It's a little surreal reading about gamers. I am geek, through and through, and I have always enjoyed video games, but I don't seem to belong to gamer culture,

It's a little surreal reading about gamers. I am geek, through and through, and I have always enjoyed video games, but I don't seem to belong to gamer culture, as far as the internet is concerned. What happened to the social aspect of gaming? Why have all the arcades faded away? There are a few around, I guess, but it doesn't seem the same. I have always played games WITH people and in COMPETITION with people. Playing is, for me, about sharing. Maybe I'm not a gamer. Maybe the term "gamer" is too loaded to be redeemed at this point. But there is a culture of games and gaming that can (and does in some places, however few) exist without the baggage attached to the term. DISCLAIMER: I admit, I'm not into the same type of games that constantly get talked about; I don't play CoD, I've never really played much GTA, and most modern AAA games don't hold my attention very long (partly because I'm terrible at FPS games and other mainstream offerings).