So lately, I've been hearing a lot of controversial talk about what makes you a true gamer and what about gaming just makes you a plain geek.
So what I want to hear from you guys is your opinions on what draws that little tiny line between being a gamer or a geek.

A gamer and a geek aren't even really the same thing...

A gamer games (obviously). I would consider a geek one who is very knowledgeable of something. (probably to the point of obsession)

As for a True Gamer... that's harder to define. I think a true gamer is able to appreciate different games. To appreciate the old and the new. Because they care about the quality of the game not "what generation you are".

As for gender I would say it makes no difference. I actually have found that often times a gamer girl will destroy a gamer guy most of the time because they are more skilled at having to "prove themselves" and thus makes them typically better gamers WHEN they are gamers.

Originally Posted by The Wandering Poet

A gamer and a geek aren't even really the same thing...

A gamer games (obviously). I would consider a geek one who is very knowledgeable of something. (probably to the point of obsession)

As for a True Gamer... that's harder to define. I think a true gamer is able to appreciate different games. To appreciate the old and the new. Because they care about the quality of the game not "what generation you are".

As for gender I would say it makes no difference. I actually have found that often times a gamer girl will destroy a gamer guy most of the time because they are more skilled at having to "prove themselves" and thus makes them typically better gamers WHEN they are gamers.

I totally respect your opinion. I've definitely seen that in a girl a few times when I watched my friends play COD or Halo. But for me, I believe that a geek and gamer aren't so different. If you love Halo enough, you'll be all about it, wanting to read the books, know about the characters and creatures you're killing and fighting, etc. Same goes for Star Wars games, or even Fable. But then again, that's just how I see it.

That's pretty true. Though I guess I forgot to mention that I also think that while different they very often overlap.
However you also have comic geeks, math geeks, chess geeks, etc.

To be honest I don't think that there is any one thing in particular that makes you a gamer. Gender really has no impact on your enjoyment, so I wouldn't bring that into the mix. I think if you enjoy playing games (whatever games they may be, from Super Mario to Final Fantasy) you can be classed as a gamer. I really hate the elitist bullshit some people come out with like "You're not a real gamer if you play the wii" because you're playing games and getting enjoyment from them.

Also, I'm in agreement with Poet about geeks and gamers not being the same thing. Geeks are knowledgeable fangirls in my opinion (I class geeks and nerds as the same). For instance if you're an avid fan of Doctor Who you'll know a lot about the show and the characters and the planets, perhaps even learning the language, you could be classed as a geek on the subject.

I love and agree with both The Wandering Poet and Vinyl's points and don't think I could say it any better than they did. ^_^

I think I'm more of a geek than a gamer girl. I do play games but very casually but there are some game series I go nuts over and they are old games. I have no money for newer games though. Like I can tell you everything about Xenogears (Xenosaga) series and also the Galerians series since I am such a fan girl of the two. I'd put myself on the geek list not gamer for that.

I found it's fun being a girl in mmorpg games because boys are willing to give girls stuff if a girl flirts a little. Though since guys have found that out it's harder to prove your an actual girl in the game lol!

Sort of agree with what's been said already.

You can be a geek about anything you're passionate about, really.

I'd consider a gamer anyone who regularly plays video games whether on pc or console.
This is just personal opinion, but if the only games you play are those terrible facebook flash games, you aren't a gamer.

Geek/Nerd/Gamer.
all of them have many different levels of their titles.

I personally say I'm a neik because i'm a mix of geek and nerd. (using sheik from ocarina of time because i'm a gamer girl)

geeks i see as knowledgeable people in things like music, technology, consoles. Ect. there's a really long list.
you can have the music geek who can tell you exactly who an artist is and what the song is from hearing just a few chords of the song.
and than you can have a technology geek who can describe all the gadgets that are inside a laptop that make it work so amazingly.

Nerds i see as the actual users of these things. They may not be super knowledgeable about them. So going same two
music nerd mgiht be constantly wearing headphones, or shirts that have music notes and references on them. and may know alot about one particular genre of music, but don't know all music.
technology nerds are always freaking out when something new comes out and they have to have it. they talk about the ram and stuff (which is over my head) and whatever is old just isn't important anymore.

Gamers are the ones who play games and have the spirit of never give up. No matter how hard the level is. And will rage quit and than come back to it. Usually i say a gamer has to be good at games. and will try any game they discover. They will always give a game a chance. Wether it turns out to be good or not. many times they hold on to the classics as well from older consoles.

True/hardcore gamers. are a bit insane about the games, and obsess over every little detail of the game. Not really sure how to describe this one. i see it as rather ridiculous most times because it seems far to obsessive of a personality.

than there's the wannabe gamers. or jock gamers as i call some of them.
they play the newest and most popular games and don't care about anything else. Or they play only facebook "click" games like mafia wars or farmville for example. And call themselves gamers. And than the ones who only end up liking sports games. and think they're the best games ever.

Now these are just my opinions. Nerds and geek titles are often switched around. and i hear one as better as the other. but personally i think this shouldn't be the case. and nerd is actually called the worse one many times. and i see geek as the "worse", only because it always reminds me of its rhymes. "reak, weak, ect" heh. it really is a matter of opinion

I think pretty much everyone is some kind of nerd/geek/gamer.

Oh gosh "wannabe gamers"... those annoy me so much... someone who has only played a handful of games can't be called a gamer...

I'm working on breaking my husband of wannabe gamer status.
i've forced him to play final fantasy 12, dark cloud, skies of arcadia, i got him into world of warcraft. dude is now obsessed with trying new games *breaths a sigh of relief* He was all into the football/gold/ and car racing games. and that was pretty much it other then facebook clicks.

thank god he married me. He would never have been able to call himself a gamer and NOT been lying. now he's not lying :D

Skies of Arcadia!
I borrowed that game from a friend forever ago and never got to finish it, but I remember it being tons of fun.

If you're looking for another game series to get him into (if you havn't already) try the Assassin's Creed games. They're so much fun!

I plan to turn my partner into a gamer once video games get off of that awful "flashy seizure lights" mode they're in these days

just put him on some of the old games .. like zelda :D

i've never beat skies of arcadia. but every time i play it over from the beginning i get just a little bit further. xDhahah

As for assassin's creed. looks good an all. but i just haven't gotten into it yet.

I find labels silly and people who use them close minded quite frankly. "True" gamer, "wannabe" gamer, all sounds like elitist bullshit to me. If you enjoy to play video games I say you're a gamer, period. Even if it's only WoW or sports games or puzzle games...who cares. You like em, enjoy them.

Hell, I don't even like the term "gamer." I don't need to be labeled for your convenience nor judged on some sort of tier system because what sort of games I play or how often I play them. I'm a female who enjoys video games, and board games and card games. Live with it.

Honestly as a gamer that is what I am. It's more a defining trait. It's the wannabes that turned it into a label. We didn't even used to be cool... we used to be the loser of the bunch in school.

Many "gamers" still are losers. It's not really a defining trait nor does it make you a better or worse person. You're just a person who enjoys games. If you're a shitty person already playing or not playing games isn't going to fix that. Why I dislike like labels and stereotypes, a shitty person is always a shitty person, despite the hobby, community, label, whatever they do.

If you're a good person, you're just a good person.

Well by "loser" I mean the people who are mocked, teased, and harassed for playing videogames...

.