Why isn't casual gaming respected?

[Adeoma]

I ask this question because I don't ever hear enough people being thankful for casual gaming. What I mean is with casual gaming we've brought in so many people that video games went from a minority to what we see today. Anybody that would like to put in their opinions feel free and have a good discussion.

 

[II2]

I think, more aptly, casual GAMERS are not respected until they pick up a COD or Fallout or Starcraft or Total War or Oblivion or Dwarf Fortress or whatever and start "swimming with the big fish" in the eyes of self ascribed Hardcore gamers.

It's a matter of perceived social leagues and 'tiers'.

Not saying that it actually matters at all in the big picture, but it's understandable why an avid "hardcore" gamer would get frustrated when they talk to another "gamer" who doesn't know who the developers and publishers are, doesn't recognize the jargon and just plays Farmville on FB.

- Also -

From a male perspective, the thoughts are then either "man, this guy is a tosser. I'm outta here." or "hmm... well, at least she's playing SOMETHING... maybe I can get her going on (title)"...

Truth ^

 

[spartan231490]

I see no reason for casual gaming to get respect. Here's the fact, anyone who puts a lot of effort into a hobby to be better at it, doesn't have a lot of respect for someone who just says: "Meh, I'm good enough." You see it in every single hobby, from sports, to hunting to video games. Yeah, I don't see any reason to hate casual gaming, but I certainly don't think it deserves a great deal of respect.

 

[Talydia]

I see no reason for casual gaming to get respect. Here's the fact, anyone who puts a lot of effort into a hobby to be better at it, doesn't have a lot of respect for someone who just says: "Meh, I'm good enough." You see it in every single hobby, from sports, to hunting to video games. Yeah, I don't see any reason to hate casual gaming, but I certainly don't think it deserves a great deal of respect.

That's probably the best reasoning I've seen on the matter. In general I think I'd say no one really likes seeing their hobby get dumbed down for the lowest denominator.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Because when you compare casual gamers to mainstream gamers, casual gamers usually don't bother to get very acquainted with the industry they are buying from, and usually are people whom have made the mainstream gamer's life hell in the past (Mario and like is still something, to them, that only the "geeks" do, while the "cool" people only play things like FB games and iPhone apps).

So, people can be "casual" gamers, but I wouldn't personally call them "gamers" until they at least have some knowledge about the medium as a whole they are tiptoeing in. Ah, and actually play games that take more effort than just logging in every morning to check a FB game status.

 

[Laser Priest]

I see no reason for casual gaming to get respect. Here's the fact, anyone who puts a lot of effort into a hobby to be better at it, doesn't have a lot of respect for someone who just says: "Meh, I'm good enough." You see it in every single hobby, from sports, to hunting to video games. Yeah, I don't see any reason to hate casual gaming, but I certainly don't think it deserves a great deal of respect.

This.

If it's just a relatively common activity that you join in on from time to time, there's really no cause for strong feelings toward you either way.

 

[Mathak]

Casual gaming communities have ruined a lot of good games like LoL,

Yes, in LoL (and all other DotA copies) its definitely the casual crowd that ruins the community. *snicker*




At least...that was sarcasm, right?

 

[SpaceBat]

when i rarely play tf2 then i join servers with no f2p-players so the casual community is kept behind a steelfence, guarded by firelions, on a different continent...in space

f2p-player =/= casual
I am a f2p player and yes, I am definitely not as good as the people who have been playing the game for a long time, but I'm trying to get better. Whenever I mention that I'm a f2p-player, people start foaming at the mouth, saying that I'm part of what's killing the game without actually asking whether I'm a casual player or not. What the fuck do you want me to do?

 

[Jodah]

Because they start playing less casual games then complain that they are too hard. Then the developers see this and make games easier. The average "real" gamer should not have to play on the hardest difficulty to have the slightest challenge. Furthermore, having difficulty levels usually only means the AI has unfair advantages rather than actually being better.

 

[Continuity]

I see no reason for casual gaming to get respect. Here's the fact, anyone who puts a lot of effort into a hobby to be better at it, doesn't have a lot of respect for someone who just says: "Meh, I'm good enough." You see it in every single hobby, from sports, to hunting to video games. Yeah, I don't see any reason to hate casual gaming, but I certainly don't think it deserves a great deal of respect.

That's probably the best reasoning I've seen on the matter. In general I think I'd say no one really likes seeing their hobby get dumbed down for the lowest denominator.

Thats exactly it, those of us who are more invested in gaming enjoy more complex and involving games which broadly speaking don't appeal to the casual gamer... And when previously core game series start to shift their aim to the casual market we feel aggrieved and rightly so I feel.

 

[omega 616]

The same reason wine experts have no respect white lightening or people who drink it, it's crap.

Casual gaming has also "ruined" serious gamers enjoyment, I would like to refer you to exhibit 1) DA:O and DA2.

Bad words include but are not limited to "streamlining" and "accessibility", which is code for "were ripping out the good depth and replacing it with "even a brain dead monkey could play this" game play".

It drops difficultly like a lead balloon 'cos no casual gamer wants to work for there reward. It also leads to games being so short they take up an evening 'cos we wouldn't want casual gamers to feel like they have too much to do.

I would also say it puts linearity into games, we wouldn't want the little lambs to get lost now would we?

So that's why more serious gamers hate the casual crowd, in my humble opinion.

