Quote Originally Posted by Isala View Post
I've seen that study before, but there is a lot that it doesn't take into account. It doesn't go into the fact that games themselves have stopped asking gamers to think, to chase the "wider audience", nor does it go into the fact that anyone with a phone and Candy Crush can also consider themselves a gamer.
I mean, I feel like if there wasn't an audience for the "dumbed down thinking" those types of games wouldn't be as popular as they are now. Wouldn't they have just died off if the masses wanted something more complex?

I also don't fully think it's gaming's fault either that this happened as short form media/"easily digestible content" as a whole has taken over. You only need to look at how popular TikTok/YouTube shorts/etc. are to the general public. It's been a thing for years and I believe originally started in 2013 on Vine? That also wouldn't have continued to exist and subsequently exploded with TikTok if there wasn't an audience for that type of content.

I also don't really understand the point of saying "Oh you play x, you're not really a gamer." They're still playing a game, so by definition they are one. If you don't want to recognize that because of a certain standard you have, fair enough.