Two Kinds Of Gamers
875 words.
Bhagpuss’s recent post and also one of his older posts that I can’t remember-because for some reason I never, ever bookmark things I want to refer to later-remind me of a theory I’ve had for a while now but I haven’t quite been able to articulate, so I’ll give it a shot now. This also touches a little bit on “Gevlon’s final post,” which I haven’t read yet, but Bhagpuss quoted some of it.
My theory is that there are basically only two kinds of gamers. Speaking broadly here, in gross generalities, of course. And with the obligatory acknowledgment that the term “gamer” here is used in the most broadly generic sense, and not in the increasingly-offensive pejorative sense. Your specific mileage may vary.
Readily-available but random screenshot containing two different NPCs, a broad, unspecific metaphor for the two different kinds of gamers. Because blog posts need images. And this was the best one I could find. At least YouTube generates thumbnails automatically. Where is \*that\* feature in WordPress??
The first kind of gamer has an interesting or engaging day job or activity that challenges them. I’ll call them Working Gamers for lack of a better term.
The second kind of gamer doesn’t. I’ll call them Bored Gamers. They might have a job too, but let’s say it’s an “easy” one.
Those two kinds of people seek entirely different things from their games. I’ve been in both situations, and I’ve observed that the type of game I want to play changes drastically.
As a Working Gamer, after a challenging work day, I don’t want to be challenged in my games. I want EZ-mode. I want familiarity. I want rote repetition. I just want to unwind and relax, click a few buttons, and watch the scenery go by. I want to sit back and watch the cut scenes, or even better, turn on Netflix and not even pay attention to the game at all. I don’t ever want to lose progress. I don’t want to learn mechanics. I just want to walk from point A to point B and get stuff without using a single brain cell.
On the other hand, when I’m bored during the day-a Bored Gamer-I want a challenging game that taxes me intellectually. I want things to be hard to learn. I want to study strategies. I want to work to overcome obstacles, using trial and error and learning from my mistakes. I want the satisfaction of mastering a difficult system. I want to use my cleverness and determination to attain impossible goals.
Most game studios seem to cater now to the Working Gamer. At least, big studios do. It’s not surprising, because those gamers have the money (they have jobs!) and the numbers, so it’s perfectly logical for big business to chase them. It’s the summer blockbuster mentality. Anthem, for example, the current hotly-debated title, is going to appeal a lot more to a Working Gamer than a Bored Gamer.
The trouble is, *both* Working Gamers and Bored Gamers eagerly preorder *every* new game, expecting that they are made for them. And when they inevitably *aren’t,* there’s a big backlash.
Unfortunately for me, I’m firmly in the Bored Gamer category right now. I don’t have much intellectual challenge in my day unless I create it, so I crave games that will give me a mental workout. I pretty much live for the challenge of learning new things and mastering them, whatever it might be. New programming languages, new games, new video projects, whatever.
I think the general sense that “games used to be better” is based in the reality that in the old days, most gamers were Bored Gamers. They were kids of college age or less. So most of the games catered to them. Gamers have been growing up over the last couple of decades, so they’ve grown up from Bored Gamers to Working Gamers.
This is where I refer to what I *think* is in Gevlon’s post, based on the quotes in Bhagpuss’s post: But sometimes, Bored Gamers remain Bored Gamers as they get older. They might not get a sufficient challenge in their non-gaming life, so they continue to look to their games for that challenge. But the market changed around them, and most of the big games aren’t made for them anymore.
Speaking in broad generalities, of course.
There *are* still games for people who want mastery challenges. They’re more rare now, maybe one or two a year*, but they exist: The Dark Souls series, obviously, RimWorld depending on your settings, and Dwarf Fortress are three I can name off the top of my head from recent experience. Those are literally the last three games I played actually. It’s not that studios don’t make good games anymore, it’s that studios make games that more people buy. And more gamers are Working Gamers now. You have to be more selective in your purchases if you want Bored Gamer games. You can’t just buy every popular new game that you see.
Note: There are probably a thousand exceptions that will destroy this entire theory if I stop and think about it for two seconds.
* In the old days, one or two big games a year was actually normal.
Archived Comments
Wilhelm Arcturus 2019-02-26T20:00:29Z
I am not sure your analogy survives even light scrutiny (to be fair, few really do), but there are days when I want to dig into something and am willing to put in the effort to get something that isn’t a complete walk-over. And there are times when I want to just roll through something easy, gain a little progress, maybe get a gimme achievement, and then head off to bed.
Which day is which, and the level of effort I am up for changes from day to day and from year to year. I am not sure, for example, that I would be up for day one EverQuest yet again. However I clearly was at some point.