 

[Zantos]

It's a good way to get into gaming, and I do respect the people that start casual and then try new things and work their way up. In team games however, although I don't mind giving a little extra support to newcomers, someone who has been playing a while but not really investing themselves in it to get better can be annoying.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

For the same reason a person who has seen 3 movies in his life wouldn't garner respect in the movie club or a soccer mom wouldn't be praised for her interest in the sport by the world cup federation.

They simply don't devote enough of themselves into the item at hand to EARN respect. (yes, you earn respect, you're not entitled to it by being a mom/grandpa/athlete/actor/lawyer who plays video games occasionally)

 

[orangeban]

Personally i avoid them like the plague and if and when i rarely play tf2 then i join servers with no f2p-players so the casual community is kept behind a steelfence, guarded by firelions, on a different continent...in space

I know right? Whenever I'm talking about reading with my friends and they mention that they go to the library to read I hiss and run away to my fortress. 'cause the only healthy way of making your hobby more accepted, mainstream and friendly is to spit on those that are taking a cautionary glance into your world.

I mean, if we let anyone in, imagine what it would do to the gaming gene pool, won't anyone think of the children?

 

[Woodsey]

What we see today is people going "those video games are fucking awful for children, wah wah wah!", before they turn back to playing Peggle and Farmville.

They haven't changed shit, apart from making developers want to make everything playable for complete retards. I'd love to see the actual exchange rate between people who start playing Peggle and finish playing something like Half Life 2, but I bet its fucking tiny. There's still too much of a leap, and no, I don't want people trying to fill in that gap.

Things expand naturally. When we all have kids then there'll be a generation less of those that don't play games and a generation more who do. That's how it happens, not grandparents playing Farmville one week and Starcraft 2 the next.

(If you need see-through walls to play Hitman, just don't fucking play it.)

 

[orangeban]

For the same reason a person who has seen 3 movies in his life wouldn't garner respect in the movie club or a soccer mom wouldn't be praised for her interest in the sport by the world cup federation.

They simply don't devote enough of themselves into the item at hand to EARN respect. (yes, you earn respect, you're not entitled to it by being a mom/grandpa/athlete/actor/lawyer who plays video games occasionally)

/highfive
Respect goes both ways really, you have to earn it in order to have the ability to give it in my opinion

Umm, I'm really confused, I have to earn respect in order to give it? Bwuh? I can respect anyone I want, it's up to them if they accept that respect. Maybe you have to earn respect before the fact you respect something means a damn, but there are know rules as to who I can respect.

http://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/image?c=03AHJ_Vus6HOwv0Z1Eg-ZvJ0c7AayIbuZOZObx8h2tlx9JmprUdKqylPFrIeBVVD0dQ_SP2Yvx47ZzAyvPDPWY5oOd9xKJ-YHXjBWp6cSnzZ8FKCr5mxFfaE1y1EFcZRrWORDxDf8LkNqPKkgb2t_GLqvDarRJUHCuqA
^What in the name of chuff is that captcha?

 

[katsabas]

The only casuals I know are into internet and facebook games. The problem with some of us 'normal' gamers is that it kind of stings us that we have to pay 50 bucks plus for our fun, while the casuals are getting their fun for free.

They also don't get respected because of the fact that they don't aim to hone their skills on the matter. They simply do it to pass the time. Which is what we do as well but the difference is that we put more time into it.

Apart from these reasons, streamlining titles for casuals has derailed several franchises. No wonder casuals are considered a blight.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

Yeah, not all opinions are equally factually correct or well-rounded, that's why we have experts judging competitions or awards and not any one person who may or may not know crap.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

[sub]CASUAL GAMING IS FOR PUSSIES!!![/sub]
[small]Hold it there, red, just because someone is into casual gaming doesn't mean they aren't also a "core" gamer.[/small]
Thank you, blue, but its more than that. Casual gaming brought a wave of gamers that have never heard of games like Half-life or The Elder Scrolls. They aren't exactly "core" games but I daresay everyone on these forums that considers themselves to be a "core" gamer has heard of them and probably played them.
[sub]CASUAL GAMERS ARE MAKING CORE GAMES WEAKER!!![/sub]
I disagree, I think casual game studios are making core games weaker. This is another reason I like Mass Effect. When ME2 was streamlined the gameplay had much more variety and was much harder than ME1, it's still not very difficult but it didn't conform to every game [sub]AND THEIR MOM!!![/sub] that seems to be rushing to an "Easy only" bakesale.

But I'm not sure casual gaming, by itself, should be respected. I like to sit down and play Viva Pinata every once in a while but we all know that casual gaming is only here at the party to make money and they'll leave once people don't like it anymore only to come back and hour later in a different costume.

 

[Saviordd1]

when i rarely play tf2 then i join servers with no f2p-players so the casual community is kept behind a steelfence, guarded by firelions, on a different continent...in space

f2p-player =/= casual
I am a f2p player and yes, I am definitely not as good as the people who have been playing the game for a long time, but I'm trying to get better. Whenever I mention that I'm a f2p-player, people start foaming at the mouth, saying that I'm part of what's killing the game without actually asking whether I'm a casual player or not. What the fuck do you want me to do?

Apparently be god incarnate at the game, But I know how you feel, the best way to get them to shut up is to own them in a game or two, that really works xD

OT: As 100001 people have said, it's the casual PLAYERS who annoy me, casual games themselves are fine as long as I don't have to endlessly hear about them.