Are you a real gamer if you just play FIFA and Call of Duty?

Videogamedebate writes:

This weeks debate is on the subject of casual gamers, more specifically it’s based on those who purchase consoles without the intention on branching out beyond the yearly CoD or FIFA. Everyone should know at least one person who buys the latest console just to play either or both of these games. Usually they have no interest in the single player aspect of the game, which is reflected in their gaming history through lack of achievements and trophies. Sure, they are annoying but could they be doing greater damage to the overall gaming sector?

[mochachino]

Most of the gamers I know just buy the new annual iteration of their favourite shooter and sports game each year....and the new GTA when it releases.

That's all they play.

[mikel1015]

That's the "dudebro" gamer

[slate91]

Sorry, but who are you to say what type of gamer they are? Every individual values things differently. If playing the yearly additions of FIFA and COD brings someone satisfaction and enjoyment, who the hell are you to say otherwise?
Maybe if we are start thinking of consoles that way, we could have some damn constructive conversations in these comment sections for once

[XisThatKid]

I kinda agree this guy^ but it's all situational. I would say ask yourself, is a "real basketball player" a person that only plays 21, is a person that only plays Kill-the-Carrier a "real football player"? Is a person that plays guitar a "real musician"? Is a person that only paints a certain kind of picture or use only certain tools a "real painter"?I'm not saying any of these persons are or aren't. I say it all depends on your perspective and/or convo.
I know people who play COD everyday or whenever they have free time, but I also know people who some who play ICO and Shadow Infamous TLOU Battlefield Assassins Creed but only play a small handful of times a month or even year are these real Gamers?
I feel it be necessary at times to differentiate by the type of gamer you/others are because depending on the convo because Ipersonally don't like sports games or CoD games and as a gamer some might assume thats all I play because I play games and most of the people they know only play those games so they don't distinguish the diff. Not a big deal to most but an enlightened mind and a broadened perspective should always be welcomed

[JBSleek]

Which there is no issue with. Whatever people enjoy playing is up to them. Not anyone else's issue.

[bigfish]

no that's not classed as a real gamer. - real gamers play games like Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship, metal gear solid, halo, Disney's Mickeys magical adventure, typhoo etc

[Magicite]

real gamer...so overused

[Lwhit6]

Fake gamer... Plays with a fake controller, fake PS4, fake TV

*fake*

[3-4-5]

Those games are probably about 10% of my gaming catalog.

I like them, but I can't JUST play those.

Actually been preferring PES & BF over Fifa & COD lately.

[AnotherGamersOpinion]

The idea of a real gamer is rediculous. Does somebody who watch many films have the name Real Filmer attached to them? What about books? Music? We dont consider those other mediums to have any consumers that are fake or real. Gamer is anybody who plays games. A real gamer is a nonsence term that should have been replaced long ago. The term should be dedicated gamers. Those who read up on game news, who care about games being a major part of their lives. The term should be Dedicated gamers, not real gamers.

[thehobbyist]

I remember back in the day when we called them hardcore. But now that term is just used by military shooter fanboys so we just go with real gamer I guess.
Real gamer has just become a buzzword that people who play more than just AAA games use to differentiate themselves from that community of dudebros who buy Madden every year.

[WobbuffetMC]

If you play video games, you're a gamer. Beng casual isn't bad, and there isn't any justification for thinking less of a person based upon what and how they play. We have to remember that our entire community was looked down upon as nerds and geeks, at time when we used to be united.

[Kavorklestein]

Yeah, a person who plays games more than at random occasions and enjoys them more than "Eh might as well" is a Gamer.

Even mobile phone games being played makes someone a gamer. Period.
Especially when some mobile phone games are more involved or complicated than MANY SNES or SEGA games ever were.

[isa_scout]

Aren't both FIFA and Call of Duty videogames? If yes, then I'm pretty sure anyone who plays them are technically "gamers".
They may be short changing themselves by not playing other amazing titles, but hey that's their choice not mine. Who am I to say what someone else is or is not?

[Mega24]

+1 Well Said fellow gamer!

[iistuii]

What utter nonsense. I buy both those games every year as well as most others. I complete COD single player & sell it on as I'm useless at MP, the kids are too fast for me, & play Fifa for the whole year it's out both SP & MP until the next one arrives. Am I a real gamer ? Ha what a joke. Anyone can check my gamertag a & I bet I've played more games than most of these so called hardcore gamers put together. It annoys me how these so called hardcore gamers look down on the COD/Fifa players as if they're not worthy. In fact they probably play their consoles & put more hours in than most.

