Deep Nintendological Thoughts #3: Fictional Labels
Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 4:46pm by Jack
This year, as part of a belated New Year’s resolution, I vow to not use the terms “casual gamers” or “hardcore gamers.”
This is a video game blog after all, and while we delve frequently into biased opinion, heated discussion, passionate reporting, and all sorts of other things in between, we’re not Sony PR, and we don’t do fiction.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
There’s nothing fictional about that chart. I made a similar chart after picking up the Wii in deciding between a 360/PS3 and I came out with the same numbers. For what I wanted, Sony was cheaper, in addition to the prospect of not delivering three red lights.
It may be a sterile way of viewing the three consoles, but it certainly isn’t fictional.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
While I agree that the terms are overused, what term then do we use to describe people who tend to enjoy games like: Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Brain Age, Wii Fit, and Peggle the most? Also, what term should be used for people who prefer games like: Quake, Doom, SSBB, Sonic 2, SMB3, Metroid, Zelda, Contra, and Chrono Trigger the most.
In my mind, casual gamer is not necessarily a negative term. To me, it simply describes someone who likes an easy to learn, pick up and play style of game that you can just pop in during a party or such and play without devoting any large amount of time to the game. In other words, gaming tends to more of a “casual” pastime.
In my mind, a core gamer is simply someone who tends to enjoy investing larger amounts of time into games that are more complex than what a “casual” gamer would normally play. This does not mean that “core” games are superior to “casual” games, it just means that there are fundamental differences between what would be considered a “core” game and what is considered a “casual” game.
Being a “core” game does not instantly make it good, and being a “casual” game does not make it bad. I’ve seen a lot of bad over hyped “core” games (Haze anyone?), and I’ve seen a lot bad “casual” games (Petz Horsez 2 for example). The reason casual games recieve such a negative stigma is because due to the Wii’s success there has been an influx of “casual” shovelware from publishers looking to make a quick buck. That and the entire genre is feared by the Halo/GoW/GTA crowd who feel threatened by a game that isn’t rated M and doesn’t have guns.
Still, if the terms are to be abandoned, what term would you use to describe them. Besides “Fun Games” and “Bad Games” as I am open minded enough to like casual games (My sister received Wii Fit for Christmas, and I’ve probably played it more than she has) and core games (I have been playing a lot of TF2 and Chrono Trigger DS as of late as well). I’d like to type more, but my laptop battery is getting low now. I may add more later, but feel free criticize/correct me for the time being.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I think it may turn out near imposable to not use those 2 terms.
The big thing is making sure that we all know that it is not bad to be in either of those categories, or in my case, a bit of BOTH.
January 8th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I will continue to use “casual,” because it has meaning (someone how plays for recreation), whereas I prefer to use enthusiast, traditional gamer, etc for that other term.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
I will try to go to bed before mid night……during the week days.
Btw, I am a hardcore casual gamer but madly in love with Sins of a Solar Empire.
January 8th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
jack- you ever notice that most of the articles you link have interviewer using the term “casual gamers”?
generally, i think casual = nontraditional.
i also think most people reviled the casual label for wii gamers because they found personally offensive to be offensive with a console associated with casual gamers, as if this diminished the legitimacy of their interest in gaming.
but in your case jack, i sometimes think you think changing the language will help you propogate your other ideas about the wii. but that’s just my overly conspiratorial side talking.
from my experience observing gamers, the casual label is still a significant distinction between the interests, motivations, use,and other qulaities that a set of gamers associates with their gaming systems. for instance, my friends who only play their wiis when they have friends over for parties and were annoyed that they had to play alone to unlock parts of wariowarewii.
January 8th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I don’t have a problem with the use of “casual” as long as it means casual and not oversimplified. The word I loath is “hardcore”. The only reason is because of how overused and meaningless it has become. Hardcore used to mean a gamer who went beyond the norm in some capacity, playing for huge lengths of time or committing to one game to the exclusion of others etc. Now people toss it around to mean traditional games, or maybe to mean FPS and shooters, or to mean teens playing online. I don’t mind the words, but I think before we use them, someone needs to establish an industry wide concesus on what they mean. Otherwise we all just sound like 12 year old idiots.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
This is how I see the situation, the type of game you play doesn’t matter at all. If someone can sit and play a single game for hours on end then they can be considered hardcore gamers, and it really doesn’t matter what the game is. If someone just picks up their controller every so often then they are casual gamers because they don’t care as much, its just something for them to do when they are bored.
For example, person A has one of the GTA games but plays it once a week, maybe even less then that. Would you consider that person a hardcore gamer just because they play GTA?
On the other hand person B has Wii Sports and plays it almost every day because he/she is trying to reach their goal of being the best in… lets say bowling. They want to get that perfect 300 score. Are you going to call that person casual?
My point is that there are some people out there who take these terms and try to base them on the types of games that people play, and there are others who try to make it sound that one type of gamer is better then another. That is all wrong, the difference between the two types of gamers is how much time you put into your video games.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
What about “softcore” gamers? They’re out there.
January 9th, 2009 at 3:56 am
I’m nowhere near a fan of Sony, but come on. “Hey look, some PR guy is doing what he and others in his field normally do, GET HIM!” It’s nowhere near as bad as Eidos. Seriously, screw Eidos.
January 10th, 2009 at 9:12 am
Jack, your New Years resolution has made my day.
You were already my favorite Nintendo blogger out there (you and Malstrom) but actually hearing you say that the labels “hardcore” and “casual” are meaningless made my day.