# What type of gamer are you?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968
**Category:** The Game Room
**Created:** [July 18, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968 "2008-07-18T16:58:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/1 "2008-07-18T16:58:16Z")
I’ve grown a little sick of the current labels of “hardcore” and “casual” for gamers, so I decided to make my own little test that categorizes the type of gamer you are a little different. It’s still in the planning stages, so I thought the gamer Dopers (who have been really stepping up with E3 discussion) could help me out.
Below is the test, which separates you out into what “Core” (how dedicated you are to gaming) type of gamer you are and what type of “Bent” (what you play) you have.
Here it is, the scoring chart will be in the next post:
1. How many of the following consoles do you own: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360.
A. I don’t own any of them
B. I own one of them
C. I own two of them
D. I own all three
2. How many of the following franchises have you played two or more entries from: Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive.
A. I haven’t played two entries from any of them
B. I’ve played at least two entries from one of them
C. I’ve played at least two entries from two of them
D. I’ve played at least two entries from all three
3. Do you read video game websites or participate in game discussion online?
A. I read video game websites
B. I participate in game discussion online
C. I do both
4. Do you play games at online gaming sites like [Pogo.com](http://Pogo.com) or [iWin.com](http://iWin.com)?
A. Yes, occasionaly
B. Yes, one day a week
C. Yes, more than one day a week
D. No
5. Do you carry a DS or PSP with you to play games when out in public?
A. Yes, occasionaly
B. Yes, one day a week
C. Yes, more than one day a week
D. No
6. How many classic game compilations (i.e. Namco Museum, Sonic Mega Collection, Capcom Classics Collection) do you own?
A. Zero
B. 1 - 3
C. 4 - 6
D. More than 7
7. How many of the following games have you purchased: Alien Hominid, Beyond Good & Evil, Disgaea (any game from the series), Ico, Okami, Rez, Typing of the Dead.
A. I haven’t purchased any of them
B. I’ve purchased one of them
C. I’ve purchased two to four of them
D. I’ve purchased five or more
8. Do you play video games everyday?
A. Yes
B. No
C. No, but I wish I did
9. Do you own a console that is hooked up to the Internet?
A. Yes
B. No
10. How many Xbox Live Arcade, Wii Shop (Virtual Console and WiiWare) and PlayStation Network games do you own?
A. Zero
B. 1 - 7
C. 8 - 20
D. 21 or more
11. How many games based on movies or TV shows do you own?
A. Zero
B. 1 - 5
C. 6 - 15
D. 16 or more
12. How do you normally play First Person Shooter games?
A. I do not play First Person Shooter games
B. With a Gamepad
C. With a Keyboard and Mouse
13. Of the following genres, which do you like the most?
A. Puzzle
B. Role-Playing Games
C. Sports
D. Third Person Action
14. Of the following franchises, which do you like the most?
A. Grand Theft Auto
B. Katamari Damacy
C. Mega Man
D. Lego Star Wars
15. Of the following franchises, which do you own: Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rock Band.
A. Dance Dance Revolution
B. Guitar Hero or Rock Band
C. Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero or Rock Band
D. I one at least one game from all three franchises
E. I don’t own any games from these franchises
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/2 "2008-07-18T16:59:41Z")
Here’s the scoring sheet.
[spoiler]1. How many of the following consoles do you own: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360.
A. Add 0 points
B. Add 1 point to Core Score
C. Add 2 points to Core Score
D. Add 3 points to Core Score and 1 point to Bent Score
1. How many of the following franchises have you played two or more entries from: Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive.
