Editing Gamer (section)

==Types and demographics==
{{OriginalResearch|section|date=August 2024}}
===Sexes===
Two highly controversial issues surrounding the gaming world in today's day and age are ideas of gender roles and LGBTQ+ involvement in the gaming industry. It is first important to understand the difference between men and women in the world of gaming. Although roughly the same number of men and women play games, the stereotype of a gamer is one that is predominantly male. A justification sometimes given for this is that while many women occasionally play games, they should not be considered "true" gamers because they tend to play games that are more casual and require fewer skills than men. This [[stereotype]] is perpetuated by the fact that at a professional level, most of the teams competing are composed of men, while female gamers of moderate skill are rendered invisible. The average gamer is seen as a male player who is usually Caucasian.'''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ensslin |first=Astrid |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/965718557 |title=Language of Gaming. |date=2011 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-0-230-35708-2 |oclc=965718557}}</ref> '''A study has shown 48% of game purchases are from female consumers, but in 2015 only 6% of women that are in the U.S. identify as a gamer.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024}} Ideas behind the word "girl gamer" tend to spark a contentious reaction, and the use of this name has been supported as a title that is seen as a [[Reappropriation|reappropriated term]].

===Gaymer===
{{Main|Gaymer}}
[[File:Silicon Valley Pride Parade 2016 - -SVPride2016 (28844993833).jpg|thumb|Silicon Valley Pride Parade]]
Besides the distinction of a "girl gamer" from a "male gamer", there is also a common understanding as [[stereotype]] of a "Gaymer." A Gaymer is a depiction of a gay gamer, and someone who identifies their sexual orientation to be a part of the [[LGBT]] ([[gay]], [[bisexual]], [[lesbian]], or [[transgender]]) community while participating in video games. The concept of Gaymers is a part of two surveys in 2006 and 2009. The 2006 survey took note of the levels of detriment that Gaymers may have experienced, and the 2009 survey kept detail of the content that Gaymers would find to be normalized in [[video game]]s. Staying the topic of ideas behind gaming and the relationship with the LGBTQ community, it has been noted that video games are starting to develop more characters and depictions of members from this specific community. Some of the topics of these specific LGBTQ-friendly video games include such ideas as [[coming out]] stories and [[queer]] relationships.'''<ref name="theguardian.com">{{Cite web |date=2022-07-27 |title=Meet the gaymers: why queer representation is exploding in video games |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jul/27/meet-the-gaymers-why-queer-representation-is-exploding-in-video-games |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=the Guardian |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204203843/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/jul/27/meet-the-gaymers-why-queer-representation-is-exploding-in-video-games |url-status=live }}</ref> '''These games are also providing the option of character creation with different forms of gender expression along with more LGBTQ romance options.'''<ref name="theguardian.com"/> '''One example of these games in the LGBTQ+ realm of dating would be ''[[Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator]],'' released in 2017.'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Winterhalter |first=Elizabeth |date=2021-06-02 |title=Venn Diagram of LGBTQ+ and Gaming Communities Goes Here |url=https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/ |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=JSTOR Daily |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203120218/https://daily.jstor.org/venn-diagram-of-lgbtq-and-gaming-communities-goes-here/ |url-status=live }}</ref> '''The game had many queer individuals debating, but the overall representation of the game was applauded by many LGBTQ+ people due to its accurate presentation and the way that it provided comfort to people of many sexualities. Having more of these gender- and sexuality-friendly games is providing LGBTQ+ members with a safe space to feel welcome and explore their queerness in a more confident manner.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}

[[File:GaymerXLogo.png|thumb|Gaymer Logo for LGBT Gaming Convention]]

