What's the difference between a core gamer and a casual gamer?

[Auron225]

Core gamers will have a non-smart-ass answer to that question.
Casual gamers won't know how to define core and casual.

Wait, crap. Does that make me a core gamer?

You're already a core gamer for caring so much about games that you even bothered to join on the Escapist and make many posts on these game boards.

A couple of trolls aside, we´re all core gamers here, some with good taste and many with bad taste in games, but core all the same.

Those denying the core/casual distinction may actually be more elitist than the most rabid casual-hater out there. We all have some idea of what is meant when somebody says casual gamers, casual games or casual play and it's a bit late to try and deny really enjoying games when you arrive at this place.
Not too late to hide your hobby from other communities elsewhere, but over here such denial is both pointless and incredible.

But everyone seems to have their own definitions of core & casual. Yours it would seem depends on if the individual cares enough to join a community such as this one. Not a "wrong" definition I'll add - just a different one to what others might say.

I imagine anyone who describes themselves as a casual gamer isn't trying to deny that they enjoy games - far from it. If I had to find a way distinguish the two; I'd use how someone plays Pokemon games for instance. Casual gamers will play through the single player story building a team of their favourites while core gamers will think primarily about competitive battling against other people and EV train the most effective teams they can think of.

When it comes down to it, it's really up to the individual what they call themselves. I would describe myself as casual since I'm more likely to play a game once for the story and move on without a thought for being the best at it. However I do spend a lot of time playing games and, as you have pointed out, joined this site for discussing them. Everyone has their own definition of the terms which ultimately makes even referring to them semi-meaningless.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

There is no singular definition of core or casual, people think all kinds of stuff means you're placed in one box over another. To me a casual gamer is the candy crush, farmville, IOS gamers. Core games are anybody who owns a console or pc built for gaming and serious gamers are people who post on forums and follow gaming culture.

This is pretty much exactly how I look at it. Someone who only plays games on their phone or tablet while waiting in line at the DMV or while they're bored at work or whatever - that's a casual gamer. Everyone else that plays games? Core gamers.

But then, even those who exclusively play games like Candy Crush and whatnot can still be core gamers, if they bought the device they're playing it on specifically because they wanted to play that game.

And as far as I'm concerned, there are no negative connotations attached to either casual or core.

 

[Beautiful End]

Oh, glob. Not this again.

Nothing against the creator of this thread. Its just that some people can get butthurt with that topic. Its a pretty blurry definition. If you ask me, core is someone who spends hours gaming. It doesn't have to be playing different games. Its just someone who is really into games and is interested in that whole thing. Casual is someone who might play every now and then but generally could do without games altogether. Neither side is better; we're all having fun anyway. There is no "master race" or something like a best console. Whoever claims that is just being an elitist douchebag.

 

[Magix]

A very arbitrary definition indeed, I would approach it from the perspective of your mindset, not any number of games you've played.

A core gamer reads the forums, makes the posts, looks at the gaming news and is generally up to date on what's going on in the gaming world. I would consider myself a core gamer, because I for the most part know what games are coming out, what genres they fall under, I look at a couple of gaming news shows and podcasts. But I barely play any games - maybe a couple of singleplayer sandboxes/RPG's per year and CSGO, that's about it.

A casual gamer picks up a game if it sounds interesting and plays it, and that's about the extent of his involvement in the gaming world.