Unlike most nerds, Gamers tend to be highly social, but only among their Gamer peers.  They play games a lot, hence the name, and play a lot of different games.  Gamers are often lovers of fiction and history; due to the close associations those interests have with many of their favorite games.  They predominantly enjoy science fiction and fantasy, both in written and film form.  They break themselves up into social cliques based around particular games of choice.  They give themselves and each other names like roleplayer, grognard, and LARPer.  

While there is occasionally animosity between these groups, most gamers enjoy more than one variety of game and socialize with members across multiple groups.  One place where all of these groups come together in near harmony is the game convention.  Hundreds, if not thousands, of Gamers can be seen acting as nerdy as they can possibly be and still find social acceptance.

None of this excludes Gamers from tackling their social problems.  In fact, Gamers have their own distinct problems other nerds lack.  To begin with, Gamers are often so hooked on their games that they have little else to converse about.  Walk up to any group of Gamers chatting about and the discussion will usually revolve around a recent game session, the latest game-to-movie adaptation they watched, or which players must be cheating to beat them in their favorite game.  The Gamer is so entrenched in this culture that they believe it is equally interesting to everyone else.  They will go on and on about their favorite topics with complete strangers unaware that they are pushing people away instead of connecting with them.  

To compliment this attitude Gamers often harbor hostility toward anyone who does not enjoy or understand their hobbies.  They view non-Gamers as the enemy - people who should be shunned or proselytized to until they see the light.  The worst of it is that this hostility extends to other Gamers.  No other nerd groups are as hostile to newcomers as Gamers.  People who are just starting out, or are unskilled at the popular games are often derided, ignored, and driven off.  New players may ask questions that seem extremely simple to experienced users, or disrupt the normal order of things with their lack of skills and etiquette.  Labels like noob, lamer, and loser get thrown around repeatedly.  This pervasive attitude makes it very difficult for the Gamers to open up to new people and experiences, partly because of the fear that in this new situation they will be the noobs.

Additional problems Gamers exhibit often relate to their appearance.  They are possibly the least likely of all nerds to care about their appearance, doing little to appear presentable before interacting with others.  For computer and console gamers, the reason is obvious.  They spend most of their “social time” interacting with a video screen and no one can see what they really look like.  Video Gamers are also highly susceptible to becoming overweight.  They gain pound after pound sitting in front of their computer or TV, snacking all day while scoring the highest frag count, or grinding toward level 60.  

For others their games act like shields during social interactions.  They don’t easily relate without the comfort of the game being present and holding people’s attention.  This safety blanket insulates them from more personal contact and distracts them.  Gamers often become oblivious to what aspects of themselves could be unattractive or even offensive to the people around them.

Regardless of reasons, the results can be disastrous.  I have personally met Gamers who smelled like they just crawled out of a grave, that looked like they slept in a dumpster the night before, and that were literally crawling with parasites such as fleas and lice.  None of these conditions are going to win over new friends.  They might even result in the loss of current ones.

The Outcast covers a broad category of people that are unlikely to be called a nerd, but rather some more specific disparagement.  A few examples would be Goths, Stoners, Hackers, Emos and Punks.  What they all share, and the reason they are lumped into this category, is a self-imposed segregation from mainstream society.  Outcasts are special due to the level of separation they appear comfortable with.  Outcasts are even vilified by nerds of all other categories due to the prevalent antisocial stance they take.  They form small tight-knit groups or pairings of likeminded Outcasts and shun all others.

Outcasts are often obsessed with nonconformity.  They take the position that their nonconformist traditions make them superior to the “soulless sheep” bred by normal society.  The irony of it all is evident when enough Outcasts gather together.  Have you ever experienced a Goth or Stoner party?  They all dress the same, talk the same, and act the same.  Not exactly the pinnacle of originality.

Obviously the biggest problem Outcasts have to overcome is their attitude.  They are often very bright and have the social skills to interact effectively.  This is evident at their places of work, where they learn to hide their anti-social beliefs to earn the all-important paycheck.  Unfortunately, this additional repression of their typical hostility inflames their antisocial behavior outside of work.  They become trapped in a vicious cycle.  

Outcasts usually have qualities (physical or emotional) that caused them to suffer socially during their formative years.  They were teased, insulted, ignored, or otherwise left out of the fun.  The Oustcast response to this was to lash out against those who caused them pain.  To illustrate their feelings they alter their appearance or perform antisocial actions to make them stand out from normal society which in turn brings them more derision and exclusion.  This is taken by them as further proof that society is flawed and they lash out even harder.  It can take a long time for them to sort it all out.  The irony of this situation is that the entire cycle can be broken by one person outside their circle to befriend them and lift the veil from their eyes.  Eventually this will occur with most Outcasts, but when they recognize the part they play on their own, they can overcome this cycle much quicker.

The last category is somewhat of a new breed, you could say.  This nerd was spawned in the last twenty-five years and ironically has become a popular character in movies and television.  We are speaking of the Fanboy, made famous by TV shows like the Simpsons and Saturday Night Live.  

The Fanboy is well-known as the nerd who has become preoccupied with a single form of entertainment.  Their interest has gone well beyond normal participation and enjoyment, entering the realms of obsession and compulsion.  The most infamous example of a Fanboy is the Trekkie, a term coined years ago to describe rabid fans of the original Star Trek television series.  

Fanboys are obsessed with topics ranging from general hobbies like computer gaming or watching movies to very specific movies, even individual characters.  In Japan they are called Otaku, and catering to them is considered big business.  The same is becoming true here in the United States, with various conventions hosted year round that cater to interests such as comic books, movies, general science fiction, and videogames.  

Should you attend a convention it probably won’t take very long to spot which attendees are Fanboys and which are simply fans.  The Fanboys are the people dressed as their favorite characters from the show (regardless of age and gender differences), sporting fifty different Pokémon buttons, arguing loudly with other Fanboys over which characters had “the hots” for each other, and sprinting through the convention doors, bouncing from booth to booth like they drank a 32oz triple-espresso.

The single biggest problem Fanboys have is their obsession.  They are so ingrained in its culture they can barely relate to anyone who outside of it.  People who don’t share the same enthusiasm are condemned as being a lazy fan or “no true fan”.  People that openly don’t like their obsession are viciously criticized.  Such people don’t understand the greatness of it all.  They must be inferior or dim-witted.  Of course, this leads to poor social interaction with non-fans, who outnumber them about one hundred thousand to one in any given city.  Makes for a difficult time finding new friends, doesn’t it?  

You would think that at least they would be able to socialize with other Fanboys, right?  Unfortunately, truly hardcore Fanboys are known become angry at or envious of one another for having memorabilia or knowledge unavailable to the other.  Or, they interact peacefully until one of them brings up a debatable issue they disagree about.  This interjects hostility, which only escalates considering the poor social skills inherent to the Fanboy.

These social issues are often compounded by the fact that anything unrelated to their obsession takes a backseat in their daily lives.  This includes non-Fanboy friends, family, school, work, and their appearance.  The only time they might worry about how they look or sound is when they are concerned about the authenticity of the Klingon Warrior costume they are wearing to the next convention.