Jimquisition: Hardcore Hypocrisy

[ProjectTrinity]

I'm a jaded gamer: It's not that fun to me...at all if the game isn't breaking ground in story telling and/or gameplay like Shadow of the Colossus or Persona 4 in some original way. Everything else and every game that fails to reach said standards are all the same level to me. ^_^

 

[Jeremytroid]

On a completely different subject than the current discussion, what was the game appearing at 1:30? It's the Black and green one that looked as if it could be on the Game Boy.

(Not a troll bait question or anything. I'm being serious )

 

[ph0b0s123]

And I always thought when first hearing the term hardcore gaming, mean the opposite to casual Wii games, 'ah they are talking about complicated thongs like flights sims with 100 page manuals, etc'. But no it was just owners of the other two consoles trying to differentiate themselves from Wii and mobile play by calling themselves hardcore for playing that those on the PC consider not very hardcore at all. I myself am quite happy playing a complicated game which makes your brain hurt or something simple on my preferred PC and had always thought it was all just gaming.

The point is this whole hardcore thing was doomed to fail from the start as the definition was always stupid, though up by people trying to backlash against all though new people brought into gaming by the Wii and mobile devices. A better definition might have been casual and AAA game players. Like arthouse or mainstream movies fans in cinema.

Those calling themselves 'hardcore' gamers aren't, they are just non welcoming douches....

 

[portal_cat]

I'm not mad. I play games because they are fun. Mario cart is one of the few games I can play with my sister who hardly ever plays games.

 

[Hoplon]

Infinity blade actually looks like i game i would like to be ported to PC.

I can be down on a lot of the mobile platform games for being little more than a re-skin of some classic old school game that isn't paying a penny to the creator because they are little better than the guys selling cams of new cinema releases out side Tesco.

That how ever doesn't make mobile gaming invalid, just... new. even if it is nearly as old as regular gaming.

 

[zombiejoe]

Infinity Blade is a fine game. And being on an iOS, or being "simple", does not mean it is bad.

A fine episode, I tell you.

 

[personion]

Didn't you already do this when you were talking about Angry Birds?

 

[TheDooD]

With Infinity Blade 1 & 2 it pretty much breaks down unto it looks cool, it make may play well and the story maybe badass. Yet I'm not buying a fucking iPhone just to play a game because hell I really don't use my current cellphone much if at all since I work and study at home.

 

[OldNewNewOld]

Imagine Infinity Blade 2 on the Wii with Wii motion plus well done like in Skyward Sword.....
Ohhh God... please Nintendo, but the rights and make a final epic game for the Wii. <3

Anyways, Jim is right... again.

 

[TheDooD]

I don't hate casual games.

I hate the industry for dumbing so many games down so that those smug, middle class cunts in those video excerpts might consider playing them.

The industry is in love with the idea that their games will gain wider recognition and acceptability - which translates either into being played at parties by 'non-gamers' or, on the flipside, being played by the multiplayer jock crowd - how else explain Bioware's desperate whoring to multiplayer other than their acceptance of the stereotype that single player is for nerds, brah... Each is as bad as the other.

I hate that industry excuse when it comes to games. Some games don't need to be played at parties nor have man children saying the words fuck and ****** to be accepted. Yet the real sad thing about it people that are making games are listening to idiots that don't make or really care about games it's about stocks, bonds and numbers to those fools. Everybody is fucking nerd it just depends on what your nerd focus is.

 

[Mangue Surfer]

This is a good opportunity to ask not only for Jim but for all of you. Why do you need so much of the approval from others? What difference does it make to you? Do you like a game less if strangers don't approve?

 

[BrotherRool]

I would consider Pacman, Tetris and Punchout to be casual games. And I would be aware they are an important part of history because the trend is games become deeper and more complex as we improve. That's the general direction of progress, up.

So you're point please?

In any case there is a recognisable difference in the purpose and design of a game like Pacman or Infinity Blade and LA Noire. Casual is as good a term as any to label that difference, and whilst casual games can be brilliant and fufill a different purpose than hardcore games (I wouldn't want to play Skyrim on a bus, or when I'm looking for some really mindless entertainment), non-casual games have qualities and purposes make them better. Short stories are brilliant, Asimov and Sherlock Holmes (that was chosen on popularity rather than cohesion. Saying Conan-Doyle makes me sound like I'm trying to be cleverer than I am ) proved they have place in history, but it still stands that a full novel takes more work and is generally more satisfying and that is the case often enough to label a novel as 'better'

 

[Blaster395]

Imagine Infinity Blade 2 on the Wii with Wii motion plus well done like in Skyward Sword.....
Ohhh God... please Nintendo, but the rights and make a final epic game for the Wii. <3

Anyways, Jim is right... again.

I am not sure how well the wii would handle Unreal 3.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I have always used this definition of gamer. Do you play games, 'yes', do you like playing games, 'yes', do you know how to get the games that interest you (retail, DD, etc), 'yes', congratulations, you are a gamer.

Or how about we end the labels: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/8031-Extra-Punctuation-Dont-Use-the-Word-Gamer

I'm going to go watch some TV now. I guess that makes me a TVer, as I must label myself based on what I do for entertainment. *eye roll*

Doesn't quite roll off the tongue but I know a couple of people who are TV enthusiasts.
I don't see anything wrong with the term gamer but I can see how you might if that's the only thing people call you.
Maybe one day everyone will game in one way or another and it wont be practical but where not there yet.
But taking offense to the term or forcing a new term onto people is needless and a bit pretentious.

There's apparently already a lot of snobs who game from what Jim said. In fact, at this point, the amount of people who play "hardcore" games is shrinking while the "casual" gaming market is expanding like crazy. The "hardcore" snobs aren't going to feel too superior when nobody is making "their" games anymore...but then the "casual" snobs are probably not going to be pleased when publishers who are used to "hardcore gamers" sensibilities (call it forgiveness...or gullibility) try laying online passes and full price beta tests on them.

 

[Adzma]

Jim, I think you'll find that Mario Kart fan was insulting you because you yourself are a massive hypocrite. You gave Mario Kart 7 a 5 for being a rehash of the same formula, which it totally is; I completely agree there. However you gave Modern Warfare a 9.5. I think someone needs to get their priorities straight.

 

[Miggiwoo]

Brilliant video. I would consider myself a hardcore gamer, but that's mostly because games are a large part of my life, even outside of actually playing them. I have no problem with people who want to pick up a controller and be able to play a game. In fact, a number of my favorite games have been mechanically 'shallow' experiences. Little Big Planet is a great example. Tetris is another.

And one more point, LBP is probably the hardest game I've played this year. That includes hard mode clears of Crysis 2, DNF and Deus Ex HR, just to name a few. Casual doesn't mean easy, it means easy to learn.