There is no such thing as a hardcore gamer

Ask any avid video game fan if he or she is a hardcore gamer and, 9 out of 10 times, the answer will most likely be yes. Then ask any gamer as to what constitutes a core gamer and you’ll be hit with mixed results. So what truly constitutes a core gamer? Someone who plays all games across all genres? Someone who only plays mature rated games? Someone who plays for hundreds of hours a week? I mean, there truly isn’t a defining classification to the title of “hardcore gamer.”

Overall its quite simple to restrict you’re general conception of what defines a casual gamer. It’s the kind of gamer that enjoy simplicity and ease of use. The type of person who is generally bound to a pick up and play game style with no true dedication or addiction, yet merely as entertainment for the time being. You will very rarely see the casual player care or give interest to the industry or the biggest and best releases. Generally speaking, that’s a simple answer, but for the most part holds true. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Everyone has their own interests and enjoyments so I fully respect and support the games associated with the casual crowd. At this point I think we are, for the most part, familiar with titles that fall into this new found genre. When we think casual we think of games such as wii sports, I phone games, kinect games, party games, move games and so on. If someone were to play one of the titles, that’s classified as casual, for hundreds upon hundreds of hours and have every mechanic mastered to perfection at the most competitive level, would they now be classified as hardcore? The fact is that the lines are becoming blurred. Are we really that hardcore of gamers when all the games we play have been streamlined in favor of accessibility? No longer does it take a gamer of gamers to understand the functionality of the experience. Now just about anyone can pick up and play just about any game from the casual to the big blockbuster releases. There are exceptions to that statement of course, but the wider audience seems to be the goal in favor of the core gamer.

One example I would like to point out is call of duty. Now I’m not trying to down play what the game accomplishes its merely a game that everyone is familiar with. So take call of duty as just an example of my meaning. By definition this game has all the pieces to a great casual experience. It’s a game that’s user friendly, fast paced, has quick matches, endless rewards, auto aim and generally a game that you don’t have to learn. If you can pick up a controller you can play it. This same generalization can apply to just about every casual experience on the market so what makes call of duty so different that it’s viewed as a hardcore game? This applies to a vast majority of games and not just call of duty. Sure, there are defiantly some very skilled players no doubt, but then that ties in to my original comment. If a vast majority and community of gamers were highly skilled at something such as mario party would that now be a hardcore game? Wii sports and call of duty are the exact same game in concept just executed in different genres, yet viewed on two completely different levels. No one would outright say they are a hardcore wii sports player as that just doesn’t sound right to most.

My point to all this is that we are clueless on what comprises a hardcore game. We can very easily point out a casual player and casual game, but are totally lost when it comes to the elusive and rumored core gamer. My view is that we are all hardcore players of our own realm but not necessarily hardcore gamers. That title itself just doesn’t exist nor can it be applied as easily as the word casual.

I would enjoy to hear your opinion and overall view on the topic. Thanks for reading.