious, elitist morons whose own lives are so empty that they desperately need to imagine that they epitomise at least one thing about which they can act superior and condescending to others.

While your comment is well worded and not entirely unfounded. The idea of the thread is simply to find what defines a true gamer, not to define ourselves as true gamers. so lighten up a bit before you go shooting down threads there.

the way I see it, a true gamer is someone who plays video games, enjoys them, and doesn't take any guff for it.

I was once rather annoyed that someone on another forum said I wasn't a "fan" cos I wouldn't fork out 1,200 grand for the PS2 when it came out in NZL.

Bloody hell.

I'm a die hard gamer and I have the RSI to prove it, I have to rest the PS controller on the desk and punch the buttons with my "up yours" finger cos my index fingers are tottally munted from all the PC gaming I've been doing. point, click, point, click, it tires out the poor phalanges. I blow about 16 hours a day on a computer or PS or gaming consol when I don't have school or work.

I certainly love RE I blew out my credit card limit to buy a Gamecube so I could get the RE games for that. (Paid it off a few weeks later).

Essentially, there's been times when I've spent my medication and grocery budgets on games and consols.

- I also have to hide my purchases when my dad comes round cos he'll go ape if he sees the games and consols.

But my opinion on how to measure a true gamer - only the gamer knows what they are, and what they say is good enough for me.

Poohy Ol' Negare wrote:I certainly love RE I blew out my credit card limit to buy a Gamecube so I could get the RE games for that. (Paid it off a few weeks later).

Funny, I've just begun playing through the remake once again. I love it so much.

A TRUE gamer doe snot beleive that [Insert game whit too many fan boy] is OMG! ITS Da BesT gaME EVR!1!1!1!11!1LOL!!1

Nico wrote:A TRUE gamer doe snot beleive that [Insert game whit too many fan boy] is OMG! ITS Da BesT gaME EVR!1!1!1!11!1LOL!!1

But...but Super Hang On is the Da BesT gaME EVR!1!1!1!11!1LOL!!1

My right thumb is royally fooked. If I play guitar hero for too long, or strum to quickly, my thumb seizes up and I can't move it. I have to take a 5 minute break before I can play again.



Thankfully, I don't use my thumb for playing real guitar, so who gives a crap?

Blame my internet connection

Blame my internet connection

Blame my internet connection

I am a fake gamer. =( It's true.

True gamer? Sorry, I'm too busy playing games to care. Though I will say this: I have a permanent callus on my left thumb.