What separates the hardcore and casual crowd
- Thread starter Racecarlock
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That's pretty much the point here.TehCookie said:
I don't feel the need to be good at playing video games, nor do I want to be particularly challenged by the games' difficulty. It's a recreational thing for me - after nine hours of work and another one and a half on the train I just want a nice story wrapped in shiny graphics and engaging gameplay.
That said, while I play my games on lowest (combat) difficulty, I'm not comfortable with complexity going out of the window. Like when X-Wing Alliance was the last big name Space Flight Sim utilizing the whole damn keyboard.
Apart from that, I don't care for "moving forward as a medium" or "videogames being appreciated as art" or whatever. It's fun for me, and I can totally live with people looking at me funny because I like to play video games. It's usually worth it.
This is still a penis metaphor, ain't it?Vegosiux said:
No, of course not. The problem is not in the casual fanbase, it's the misguided developer/publisher belief that "niche franchise + casual pandering = 5+ million sales".DrVornoff said:
It ruined Command and Conquer, Splinter Cell, Dragon Age, Crysis and it's the reason people think casual gamers are bad for the industry, when they really aren't.
Not sure about the "crowd", but I had a revelation the other day about what separates "hardcore" and "casual" games.
It's simple. "Hardcore" games assumed a certain level of prior knowledge about how video games (especially of the same genre) work. "Casual" games don't assume anything beyond that you probably know how to switch your PC/console on and put the disk in.
So Viva Pinata is a casual game because it explains absolutely everything, meaning my non-gamer sister was able to pick it up and play it with no problems. Whereas the tutorial section in Devil May Cry 4 wasn't nearly informative enough to teach her how to play, making it a hardcore game.
It's simple. "Hardcore" games assumed a certain level of prior knowledge about how video games (especially of the same genre) work. "Casual" games don't assume anything beyond that you probably know how to switch your PC/console on and put the disk in.
So Viva Pinata is a casual game because it explains absolutely everything, meaning my non-gamer sister was able to pick it up and play it with no problems. Whereas the tutorial section in Devil May Cry 4 wasn't nearly informative enough to teach her how to play, making it a hardcore game.
Actually, no I wasn't. First game I remember playing was Age of Empires, which certainly isn't very hardcore, but it's also not causal. From there, I went onto Pokemon Blue, Homeworld, Age of Empires 2, Tachyon: The Fringe and others.Racecarlock said:
Well if we leave the drama hat on the side for purposes of having an actual discussion then attitude is actually the defining pivot point.
A "casual" gamer has a near apathetic attitude towards games, while a "hardcore" gamer is all in with dedication.
Now before you get your torches and pitchforks out in both cases I am describing myself, in some games I just tune out and take a gentle stroll while in others I fucking study that shit, I go into ridiculous details to get that optimum gameplay.
And when you are trying to determine opinions with more weight I for one will listen to the guy who didn't just walk through games blind.
A "casual" gamer has a near apathetic attitude towards games, while a "hardcore" gamer is all in with dedication.
Now before you get your torches and pitchforks out in both cases I am describing myself, in some games I just tune out and take a gentle stroll while in others I fucking study that shit, I go into ridiculous details to get that optimum gameplay.
And when you are trying to determine opinions with more weight I for one will listen to the guy who didn't just walk through games blind.
While I agree with the first part I don't think tutorials have much to do with it. I think it's more along how the game rewards the player. Pokemon is an easy game but it doesn't have any tutorials, especially on EV and IV training. However you don't need to know that to play the game, you are rewarded by beating gyms and catching Pokemon. The tiny stat different is just extras for the people who want to dive into the series. With DMC4 you can play it with only the tutorial on easy-automatic, but you don't get to enjoy the combat. You have to know how to pull off stylish combos to feel rewarded and that takes skill.MetalMagpie said:
This is actually a very nice definition of hardcore v.s. casual games. I always wondered how some players were branded casual, while they basically sink more time in tending to their crops than I sink in exploring and reading every single book I come across in Skyrim.MetalMagpie said:
A hardcore gamer is someone who thinks that the best music ever recorded is game music and the best stories ever told are game stories. When not playing games his hobby is agreeing with viral marketers on game forums.
Are they into games a lot? Do they sink hours upon hours into them? Do they have knowledge of them gained through playing them so long that others may not have? They are a hardcore gamer.
Do they enjoy games? Do they play them occasinally like any other hobby? Do they enjoy playing them every now and then like they may watch a movie every now and then? They are a casual gamer.
The terms mean nothing. There is a lot of confusion on who to be angry at since "niche" game fans have been getting annoyed that developers are "Widening the audience" which pretty much means removing what made the game unique in the hopes that it appeals to more people even though they are shutting out their original fans.
This is why people are annoyed. Some people then end up blaming the "Casual" gamers who they feel the dev has betrayed them for. Even though it's not casual gamers so much as non-niche gamers.
Do they enjoy games? Do they play them occasinally like any other hobby? Do they enjoy playing them every now and then like they may watch a movie every now and then? They are a casual gamer.
The terms mean nothing. There is a lot of confusion on who to be angry at since "niche" game fans have been getting annoyed that developers are "Widening the audience" which pretty much means removing what made the game unique in the hopes that it appeals to more people even though they are shutting out their original fans.
This is why people are annoyed. Some people then end up blaming the "Casual" gamers who they feel the dev has betrayed them for. Even though it's not casual gamers so much as non-niche gamers.
I think it's largely the amount of Passion one has for a certain game that makes people want to qualify as a hardcore gamer.
They maximize performance by adjusting config-settings to match the computer's capabilities.
And they usually have better gear like game-pads, keyboards, headset and mice, to be able to make custom macros and adjust DPI settings on-the-fly.
Besides, it's all somewhat relative; A pro-Starcraft player might get his ass handed to him in a game of Quake3.
They maximize performance by adjusting config-settings to match the computer's capabilities.
And they usually have better gear like game-pads, keyboards, headset and mice, to be able to make custom macros and adjust DPI settings on-the-fly.
Besides, it's all somewhat relative; A pro-Starcraft player might get his ass handed to him in a game of Quake3.
In this thread:
-inflammatory OP, all with stereotypes, generalizations, accusations, insults and arm-waving
-Derailing conversations about who is a casual and why they suck/i am better
Seriously OP, please do not open this can of worms - nothing good will ever ever come out of it.
Besides, with the huge traffic this site has generated, who reads all of these posts and replies in a meaningful way to such a "troll" topic ?
Just because i am a "hardcore gamer" doesnt mean i look down on people, i would help them if they would ask - to a certain extent-.
-inflammatory OP, all with stereotypes, generalizations, accusations, insults and arm-waving
-Derailing conversations about who is a casual and why they suck/i am better
Seriously OP, please do not open this can of worms - nothing good will ever ever come out of it.
Besides, with the huge traffic this site has generated, who reads all of these posts and replies in a meaningful way to such a "troll" topic ?
Just because i am a "hardcore gamer" doesnt mean i look down on people, i would help them if they would ask - to a certain extent-.