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HARDCORE!!! It is a word that I hear over and over again in the video game industry. The developers and publishers use it to hype their titles up. The fanboys and girls use it as a badge of honor. The media uses it to divide the games they review in half (hardcore and casual). The problem is… I feel that it has lost its meaning.
I have been playing video games for a long time… since I was able to hold a joystick in my tiny little hands. In fact, the first video game console that I played was the Odyssey 2 from Magnavox, a system that very few even remember these days. Since then, at one point or another, I’ve had or played the Commodore 64, Atari, NES, SNES, Genisis, Playstation, N64, Dreamcast, Xbox, GameCube, PS2, Wii, Xbox 360, Gameboy, GB Advance, DS, and PC. I have played games from such genres as shooters, RPGs, sports, puzzle, strategy, and more. If it is fun, I will play it. Sometimes, even if it is not so fun, I will play it as well! And yet, by the definition of hardcore as determined by the previously mentioned “powers-that-be”, I may not be classified as a hardcore gamer.
Why is this? Over time, my interests have changed. Still, while may focus of interest may have shifted from the RPG genre, that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy a good old fashioned romp through a monster infested dungeon to find the treasure that will free the princess from her tormentors. You would think that I would be among the most hardcore of gamers with my wide range of enjoyment. So, what exactly is a hardcore gamer?
The website Megagames.com defines a hardcore gamer as “a male, between 14 – 34 years of age who has gaming in their top priority list, for example, someone who would prefer to play a game instead of sleeping at night or watching TV” (http://www.megagames.com/hardcoregamer.html) . This is a common perspective. Unfortunately, it doesn’t paint a very appealing picture. The site goes further to describe the hardcore gamer as a “game addict”. An addict, however, has negative connotations and only reinforces those negative aspects to those outside of the gaming culture. A hardcore gamer may come close to the border at times, but anybody who is so into a game that they neglect things like work, getting up to use the bathroom or taking care of their children are NOT hardcore and can be given a much simpler label… idiot!
Despite that, a hardcore gamer does devote a good part of their life to games. The public definition goes further to label a hardcore gamer by the games that they play. The game media puts a dividing line between games they consider either hardcore or casual. Games like Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Fallout, Halo, The Legend of Zelda, and the like are all considered to be hardcore games because they cater to those who have been playing a long time. Also, these games are quite deep and may take a while to get into. Casual games, on the other hand, are often simple to pick up and play and cater to a more general crowd. The default games that come loaded with Windows (Hearts, Solitaire, FreeCell, Minesweeper, etc) are prime examples of this. Also, puzzle games like Tetris and party games like Wii Sports and, well, Mario Party also tend to fall into this category. While that black and white divide makes it clear to see, it is not a good representation as many games blur that line. Games like Animal Crossing from Nintendo are labeled as casual, but they are not necessarily pick up and play. Animal Crossing may be easy to get into and can often be played for only a few minutes at a time, but it does involve some dedication that a casual gamer may not want to put into the game.
That said, looking over the consoles that I have played, you may notice a slight leaning towards Nintendo in my preferences. The fact is, that is what got me started in writing this. Currently in the media, I hear how Nintendo is ignoring the hardcore market and the Wii is just for casual gamers. That is why I said earlier that I might not be considered hardcore anymore. Of course, every time I hear one of those statements, it just makes me bulk. The fanboys and the media wine and cry about how Nintendo is releasing nothing but casual games and ignoring the hardcore market. I say the opposite is true.