A. Add 0 points
B. Add 1 point to Core Score
C. Add 2 points to Core Score
D. Add 3 points to Core Score and 1 point to Bent Score
2. Do you read video game websites or participate in game discussion online?
A. Add 1 point to Core Score
B. Add 2 points to Core Score
C. Add 3 points to Core Score
3. Do you play games at online gaming sites like [Pogo.com](http://Pogo.com) or [iWin.com](http://iWin.com)?
A. Add 1 point to Core Score
B. Add 2 points to Core Score
C. Add 3 points to Core Score
D. Add 0 points
4. Do you carry a DS or PSP with you to play games when out in public?
A. Add 1 point to Core Score
B. Add 2 points to Core Score
C. Add 3 points to Core Score
D. Add 0 points
5. How many classic game compilations (i.e. Namco Museum, Sonic Mega Collection, Capcom Classics Collection) do you own?
A. Add 3 points to Bent Score
B. Add 2 points to Bent Score
C. Add 1 point to Bent Score
D. Add 0 points
6. How many of the following games have you purchased: Alien Hominid, Beyond Good & Evil, Disgaea (any game from the series), Ico, Okami, Rez, Typing of the Dead.
A. Add 4 points to Bent Score
B. Add 3 points to Bent Score
C. Add 2 points to Bent Score
D. Add 1 point to Bent Score
7. Do you play video games everyday?
A. Add 5 points to Core Score
B. Add 0 points
C. Add 3 points to Core Score
8. Do you own a console that is hooked up to the Internet?
A. Add 2 points to Core Score
B. Add 0 points
9. How many Xbox Live Arcade, Wii Shop (Virtual Console and WiiWare) and PlayStation Network games do you own?
A. Add 0 points
B. Add 1 point to Core Score
C. Add 2 points to Core Score
D. Add 3 points to Core Score
10. How many games based on movies or TV shows do you own?
A. Add 1 point to Bent Score
B. Add 2 points to Bent Score
C. Add 3 points to Bent Score
D. Add 4 points to Bent Score
11. How do you normally play First Person Shooter games?
A. Add 0 points
B. Add 4 points to Bent Score
C. Add 1 point to Bent Score
12. Of the following genres, which do you like the most?
A. Add 0 points
B. Add 1 points to Bent Score
C. Add 4 points to Bent Score
D. Add 3 points to Bent Score
13. Of the following franchises, which do you like the most?
A. Add 4 points to Bent Score
B. Add 1 point to Bent Score
C. Add 1 point to Bent Score
D. Add 3 points to Bent Score and Add 1 point to Core Score
14. Of the following franchises, which do you own: Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rock Band.
A. Add 1 point to Bent Score and Add 1 point to Core Score
B. Add 2 points to Bent Score and Add 1 point to Core Score
C. Add 2 points to Core Score
D. Add 4 points to Core Score
E. Add 0 points
Core Type
21+: Dedicated
15 - 20: Habitual
7 - 14: Sporadic
1 - 6: Occasional
Bent
1 - 4: Classic
5 - 15: Niche
16 - 22: Mainstream
23+: Ubergamer (working name)[/spoiler]
---
### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/3 "2008-07-18T17:13:27Z")
You…you…consolist! Discriminating against us PC gamers! Seriously, you really should add PCs to your platform list, because there are lots of types of games that just don’t show up on consoles.
---
### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/4 "2008-07-18T17:23:56Z")
Aye, leaving PC games out entirely is a bit ridiculous; they haven’t made a console yet that measures up to a middling PC gaming rig.
And no “simulation” in the genres? No RTS, either?
Ffffft. And you call yourself a “gamer.” :dubious:
😃
---
### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/5 "2008-07-18T17:27:53Z")
Heh, that was my thought as well. As soon as I saw the lack of PC in the first question, I figured this quiz wasn’t for me.
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/6 "2008-07-18T17:30:13Z")
Eh. PC gaming isn’t at all what it used to be. The consoles have the spotlight right now. And if he’d included more detail in his quiz, it would take over an hour to complete. It’s a silly little quiz, guys, relax.
For the record, I scored 19 Core, so top end of Habitual, and 8 Bent, squarely in Niche. More or less accurate, I suppose.
---
### Author:  [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/7 "2008-07-18T17:38:59Z")
Occasional Mainstream.
Yeah…that sums me up pretty well especially since the last console that I bought was a PS2.
