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Historically, the term "gamer" usually referred to someone who played role-playing games or wargames. More recently, however, the term has grown to include players of video games. While the term nominally includes those who do not necessarily consider themselves to be gamers (i.e., casual gamers)^[1], it is commonly used to identify who spend much of their leisure time playing or learning about games (i.e., "gamers" might also include amateur ludologists).

There are many gamer communities around the world. Many of these take the form of web rings, discussion forums and other virtual communities, as well as college or university social clubs. Stores specializing in games often serve as a meeting place to organize groups of players. Prior to the emergence of the Internet, many play-by-mail games developed communities resembling those found surrounding today's online games.

In October 2006, the Entertainment Consumers Association (ECA) was established as the first non-profit membership organization formed to represent American game consumers. A similarly-named entity, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), was formed in 1994 to represent the entertainment software industry. The ECA was formed, in part, in response to the seemingly imbalanced representation (e.g., the ESA, IGDA and others) of gaming in the United States Congress.^[1]

• Video gamer: A type of gamer who enjoys playing video games.
• Tabletop gamer: A type of gamer who enjoys playing tabletop games. This term is often used for gamers who play miniature wargames but it could also refer to players of board games, card games, or role playing games.

• Console gamer: A type of gamer who enjoys playing video games primarily on systems like the PS3, Xbox 360,Wii etc.
• Handheld gamer: A type of gamer who enjoys playing video games primarily on handheld systems, like the DS or the PSP.
• PC Gamer: A type of gamer who enjoys playing video games primarily on laptops and desktop computers.
• Casual gamer: A person who enjoys playing games with simple rules or which do not require large blocks of time to play. They might not even identify themselves as a gamer. Because even the most occasional game player qualifies for this category, it is likely the largest in size.
• Hardcore gamer: A person who spends much of their leisure time playing games. There are many subtypes of hardcore gamers based on the style of game, gameplay preference, hardware platform, and other preferences.
• Girl gamer: Video and computer gamers are stereotypically adolescent males. However, research has shown that females comprise more than 40% of gamers (though they purchase fewer games than men), and females are playing more games now than they did in the past.^[2]
• Competitive gamer: A hardcore gamer who primarily plays games for the enjoyment of competing with other players. Common competitions include number of opponents beaten, earned titles or other status symbols, or even simply bragging rights about almost anything.
• Retrogamer: A hardcore gamer who enjoys playing or collecting vintage video games from earlier eras. Retrogamers are partly responsible for the popularity of console emulation. Some collect old video games and prototypes, or are in the business of refurbishing old games, particularly arcade cabinets. Some even make their own arcade cabinets (see MAME arcade).
• Import gamers: A hardcore gamer who enjoys playing or collecting video games produced internationally. The most common imports are from Japan, although some European gamers purchase games from North America. Depending on the gaming platform involved, these gamers may use devices such as modchips, boot disks, and/or Gamesharks to bypass regional lockout protection on the software, though some prefer to purchase imported consoles. A number of Import Gamers import games that fall in to genres that are generally not releases outside of Japan, such as dating sims or anime/manga-based licensed games.
• Hacker: A gamer who enjoys finding flaws in a game or finding ways to exploit unintentional features, most often with software not included in the game. The term "hacker" is often derogatory when used in a multiplayer game setting, as hackers can use exploits to gain an unfair advantage over other players. An example of this are the First-person shooter computer games, where programs referred to colloquially as an "aimbot" can be used to shoot with 100% accuracy. Hackers in multiplayer video games are scorned by most of the gaming community.
• Power gamer: This kind of gamer has elements of the hardcore and competitive gamer.
• Cyberathlete: A professional gamer (often abbreviated "pro gamer" or just "pro") that plays games for money.^[3] (The term, electronic sports, is used to describe the play of video games as a professional sport.) Whether a cyber athlete is a subtype of the hardcore gamer largely depends on the degree to which a cyber athlete is financially dependent upon the income derived from gaming.^{[citation needed]} Insofar as a cyber athlete is financially dependent upon gaming then the time spent playing is no longer "leisure" time.
• Normal gamer: In an article for The Escapist^[4], Roger Travis theorizes that as some gamers try to distance themselves from stereotypes associated with gaming, they create a new group of gamers, called "normal gamers". Basically, in their effort to distance themselves from the "normal" gamer (or, maybe, the "average gamer") who is seen by the general population as abnormal, they create a new group distinguished as fitting more closely to what the general population sees as the "normal" person. Normal gamers are identified as being older and having more life experience, as well as having a generally ironic attitude toward the rest of gamers (e.g., they are known for using correct English, except when parodying other gamers (called "immature gamers" in the article), especially those who frequent online multiplayer games). Finally, Travis implies that "normal gamers" are maybe not really that normal, after all; i.e., the sites they visit may be too "normal" for most gamers, but they are too "weird" for everyone else.
  Websites where "normal gamers" congregate include GeezerGamers, 2Old2Play, Gamers with Jobs and SeasonedGamers.^[4]

The average gamer is usually an aggregate of all the above types of gamers. The average gamer has achieved a somewhat mythical status. The situation is rather murky; even experts in the industry don't really know "who" the average gamer is.^[1] Knowing who the average gamer is is seen as important when targeting a product for the market. Sometimes the term is adapted by designers/publishers to refer to the average player within the particular group of gamers they are targeting.^[1]

The average gamer has also frequently fallen victim to the ire of the hardcore gamer or normal gamer (see above). Reasons cited include a lack of appreciation for the history of video games, as well as a lack of appreciation for the finer nuances of "better" games.^[5]

A game name is a name (usually a pseudonym) adopted by a gamer, of console or computer preference, used as a main preferred identification to an entire gaming community. Usage among people is most prevalent in games with online multiplayer support, or at electronic sport conventions.

The reasons for a player using a game name are similar to those for actors using stage names. As the usual form of address in multiplayer games is not by a person's real name, some are prompted to think up a creative and unique alias that they wish to be universally known as.

Screen names differ from game names in that they're primarily used to identify a user account in a computer system, rather than provide an alternate name for a player. The only exception to this is if a player chooses to make both the same

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