What It Means to Me to Be a Gamer

My FoxxMiyamoto gamertag tattoo

It goes without saying to define something inherently means to include some things and exclude others. My intention with this post isn’t to polarize the topic of gaming or to exclude anyone. I approach this topic with humility and a genuine curiousity to understand what it means to choose a virtual life, to choose to play as an expression of living.

Obviously to consider oneself a gamer, one must play games. That’s a given. And though it usually these days refers to playing video games, it also encompasses folks who delight in board games, deck building, and pen and paper RPGs. But for the sake of clarity, I’m talking about video game enthusiasts in this article.

Okay, so ya play video games. Is that all that’s required? I say no. Prior to asking a simple question on the app formerly known as Twitter, I might have ended the definition there. However, when I asked if people play games everyday and if they did, do they consider themselves “gamers,” there were quite a few people who do play everyday, but who were quite adamant that they did not like the label. Fair enough. No one should be forced to define themselves in a way they find erroneous.

So that reaction got me thinking, there must be more to embracing this lifestyle. Some folks also indicated age as a factor, but as I’m staring down the barrel of my 50th birthday and I consider myself a gamer–as do many of my peers of the same age group. So yeah, let’s exclude age. Like I said in the beginning, I’m thinking more of inclusion than exclusion. Plus, I think folks who believe  gaming is only for the young forget or are unaware of the fact that Gen X was the first generation to wake up with gaming consoles under the Christmas tree or wrapped in shiny paper for our birthdays. Simply because we grew up doesn’t mean we abandoned something many of us love doing.

I also don’t think being a gamer is tied to any one platform either. If you include Pong and more currently my smart phone, I’ve gamed on over a dozen different machines. Probably more than that. And please no console wars or declaring PC “the only way to game” in the comments. I thank you in advance for your respect for all fellow humans 😊🙏

If it isn’t the mere act of playing and it isn’t limited to time one’s spent on the planet while gaming and it’s not about how you play, then what defines one as a gamer? I suppose all I can speak to is my own experience and the anecdotal evidence given by my friends.

I think when a self-defined gamer picks up their controller or logs into their computer or opens a game on their phone, it’s transformative. It’s that feeling of excitement and joy and passion that makes us want to embrace the label. Hell, I’ve got my first gamertag tattooed on my body. No cap. We don’t game merely to be entertained. We game to have an alternate experience, one that perhaps we couldn’t have IRL. But does the virtual nature of the experience make it any less salient? I say no.

For me, gaming is a form of self-expression, of being able to step outside the limitations of my body (of which there are many!) and the constraints of reality. Let’s put it this way: I’m not a very sporty individual. Things like playing football or skateboarding or training to be a soldier are waaaay outside my capabilities. But in game, I can taste such experiences. Is it spot on accurate as to what these experiences are like IRL? No, but it’s as close as I’m ever gonna get.

And then there’s all these awesome fantasies that don’t exist in the world as we know it. Dragons and space marines and magic and wild technology. The only limits are those imposed by our own imaginations.

I suppose it really doesn’t matter if you game everyday and reject being labeled or you play once a year, but declare yourself a gamer. To each their own. But for me, I’ve been playing since I was five years old. It’s woven into my psyche and it’s more than just a hobby, it’s big love. So if you ask if I’m gamer? Heck yeah I am! And yes, I play every day simply because I love it.

Yay! I’ve posted three days in a row. Thank you, Blaugust! Please support my fellow bloggers participating in Blaugust 2023! All wonderful folks and so many unique perspectives on life.

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Game on, my friends!