Although the LGBTQ+ gamers are starting to make more of a mark in the gaming world, there are still many disadvantages to this process. Homophobia in the gaming world does tend to take a toll on the problem of an equally shared gaming experience. This is both an issue within the games industry and many areas of the games culture. The brings back the thought of importance for increasing LGBTQ representation in games, especially with such events as GaymerX.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Straightwashing ''Undertale'': Video games and the limits of LGBTQ representation |url=https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/1516/1866?inline=1 |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=journal.transformativeworks.org |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205192426/https://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/download/1516/1866?inline=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> There is a study called the online roulette survey that shows that queer gamers are at a disadvantage financially for the fact that the highest earning professional gamers in the LGBTQ+ community bring in less money than popular heterosexual professional gamers.'''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-03-06 |title=LGBTQ+ Gamers Are Facing an Epidemic of Online Harassment |url=https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-gamers-facing-epidemic-of-online-harassment |access-date=2022-12-05 |website=Them |archive-date=November 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221109233032/https://www.them.us/story/lgbtq-gamers-facing-epidemic-of-online-harassment |url-status=live }}</ref> '''This highlights that not only is there a huge divide between male and female counterparts in the gaming industry, but there also happens to be a great divide when it comes to sexual preference in the gaming world, especially when it comes to the professional gaming scene. Often, tech companies' privilege men's point of view over women's participation in tech and their consumption, which could be seen as vice versa for people of a homosexual and heterosexual identity.'''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2005rgq |title=Gaming Representation: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Video Games |date=2017 |publisher=Indiana University Press |doi=10.2307/j.ctt2005rgq |jstor=j.ctt2005rgq |isbn=978-0-253-02573-9 |access-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205190637/https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt2005rgq |url-status=live }}</ref> '''The two topics will always hold a big weight in the gaming industry.

==={{Anchor|Dedication spectrum}} Dedication spectrum===
It is common for games media, games industry analysts, and academics to divide gamers into broad behavioral categories. These categories are sometimes separated by level of dedication to gaming, sometimes by primary type of game played, and sometimes by a combination of those and other factors. There is no general consensus on the definitions or names of these categories, though many attempts have been made to formalize them. An overview of these attempts and their common elements follows.

* ''[[Newbie]]'': (commonly shortened to "noob", "n00b", or "newb") A slang term for a [[wikt:novice|novice]] or [[wikt:newcomer|newcomer]] to a certain game, or to gaming in general.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Misc/welaish.html |title=Masonry on the Internet |publisher=Web.mit.edu |access-date=2012-05-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708225739/http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/Masonry/Misc/welaish.html |archive-date=2012-07-08 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/words-online-gaming-opinions-books-newbs.html|title=Gamer Speak for Newbs|work=Forbes|author=Anna Vander Broek|date=2009-04-23|access-date=2010-02-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409134803/http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/23/words-online-gaming-opinions-books-newbs.html|archive-date=2012-04-09|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Casual gamer'': The term often used for gamers who primarily play [[casual games]], but can also refer to gamers who play less frequently than other gamers.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/30/core-and-casual-whats-the-difference/|title=Core and Casual: What's the difference?|date=2011-04-30|access-date=2017-08-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726181350/https://venturebeat.com/2011/04/30/core-and-casual-whats-the-difference/|archive-date=2017-07-26|url-status=live}}</ref> Casual gamers may play games designed for ease of gameplay, or play more involved games in short sessions, or at a slower pace than hardcore gamers.<ref name="Heather Barefoot"/> The types of game that casual gamers play vary, and they are less likely to own a dedicated video game console.<ref>Magrino, Tom, [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6178563.html?tag=result;title;1 GameStop: Casual gamers spurring hardcore holiday sales] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072417/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6178563.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B1 |date=July 11, 2011 }}, GameSpot, September 11, 2007, Accessed May 3, 2008</ref><ref>Boyes, Emma, [http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186207.html?tag=result;title;0 GDC '08: Are casual games the future?