You know, I really don't get the mass hysteria the word "gamer" instills in some people. I don't mind being called a gamer and I don't mind the term much in general. It just means someone who fancies paying games whether it be board or video. To me, there is no reason to separate those two types of people. Unless it seems necessary to separate the two. Now the term that gets under my skin is "hardcore gamer" mostly because in the industry of video games, it is used inappropriately on a regular basis.
When the industry speaks of "hardcore gamers" they usually are referring to frag addicts and achievement whores. But the problem is achievement whoring is a niche section of the gaming community that mostly has the majority roll their eyes at it. Considering 85% of all trophies and achievements are achieved by simply playing the game you planned on playing anyways and are superficial reward systems most people see right through.
As for the frag addicts, I know at least 10 people who own current gen systems solely for Modern Warfare, BlOps, and Halo. They play nothing more than Online FPS's and may dabble in another game here and there but since they don't follow the industry they get burned on crap choices in games a lot. Usually through games based off movies or playing roulette with the game wall. They are very susceptible to hype as they don't focus on the industry's gimmicks and schemes.
The problem with calling these two "hardcore gamers" is because one is a small portion of the community and the other isn't active enough to really be considered a part of the industry. When interviews come out about something and they refer to these gamers as the hardcore audience, they don't realize most of the frag addicts will NEVER read that interview. All they need is a cool looking commercial that says "our game is awesome" to decide. While the achievement whores may end up reading the interviews they are a small part of the people that will. Then they wonder why the gaming community constantly bitches that the big wigs aren't in tune with what the bulk of he hardcore audience is wanting. Or that the hardcore gamers don't know their asses from their joystick thumb.
For me hardcore gaming is when gaming has actually became your active interest. Even if you don't play 70% of the games that come out, you are familiar with the titles, their average reception, knowing if you would probably like the game or not before you get to play it because you are familiar with the pitfalls and pros to a title due to reading about 10 articles on it already. Knowing about games long before commercials advertise on television.
However, according to that alone someone could be a hardcore gamer and never play a game in his life. But there is something to that though in all honesty. However, I would then take that and attach it to this:
When the industry speaks of "hardcore gamers" they usually are referring to frag addicts and achievement whores. But the problem is achievement whoring is a niche section of the gaming community that mostly has the majority roll their eyes at it. Considering 85% of all trophies and achievements are achieved by simply playing the game you planned on playing anyways and are superficial reward systems most people see right through.
As for the frag addicts, I know at least 10 people who own current gen systems solely for Modern Warfare, BlOps, and Halo. They play nothing more than Online FPS's and may dabble in another game here and there but since they don't follow the industry they get burned on crap choices in games a lot. Usually through games based off movies or playing roulette with the game wall. They are very susceptible to hype as they don't focus on the industry's gimmicks and schemes.
The problem with calling these two "hardcore gamers" is because one is a small portion of the community and the other isn't active enough to really be considered a part of the industry. When interviews come out about something and they refer to these gamers as the hardcore audience, they don't realize most of the frag addicts will NEVER read that interview. All they need is a cool looking commercial that says "our game is awesome" to decide. While the achievement whores may end up reading the interviews they are a small part of the people that will. Then they wonder why the gaming community constantly bitches that the big wigs aren't in tune with what the bulk of he hardcore audience is wanting. Or that the hardcore gamers don't know their asses from their joystick thumb.
For me hardcore gaming is when gaming has actually became your active interest. Even if you don't play 70% of the games that come out, you are familiar with the titles, their average reception, knowing if you would probably like the game or not before you get to play it because you are familiar with the pitfalls and pros to a title due to reading about 10 articles on it already. Knowing about games long before commercials advertise on television.
However, according to that alone someone could be a hardcore gamer and never play a game in his life. But there is something to that though in all honesty. However, I would then take that and attach it to this:
I really like the wording there. The Wii is a perfect example for how console preference has nothing to do with what kind of gamer you are. To do that is simply profiling. Mix those two together, and you have a hardcore gamer. That is my "recently modified" definiton of hardcore gaming.Twuk said:
