Does OG Really Mean "Old Gamer"?

No, despite what the phrase might suggest on the surface, OG does not stand for "old gamer" in gaming contexts. As someone who has been creating gaming content and analyzing industry trends for over a decade, allow me to definitively debunk this myth.

The Origins of "OG" in Gaming Culture

OG stands for "original gangster", traceable back to rap/hip-hop culture in the 1970-80s referring to someone with old school credibility and swagger. Through various pop culture avenues like music and movies, calling someone an OG became associated with being among the first adopters of an emerging trend or someone commanding respect for their deep, early involvement.

Eventually, as gaming grew into a major entertainment industry with subcultures of its own, OG found its way into gaming lexicon as well. It became shorthand for gamers who have not only gamed for years and years accumulating elite skills, but also were there playing video games since nearly the beginning.

Why Longevity and Skill Defines OG Gamers

Unlike traditional spectator sports or artistic disciplines, video games have a remarkably short history – only going mainstream in the 80s and 90s. Therefore, someone gaming even as far back as the 2000s is considered quite seasoned relative to most gamers. They‘ve witnessed, participated in, and influenced numerous pivotal moments in gaming history that most have only read about second-hand.

When you combine that depth of direct video game experience with the commensurate skill built up over thousands of hours of playtime, you have a recipe for veteran respect. That is the essence of what being an "OG" gamer conveys – long-running expertise and prowess.

Gaming Demographics Reflect Widening Age Ranges

With gaming penetration across age groups rising year after year, the average gamer is no longer the adolescent stereotype non-gamers might expect.

As you can see in the chart above, all age groups have risen in their gaming participation rates since 2007, especially older demographics like 30-50+ year-olds. So there are plenty of highly skilled veteran gamers whose expertise qualifies them as OGs while not necessarily being elders age-wise either.

OG Gamers vs Amateurs – A Stark Divide

When examining metrics comparing longtime gamers with over 10+ years of experience (our working definition for OGs) with casual gamers just adopting gaming as a hobby in the past couple years, the divide in proficiency is startling.

From muscle memory to encyclopedic game knowledge to advanced strategic thinking – OG gamers operate on a higher plane than neophytes due to their vast experience. This explains why they garner so much awe and deference as veterans who lived through eras of gaming most can barely imagine today.

Influential OG Gamers Through the Generations

Let‘s spotlight some prominent OG gamers over the decades considered icons:

80s

• Walter Day – Ran earliest organized video game tournaments and tallied iconic gaming high score lists
• Billy Mitchell – Top scorer in classic arcades like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong

90s

• Johnathan Wendel – Won nearly every 90s FPS tournament, career earnings over $500,000
• Rebecca Heineman – Pioneering developer of 80s/90s titles like The Bard‘s Tale III

2000s

• Fatal1ty – Leading esports earner from early 2000s fame as the world‘s top Quake player
• Umehara Daigo – Best Street Fighter player ever, playing top level since the 1990s

And the list goes on. The point being there are living legends spanning every gaming generation considered OGs for their enduring excellence – not their age per se. While some may be older now, they‘ve maintained elite skill worthy of ongoing awe and respect.

How Might the Meaning of OG Evolve?

Language evolves. So even though OG in gaming currently refers to longstanding veterans rather than age necessarily, the phrase‘s obvious implications could lead to shift in connotations over time. I speculate two possibilities:

OG Referring to Retro Gamers First Adopters of Arcades, Atari, etc

As first generation physical game formats like cartridges give way fully to modern digital ecosystems, appreciation may grow for those gaming from the very beginning. For example, nostalgia for primitive 2D arcade machines from the 70s/80s among younger gamers. Those origins could become the new threshold for being considered OG.

OG as Compliment for Still Competing at Older Ages

Similarly, as esports continue maturing, certain expectations around "peak" competitive years may emerge as convention. Then exceeding that norm and remaining elite despite being older would itself become a remarkable milestone worthy of OG distinction.

In closing, hopefully this breakdown from my years of expertise makes clear why OG and old gamer do NOT go hand in hand – but the interpretation could certainly change over time. Let me know in the comments if you have any other OG-related questions!