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General Gaming Discussion / What do "hardcore" and "casual" mean to you?
« on: May 16, 2011, 02:19:25 PM »
So this generation the big sub-culture buzzwords that get thrown around are "hardcore" and "casual". The problem with these, like many buzzwords that are used outside of their denotative form, they mean different things to different people. So, what do they mean to you?
To me, games aren't either hardcore or casual but can be approached in either a casual or hardcore way, and will be accepted amongts a group based on their accessibility to them. (With some exceptions where one style of play is so vastly dominant it's completely one-sided) Hardcore games are those that offer a significant challenge in some way, whether it be in the form of 100% completion or just getting through the game. Casual is a game's ability to not require a huge investment to enjoy it. Here's a game I think illustrates my point: Donkey Kong Country.
Donkey Kong Country is probably all my dad's girlfriend ever played (that and Frogger's Adventure on the GBA) and she would play that thing to death. She went after all the pictures and animal tokens, KONG letters and coins, etc. This is a hardcore approach to the game.
Me? I'm not that into it. It's fun, but I'm content just going through the levels and seeing the ending. I'll go for KONG letters if they're easy because of the extra lives, but other than that I'm not conerned with the collectibles in the game. This, imo, is a casual approach to it. The opposite holds true for Pokemon. I have a friend who will only play Pokemon up to the last boss, while I'll go into it and do everything there is to do almost. (I say almost, because things like the B/W surveys are too tedious for me.)
Now, there are exceptions. Animal Crossing offers almost no challenge, and it is a largely casual experience imo. However, Fire Emblem is a vastly hardcore game, thanks to it's difficulty, permanent death, and limited experience points to be distributed. To see the end of Fire Emblem, you HAVE to approach it hardcore.
What are your opinions on hardcore and casual games/gamers?
To me, games aren't either hardcore or casual but can be approached in either a casual or hardcore way, and will be accepted amongts a group based on their accessibility to them. (With some exceptions where one style of play is so vastly dominant it's completely one-sided) Hardcore games are those that offer a significant challenge in some way, whether it be in the form of 100% completion or just getting through the game. Casual is a game's ability to not require a huge investment to enjoy it. Here's a game I think illustrates my point: Donkey Kong Country.
Donkey Kong Country is probably all my dad's girlfriend ever played (that and Frogger's Adventure on the GBA) and she would play that thing to death. She went after all the pictures and animal tokens, KONG letters and coins, etc. This is a hardcore approach to the game.
Me? I'm not that into it. It's fun, but I'm content just going through the levels and seeing the ending. I'll go for KONG letters if they're easy because of the extra lives, but other than that I'm not conerned with the collectibles in the game. This, imo, is a casual approach to it. The opposite holds true for Pokemon. I have a friend who will only play Pokemon up to the last boss, while I'll go into it and do everything there is to do almost. (I say almost, because things like the B/W surveys are too tedious for me.)
Now, there are exceptions. Animal Crossing offers almost no challenge, and it is a largely casual experience imo. However, Fire Emblem is a vastly hardcore game, thanks to it's difficulty, permanent death, and limited experience points to be distributed. To see the end of Fire Emblem, you HAVE to approach it hardcore.
What are your opinions on hardcore and casual games/gamers?
