"Mid-Core" May Be the New "Casual"

[SuperTrainStationH]

To think just a few months ago I was mocked (not here mind you) for insisting that gamers in general could be described as "Hardcore" "Softcore" and "Casual" and there existed a gaming demographics something in between the extremes of hardcore hobbyists and the grandmas who only play Wii Sports and Wii Fit.

 

[Starik20X6]

I picture it like food. 'Casual' games are like fast food- good for a quick fix when you're in a hurry and don't have time for anything substantial. 'Hardcore' games are like dinner at a fancy restaurant- you set aside a dedicated timeslot to enjoy and savour the consumption. Both have their place, but it sure is nice to know that more people are refining their tastes and not surviving solely on greasy burgers and lukewarm fries.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

This is kind of how it works, you can't just jump into any old game and expect to do it right. But it sure as hell can be funny sometimes.

 

[Elate]

And in a few years, it won't be the twelve year old kids screaming down the microphone you'll have to worry about, it'll be the old ladies..

"BACK IN MY DAY YOU YOUNG-ENS HAD SKILL" she will say with 50/0 K/D...

 

[templar1138a]

*shakes head slowly* The internet would call me a "Core" gamer, but the way I see it, unless you are a critic, Designer, or professional tester, you're a casual gamer. Because gaming is something you do in your spare time, no matter how much you have.

We're all casual gamers. And if you don't like those iPhone games, don't buy them. Developers pay attention to money flow. And even if they make money hand-over-fist from those games and don't make the ones you want, then there are still independent developers who want to make games their way. And chances are those desires will be in line with yours.

My captcha is "laser beams." I'm so happy the advertising captchas are gone.

 

[loa]

Yes we clearly need more silly labels no one knows what they mean. Thank you.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Or an IP.

IP isn't a gaming term, it's a blanket copyright term. True, the layman probably doesn't know what it means exactly, but it's not a term that is specific to a videogame player's knowledge. I hate to complain but it seemed weird seeing it snuggled in besides the gaming lingo, when it's not.

 

[JEBWrench]

Yes we clearly need more silly labels no one knows what they mean. Thank you.

We need at least a dozen more.

Casual, Lower-Mid-Casual, Mid-Casual, Upper-Mid-Casual, Lower-Mid-Core, Upper-Mid-Core, Core, Lower-Hard-Core, Mid-Hard-Core, Upper-Hard-Core, Beat-Dark-Souls-Without-Dying.

 

[Emiscary]

As I've gotten older I've come to see less and less difference between the term "demographic" and "stereotype".

Someone wanna point out the meaninful differences to me? Because I don't see it.

"YOU! You are a casual. You like frivolity and shiny colors."

"YOU! You are a hardcore. You like explosions and high def graphics."

"YOU THERE!? What be ye... some kind of half-core?! What mockery is this!?"

-.-

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Or an IP.

IP isn't a gaming term, it's a blanket copyright term. True, the layman probably doesn't know what it means exactly, but it's not a term that is specific to a videogame player's knowledge. I hate to complain but it seemed weird seeing it snuggled in besides the gaming lingo, when it's not.

I use it more often when I'm talking about games than not. Plus it's something most gamers should know about. So they have some idea of what's going where and who's handling what. It just came to mind when I was writing down everything else.

 

[gibboss28]

Yes we clearly need more silly labels no one knows what they mean. Thank you.

We need at least a dozen more.

Casual, Lower-Mid-Casual, Mid-Casual, Upper-Mid-Casual, Lower-Mid-Core, Upper-Mid-Core, Core, Lower-Hard-Core, Mid-Hard-Core, Upper-Hard-Core, Beat-Dark-Souls-Without-Dying.

All I can see now is a parody of the Frost Reports class sketch done for gamers.

I'd link the sketch but its damned near difficult to find a version of it on youtube.

On topic: Another pointless term that I couldn't give a flying fuck about? AWESOME!

 

[The Wooster]

As I've gotten older I've come to see less and less difference between the term "demographic" and "stereotype".

Someone wanna point out the meaninful differences to me? Because I don't see it.

"YOU! You are a casual. You like frivolity and shiny colors."

"YOU! You are a hardcore. You like explosions and high def graphics."

"YOU THERE!? What be ye... some kind of half-core?! What mockery is this!?"

-.-

Okay, the phrase "some kind of half-core?" is entering my vocabulary.

 

[Emiscary]

As I've gotten older I've come to see less and less difference between the term "demographic" and "stereotype".

Someone wanna point out the meaninful differences to me? Because I don't see it.

"YOU! You are a casual. You like frivolity and shiny colors."

"YOU! You are a hardcore. You like explosions and high def graphics."

"YOU THERE!? What be ye... some kind of half-core?! What mockery is this!?"

-.-

Okay, the phrase "some kind of half-core?" is entering my vocabulary.

You're welcome

 

[Squidbulb]

As people have already said, it's kind of hard to not see this coming. Somebody who's never played a game before isn't going anywhere near Dark Souls, they'll start off with simpler things and move up as they gain experience. This is why anyone who claims to hate casual gamers is a close-mined moron.
I wouldn't put myself in either "casual" or "core". I play a lot of games but I'm willing to play something simple and easy and I'm not going to go for the biggest challenge I can find. So where do I fit in?

 

[ElPatron]

Okay, the Metal genres already screwed over my mind, now you're coming at me with mid-cores and half-cores and whatnot.

ASomebody who's never played a game before isn't going anywhere near Dark Souls, they'll start off with simpler things and move up as they gain experience.

Call of Duty is pretty easy to pick up, and it sells like hot cakes. Yet people argue about it being "core" or "casual".

These definitions are meaningless, they only exist so that we have something to hate. Like "Mallcore". When something floods the market but doesn't have a lot of "substance" (it can be argued whether or not Farmville can be an actual "game") it's bound to be associated with different people (like the attempts of more traditional Metal trying to stay away from Mallcore fans).

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

God it's becoming like the punk/metal movement with so many damn 'cores'. Hardcore, NYC hardcore, grindcore, emocore, mathcore, blah blah blah.

EDIT: Damn, ninja'ed

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

>.>

yay?

so this means casuals are moving on to big and better things,
>.> <.<
did any one not see this coming? its kinda how gaming works -.-

I've been saying that myself pretty much since the whole "casual/hardcore" thing sprung up. There ARE degrees to many things, after all.

God it's becoming like the punk/metal movement with so many damn 'cores'. Hardcore, NYC hardcore, grindcore, emocore, mathcore, blah blah blah.

I'm about to blow your mind.

COREcore.

 

[Strazdas]

So the casual crowd of "money wins" are invading the hardcore gamers market? what, ill have to retreat back to EVE where casuals dont survive after poking my head into this? Why cant you people just keep to yourself and stop invading our PC master race.
/sarcasm

Seriously, there always were such audience. and there will always be migration between it. And yes, there are people who go hardcore from the start. my first game was starcraft and i went instant-harcore on it (not the korean level of hardcore though).

p.s. capcha: it's over. i love the new cpachas.