---
### Author:  [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/8 "2008-07-18T17:40:33Z")
C
B
C
A
D
A
A
A
A
B
A
B
B
A
E
I’m “habitual” and “niche”, although I had a hard time answering the question about my favorite kind of video games. I like all of those genres a lot.
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/9 "2008-07-18T18:02:18Z")
For the record, the PC specific questions were kept to a minimum because if you’re willing to deal with the hassle of PC gaming, you must teh h@rdc0rz!
---
### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/10 "2008-07-18T18:05:50Z")
1. How many of the following consoles do you own: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360.
A. I don’t own any of them
2. How many of the following franchises have you played two or more entries from: Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive.
A. I haven’t played two entries from any of them
3. Do you read video game websites or participate in game discussion online?
D. No
4. Do you play games at online gaming sites like [Pogo.com](http://Pogo.com) or [iWin.com](http://iWin.com)?
D. No
5. Do you carry a DS or PSP with you to play games when out in public?
D. No
6. How many classic game compilations (i.e. Namco Museum, Sonic Mega Collection, Capcom Classics Collection) do you own?
A. Zero
7. How many of the following games have you purchased: Alien Hominid, Beyond Good & Evil, Disgaea (any game from the series), Ico, Okami, Rez, Typing of the Dead.
A. I haven’t purchased any of them
8. Do you play video games everyday?
A. Yes
9. Do you own a console that is hooked up to the Internet?
B. No
10. How many Xbox Live Arcade, Wii Shop (Virtual Console and WiiWare) and PlayStation Network games do you own?
A. Zero
11. How many games based on movies or TV shows do you own?
A. Zero
12. How do you normally play First Person Shooter games?
A. I do not play First Person Shooter games
13. Of the following genres, which do you like the most?
B. Role-Playing Games
14. Of the following franchises, which do you like the most?
N/A
15. Of the following franchises, which do you own: Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rock Band.
E. I don’t own any games from these franchises
So as a Computer (PC) and Paper (D&D table top and SDMB) gamer I scored a 9 Bent and a 5 Core for An Occasional & Niche player.
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/11 "2008-07-18T18:11:39Z")
So then are there any suggestions from the big brains of the SDMB on what types of computer questions I can add?
---
### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/12 "2008-07-18T18:15:37Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
For the record, the PC specific questions were kept to a minimum because if you’re willing to deal with the hassle of PC gaming, you must teh h@rdc0rz!
[/QUOTE]
w00t! 2 1337 4 j00!!!
Incidentally, if you’re going to stick with Übergamer as your top Bent ranking, it must have the umlaut.
---
### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/13 "2008-07-18T18:16:10Z")
I’d think of doing a separate quiz. Types of questions to ask:
-Ask about specific companies (have you purchased a certain number of Blizzard Products, can you name products by 3d0 or Black Isle, etc.)
-Ask about genres (MMORPGs, RTSs, Turn-based strategies, etc.)
-Ask about series (Civ, Warcraft, Doom/Quake, etc.)
-Ask about video card purchases (do you upgrade annually, more than annually, every 2 years, less than every 2 years?)
Daniel
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/14 "2008-07-18T18:21:28Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness]
I’d think of doing a separate quiz. Types of questions to ask:
-Ask about specific companies (have you purchased a certain number of Blizzard Products, can you name products by 3d0 or Black Isle, etc.)
-Ask about genres (MMORPGs, RTSs, Turn-based strategies, etc.)
-Ask about series (Civ, Warcraft, Doom/Quake, etc.)
-Ask about video card purchases (do you upgrade annually, more than annually, every 2 years, less than every 2 years?)
[/QUOTE]
A separate quiz is not something I really want to do.
Developer specific questions might work.
I’ve already included genre and series questions, just because they don’t focus solely on PC games, they still apply to PC gamers
A video card question would completely exclude everyone except those people who game ridiculously on a PC.
---
### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/15 "2008-07-18T18:28:00Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
A separate quiz is not something I really want to do.
[/quote]
Fair enough.
> [@](#):
>
> Developer specific questions might work.
This could extend to console developers also.
