The Casual vs Hardcore gamer debate is a freaking cancer.

This has been a point of contention among gamers for years, and it is one of the things that is honestly killing us. It is worse and honestly more irrelevant then console wars, but gamers love their debates. You can see it on this board, if a game is released and lacks content "hardcore gamers" jump to blame casuals. That makes no sense considering it is not the so called "casuals" who develop the games.

If you have played any game adamantly or follow gaming enough to post on this site then congrats you are a hardcore gamer. If you have a life outside of videogames that takes time away from gaming, sometimes enjoy games that you can pick up and play and set down then you are a casual gamer. Most importantly I propose we should all focus on being more selective consumers, and demand better quality games with our money. This debate is ridiculous as Hardcore and casual are not mutualy exclusive. Certain series like Zelda, souls, etc will always be considered for the more involved "Hardcore" gamer and games like Mario Kart and Call of duty are better fit for casual play, it is just a fact. So when a game sucks and you say "blah casuals are the reason the devs cut on this content" you are shooing yourself in the foot, as lazy development starts with lazy devs.

Developers these days make what the publishers demand rather than what they want to make.

So you are half right, but it's because of publishers not the developers. They see trends and copy the successes of others

Pretty much every debate in gaming is a cancer

yeah, the "hardcore gamer" or "true gamer" shit is always pretty lol worthy

gtx 970 vs gtx 1080 dabate is a freaking cancer.

@ten_pints: You are right.

Hardcore gamer is someone who loves hardcore games. Casuals love casual games. It has nothing to do with how many games you play or how into a game you are. Also intermediate gamer enjoy in between, they like to be pushed some, but not ballz to the wallz.

Kirby = Casual

Yoshi = Intermediate

Donkey Kong = Hardcore

@gtx021: Lol

Times new roman vs calibri font debate is a freaking cancer

@iandizion713: The thing is, in social(human) science behavior has too much variability. So I can play "casual" and "hardcore" games and still be a human being.....do you understand?

@Mercenary848: Yeah? But whats you point? I play all three. I understand i think what your getting at, your tired of hardcore gamers complaining that casuals have caused their favorite game to cater to them, which is understandable.

Casuals do not like hardcore games usually, to where hardcore might not like casual games much. Of course some like both. But i too complain when my hardcore series decides to cater to casuals.

@magicalclick: I think Indie games have declined. I remember back in the old days they use to make some very innovative games, now they all seem to be stuck making retro games.

All three of those are pretty casual though...

Sure...

DK is not hardcore at all and Yoshi is meant to be a beginner's platformer. All Yoshi games are meant to be easy and casual

http://www.gamespot.com/articles/which-nintendo-platformer-is-right-for-you/1100-6418273/

@aigis: Yeah, i wont argue with you there. You can think what you want with those. But good luck convincing others.

I think the "Retro" thing is more a case of a lot of small indie developers not having the cash, time or man power needed to make modern graphical wonders and if a game is not a graphical masterpiece, people (often wrongly) tag it as Retro. Add in to that, a lot of them are very good at making games but lack the ability to create top notch visuals as well. A good game creator and programmer is not necessarily a good artist.

@GarGx1: Thats true, but im not looking for amazing visuals, im looking for innovative gameplay. And as far as i can tell, AAA is still leading in that department by a mile.

I mean come on, Nintendo started a whole freaking motion movement thats being used like crazy today and Nintendo gets like zero rewards from everyone coping them. And if Nintendo does more motion controls, o they rehashing stuff now! Nintendo done lost it!

"Gaming enthusiast" seems appropriate.

Its a bunch of non sense for people with ego identity syndrome. Like my grandfather said regarding shooting pool: "if your making money and feeding yourself playing pool, you're hardcore. Other wise you just play pool". I apply it to gaming. If its your livelihood then you're hardcore. If not and you want to call yourself hardcore, you're an insecure lil bitch that wants an identity.

I don't think the classification is a bad thing....I think the twats that make it sound as if being casual is bad thing....is a bad thing.

As well as acting as if bc they think they are hardcore they're some sort of superstar.

Yeah, right....you're playing video games.

Just be happy that some casuals will grow into more hardcore gamers which makes the gamer community as a whole grow.

My perspective is that the only fallacy in the hardcore/casual argument is the misguided notion that "only a hardcore gamer is a 'true' gamer" or looking down on casuals as some form of "lesser gamer".

And while many rebuke that "we're all gamers" and certainly that is true, it still doesn't preclude the truth that gradations exist in just how much people who partake are really invested in the pastime. It's not necessarily about the amount of time put into gaming (for many jobs and family are an unavoidable obligation) or playing from a wide assortment of titles vs just following one or two. It really has to do with the level of passion and dedication that is expressed in interest and communication.

