When I say “gamer,” what image pops in your mind?

A middle-aged man? An attractive young woman? Or a basement-dwelling, burrito-chomping post-adolescent with 10 Internet handles but not one hair brush?

Unfortunately the latter stereotype seems to prevail on our mental landscape of all things video games. In an opinion piece on www.gamesetwatch.com, writer Douglas Wilson identified this stereotype as a symptom of the thickly insulated subculture that has become “The Church of the Gamers.”

To explain why the “gamer” stereotype is so entwined with immaturity, Wilson identifies the blitzkrieg of negativity that bombarded author Cooper Lawrence's books on Amazon.com after her ill-informed derision of Xbox 360 title “Mass Effect's” sex scene; anecdotes of friends and acquaintances who declare themselves against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama solely because of their stance on games; and of course the kneejerk vitriol that meets every one of infamous anti-video game lawyer Jack Thompson's efforts to stem the industry's growth.

Such tactics, Wilson argues, not only paint a grossly juvenile picture of the “gamer” set, but distance them from - or even scare away - people outside that set, both casual gamers and otherwise.

It's a compelling argument. Wilson's words will resonate deeper with readers dismayed by unfavorable personal experiences with “gamers,” whether on a blog or in their local Gamestop. To erode this divide, Wilson suggests first dumping the “gamer” label and secondly doing away with the immature mindset that lends itself to calling Thompson childish names and “PWNing n00bs” on video game Web sites. As a visitor of these sites whose eyes roll more than Groucho Marx's while reading the comments sections, I gladly embrace Wilson's recommendations and encourage every player to do the same.

But where Wilson ceases is where I'll continue. His piece neglects to explore precisely how avid video game players got this way. Since Steve Russell designed “Spacewar!” in 1961, video game culture has been characterized by passion, even obsession, on the part of its producers and players. But somewhere between then and “Halo 3,” that image of the culture lost its charm.

The hostility that seems to have taken hold in the general “gamer” community can be traced, at least in part, to the competitive nature of the hobby. Look no further than the recent documentary “The King of Kong” - which details the battle for the all-time high score in 1981 arcade smash “Donkey Kong”-- to see how video games can spike emotions and sour relationships. By the film's end, viewers will likely find themselves crying with Steve Weibe, who pursues the high score, and violently cursing Billy Mitchell, who holds it.

Since “Donkey Kong,” games have grown significantly bigger. They can take days to beat and require dozens of controls to be mastered. Thus completing or winning them appears to instill in players a sense of pride and accomplishment that invites more pomposity than ever.

Players take that pomposity to the Internet, which, in the last 20 years, has become the premier forum for players to study up on their pastime. While video game Web sites have provided a tremendous resource to players in the form of endless game news, demos, trailers, video reviews and more, these sites also serve as a sanctuary for them to voice the same venomous - yet anonymous - sentiments Wilson mentioned. Poor logic and name-calling has become the norm.

Of course, not every person who visits a game Web site chooses to partake in flaming or trolling or any other childish tactic. But, as Wilson points out, this behavior and the exclusive attitude that breeds it are largely to blame for the great divide between “gamers” and everyone else. To do my part in bridging this divide, I hereby retire the word “gamer” from what is now Citizen Player.

Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net