Edit3: I'm putting this at the top because it's probably important to know going in. I apparently had an understanding of the term hardcore gamer not shared by many members of this community. So I use the term too specifically here. If you don't feel that this stuff applies to you, then I probably wasn't talking about you, and I'm sorry for misusing the term.[/edit]
I've been wondering for a while now why I can't identify with hardcore gamers. I spend an unhealthy amount of time playing games, and I get into some really obscure ones. Gaming is obviously my main hobby, so why don't I identify with the hardcore crowd?
Well, I was recently trying to have a conversation where the other person and myself were just not communicating somehow and suddenly it dawned on me. You're all graphics whores. I mean, that's a terrible term. Obviously there are other things you care about besides graphics, but back when I was your age that's what we called you. We weren't being particularly fair. You were the ones that were going to ruin gaming forever when I was your age. (Haha, I'm old now!)
Obviously it was the whole 'PCs are better because they have better graphics' thing that tipped me off, but there are other things as well. The average hardcore gamer's inability to tell the difference between complicated and interesting has always irked me. (Seriously, the words 'dumbing down' fill me with so much rage.) The way idolized games always seem to involve some sort of weird combination of twitch reflexes and spreadsheet maintenance. The way everyone talks about Dark Souls like it's hard. (I mean yeah I died quite a bit, but I never got stuck anywhere. It's just a game that requires you to know what you're doing. That's not the same as hard.)
Hehehe. Man, I never really could get worked up about the whole casual gamer thing, but now it's kind of filling me with a sadistic sort of glee. I'm kinda sorry for you, but mostly I just find the realization that gaming is moving on past the people that it went to after it left me to be amusing. I kinda want to get a smartphone so I can buy a dozen copies of Angry Birds now.
Sorry, I don't normally enjoy the unhappiness of others. I'm sure I'll get over it pretty quickly, but well... you are kinda the reason behind gaming veering away from my tastes over the last couple decades, so you'll have to forgive me (Or not. Up to you.) for enjoying this for a moment.
Edit: Sorry, I was a bit tired when I posted this. It came across as insulting the reader when I didn't really mean for that to happen. It's supposed to be addressed to just the most annoying of hardcore gamers, not everyone on the Escapist, and even then it's not supposed to be seriously insulting. You know I like you guys, right? That's why I post here, you know. This was just supposed to be an amusing observation to discuss. Sorry I failed to get my point across.
Edit2: Took the maniacal laugh out of the title. That was more than just a bit overboard. I'm leaving reference to it here because it seems dishonest to remove things without saying so.
I've been wondering for a while now why I can't identify with hardcore gamers. I spend an unhealthy amount of time playing games, and I get into some really obscure ones. Gaming is obviously my main hobby, so why don't I identify with the hardcore crowd?
Well, I was recently trying to have a conversation where the other person and myself were just not communicating somehow and suddenly it dawned on me. You're all graphics whores. I mean, that's a terrible term. Obviously there are other things you care about besides graphics, but back when I was your age that's what we called you. We weren't being particularly fair. You were the ones that were going to ruin gaming forever when I was your age. (Haha, I'm old now!)
Obviously it was the whole 'PCs are better because they have better graphics' thing that tipped me off, but there are other things as well. The average hardcore gamer's inability to tell the difference between complicated and interesting has always irked me. (Seriously, the words 'dumbing down' fill me with so much rage.) The way idolized games always seem to involve some sort of weird combination of twitch reflexes and spreadsheet maintenance. The way everyone talks about Dark Souls like it's hard. (I mean yeah I died quite a bit, but I never got stuck anywhere. It's just a game that requires you to know what you're doing. That's not the same as hard.)
Hehehe. Man, I never really could get worked up about the whole casual gamer thing, but now it's kind of filling me with a sadistic sort of glee. I'm kinda sorry for you, but mostly I just find the realization that gaming is moving on past the people that it went to after it left me to be amusing. I kinda want to get a smartphone so I can buy a dozen copies of Angry Birds now.
Sorry, I don't normally enjoy the unhappiness of others. I'm sure I'll get over it pretty quickly, but well... you are kinda the reason behind gaming veering away from my tastes over the last couple decades, so you'll have to forgive me (Or not. Up to you.) for enjoying this for a moment.
Edit: Sorry, I was a bit tired when I posted this. It came across as insulting the reader when I didn't really mean for that to happen. It's supposed to be addressed to just the most annoying of hardcore gamers, not everyone on the Escapist, and even then it's not supposed to be seriously insulting. You know I like you guys, right? That's why I post here, you know. This was just supposed to be an amusing observation to discuss. Sorry I failed to get my point across.
Edit2: Took the maniacal laugh out of the title. That was more than just a bit overboard. I'm leaving reference to it here because it seems dishonest to remove things without saying so.