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711072428/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6186207.html?tag=result;title;0 |date=July 11, 2011 }}, ''GameSpot'', February 18, 2008, Accessed May 3, 2008</ref> Notable examples of casual games include ''[[The Sims]]'' and ''[[Nintendogs]]''.<ref name="inaCasualization"/> Casual gamer demographics vary greatly from those of other video gamers, as the typical casual gamer is older and more predominantly female.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6695921|title=Women driving 'casual game' boom|first=Troy|last=Wolverton|work=San Jose Mercury News|date=2007-08-23|access-date=2007-10-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006163201/http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6695921|archive-date=2012-10-06|url-status=live}}</ref> Fitness gamers, who play motion-based exercise games, are also seen as casual gamers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/04/19/plethora-of-fitness-titles-lined-up-for-playstation-move/|title=Plethora of Fitness Titles Lined Up For PlayStation Move#|work=PlayStation LifeStyle|date=2010-04-19|access-date=2010-04-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422210705/http://playstationlifestyle.net/2010/04/19/plethora-of-fitness-titles-lined-up-for-playstation-move/|archive-date=2010-04-22|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Core gamer'': (also mid-core) A player with a wider range of interests than a casual gamer and is more likely to enthusiastically play different types of games,<ref name="IwataAsksWiiU3definition">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true/#/e32011/newhw/0/6|title=Iwata Asks: E3 2011 Special Edition|page=7|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2011-06-09|quote='''Iwata''': the definition of a core gamer is much wider, namely, someone who has a much wider range of interests, someone who enthusiastically plays many types of games that challenges different creative directions.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608122917/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true%2F#/e32011/newhw/0/6|archive-date=2011-06-08|url-status=live}}</ref> but without the amount of time spent and sense of competition of a hardcore gamer. The mid-core gamer enjoys games but may not finish every game they buy and is a [[target consumer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/are-you-a-mid-core-gamer/|title=Are you a mid-core gamer?|publisher=[[joystiq.com]]|author=Scott Jon Siegel|access-date=2011-07-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628160444/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/06/are-you-a-mid-core-gamer/|archive-date=2013-06-28|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NextGeneration">{{cite web | title=GameStop | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1277&Itemid=32 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203110531/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1277&Itemid=32 | archive-date=2007-12-03 | first=Colin | last=Campbell | date=2005-10-10 | work=Edge | publisher=Future| access-date=2008-02-07}}</ref> Former Nintendo president [[Satoru Iwata]] stated that they designed the [[Wii U]] to cater to core gamers who are in between the casual and hardcore categories.<ref name="IwataAsksWiiU3cater">{{cite web|url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true/#/e32011/newhw/0/6|title=Iwata Asks: E3 2011 Special Edition|page=7|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=2011-06-09|quote='''Iwata''': On the other hand, I certainly do not think that Wii was able to cater to every gamer's needs, so that's also something I wanted to resolve. [...] The keyword for our presentation at this year's E3 is "Deeper and Wider". With Wii U, I would like to offer this proposal with that concept.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608122917/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/index.html?disableNav=true%2F#/e32011/newhw/0/6|archive-date=2011-06-08|url-status=live}}</ref> A number of theories have been presented regarding the rise in popularity of mid-core games. James Hursthouse, the founder of Roadhouse Interactive, credits the evolution of devices towards tablets and touch-screen interfaces, whereas [[Jon Radoff]] of [[Disruptor Beam]] compares the emergence of mid-core games to similar increases in media sophistication that have occurred in media such as television.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/9/4604088/the-rise-of-midcore-gaming|title=Core gamers, mobile games and the origins of the midcore audience|website=Polygon|access-date=2013-08-13|date=2013-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130812005427/http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/9/4604088/the-rise-of-midcore-gaming|archive-date=2013-08-12|url-status=live}}</ref>
