I too, was a gaming snob. Then I started gaming with other groups again, and even though the playing style was different, I still had fun . This came as a shock to me. Here I was, top of the ladder in gaming style and I could still have fun with another group. Perhaps I was simply on a different rung of a horizontal ladder rather than a higher rung of a vertical ladder.
Gaming is a form of entertainment, just like any other game.
Risk and Stratego players do not shun each other as do many RPers. Oh, and yes it is just a game. Let's face it. Gaming itself is a small hobby, and in-fighting, bickering, and whining about other gamers is not going to help the hobby grow. Seriously, though, if the hobby doesn't grow then it will not stagnate, it will shrink.