[_LarZen_]

"Are you a real gamer if you just play FIFA and Call of Duty?"

Who cares? It's not like it's anything special about being a "real gamer". If there is anything like that...

[iceman06]

Wait...you didn't get your lifetime membership to the Real Gamers Association!?! No decoder pin? No monthly newsletter? Man, I'd be pissed!!! LOL
Seriously, you are SO right about this one. Being a gamer should be about taking pride in the fact that you enjoy gaming as a hobby. That's pretty much it. What you play is your business.

[Fishy Fingers]

I hate the pretentious attitudes some gamers have, who deem themselves some sort of upper echelon because of type of content they play.

Playing games is playing games, whether it's Demon souls, COD or Farm Ville. If you find enjoyment and entertainment in computer games then you're a 'gamer'. Hardcore, casual, it's all bollocks. It's just about fun, where you find that is up to you.

[Heisenburger]

I think some of the people hellbent on keeping others at arms length have some issues. I wouldn't be surprised if they do it because they themselves have been shunned, or because they are afraid of being shunned. Not many kids are confident in themselves.

Some people probably resent the fact that the thing they used to get made fun of for liking, is now mainstream. In this instance the logical reason for this exclusionary attitude is: They see the type of people that used to mock them now talking about their xbox and CoD, Madden, ect. So they may think that spouting off childish nonsense like "you're not a real gamer" is a way of keeping, what they held sacred, protected and pure. A way of trying to keep those people away from their hobby.

•Shrugs•

If you think about it there are probably a lot of reasons why someone would attempt to segregate something as open as video games. Happy people genuinely treat others well. So that's most likely the simplest, and easiest way of understanding it. But that also *has* much broader applications.

*Edited for a typographical error*

[WeAreLegion]

We're not having this discussion again.

[Volkama]

Ah so reading between the lines, you are saying that if you play COD and FIFA then you are a real gamer, so long as you keep up with the most current version? You are saying that my friend that plays Black Ops 2 is not a real gamer, and the person playing FIFA 13 may not even be a real human being?

You make an interesting point.

[sungin]

http://i.imgur.com/GODncQN....

[LazyGoron]

I prefer casual gamer as opposed to calling myself a "real" gamer. Seems more fitting.

People who play FPS yearly, FIFA, Madden, and then insert your occasional GTA or something are normally more "casual". They don't achievement or trophy hunt, they may not play a lot of indies. Their time isn't largely vested in games.

Myself, I spend more than an hr a day on average playing games and spend, probably, a higher % of my money on games than casual gamers. This allows me to play the games mentioned above but also try a wider array of titles due to the money and time I choose to spend on games.

I do think, however, that casual gamers in general have driven risk-taking in development of games way down.

[one2thr]

So what would you call a person that can play just about all video games on any platform (from a calculator, to a PC) and is very great at doing so and plays games from about 95% of the available genres?...

Would it be "Extremecore"?

[Tetsujin]

Depends on what someones definition of "gamer" is, and how much they care. Personally I consider myself a gamer, not "black gamer," or "hardcore gamer," or "console gamer," just gamer. I like how the article explains different perspectives on what's classified as a gamer with counter arguments from various circles. People will play what they like, and/or suckered into through peer pressure or marketing, and what they can afford.

A better question is "What do you play and why?"

[2cents]

Your a 'Real Gamer' if you play 'videogames'

Your a douchebag if you judge others on the games they play.

[PrinceOfAllSaiyans]

It's you're ! Lmao just had to do it because you did it twice. XD

OT- It depends I usually don't call people who only play COD gamers because usually they think everything else that doesn't involve a gun is stupid or lame. But that's just me. I don't consider myself a "hardcore gamer" tho. I'm in between casual and hardcore.

[2cents]

phone typing, sorry. im being lazy

[Heisenburger]

It's THOUGH! You must be extra careful when correcting others, lest you find yourself under the magnifying glass.

Just Saiyan. ;)

[danny818]

once you invenst money in any game, in my book your a gamer. Now if you play all kinds of games you are a gamer. Either way you end up being a gamer

[uth11]

"It promotes laziness from the publishers and because Call of Duty and FIFA have such a high userbase, we see either generic clones or ambitious games which gather little or no support. Surely publishers will be scared of making any significant investment to try and draw this crowd away from their beloved yearly franchises and this is where it hurts the gamers with varied and different taste."

