1. activity gamer - a gamer who enjoys the game without much caring for the plot/storyline. treats games like sport i.e. a fun activity worth repeating. Most western gamers (i think) fall into this category
probably: 1. skips cut-scenes, or only think of cut-scenes as a way to further the game
2. Plays through the game's multiple difficulty levels
3. keeps playing the more than once after completion
4. Likes to unlock bonus items and achievements
5. Likes sandbox games, fps, or other shooters
6. hates JRPGs

2. Story gamer - a gamer who plays to immerse himself in the game's story. Thinks of games more like interactive movies/novels. Most japanese gamers (i think) fall into this category.

Probably : 1. Watches cut-scenes intensely, and uses the game only to further the story
2. plays only on normal difficulty
3. doesn't bother with unlockables, unless it is story related, or will rather cheat than complete the game fairly just to reach the next cut scene.
4. doesn't play the game after he completes it, but probably watches the cut-scenes
again if the game has theater mode
5. likes JRPGs or any game with compelling stories no matter what genre(MGS, Silent hill, etc)
6. Dislikes sandbox games and mumorpugers.

Am i right?

At least with me you are not right. I'm sorry but I match pretty well on both lists. I will agree that games are more or less divided like that when it comes to achievements and sandbox. Which is why a lot of games are having trouble they need to decided right then and there if there is going to be a long story line or a story where you can read in the instruction booklet(yes there is a booklet that comes with the game, I dont know why everyone asks me what the controls are for every product/game). Because that can make or break your game when it comes to critics.

Very not right. Very not right indeed.

Where does Half Life or Bioshock fall into this catagory anyway? Great story but no cut scenes and ation heavy. Plus I've never like JRPG's and am not Asian. Stop sterotyping and LIVE!

I agree, I fall more into the second category, but I love sandbox games, avoid cheating at all costs, and cannot, repeat cannot, get enough of collectibles and unlockables.

I think you really only captured two very strict stereotypes. I mean, you did it well, and while many gamers do fit these 2 categories, you can't forget the large group of people in-between the two, or, not like either of them at all.

You can't forget that we're all just people, with our own motivations and reasons for playing the games we do, and how we do. Hahahahaha.

Good job presenting a theory though. Presenting a theory is never bad. Unless you are presenting a theory for using baby seals to fuel cars at a P.E.T.A convention

I don't want to sound like I'm jumping on the 'blow your theory out of the water' bandwagon but trying to pigeon-hole gamers will only work if you keep the descriptions very simple, for example:
1.likes FPS/Action
2.like RPGs

This does have a problem with overlapping because you may find some people who will fit into several catagories, but if you make the various 'groups' more complex (as you've done) you're being a bit deterministic and assume that this will be the case and there is no other way.

I don't really see any basis for your theory. I really don't see an association between people who play games multiple times and people who skip cutscenes.

It also fails to consider people who, for example, love good stories in games but hate developers who think that "good story" means "2 hours of cutscenes for every hour of gameplay". A game like Mass Effect which blends the story and gameplay together has no place in your system.

PurpleRain:
Very not right. Very not right indeed.

Where does Half Life or Bioshock fall into this catagory anyway? Great story but no cut scenes and ation heavy. Plus I've never like JRPG's and am not Asian. Stop sterotyping and LIVE!

Couldn't have said it better.

I enjoy story games. Games are art. I love Half-Life, I hate JRPGS. Oh no! You've just been proven wrong on every level.

Actually, most of the parts for the Story gamer fit me when it comes to my favourite games, but I've learned to enjoy all sorts of styles of play and I like to mix things up a bit (sometimes you just wanna kill things or online opponents). The only thing that I find kinda wrong is the sandbox mode, because there are some turn-based strategy games that I have loved (eg. Alpha Centauri) and and other civ like games that have little to no storyline. It's more that maybe my kind of stereotype gets tired of those games after a good play through of them but the first play through can be great, for example I only played one race in Sins of a Solar Empire in a giant map with like 7 comps but after that I felt like I've experienced enough of the game and haven't played it since (not like I'm missing much anyways).

Oh and guys Half-life and Bioshock do have lots of storytelling, just in different formats other than cutscenes, so in the end it's the storyline gamer in you that enjoys cutscenes AND those different formats. And have you ppl tried Lost Odyssey? Now I hate anime style JRPGs (eg. 8-year old girl that is actually 20) and their ridiculous storylines and terrible art but I think this game is "mature" enough and has so many great cutscenes that you'll enjoy it (if you are a story gamer). This game falls under the JRPG-turn-based-Final-Fantasy 7 Category of gameplay though, but I raelly liked FF7 anyways.

TheNecroswanson:
Couldn't have said it better.

I enjoy story games. Games are art. I love Half-Life, I hate JRPGS. Oh no! You've just been proven wrong on every level.

I love stories, I love Golden Sun (JRPG) and I beat CoD4 on vetran for kicks. So many levels of wrongness.

Not true for me either I'm afraid.

I fall more-so into the first category, but games need to have a good story to keep me caring about playing them, but I don't skip cutscenes, like unlocking achievements but only to an extent where I don't have to use a walkthrough, and prefer to play on easier difficulties, so that the game's challenging but I don't get frustrated at repeated dying.

I fit strongly into neither category.

I fit into neither category. I buy different games for different reasons.

Everyone here is a non comformist, the rebels we are!

Im an active gamer, and yes i live in Western.

For some reason, my traits are split between the two.