Gamers use pseudonyms for a variety of reasons, ranging from practical to personal to cultural. One of the main reasons is clearly security, as most want a degree of anonymity to protect against scams or doxing. They also want their name to offer some personality, with the logic dictating that ShogunWarrior9 is a little more eye-catching than Jenny Smith. And, of course, there is the cultural element, with a tailored name suggesting you belong to a specific community.
Choosing a good nickname is not always easy, though. Committed gamers think of it like branding, something that could potentially evolve with them, particularly if they are streaming or want to have a crack at pro gaming. Nonetheless, while each gamer will have a different process for arriving at the perfect name, there are some guidelines and tips that can be followed to help you arrive at the right nickname. Consider some of these ideas below:
Use a nickname generator for brainstorming
If you are stuck for ideas, accessing an online gaming nickname generator is a good option (most can be used for free). Even if you don’t land on the specific name you want, you can be sure that it will act like a brainstorming session to get your creative juices flowing. A great starting point.
Keep it short and memorable
A no-brainer. The question is, how short? Usually, you’d want to keep it within 2 or 3 syllables. The longer the name, the harder it is to remember, so try to keep it snappy. In the end, you are choosing a name based on discoverability – you likely want it to stand out – so something that jumps out snappily is the way to go. Also, test for pronunciation – if it’s hard to say out loud, it will be hard to remember.
Try to balance uniqueness and personality
This can be a tricky one. As mentioned, gamers tend to want their nicknames to be both unique yet reflect their identity linked to their gaming community. For instance, nicknames with base words like ninja and warrior are ubiquitous. It’s fine if you wish to play around with those words, yet it’ll be harder to stand out when you become the millionth ninja to register on a platform.
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Look beyond the gaming worlds
Many games are based on mythologies from Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Norse lands, but they only scratch the surface of the literature on those topics. Mashable recently posted an article suggesting that books were a great source of inspiration for gaming nicknames, so grab a copy of the Prose Edda or the Oedipus Cycle and see if you can find something eye-catching that fits into your preferred gaming genre.
Beware of profanity and offensiveness
It might be tempting to sneak a swear word into your gaming nickname, and it might act like an in-joke with your friends, but the truth is that it will be a net negative in the long run, especially as some gaming platforms may ban or suppress names they deem to be offensive. Of course, beyond swear words, try not to be misogynistic, racist, or offensive in other ways.
Research the wider market
We have touched on the fact that a nickname is like a brand. By extension, you want to think of it like a brand, pursuing research in the same manner as, say, launching a business website. As such, you will want to do things like check if the nickname is available on social media channels or if someone else is using a similar name within your favorite game. In the end, you want it to be original and available, so check that it is before you make a firm decision.