I agree with this. It's one of the problems with gaming today.

I have no idea how to get around that though- you can't force people to like other things.

[iistuii]

Well if they bring out a game better to play than those games people will buy it. Remember video games didn't start with COD/Fifa, they earned the right to be popular by being what the people wanted to play. ISS/PES was always ahead of Fifa & games like counter strike & Quake were the daddies in FPS, but along came COD & the rest is history. Remember Titanfall was meant to be the next big thing but didn't live up to what the public wanted. I don't see a problem, all it needs is for a dev to get out a game that will end these games long popular run, but I wouldn't hold my breath on that.

[uth11]

I'm not talking next great FPS game, just next big game.

It used to be that the big game publishers would try all sorts of concepts. Now they are only investing in games with the same tired gameplay. Only Ubisoft seems to buck this trend with the major publishers.

[BillmadeAGate]

What is a "Real Gamer" nowadays anyway

[3xkrazy]

I don't get how some people act like it's an accomplishment and should be displayed like a trophy. I wouldn't be putting "gamer" on my resume. And when I see geeks and nerds arguing over what qualifies them as being a "true gamer," it makes me cringe every time.

[MilkMan]

Why are you on a gaming site discussing gaming then?

[3xkrazy]

So that I can check up on news, casually? Or do I need to come out of the closet and flaunt my e-Gamer-penis around for your approval?

[BillmadeAGate]

WTF O_0

[TheRealHeisenberg]

@ 3xkrazy

LMAO. That made my work day.

[MilkMan]

Is that what we do now? Check each others electric penis now? Apparently so.
Ill tell you though, there's nothing casual about that.

[MilkMan]

These games you mention in the title are games, you do play them..that qualifies as gaming in my book. The jury is "still out" on the question of hardcore vs. casual.

[Menkyo]

You only play soccer and COD, are you a gamer?? Sure in the same sense as a 13 year old girl who only plays farmville is . No your not a gamer you're a causal douche end of story. Thats my OP and way.

[Mr_Danski]

A real gamer shouldn't find the need to justify what a gamer is. COD and FIFA may be two of the most played video games, but just because they are mainstream and highly sort after, doesn't take away anything from them. If you play video games, you're a gamer.

[jnemesh]

GOD! ENOUGH of this "real gamer" crap! Do you play games? ANY games? Then you are a "gamer"! It doesn't matter if it's "Farmville", or "Solitaire"...if you play games, and you are real, then you are a "real gamer"!

[Adrian_v01]

No. You're an unreal gamer then. You don't even exist. You think you exist. You are a bundle of information that came to live during the collision of photons, and you attached yourself to FIFA and CoD because it was the only source of information around. And now you think you play it, you think you love it, you think you know it, you think you're a real gamer. But you're not, you're unreal. An unreal gamer!

Google translate: They play games regularly, they are gamers. There's no real in front of it.

[Lou Ferrigno]

If you play games often, you are a gamer, simple as that..
However, there is a big difference between the "Hardcore gamers" and the "casual gamers".

And playing games on mobile is highly subjective to opinons..so yea, that one is a hit or miss. :)

[e-p-ayeaH]

who cares...i just dont want to see other games like Resident Evil trying to cater to those audiences that´s pointless and stupid.

[ocelot07]

Listen if you play any sort of game. From PC gaming to PlayStation to Nintendo to Xbox to handhelds to Tablet and phone games to Ouya. Your a gamer no more no less.

[sevilha82]

What happend to the term Hardcore gamer,it represents much better the question of the articule i belive,back in the day some one that would only play one or two franchises would be considered a "casual".He would play for entertainement and pass-time,and on the other hand there would be the Hardcore gamer ,the one that plays everything,from indies to triplee AAA´s,from racers to sports and from shooters to the Hardest of Rpg´s,with a vast knowlege of the art that he loves,almost as an obcession(a healty one of course)the true love for gaming that myself and many of you posess... ,dispite brand or platform...the true gamer...

Peace.

[TheSaint]

Does it matter? Aren't we all just gaming enthusiasts? Does one group have more right to gaming than another?

All this segregation is where fanboys spring from.