* ''Hardcore gamer'': [[Ernest W. Adams|Ernest Adams]] and [[Scott Kim]] have proposed classification metrics to distinguish "hardcore gamers" from casual gamers,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/from-casual-to-core-a-statistical-mechanism-for-studying-gamer-dedication | title=From Casual to Core: A Statistical Mechanism for Studying Gamer Dedication | work=Gamasutra | access-date=June 17, 2014 | author=Adams, Ernest | date=June 5, 2002 | archive-date=July 14, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714225558/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131397/from_casual_to_core_a_statistical_.php | url-status=live }}</ref> emphasizing action, competition, complexity, gaming communities, and staying abreast of developments in hardware and software. Others have attempted to draw the distinction based primarily on which platforms a gamer prefers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/260885,the-problems-of-defining-a-hardcore-gamer.aspx|title=The problems of defining a hardcore gamer|access-date=2015-02-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205021102/http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Feature/260885,the-problems-of-defining-a-hardcore-gamer.aspx|archive-date=2015-02-05|url-status=live}}</ref> or to decry the entire concept of delineating casual from hardcore as divisive and vague.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/10/22/call-of-duty-demonstrates-the-completely-fictitious-line-between-hardcore-and-casual-gaming/|title='Call of Duty' Demonstrates The Completely Fictitious Line Between Hardcore And Casual Gaming|first=Paul|last=Tassi|website=[[Forbes]]|access-date=2017-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729125844/https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/10/22/call-of-duty-demonstrates-the-completely-fictitious-line-between-hardcore-and-casual-gaming/|archive-date=2017-07-29|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Professional gamer===
[[Professional]] gamers generally play video games for prize money or salaries. Usually, such individuals deeply study the game in order to master it and usually to play in competitions like [[esports]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Daniel Schorn |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146.shtml |title='Fatal1ty' article at CBS News |publisher=Cbsnews.com |date=2006-08-06 |access-date=2010-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312212033/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/19/60minutes/main1220146.shtml |archive-date=2012-03-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A pro gamer may also be another type of gamer, such as a hardcore gamer, if he or she meets the additional criteria for that gamer type. In countries of Asia, particularly [[South Korea]] and China, professional gamers and teams are [[sponsorship|sponsored]] by large companies and can earn more than {{USD|100,000|link=no}} a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/7/23/235053/081 |title=A Brief Look At Professional Gaming |publisher=kuro5hin.org |access-date=2010-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120315182456/http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/7/23/235053/081 |archive-date=March 15, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2006, [[Major League Gaming]] contracted several ''[[Halo 2]]'' players including [[Tom "Tsquared" Taylor]] and members of [[Team Final Boss]] with $250,000 yearly deals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-awards-1-75-million-in-contracts-for-top-pro-gamers |title=MLG Awards $1.75 Million in Contracts for Top Pro Gamers (press release) |work=Major League Gaming |date=December 18, 2006 |access-date=November 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119153203/http://www.majorleaguegaming.com/news/mlg-awards-1-75-million-in-contracts-for-top-pro-gamers |archive-date=2015-11-19 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many professional gamers find that competitions are able to provide a substantial amount of money to support themselves. However, oftentimes, these popular gamers can locate even more lucrative options. One such option is found through online [[live streaming]] of their games. These gamers who take time out of their lives to stream make money from their stream, usually through sponsorships with large companies looking for a new audience or donations from their fans just trying to support their favorite streamer. Live streaming often occurs through popular websites such as [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] and [[YouTube]]. Professional gamers with particularly large followings can often bring their fan bases to watch them play on live streams. An example of this is shown through retired professional ''[[League of Legends]]'' player Wei "CaoMei" Han-Dong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2014/11/3/7149137/league-of-legends-pro-player-retires-to-stream|title=League of Legends pro-player retires to stream games for more than $800,000|last=emilygera|date=2014-11-03|website=Polygon|access-date=2019-03-04|archive-date=March 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111423/https://www.polygon.com/2014/11/3/7149137/league-of-legends-pro-player-retires-to-stream|url-status=live}}</ref> Han-Dong had decided to retire from [[esports]] due to his ability to acquire substantially higher pay through live streaming. His yearly salary through the Battle Flag TV live streaming service increased his pay to roughly $800,000 yearly.