Just look at how deeply some players can immerse themselves in the experience, to the extent that they are fueled to learn all they can about the lore, populace, history and setting of the universe that they just dive into, attaching themselves to it on a personal level. Or in how deeply players commit themselves to mastering the mechanics and techniques of the game for the joy and satisfaction in the sense of achievement; this often being reflected in fighters, that is akin to studying the art of chess. And passion often goes beyond the medium, submersing one's life in extended material as books, magazines, art, and collectibles. And of course those of us who partake of discussion on web forums ;)

It's a level of commitment far beyond just the occasional leisure activity. And honestly it's no different among an assortment of interests and other types of personal investments; people who make their cars a shrine, detailing and enhancing with after market parts, who also read up and are greatly knowledgeable on the industry... or people's who interest in music is to not just listen to bands but read biographies and collect rare auction pieces, the sports enthusiast is so attached to the team almost as an extended part of their family, and how rigorously they follow their rituals on game day... I could go on but I think you get the idea.

But generally I oppose the hardcore and casual labels with all the stigma that entails and negative preconceptions that divides the community, particularly the false branding of some being "superior" to others. Rather I go with "enthusiast" and "recreational" that can even have degrees in between, as this seems a more honest way to categorize players by their approach to the hobby, on the foundation of their own personal investment.

I mean if you want to make fun of the people who visit the outside world on a regular basis... You can.

>hardcore gamers

>lol

Some people play games casually on the side and its just not their life you know.

I really resent gamers taking their hobby more than what it is: a turf war between them and everyone else.

I'm casually hardcore

iME this silly debate can be found exclusively on the internet and more specifically on forums such as this one. Everyone I know IRL that plays games just considers themselves gamers.

That's just talk from people who can only identify as a "hardcore" gamer, cause they have nothing else to stand out from the rest of the gamers.

Seriously, you beat Dark Souls with a plastic guitar, congrats, did you enjoy the game?

Gaming is casual as a whole, with the ps4/x1. Hardcore games are those that require some sense of mastery from the player.

@iandizion713: Donkey Kong hardcore, lol, your whole idea of hardcore vs casual is laughable as well, thanks for the laugh though.

IMO, it's not what you play, it's how you play. In short, casual gamers treat gaming like a minor distraction they dabble in from time to time, hardcore gamers treat their gaming like a second fulltime job + overtime.

@vfighter: Donkey Kong not hardcore no more? Who will get it on like Donkey Kong?

Gamers are shit.

Mobile games are cancer to this industry.

Um...I doubt that this is something that is "killing us". I mean, I'm generally just gonna buy what I like. You can insult me for being too hardcore or casual, and that's fine for stupid online debates, but it's not gonna get me to play full price for a game that I am not interested in just so that I can get internet cred with a bunch of people on an internet gaming forum. And the companies making games want to make money. Meaning that the market is going to be directed by what people buy rather some inconsequential distinction between those who are hardcore and those who are casual. And if there is enough of a market for someone to make games that I enjoy, why would I give half a **** if some other gamer thinks I'm a jerk for being too casual?

and to everyone not interested in video games ..we're just adults playing with toys....hardcore and casuals alike. :P

I just like to play games. All the Y vs X that plague gaming are funny. But ye... we basically have a shitty community but nonetheless I can't say it isn't entertaining as hell.

I noticed that some games take offensive when referring to video games as toys. Actually there is nothing wrong with that as people treat their cars, motorcycles, etc. as toys. It is not an activity only for children.

I don't think the term "hardcore" is mostly used for those who play games only. I think it has more to do with the type of games they prefer to play, the games that require higher skills than other games to beat.

I think sometimes "casuals" are blamed not because they don't play games much but because they support some of the most streamlined games in the industry, which are also best sellers and it encourages other pubs to "dumb down" their future releases for that audience.

But at the end of the day, no one is superior. We all play games for fun.

I know I'm not alone in knowing what someone means when they say "hardcore" or "casual" given the context of the situation.

Though I wouldn't call someone who frequents gaming forums a hardcore gamer. Maybe a hardcore forum goer, a hardcore shitposter, or something of that sort, but not a hardcore gamer since that would imply gaming, and who even knows how much most people on forums even game. I'm guessing not a lot.

Not DK.

It's ridiculous. Gamers are gamers.... except dudebros.

I could say the same thing about weeaboos.

It sure isnt hardcore. Im not saying casual is a bad thing. Its just not a complex game, its less casual than yoshi, but calling it hardcore is going overboard

The post-game in those games would like to differ.

Hardcore is a game like Mario64 or a racing sim like Gran Turismo. Games with very defined control inputs which allow for some variance in movement amongst the player.

Games like Witcher3, Uncharted, etc.....these are casual games.

Thats like saying every game that has an easy mode is automatically casual, but its also hardcore at the same time because it has a hard mode

I never said anything about an easy mode or a hard mode.

DK games sure as hell ain't pushovers even without a hard mode.

Casual gamers rule the market that's why gaming is messed up right now

The point is its an extra for unlocks, not really part of the main game

You play the post-game on an increased difficulty, mirrored, with almost impossible time trials, and an extra world more challenging than the 8th one. And you're required to find and beat the secret levels hidden in every world which are more skill-based than anything to reach all that. Clearly, it's more than just unlocks as they impact the games meaningfully to satisfy die-hard gamers.

I don't know about the game being completely hardcore, but it sure isn't deserving to be lumped with Kirby and Yoshi for its "casualness".