'gamer' defined

A couple events led up to my writing this.  the first is that i met someone through a mutual friend that claimed to be a 'gamer.'  being a gamer myself, i asked the obvious question: "what are you playing?" 

the response: "Farmville."

...

No.

::shakes head vigorously::

No, no, no... no.

Now, before all you Farmville people get all riled up, allow me to explain. 

My friends and i have been referring to ourselves as 'gamers' long before the Internet became publicly available.  We gathered, often at the scorn of others, in basements, barns, and other less-than-social venues to perpetuate our chosen hobby (or obsession, depending on the perspective).  These were often male-dominated (if not exclusive) rites of passage, of which there are very few left in this modern era.  It not only required research (books and books of it, in fact), but also proper equipment and a spirit which balanced competition and teamwork. 

Now gaming has evolved into something much more advanced, which (naturally) requires more advanced equipment.  This is still a male-dominated hobby, but females have become more prevalent in recent years (which, of course, rocks).  While girl gamer groups and websites aren't hard to find these days, there is still something inherently male about PC gaming, and a recent article published in Men's Health magazine by Pulitzer Prize winner & car enthusiast Dan Neil helps to shed light on this phenomenon (his article is about cars, of course, but many parallels exist between cars and computers).  According to Neil, a recent University of Minnesota study indicates 2 reasons why men crave "wheel time," (or, in the case of a virtual universe, "screen time"): the assertion of masculinity through technology and the appeal of being in control of our own destiny.  The latter may even be more appropriate to online gaming in that the options available in MMORPGs for a person to customize and "create" their own avatar according to their personal play style is far greater than a person's ability to maneuver through traffic or choose their destination.  Machines also do not require emotional intelligence, instead being finite and orderly systems of electronics and steel.  Machines (as well as game characters) are also perfectible, allowing us to "impose order, completeness, perfection" in an imperfect world.  I know i've certainly spent some time perfecting PCs in the past (my current configuration, if you're interested, can be viewed at the bottom of this page).  In other words, we can manipulate something with our hands, our efforts, our time, which not only offers challenge and exhibits originality, but also offers a sort of harmony between ourselves and the world in which we live (deep, huh?). 

"does this have anything to do with gaming?"

it does, and thanks for your patience.  you see, i've spent almost as many hours researching, practicing, and upgrading/building my PC as i have actually playing games.  that's commitment.  this person i met, this self-titled "gamer" who plays Farmville?  do you think they've spent hundreds of hours configuring their PC?  modifying various components, applications, and network connectivity for maximum performance?  or did they just log onto the 'net and open their web browser?

there's more.  anyone who's played any amount of time in an MMO has probably experienced hours upon hours of just in-game preparation for some other, greater event.  gathering materials to level crafting abilities to make better weapons, armor, potions, etc.  researching PvP tactics versus specific archetypes.  generating character builds to determine which skills and stats produce a more effective result.  waiting for that last member of your pick-up group to finally show up so you can begin the quest you wanted to start an hour ago, only to have another member of your group have to leave unexpectedly halfway through (almost always the healer or the tank), forcing you to start all over again or call it quits, only to repeat the process again on another day.  can you honestly tell me someone playing Farmville has tried to organize a PUG?  lead a raid?  do they even have DPS in Farmville?!  of course not. 

so, i decided to do a search for the term 'gamer.'  i was shocked to discover my result.  certainly, browser games, even those found on Facebook, are technically video games, and thus those who play them are technically gamers (by a very loose definition of the term).  but what did i find when i typed "gamer" into the ol' search bar?  i got this.

"There are many categories of games, including simple games such as Tetris, role-playing games (RPGs) such as Dungeons and Dragons, and hugely popular games such as Quake?"  are you freakin' kidding me?  this definition hasn't been updated since 2002?!  this is shameful, especially considering the incredible growth of the video game industry over the last decade.  i expected something which gamers could be proud of, not something as dated as Quake!

Wikipedia does a slightly better job of defining this term; at least they specify that there are genres of gaming like hardcores, casuals, and newbs, but even this doesn't really communicate the varied intricacies of the gaming world.  by many gamers' definition, i am considered a 'casual' because, quite frankly, i consider my family to be a higher priority than my gaming (i know, ghastly, isn't it?).  i only play 20 or so hours a week, depending on what else is going on at the time and how much sleep i feel prepared to sacrifice.  now, ask a Farmville player how much time they put in.  i imagine that someone who plays Farmville for 20 hours a week would not be considered 'casual' by his Farmville-playing peers.  i'm not trying to justify those people who pour their entire waking life into a video game (i've seen some log over 70 hours a week, here's one for example).  but you gotta admit, that's commitment.

i guess that's why i took offense to someone who plays an embedded browser game while checking their Facebook friends' status calling himself a gamer.  there's no risk, no real effort there.  when i begin a new MMO, for instance, i'll research various aspects of the game for hours before i even log in.  Farmville takes what? a few minutes to learn?

gaming is a hobby, but it's one that we gamers tend to take pretty seriously, even we 'casuals' who prefer to be good fathers and supportive husbands over having every character slot at the level cap in uber gear.  it's more than just a decision to kill a few minutes while i'm goofing off at work or waiting for the microwave to ding.  for some of us, it even opens up viable real world skills which can be implemented in a new career.  one guy even turned a $26,500 virtual investment (yes, real-world currency) into a six-figure income!  how about that, Farmville?  have you inspired anyone to take on a new direction in their lives, become farmers, and achieve lucrative results?  i doubt it.  in fact, i'll bet people have spent more money on Farm Coins than i spend a month on a game that's actually well-detailed and complex ($15/month is the going rate for commercial MMOs, while many are free-to-play). 

do i sound proud?  heh, probably.  but compare Farmville to a game like World of Warcraft or the incredibly complex world of EVE (which probably has the steepest learning curve of any video game to date, as illustrated by this graphic), and you'll understand why we might consider ourselves a different crowd from those who play browser games.

humility

today i went in for (yet) another job interview.  i also happen to be suffering from (yet) another cold.  this was a recipe for disaster.

i have never felt like such an imbecile in my life.  i could blame it on the DayQuil, or the lack of preparation, or lack of sleep, or any number of things... but making excuses is not my forté.  bottom line, it sucked like a starving lamprey.

yeah, maybe it shouldn't bother me so much.  but for a brief moment, i was a moron.  and, for me, that's one brief moment too much.