But I am not sure if what I did at work enters into it really. I am sure that influences my mood, and if I am simply beat then I am more likely to sit on the couch and watch TV. But I have had difficult days at the office after which I went eagerly into something more demanding than usual.
bhagpuss 2019-02-26T20:09:55Z
Great post. I think you’ve really nailed it. People often talk about how the gamer demographic has changed (aged, become more casual) and how people are money-rich and time-poor, which feeds the growth of both cash shops and easier mechanics. I’ve also read, and written, about the “home form work” experience of wanting to kick back with something familiar and unchallenging so as to relax. People also sometimes discuss how games used to be aimed at school and college age kids with enormous amounts of spare time but I haven’t seen all those things wrapped up quite as neatly before.
One other related thing I wrote about a while ago concerns the way games have become less social - or at least how the social functions have been automated and streamlined. My own job isn’t particularly challenging but it’s emotionally satisfying, fairly enjoyable and reasonably intellectually stimulating - and a huge part of it involves talking to strangers about books.
After maybe two or three dozen short and sometimes not so short conversations about books and what’s in them over an eight hour day, I come home reasonably satiated as far as starting conversations with strangers goes. I’m more than happy to play my MMOs “alone together” and not get into any lengthy discussions. Back when I was playing EQ and other games in which I was a very active and famously talkitive guild member, I worked off the shop floor, either alone or in an office environment. I sometimes went most of the day without having much in the way of conversation. When I got home I was more than ready to talk to virtual friends and strangers at considerable length.
I haven’t been unemployed, housebound or alone since I started playing MMOs but I can imagine that had I been I would have been extremely voluble and sociable online. I would now be one of those people who bemoan the lack of socialization in modern MMOs and I’d probably be advocating a return to the kind of forced socialization a few of the indies and kickstarters are hoping to foster.
Jeromai 2019-02-26T23:56:10Z
Where I take issue with is your “working” and “bored” gamer nomenclature. If only because I’ve met plenty of working adults while dipping a toe into a raiding environment who are absolute challenge-seeking fiends. Meanwhile, I’ve always felt like a bit of a pretender doing some type of immersion journalism, I just don’t share many of those values so espoused as essential.
I’m sure everyone has also met at work totally type A ambitious perfectionists that are forever striving for mastery or maximization, as well as more chill type B people who are happier cruising at a relaxed and non-stressful pace.
I’d like to think of it more as a personality trait or preference that can change as a person prefers, and you’ll be totally right on the money otherwise. Some games are made for people who want to work hard and put in lots of effort to feel a deserved victory, and some games are made for people who want a relaxed escapism feeling some type of daydream fantasy (powerful, rich, etc.)
I suppose the big question might be, which type might more readily part with their cash? ;)
ie. The ones who want to work for and earn stuff, or the ones more open to being lazy and taking shortcuts?
Changing gaming tastes (or not) | GamingSF 2019-02-27T07:03:40Z […] been discussing changes in online gaming tastes in the broadest generalised sense (e.g. Bhagpuss, Endgame Viable). If developers follow such trends in terms of the games they create, then apparently we’ve […]
Naithin 2019-02-27T10:15:31Z
There might be some correlation between the archetypes you outline and their gaming preferences, and I suppose bearing in mind the generalisation disclaimers at the start this might be all you were shooting for.
Still though, I think I find myself more aligned to Wilhelm and Jeromai’s view overall. I know of too many exceptions to this rule in both directions. People who, between jobs, are still perfectly content at pottering around crafting and really smelling the roses, and on the flip side, those with fulfilling busy worklives coming home, keen to crack knuckles and bust down some Mythic (or Savage, or equivalent) raid bosses.
And then of course there are those like myself who are split down the middle in some respects, just to make things difficult. ;) I have an intellectually stimulating job, and while I’m not super keen on Mythic raiding any more – sign me up for Heroic difficulty. Sign me up for Dark Souls, Rim World and Dwarf Fortress (although I will admit, it has been some years since I touched the latter!). Most of the time that’s what I want.
But I have nothing against the more ‘mainstream’ games either, I’ll happily pick up an Assassin’s Creed, or Anthem, or whatever else. :)
calthaer 2019-02-27T15:28:55Z I am not sure that “Bored” equates entirely to “not Working”. There have been seasons of life when my work has demanded more or less of my mental energy, but I’ve always been working. Right now, with folks out on maternity leave, I don’t have much left over. While I do play more complex games, I don’t do much of it - I pick one and stick with it, and mastery takes longer.
Mia DeSanzo 2019-02-27T19:01:57Z I can see that I have moved through these two categories in my own life, and I think there is something to your theory. My current job isn’t terribly hard, but I am tired at the end of the day, and I am not looking for anything too challenging after work. Raiding is right out. I can’t commit the time and I am not up to the effort. (Not that the latest crop of games are particularly raid oriented, but that’s a different topic.)
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