Gamer

Those who play video games regularly are split roughly equally between male and female, but men are more likely to call themselves a gamer.

According to a study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association in 2009, 40% of the game playing population is female, and women 18 or older comprise 34% of all gamers.

Some critics have advocated use of the label as a reappropriated term, while others see it as non-descriptive or perpetuating the minority position of female gamers.

Although roughly the same number of men and women play games, the stereotype of a gamer is one that is predominantly male.

This stereotype is perpetuated by the fact that at a professional level, most of the teams competing are composed of men, while female gamers of moderate skill are rendered invisible.

[citation needed] Ideas behind the word "girl gamer" tend to spark a contentious reaction, and the use of this name has been supported as a title that is seen as a reappropriated term.

Some of the topics of these specific LGBTQ-friendly video games include such ideas as coming out stories and queer relationships.

Having more of these gender- and sexuality-friendly games is providing LGBTQ+ members with a safe space to feel welcome and explore their queerness in a more confident manner.

In countries of Asia, particularly South Korea and China, professional gamers and teams are sponsored by large companies and can earn more than US$100,000 a year.

[36] In 2006, Major League Gaming contracted several Halo 2 players including Tom "Tsquared" Taylor and members of Team Final Boss with $250,000 yearly deals.

Professional gamers with particularly large followings can often bring their fan bases to watch them play on live streams.

[38] Han-Dong had decided to retire from esports due to his ability to acquire substantially higher pay through live streaming.

[citation needed] Live streaming can be seen by many as a truly lucrative way for professional gamers to make money in a way that can also lessen the pressure in the competitive scene.

We are seeing a rapid increase in the young video game players wanting to be professional gamers instead of the "pro athlete".

The brings back the thought of importance for increasing LGBTQ representation in games, especially with such events as GaymerX.

The described esthetics are further classified as Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission.

Jesse Schell extends this classification with Anticipation, Schadenfreude, Gift giving, Humour, Possibility, Pride, Purification, Surprise, Thrill, Perseverance and Wonder, and proposes a number of generalizations of differences between how males and females play.

Usage of user names is often most prevalent in games with online multiplayer support, or at electronic sport conventions.

Clans can also be formed to create loosely based affiliations perhaps by all being fans of the same game or merely gamers who have close personal ties to each other.

Teams are generally sub-divisions within the same clan and are regarded within gaming circuits as being a purely competitive affiliation.

[49] The Escapist founder Alexander Macris says a gamer is an enthusiast with greater dedication to games than just playing them, similar in connotation to "cinemaphile".

[48] Social stigma against games has influenced some women and minorities to distance themselves from the term "gamer", even though they may play regularly.

[48][51] Games are stereotypically associated with young males, but the diversity of the audience has been steadily increasing over time.

[55][56] Connotations of "gamer" with sexism on the fringe of gaming culture has caused women to be less willing to adopt the label.

[24] Some developers, hoping to attract a broader audience, simplify or remove aspects of gameplay in established genres and franchises.

[59] Compared to seminal titles like DOOM, more recent mass-market action games like the Call of Duty series are less sensitive to player choice or skill, approaching the status of interactive movies.

[49] Belying these trends, games including The Sims or Minecraft have some of the largest audiences in the industry while also being very complex.