Gaming Uber Alles

Gamer Like Me

Like the person who knows all the Microsoft Windows shortcuts, these players take pride in their obscure knowledge, wearing it as a badge of honor. "Yes," they say, "of course it takes fifty commands to get a character out of the village and into the fields, where you can then begin mining."

PC games have become a bifurcated world of complex, difficult-to-learn gamer games, and "dad games" like golf and solitaire. In a way, PC games are a microcosm of the idea of the gamer versus non-gamer, since the division is so clear.

But is the kid who only plays GTA after school - and loves it - any less of a gamer? What about if he has the full lineup of all the major consoles? What about if he can only afford the games in the $20 bin, but he plays each all the way through? Does the amount of money you spend make you a gamer, and the lack of it, disqualify you? What about the girl - and yes, it's often a girl - who has devoted 150 hours to cultivating her crops and neighbors in Animal Crossing?

According to the conventional wisdom, the answer is no, none of these people are gamers.

It's time to come up with a new label, or recognize that the old one must expand its domain, as gaming has expanded its own. It shouldn't expand to the point of becoming meaningless, but it would be good to encompass all of us who enjoy the challenge of games, and spend our time and our energy on playing and thinking about games. I'm not talking about the person who picks up a PS2 to get some aerobic exercise with Dance Dance Revolution, and then tries another game here or there. I'm describing the kinds of enthusiasts who can talk about Beyond Good and Evil with as much passion as a film-school grad discussing Truffaut.

Plenty of people put in the hours and have the zeal, and I have no interest in taking the label of gamer away from them. We might just decide to agree to disagree, since as long as qualifying to be a gamer means I can't pull out the DVDs for a weekend - leaving my games on the shelf - I'm fine to stay out of the club. But in a way, it's too bad, because if I was a gamer, included in the group of worthy gamer companions, we might have a good time playing together.