> [@](#):
>
> I’ve already included genre and series questions, just because they don’t focus solely on PC games, they still apply to PC gamers
True, but they seem to favor consoles, IMO. No RTS or turn-based strategy or MMORPG questions, for example (I guess the RPG might qualify for the last).
> [@](#):
>
> A video card question would completely exclude everyone except those people who game ridiculously on a PC.
And a question about how many consoles someone owns doesn’t? 😃
Perhaps a broader question about how often you upgrade equipment could work. Also, change question 9 to ask how often you play games online, to allow PC gamers to enter. In fact, take as many questions as possible and expand them to include PCs: list them in question 1, laptops in question 5, Warcraft Battlechest in question 6, etc.
Cool quiz, by the way!
Daniel
---
### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/16 "2008-07-18T18:37:30Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey]
So then are there any suggestions from the big brains of the SDMB on what types of computer questions I can add?
[/QUOTE]
I would ask about older games and newer.
Examples: Warlords is one of the earliest games of its type and goes back to the 80s. Pirates and the Civ franchises are other good examples. Etc.
Questions about the PC:
a) Did you buy a top end, bleeding edge gaming computer (2)
b) Did you build it instead (3)
c) Do you just run on an off the shelf PC (1)
How much Ram do you have:
a) I don’t know (0)
b) 1 Gig (1)
c) 2 Gig (2)
d) 4+ Gig (4)
You might want to throw in some questions for Dice and Paper gamers, your choice. We could help with that to.
---
### Author:  [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/17 "2008-07-18T18:42:47Z")
Some suggestions on specific questions to make them more PC-friendly:
> [@](#):
>
> 1. How many of the following consoles do you own: PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360.
Maybe add a point for PC?
> [@](#):
>
> 1. How many of the following franchises have you played two or more entries from: Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive.
Throw in either Doom, Quake, or Unreal.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. Do you carry a DS or PSP with you to play games when out in public?
Include carrying a laptop for gaming.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. How many classic game compilations (i.e. Namco Museum, Sonic Mega Collection, Capcom Classics Collection) do you own?
Include LucasArts Collection as an example.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. How many Xbox Live Arcade, Wii Shop (Virtual Console and WiiWare) and PlayStation Network games do you own?
Throw in Steam as an example of an Internet distribution mechanism for the PC.
> [@](#):
>
> 1. How do you normally play First Person Shooter games?
> A. I do not play First Person Shooter games
> B. With a Gamepad
> C. With a Keyboard and Mouse
For PC-gamers, of course, keyboard and mouse is the only way to play an FPS, so I take issue with your giving the gamepad the highest score. 😉
---
### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/18 "2008-07-18T18:56:25Z")
15 bent and 17 core. Some of the questions/answers I tweaked a bit because of their specifity.
---
### Author:  [@lizardling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lizardling)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/19 "2008-07-18T20:35:00Z")
I tweaked some of the questions.
Frex, I own: PS2, Wii, GC, DS, and 2 PCs. You might want to consider expanding the console question to be more specific to “platform” with bonus points if you own more than one rev of a given platform (such as owning PS, PS2, PS3).
And “online gaming site” – I tweaked it as well because I often play a _lot_ of Flash web games. Desktop Tower Defense, indie developers, etc.
Nothing about the Final Fantasy franchise or, actually, J-RPGs in general?
Suggestion for PC gaming:
- Do you like old school games from before graphics were hip? (Infocom, Nethack, what have you)
- Throw in Ultima, King’s Quest, Bard’s Tale.
- I like the dev-specific questions (Blizzard etc)
* * *
After totting everything up, I’m a habitual niche gamer.
I think the points I lost out on most were the FPS games, mainly because I turn absolutely green and keel over when I try to play anything in first-person. I’d totally play the Orange Box games if I could. _bitter_
---
### Author:  [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968/20 "2008-07-18T20:48:23Z")
OK, another question. What about the titles themselves? I like Dedicated and Sporadic, but Habitual and Occasional seem a little weird to me in the context of people actually taking the test.
Any thoughts?
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-gamer-are-you/456968.md?page=2)