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} Live streaming can be seen by many as a truly lucrative way for professional gamers to make money in a way that can also lessen the pressure in the competitive scene. We are seeing a rapid increase in the young video game players wanting to be professional gamers instead of the "pro athlete". The career path of becoming a professional gamer is open for anyone any race, gender, and background.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Bányai|first1=Fanni|last2=Zsila|first2=Ágnes|last3=Griffiths|first3=Mark D.|last4=Demetrovics|first4=Zsolt|last5=Király|first5=Orsolya|date=2020-08-05|title=Career as a Professional Gamer: Gaming Motives as Predictors of Career Plans to Become a Professional Esport Player|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=11|page=1866|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01866|pmid=32903792|pmc=7438909|issn=1664-1078|doi-access=free}}</ref> The gaming community now has developed at a much faster rate and now is being considered esports. These more serious gamers are professional gamers; they are individuals that take the average everyday gaming much more seriously and profit from how they perform.<ref>{{Citation|title=Players/Gamers|date=2014-01-03|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203114261-35|work=The Routledge Companion to Video Game Studies|pages=223–229|publisher=Routledge|doi=10.4324/9780203114261-35|isbn=9780203114261|access-date=2021-11-24|archive-date=January 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230125231335/https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203114261-35/shooting-gerald-voorhees|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Retrogamer===
{{Main|Retrogaming}}
A retro gamer is a gamer who prefers to play, and enough collect, [[retro games]]—older video games and [[arcade game]]s. They may also be called ''classic gamers'' or ''[[wikt:old school|old-school]] gamers'', which are terms that are more prevalent in the United States. The games can be played on the original hardware, on modern hardware via [[Video game console emulator|emulation]], or on modern hardware via [[Porting|ports]] or compilations (though those 'in the hobby' tend toward original hardware and emulation).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/articles/columns/game/gars-07142004.ars|title=NES Classics: retro gaming, at a price: Page 1|publisher=arstechnica.com|access-date=2008-04-14|date=2004-07-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607203445/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2004/07/gars-07142004.ars|archive-date=2011-06-07|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Classification in taxonomies===
A number of [[Taxonomy (general)|taxonomies]] have been proposed which classify gamer types and the aspects they value in games.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Gaymers-Difference-Makes-Video-Players-ebook/dp/B0192KWP06/182-5342459-6520231|title=Gaymers: the Difference a 'Y' Makes: How (and Why) to Make Video Games LGBT Players Care About|last=Nowak|first=Paul S.|date=2015-12-07|publisher=Prince Pocket Press|edition=1|access-date=June 2, 2016|archive-date=February 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230214164459/https://www.amazon.com/Gaymers-Difference-Makes-Video-Players-ebook/dp/B0192KWP06/182-5342459-6520231|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[Bartle taxonomy of player types]] classifies gamers according to their preferred activities within the game:

* Achievers, who like to gain points and overall succeed within the game parameters, collecting all rewards and [[game badge]]s.
* Explorers, who like to discover all areas within the game, including [[Secret level|hidden areas]] and [[glitch]]es, and expose all game mechanics.
* Socializers, who prefer to play games for the social aspect, rather than the actual game itself.
* Beaters, who thrive on competition with other players.
* Completionists, who are combinations of the Achiever and Explorer types. They complete every aspect of the game (main story, side quests, achievements) while finding every secret within it.
The [[MDA framework]] describes various aspects of the game regarding the basic rules and actions (''Mechanics''), how they build up during game to develop the [[gameplay]] (''Dynamics''), and what emotional response they convey to the player (''Aesthetics''). The described esthetics are further classified as Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission. [[Jesse Schell]] extends this classification with Anticipation, [[Schadenfreude]], Gift giving, Humour, Possibility, Pride, Purification, Surprise, Thrill, Perseverance and Wonder, and proposes a number of generalizations of differences between how males and females play.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ePcYCwAAQBAJ|title=The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Second Edition|last=Schell|first=Jesse|date=2015-09-15|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781498759564}}</ref>