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geekhack Community => Off Topic => Topic started by: ideus on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:03:58

Title: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: ideus on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:03:58
 :D
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: swagpiratex on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:21:31
Gamers are subset of geeks, but require a specific subset of traits.
Title: Re: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: SmallFry on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:23:59
Gamers are subset of geeks, but require a specific subset of traits.
Eh... ever played on Xbox live with any super good 5 year olds? "I can hax da Xbox into PS5 pm me 1600 M$ poinzt!" No geek there whatsoever. Heh.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: noisyturtle on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:30:10
Geeks are cool and useful nerds. A gamer is a subset of geekdom. Not everyone who plays games is a gamer, not everyone who wears glasses and watches Avengers is a geek.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: ideus on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:31:20
Gamers are subset of geeks, but require a specific subset of traits.

What traits? :)
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: ideus on Mon, 18 March 2013, 19:32:08
Geeks are cool and useful nerds. A gamer is a subset of geekdom. Not everyone who plays games is a gamer, not everyone who wears glasses and watches Avengers is a geek.

And what if I do both? :)
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: hashbaz on Mon, 18 March 2013, 23:33:49
If you're charting a hierarchy of hobbies or personality types or whatever, gamers and geeks are not necessarily related classes at all.  Many people are both gamers and geeks, but there are non-geek gamers and non-gamer geeks.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: tp4tissue on Mon, 18 March 2013, 23:40:40
Geek really just translate to someone who puts a disproportionate amount of free time or resources into a hobby..

Key trait, is neglect of other higher return opportunities..
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: sth on Mon, 18 March 2013, 23:54:25
you are a geek
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: Hak Foo on Tue, 19 March 2013, 01:10:06
They overlap but are not a subset-superset relationship either way.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: ideus on Tue, 19 March 2013, 07:30:44
If you're charting a hierarchy of hobbies or personality types or whatever, gamers and geeks are not necessarily related classes at all.  Many people are both gamers and geeks, but there are non-geek gamers and non-gamer geeks.

I am not trying to define either one, just wanted to open a discussion on an old cliche we are kind of part of because of this board and our interests.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: ideus on Tue, 19 March 2013, 07:31:40
They overlap but are not a subset-superset relationship either way.

I agree :)
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: Lanx on Tue, 19 March 2013, 13:58:57
we all know that the term geek comes from the circus/sideshow profession? basically geek - odd/different.

but no, in this "time" i separate geek and gamer entirely.

before when there was no internet and all we had was a neighborhood of friends and a board game, sure geek and gamer, especially when you programmed your own game from computing mags and their code? but now with a xbox in every house, no i cannot say a geek is a subset of a gamer they are totally different.

you really cannot call a rhoid rage call of duty jock a geek, i mean really? but you can call him a gamer.
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: JoeC on Thu, 21 March 2013, 03:29:16
I guess a gamer can be a geek, and a geek can be a gamer.  But one does not necessarily qualify as the other, except purely by the supposed association, which is just stereotyping.  So, I say not either way is correct.  Games and the people that play them, not to mention society's views on the definition of 'games', have changed so much that I believe the terms 'gamer' and 'geek' have gone so far as to not even associate one with the other automatically.

(Edit for clarity and spelling.)
Title: Re: Is a geek a type of gamer, or a gamer a type of geek? What do you think?
Post by: Grim Fandango on Thu, 21 March 2013, 04:03:47
I think they are two very separate things. But of course, gamers can be geeks. Most of the people I know that I consider geeks ( in a good way) are actually not gamers.