What Types of Gamers Are There?

It is important to distinguish between a video game fan and a gamer. Both may refer to people who play video games, but only one is an identity. There is are also two other important factors: time and money. If you play video games for fun in your room, you may consider yourself a fan of video games. If you play games online for hours on end, build up a profile and attempt to make money from the endeavor, you are a gamer.

Although most gamers will begin playing video games for fun, it often becomes a serious project. It doesn't mean fun and gaming become incompatible, but playing video games changes when it becomes your livelihood. Some gamers may only be on the lower rungs of their career ladder, but they can still be considered gamers. Others are internationally known and have larger fanbases than many of their ‘old media’ counterparts.

Gamers earn money by participating in competitions, participating in certain evens and exhibitions, getting sponsors and, increasingly, by receiving donations from subscribers. This often happens when gamers stream themselves playing games for the entertainment of others. Although many gamers are streamers, not all streamers are gamers.

When being a gamer becomes an identity, it menas you take the process of playing video games seriously. You don't necessarily have to earn money, but to be an amateur gamer, you need to put in the work, know a lot about video games in general (new releases, history, developers, etc.) and have a passion which lay video game fans do not possess.

We have already described some of their basic characteristics, but here we provide a checklist to show you what it takes to be considered a gamer. A gamer:

• Attends fairs, event and conventions with the objective of competing against other professionals.
• Consistently earns money playing video games (although not necessarily enough to cover the bills).
• Shares experiences with their followers and other users by recording videos and broadcasting them on platforms such as YouTube or Twitch. These broadcasts are usually live, although they are also available as an uploaded video after they are streamed.
• Has a wide command and knowledge of gamer culture.
• Can be part of a professional team like G2 Esports, PSISTORM, SK Gaming, Root, SK Telecom T1, Lyon Gaming or Team Liquid.
• Enjoys playing, even when doing it professionally.
• Spends many hours playing video games in front of a mobile phone or a screen.
• Dedicates themselves professionally to a certain class of video games, also plays other titles.

Although these characteristics help to unite gamers, the individuals who make up this group are incredibly diverse. They can be from any place in the world, be of any gender, come from various types of backgrounds and may be affected by a range of disabilities. What they will need is access to the technology, a strong WI-FI connection and the ability to dedicate time to playing video games. These factors unfortunately preclude too many people from being gamers.

While the above characteristics define gamers as a general group, there are sub-categories of gamer which can be grouped as the following:

Noob

This is a rookie player. This nomenclature includes all users who have just started in the world of video games or who have just started playing a specific one. The term noob is derived from the word ‘newcomer’ and is often used among more experienced gamers to disqualify or refer in a derogatory way to players who are unable to improve over time in a game or who have no respect for older players.

Casual gamer

They are an occasional player. This is a user with a preference for simple video games, of medium difficulty and without too many manageability problems. They can still make money from gaming and may even be very popular, but they are not the hardcore. We often see other types of streamer become casual gamers as a way to increase revenue streams. Casual gamers are more likely to play less-technically-skilled video games such as Among Us.

Pro-Gamer

These players spend full time playing and have reached a professional level. It is their trade, i.e. they earn money by competing in tournaments and worldwide events against other professional players.

Some pro-gamers earn a lot of money spending many hours a day playing games. They are lucky if they have been able to turn their greatest passion into a profession.

Core gamer

Also known as mid-core gamer, they are players with a slightly higher involvement than casual gamer. They like medium-level games with accessible and careful mechanics, with a certain depth and values.

Hardcore gamer

This is a gamer who dedicates a lot of effort, interest and time to video games. They have a predilection for games of great difficulty that require a lot of time to master, which is why they spend many hours developing their ability.

These types of gamers want great results and improve their playing skills. They are especially involved in gamer culture, regularly participating in communities and competitions to gather more information about the games that interest them the most.

If you want to know more about becoming a gamer, you may find our articles on how to play online games with friends and how to monetize YouTube videos.

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