BreakfastMan said:
Ah, the "hardcore" gamer movement. Oh how I hate you. I hate you so, so much. We all know about this. "The "hardcore" gamer with there "core" games are the ones that the industry should really be focusing on", we all say. I am not here to talk about the rising popularity of "casual" games, nor am I here today to talk about "core" games. No, I am here to talk about the "hardcore" gamer, and what makes me detest that mindset. Strap in, because this is going to be a rather large wall 'o text.
- - -
P.S. I know this has been said many times before by those much more well spoken than I, but this has been building up in my head for awhile, and I just needed to get it out of my system. Catharsis is a grand thing, don't you know. Also, thanks to all of those who actually read the whole entire thing! You are an inspiration to us all!
Have a nice day, everyone!
BreakfastMan out.
Not that I don't disagree with you entirely, personally I detest people that outright label themselves 'true gamers' and harbor this irrational hatred for anyone else just trying to enjoy a browser game, but you have to look at things from their point of view as well. The games they grew up with are suddenly changing, entire franchises suddenly catering to completely different audience. Accessibility seems to be the new priority now, and factors like 'skill' or 'rewarding experiences' seem to take a backseat because difficulty drives away new players, ergo, potential customers.
Gaming may well be evolving, but keep in mind that not all change is always good, and that there almost always be some mis-steps on the road to progress. You don't have to look too far to see the same gameplay elements rehashed throughout entire genres of games, hell, sequels to beloved games suddenly being re-imagined for the more mainstream crowd.
Those 'hardcore' games we've come to love, those graphics-intensive narratives we so cherish cost a TON of money to produce. Enough to the point where the PS3 suffered massive losses in its initial run, and the Wii with its 'casual library' penetrated an entirely new demographic of gamers.
Look, I'm no expert on future projections or anything of the sort, so I'm not really qualified to make predictions as to where the Industry's headed. But from a humble, average joe's viewpoint, I do see lots of changes happening right now. Some that I'm not entirely comfortable with. As I mentioned before, accessibility seems to be the biggest priority right now for games, and for most developers, 'ease of play' seems to be synonymous with 'reduced complexity of play'. Difficult, or 'hardcore' games, are more rarely found these days because unfortunately, they're a dying breed and so no one cares as much if a small minority has a petty gripe with the game.
I personally enjoyed playing difficult games. The kind where you took your time to learn the various intricacies and complexities of the game itself, perfecting your skills to master new techniques you didn't think possible, and ultimately making the entire experience rewarding on a whole new meta-level.
You don't see that in games anymore. "Difficulty" in games simply translates to 'enemies take X more bullets to kill' or 'time it takes for enemy to stop crouching beneath the fucking chest-high wall.' It's gotten bad enough to the point where I just don't look forward to newer games anymore, opting instead to seek out older gems from earlier this decade. It's no longer a rewarding experience so much as it is just 'an experience', a hollow and emotionless play-through for a narrative I will forget about within the span of a week at most.
I don't label myself a 'hardcore gamer' because that would imply I take some sort of self-righteous pride in being labelled a stereotype. I really don't. I just kind of really like older games, and it makes me a little sad I guess to see those kind of games changing into something I apparently can't seem to enjoy on the same level.
But do I think mainstream/casual games are 'RUINING THE INDUSTRY?' In short, no. But I do think the ripples they produce in the industry are affecting all games in general, for better or for worse. It appears they're straying further and further from the mature, artistic story-telling medium they originally strove to be and are instead settling for the more complacent, 'child-friendly video-gamey' sort of route (can't think of a better way atm to phrase that last bit, sorry. It's early morning, I'm tired atm).
Anywho, bottom line, I may not like what I see right now, but hey, here's to hoping the industry doesn't abandon its older fanbase for a new one.
Cheers.
