The term gamer is too generic and broad to be of any use today because gaming itself has expanded much beyond the term’s initial meaning. Not only are there more options in each category of gaming today, but each of those options now also has subdivisions, adding unprecedented depth to each genre.
Other than that, there is also the approachability aspect to consider, which has now made gaming a hobby that is no longer limited to any one type of person. Smartphones and tablets have essentially played a huge role in removing all boundaries that were previously applied to the term “gamer.”
So, how many types of gamers are there? The answer may vary, depending on how detailed we want it to be, but in order to provide us with at least a satisfactory answer to that question, we will now take a look at some of the gamer types, many of whom can easily be distinguished from one another.
Mobile Gamers
There is no point in delaying the most obvious and the largest group of gamers out there, aka, the mobile gamers. They are also the latest additions to the gaming community, unaffected by age, location or lifestyle! As of now, no other sector is proving to be bigger or more profitable for the gaming industry than mobile gaming, simply because of how approachable a smartphone game naturally is.
The general idea here is that nearly everyone in the modern world at least has a smartphone, so they do not have to spend extra money to accommodate a new hobby. This free entry, alongside the freemium business model behind most mobile games, has more or less made nearly everyone a gamer!
Although primarily consisting of people who use their smartphones to play games, this group also includes those that use their tablets/iPads and portable consoles such as the Nintendo Switch for gaming. Generally speaking, any gamer who loves to game from anywhere they want, rather remaining stationary in front of a computer screen or a big TV screen falls into this category.
Console Gamers
The line between modern gamer-centric mobile phones and handheld consoles is almost diminished at this point, but when it comes to proper consoles such as the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox One, the line is prominent.
These are the type of gamers who love to chill out on their couches with a controller in their hands and a headset plugged in. Consoles are also perfect for offline, multiplayer gaming, which actually gives them a big edge over PC gamers.
In spite of all the progress that mobile gaming has made, nothing short of playing on a typical console can be called the full experience, whether it’s a popular multiplayer game like PUBG or an exclusive single-player experience found in God of War. However, console gaming is a territory that has always had a limited audience since buying a console for gaming and playing games with complex mechanics are two of the many barriers between gamers and regular adults, something that mobile games have managed to overcome so comprehensively.
PC Gamers
Some say that PC gamers are elitists and, in some way, online behaviour and forums do support that theory! There is no doubt that a significantly more expensive PC can produce better visuals than any console in existence can, but that’s precisely what makes PC gaming an even more limited category with limited appeal.
Having said that, no one has yet managed to replace the classic mouse and keyboard combination for competitive shooters, so PC gamers are truly unbeaten and unrivalled when it comes to online shooters. Also, the experience of using a mouse and keyboard for shooting games and MOBAs is something that reserves a permanent albeit limited seat for PC gamers in the community.
Casual Gamers
A casual game can be anything from a few bouts of trying out new slots at your favourite online casino to just enjoying Candy Crush on your phone. Casual games are simple, easy to learn, and a single game session can be as little as 5 minutes. They are widely available on mobile devices or online if you Play Here, making casual games highly accessible to anyone looking to take some time off. If you are the type of gamer who doesn’t like spending too much time on mastering complex mechanics within the game world, and mainly use games as a way to pass a few minutes every now and then, then you are a casual gamer.
Casual gamers are most often drawn to mobile games because the simplistic touch interface makes it intuitively easier to get into. Note that browser games are not part of the mix though because that’s where the casual game genre started, and by taking advantage of a PC’s comparatively more powerful graphics processor they do produce better visuals as well.
Casino Gamers
Casino gamers can also be casual gamers, but that isn’t always true. Some are more serious about their skills in card games, which requires expertise and concentration. However, as it’s more about having fun than anything else, most casino gamers prefer a site like NetBet, where there is a huge list of fun and casual slot games, as well as some more serious options for those that want to try out their hand in poker games or live casino games with/against dealers.
Old School Gamers, aka Offline, Single-Player Gamers
This is a somewhat secluded section of gamers in the modern gaming community, as they are characterized by their love for single-player games only. They prefer a more private and personal experience in a vast and amazing gaming world, such as the one we see in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or in the all-time classic, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Not that an old-school gamer won’t play online competitive games, but if you grew up playing Mario games on the NES and the Super NES, then you probably would prefer to dedicate most of your gaming time in discovering and overcoming challenges in a vast open-world game or a modern platformer, instead of playing COD online.
It’s perfectly possible and quite likely that if someone likes games, they will probably be a gamer in more than just one of the categories we discussed here. However, everyone has a favourite genre/medium that they will place above the others, and that would be the type of gamer the person is. At the end of the day, since it’s all about having fun and relaxing for most of us, there is no harm in knowing that you enjoy most if not all of these categories equally!
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