The Inadequacy of the “Gamer” Phrase

Not too long ago, people identified themselves as gamers, fully knowing exactly what the word meant.
The stereotypical gamer was a person who would spend hours on end playing games, and enjoying particularly difficult, brain-shattering challenges. (Juul, 2010) But more importantly: The gamer identity came – just like any other label – with a community, and a sense of social security.
In recent years, however, with the rise of app stores, smartphones, and the possibility to download and distribute games in a matter of minutes, everyone is a gamer. From commuters to kids. So is the “gamer” stereotype still relevant?

Self-censorship and the Cultural Edge

Players picking up new games will have certain expectations of the content.

By drifting into niches and tabu subjects, game studios run the risk of loosing players, either because the players might not be old enough to handle the content (heavy violence or sexual themes) or because certain groups of society simply finds the content offensive (religious themes).