A true definition of a hardcore gamer would be closer to the Megagames definition in that a hardcore gamer is dedicated to the gaming scene. They enjoy video games, no matter what the genre or style. Like me, they can enjoy a great game of Halo one day, and the next, get together with some friends for a run of Wii Bowling matches. A true hardcore gamer does not dedicate themselves solely to games such as GTA or Gears of War, but is open to games like Mario Kart or even Monopoly without any guilt or shame. In the words of Jack Black, “You’re not hardcore, unless you live hardcore.” And limiting your game appeal to just those that received the top coverage from the game specific new media or that everybody lines around ten blocks in order to get on launch day does not make you hardcore, it just makes you a poser. No, that doesn’t mean that you have to play My Little Pony Adventure in order to be considered hardcore (though if you do play that and enjoy it, then you are either extremely hardcore, a six year old girl (or have a daughter), or you need to get a new jacket… one that has sleeves that wrap around your body.)[I]
I have been playing video games for a long time… since I was able to hold a joystick in my tiny little hands. In fact, the first video game console that I played was the Odyssey 2 from Magnavox, a system that very few even remember these days. Since then, at one point or another, I’ve had or played the Commodore 64, Atari, NES, SNES, Genisis, Playstation, N64, Dreamcast, Xbox, GameCube, PS2, Wii, Xbox 360, Gameboy, GB Advance, DS, and PC. I have played games from such genres as shooters, RPGs, sports, puzzle, strategy, and more. If it is fun, I will play it. Sometimes, even if it is not so fun, I will play it as well! And yet, by the definition of hardcore as determined by the previously mentioned “powers-that-be”, I may not be classified as a hardcore gamer.
Why is this? Over time, my interests have changed. Still, while may focus of interest may have shifted from the RPG genre, that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy a good old fashioned romp through a monster infested dungeon to find the treasure that will free the princess from her tormentors. You would think that I would be among the most hardcore of gamers with my wide range of enjoyment. So, what exactly is a hardcore gamer?
The website Megagames.com defines a hardcore gamer as “a male, between 14 – 34 years of age who has gaming in their top priority list, for example, someone who would prefer to play a game instead of sleeping at night or watching TV” (http://www.megagames.com/hardcoregamer.html) . This is a common perspective. Unfortunately, it doesn’t paint a very appealing picture. The site goes further to describe the hardcore gamer as a “game addict”. An addict, however, has negative connotations and only reinforces those negative aspects to those outside of the gaming culture. A hardcore gamer may come close to the border at times, but anybody who is so into a game that they neglect things like work, getting up to use the bathroom or taking care of their children are NOT hardcore and can be given a much simpler label… idiot!
Despite that, a hardcore gamer does devote a good part of their life to games. The public definition goes further to label a hardcore gamer by the games that they play. The game media puts a dividing line between games they consider either hardcore or casual. Games like Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, Fallout, Halo, The Legend of Zelda, and the like are all considered to be hardcore games because they cater to those who have been playing a long time. Also, these games are quite deep and may take a while to get into. Casual games, on the other hand, are often simple to pick up and play and cater to a more general crowd. The default games that come loaded with Windows (Hearts, Solitaire, FreeCell, Minesweeper, etc) are prime examples of this. Also, puzzle games like Tetris and party games like Wii Sports and, well, Mario Party also tend to fall into this category. While that black and white divide makes it clear to see, it is not a good representation as many games blur that line. Games like Animal Crossing from Nintendo are labeled as casual, but they are not necessarily pick up and play. Animal Crossing may be easy to get into and can often be played for only a few minutes at a time, but it does involve some dedication that a casual gamer may not want to put into the game.
That said, looking over the consoles that I have played, you may notice a slight leaning towards Nintendo in my preferences. The fact is, that is what got me started in writing this. Currently in the media, I hear how Nintendo is ignoring the hardcore market and the Wii is just for casual gamers. That is why I said earlier that I might not be considered hardcore anymore. Of course, every time I hear one of those statements, it just makes me bulk. The fanboys and the media wine and cry about how Nintendo is releasing nothing but casual games and ignoring the hardcore market. I say the opposite is true.
A true definition of a hardcore gamer would be closer to the Megagames definition in that a hardcore gamer is dedicated to the gaming scene. They enjoy video games, no matter what the genre or style. Like me, they can enjoy a great game of Halo one day, and the next, get together with some friends for a run of Wii Bowling matches. A true hardcore gamer does not dedicate themselves solely to games such as GTA or Gears of War, but is open to games like Mario Kart or even Monopoly without any guilt or shame. In the words of Jack Black, “You’re not hardcore, unless you live hardcore.” And limiting your game appeal to just those that received the top coverage from the game specific new media or that everybody lines around ten blocks in order to get on launch day does not make you hardcore, it just makes you a poser. No, that doesn’t mean that you have to play My Little Pony Adventure in order to be considered hardcore (though if you do play that and enjoy it, then you are either extremely hardcore, a six year old girl (or have a daughter), or you need to get a new jacket… one that has sleeves that wrap around your body.)[I]
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