Gamer

ja:ゲーマー

A gamer is, in a general sense, one who plays and enjoys games, but the term usually refers to computer games, role-playing games, trading card games,Wargamers (see paragraph on Board wargaming in Wargaming), or video games (see video game player).

One interpretation of the gamer psyche is a very common stereotype, usually pinned on the adolescent male: usually a high school or college student, who sits staring at a computer monitor almost constantly with a bag of chips and a can of soda. His only friends are those he meets on the Internet, except for those he invites to have LAN parties or role-playing game sessions. He is assumed to speak online in "1337" (pronounced "leet") a "language" made up of characters and numbers that resemble letters.

(Note: there are many different types of stereotypes about gamers, the one above is merely one of the more common ones.)

The stereotypes often have elements in common with those of geeks, nerds, sci-fi fans, cult TV fans and losers. They are also perceived as having social inadequencies and greater than usual intelligence. The distinguishing factor of a Gamer is their avid interest in games.

There are many communities of gamers around the world. Many of these exist in web rings, forums and other virtual communities, as well as college socities.

See also: Hacker, Script kiddie

External links

• Gamer: An Israeli game community (http://www.gamer.co.il)
• Zelaron: An international game community (http://www.zelaron.com/forum)