Role-Playing Game and Gamer Stereotypes

For the sake of this discussion, a stereotype is defined as something is generally confining a person/population/entity into a narrow box of fixed traits, while an archetype is a foundational short hand for a combination of traits that can be expanded or built upon, mixed and matched, etc.

For more information about all the different archetypes and stereotypes, see the RPG Archetypes Page.

The rest of this page focuses on information regarding the negative stereotypes about role-playing games and gamers.

There are many stereotypes about role-playing games and gamers. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]

Many are negative, some neutral. Most of the negative stereotypes have been propagated by anti-gaming/gamer groups and the media beginning in the 1980s onward as part of the "Moral Panic" or "Satanic Panic" of the 80s and 90s. Many of these are still being propagate, but have less energy behind them than used to.

Most of these negative stereotypes have been completely debunked by decades of research, though there are some that are continuing to be propagated that fit under the "Gamer Floater Theory"[1][2][3] as proposed by W.A. Hawkes-Robinson.

It was these negative stereotypes about gaming and gamers that triggered actual research that lead to the realization that role-playing games are not only not bad for you, but actually very good for everyone, and especially powerful for some specific populations such as Autism Spectrum, brain injury recovery, and a number of others.

More information coming soon!