Hardcore gaming is dead forever...

[Iron Mal]

for a simple reason really, now that video games have become a profitable market, there really is no incentive to make a good hardcore game anymore that really pleases an increasingly niche section of gamers. Every year i see less and less hardcore games coming out( i think the last one i played was Vanquish, and that game wasn't very successful. I don't even want to think about FPS). The fact of the matter is, the people who truly care about video games are greatly outnumbered by casuals, and the gap will only increase. Its even making its way into PC, which for a long time was protected from too much casual entry due to it being somewhat expensive, and not completely easy to pick up, but now even it is becoming more accessible and watered down. This is a serious problem guys we need to consider, but there's not much we can do about it. one day everything's going to be a wagglenoobtubenolearningcurve casual fest, and devs are still going to make millions.


Just my opinion though. what do you guys think?

Well you seem to have a very loose definition of what 'hardcore' actually is (I'm taking a guess your taking it to mean games that are difficult to play through and complete) and one that doesn't really seem to hold up when you stop and think about it (there are several great games out there that are pretty forgiving in their difficuty and there are plenty of absolutely abysmal games that possess testicle crushingly cruel difficulty curves walls).

There is absolutely nothing wrong with games being manageable, if they weren't then I have to ask you how exactly do you expect new people to get into the hobby? They need a jumping on point somewhere (and with the hobby becoming more and more popular it's more important now than ever that games be accessable and enjoyable, sure, there are still sadistically cruel games out there but those aren't going to be fun for most people and as we all know, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few).

I think it's a bit of a false conclusion to assume that casual gamers don't care about the games they play. I'm sure that they do, just in a different way (just as you can still care about music or film even if you don't surround yourself with the most inspired and obscure art-house films and bands).

If you're finding games to be too easy and watered down then you need to stop and think about who you are when you make that judgement, you've probably been playing games for a long time (I'm assuming) so it goes without saying that everything is easier to you, you've already mastered it by now (show some consideration and compassion for those who haven't had as much experience with games as you have).

 

[Joos]

Hardcore gaming has always been dead to me.

As I'm one who believes that gaming is simply gaming, neither casual nor hardcore no matter how much you like to fool yourself otherwise. And in my eyes only those who win money in competitions, like the MLG dudes, can ever call themselves hardcore.

Not sure about that, there are plenty of games out there that cater both for hardcore gamers as well as the casual crowd by having a very good AI/difficulty slider for SP and ranked MP built in to them for even matchmaking so you don't get too unbalanced games.

Also, your father smells of elderberries.

 

[Rijo]

Playing Doom with the Lights off: Hardcore
*End Post here* lol

 

[Imper1um]

Two words: Dark Souls.

"Hardcore" gaming isn't dead, its just the hardcore gamers have to look a little more. There's still that niche of players that feel that they have to be raped by the "butt-raper 8000" in order to have a fun experience, and some game companies will continue to cater to those (such as those who asked for a Demon's Souls Sequel).

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

Can't you just take some sand paper and massage your crotch with it while you play a "casual" game?
Honestly, I've been an avid gamer for a looong time and I enjoy a good challenge but I really don't see this absurd step onto easy street that so many gamers do. I mean, that is why difficulty settings are there. Either way, I prefer an honest challenge and fun. I am all set with games that are so poorly designed that you have to just die over and over again to get anywhere and then call it hardcore.
Honestly, this is mostly what it boils down to. I play old school RPGs sometimes and a lot of the massive difficulty I run into is just poor game design. Do you really want to go back to those days?

 

[albinoterrorist]

well i never really defined what hard core was outside of being difficult, which is pretty vauge.

Imo its really just any game that takes dedication to master, and also rewards you for it(for example not losing to cheese tactics that a casual would use since they don't understand the game very deeply).

Any game of the Armoured Core series.

Seriously. I'd like to see anyone call it "casual".

