What Is a Gamer?

A gamer is someone who routinely plays games. While video gaming is the most common form of this activity, gamers can also play board games, card games and role-playing games. Gamers engage in gaming for a variety of reasons, including entertainment, socialization, stress management and exercising creativity. Some gamers play competitively by competing in tournaments or leagues.

Generally, people who identify as gamers are between the ages of 18 and 29. The majority of gamers are male and the average age is 19. This demographic shows that video games aren’t just for kids, but for a wide range of audiences.

Gamers can be divided into four types based on the type of games they enjoy and their motivations for playing. Each of these personas represents a different facet of the gaming culture.

This persona represents the most serious gamers who are committed to playing the latest and greatest releases. They are the ones who wait in line at midnight for new consoles and pre-order their games before they’re available on store shelves. They are able to devote an immense amount of time to their gaming hobby and tend to have a good balance between their gaming and other interests.

These are the gamers who like to compete with others in online multiplayer games. They spend a lot of time practicing and learning how to get better at their game. They are often motivated by the challenge of beating other gamers and the desire to prove that they are among the best in their game genre.

The last of the four gaming personas are those who enjoy playing casual arcade games. This group is the largest and consists of players who enjoy titles such as Candy Crush and PUBG. These gamers typically have access to their games on the go and can play anytime, anywhere. These games are typically much easier to pick up and play than the more complex and challenging strategy or action games. This can lead to problematic gaming behaviors if these gamers are unable to control their urges.

According to research published in 2003, the most skilled gamers are those who play fast-paced action games. The research found that participants who played these games for long periods of time were able to better process visual information, estimate the number of objects and control where their attention was focused spatially. These skills can translate into real-life performance.

Many people gravitate towards gaming because it gives them a sense of power, control and meaning. For example, children who feel they are controlled by their parents or school teachers may turn to gaming as a way of asserting their independence. Adults who feel they are undervalued at work may find solace in their virtual world where they can take risks and succeed or fail without being judged by other people.

Gamers have a strong sense of community and many gamers report that their gaming friends are more important to them than their actual family or work colleagues. The emergence of social gaming sites and communities, such as Reddit, has further enabled people to interact with each other online and in gaming environments.