 

[AdamRBi]

I like how your example of a "Hardcore" game had a feature that automatically entered bullet time to help make the game easier. Is "Hardcore" just your version of "Cool," "Awesome," or "Extreme?" You know, there was a time that "Extreme" games died off too and that was when people stopped using it as a slang for something exhilarating. Even then it was all a matter of opinion.

If "Hardcore" means hard then maybe you should try an activity that doesn't involve pushing a series of buttons in rapid succession. If you really want a challenging game though, try "Simon." Unless that's too casual for you.

 

[skywolfblue]

Hardcore gaming is dead forever...

And Good Riddance!

Viva la gaming for the fun of it!

 

[Cid Silverwing]

"Hardcore" = anything that is very clearly rated T or over, gritty, realistic and if it's an FPS, cover-based health regeneration with chainsaw bayonets mounted onto gattling cannons.

 

[6_Qubed]

It occurs to me that if hardcore porn was like hardcore games, nobody would buy it because it would be too frustrating.

No I do not know how I reached that conclusion.

 

[tacotrainwreck]

Dude. No it isn't. You just need to look beyond the mass-market labels. In the indy realm, you will still find plenty of hardcore gaming.

 

[Gralian]

The Binding of Isaac is the most hardcore indie title i've played in a long while.

Still haven't finished it once despite there being a total of what? Six levels?

Damn roguelikes...

 

[RatRace123]

"Hardcore gaming" will never die, because there will always be a market for it and there will always be developers who want to make those games.
Don't worry the "evil casual menace" won't overtake the industry, I promise.

 

[C95J]

Just one question, an honest question:

What does "Hardcore gaming" actually mean? What qualifies a game to be "Hardcore", give me some examples.

 

[Vegosiux]

What does "Hardcore gaming" actually mean? What qualifies a game to be "Hardcore", give me some examples.

It's usually an expression people use when they want to go "Stop having fun guys, the only right way to play games is the way I play them". I wouldn't lose sleep over it, really.

 

[C95J]

What does "Hardcore gaming" actually mean? What qualifies a game to be "Hardcore", give me some examples.

It's usually an expression people use when they want to go "Stop having fun guys, the only right way to play games is the way I play them". I wouldn't lost sleep over it, really.

Ah right, I was gonna say, I just buy games that interest me, then play them. Mostly for the fun (that's what games are for really) but also for competing online. Mostly for the fun though

 

[eastofeastside]

hardcore game = gameplay > presentation ( a game that emphasizes gameplay over presentation)

mainstream game = presentation > gameplay ( a game that emphasizes presentation over gameplay)



Vanquish, Dark Souls, Demon Souls and Bayonetta are all perfect examples of hardcore games. A hardcore game isn't just a game that is "hard" it's a game that is skill based and technically deep that, while it may be accessible on a beginner level, is difficult to master with a steep learning curve.

Contrast a technically deep, single-player only TPS with a short campaign, Vanquish, to Gears and Uncharted which are shallow bullet sponge fests with no technical depth and tons of cinematics. The selling points of those games are their presentation--lavish production values and lengthy cinematics. Singe-player experiences of those games are really weak and they have to count on online multiplayer to add depth to the experience as their is little to the singe-player game beyond the inital 8 hour first play to complete them. The "hard" modes are harder, but arbitrarily so, and don't require mastery of complex technique.

To futher make the distinction, there can be such a thing as a 'mainstream hardcore game'. Street Fighter is an example. SF is an incredibly popular franchise with mainstream appeal but it retains the technical depth of gameplay and steep learning curve to mastery of a hardcore game where an expert player would destroy any button mashing beginner.

Hardcore gaming is dead existing only as a tiny niche segment of the overall market today. It died when arcades died and gaming went mainstream. The market for hardcore games is inherently smaller and rarely commercially viable today.

Hardcore gaming belonged to another era when gaming's dedicated core audience was socially withdrawn and obsessive geeks and nerds.