Hardcore = Graphic Whore

[TopGunKnacker]

What I referenced before, arguing with someone on another forum, that's what he said - that there's no difference between levels of interest or investment in gaming. Like, bollocks.

yeah that is incredibly silly!

[illdog]

A hardcore gamer is someone who is on gaming forums a lot, knows when games are coming out, knows the names of people who make games.

I consider myself a hardcore gamer but the above does not fully decribe me. I am only on one gaming forum (obviously this one), i only kinda know when stuffs coming out (mostly due to this site) but i dont know fuck all about the industry and to be honest im not really interested. I tend to view end products as opposed to chasing games through their development so i rarely watch game trailers and read previews. I couldnt tell you who makes half the games that come out, these details dont seem to stay in my brain.

When people start clever threads about this and that and everybody joins in with their well worded points of view i read with onterest but always come away thinking 'wow, everyone knows their shit except me'.

But i just love to play fucking games. I play games all the time, im amazed i still have a girlfriend because when im not hogging the big TV im upstairs on the little one, im DSing it on the pan or in the bath. I played my first videogame in 1980 and have always had a machine since. As ive got older, i find i can play for an unlimited amount of time aswell, hours and hours and hours and never get bored.

I know Hendo's description is probably only part complete, but i think the overall view is that a harcore gamer is a multi-faceted beast, we'll all disagree on various parts of the make-up but that opinion for you.

[TopGunKnacker]

i think anyone with a gamerscore of 61k is indubitably hardcore in some way or another ill 'pats your bum'

[HandsomeDead]

There are probably loads of different people with different gaming habits, more than someone can think of enough buzz words for.

I have friends that sit in that casual gamer catagory quite snugly, I know someone else who isn't that into games but is more than happy to get into the latest FPS or Racer (he is the only person I know that was happy that CoD5 was set in WWII, 'But I like WWII games' he says, 'but loads of FPS' are set in WWII, arn't you sick of them?' I asked. 'No, didn't know there were loads'.), though he did quite like World of Goo so there is hope for him yet. My cuz is an odd one, she isn't into games but thinks Wii Fit and quiz games are brilliant, is always robbing my Metal Slug games and ratches out her fella's Megadrive everynow and then.

And I'm sure other you all know people who don't exactly fit into any existing label, dunno what this has to do with the original post, sorry.

[Sly Reflex]

I think its the old yes no graph thing that sorts out the casual/hardcore divide.*

Do you play games? If not, stop now. You'll only be wasting your time if you carry on.

Do you play for XX amount of hours per week. If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you have two or more gaming systems? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you have an online pseudonym, either for online games or forums? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever imported a game from another country? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you know release dates for up and coming games? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you enjoy movie tie in games over every other game? If so, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Can you play older games and see the qualities in them, and appreciate how they fit into how games play today? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever quoted or mimicked something in a game? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you have a special room you keep consoles and games that is not a bedroom or a living area? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever finished a game where the text has been in a language you cannot read? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you buy yearly updates of your favourite games, no matter how small the increment of improvement? If so, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever modified a console or any equipment for playing games? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever been to a midnight release for a game or a console? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever completed more than one game to 100%? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you/Have you ever hummed or whistled music from games when you have not been playing games? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Do you dismiss games that have cell shaded graphics or games that don't have a high gore content in, because they are for kids only? If so, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Have you ever argued with a stranger on a forum about games? If not, stop this questionnaire now, you are a casual gamer.

Obviously, not everyone here has done all these things, but I reckon that most of us are harder than most games players in more ways than you realise. Not that it matters as long as you are enjoying yourself.

*This list is just for fun and tongue in cheek. It is not fact, and I will take no responsibility for people falling out and acting like twats if they don't agree with it.

[Hendo]

Yeah obviously there's shades of grey and everyone's different, but I'm always amused at the irony of the old "there's no such thing as hardcore or casual, we're all just gamers" topic springing up on internet gaming forums, by people who use them everyday.

Which wasn't really what Ben's first post was all about, so swinging it back round - I dunno what games are seen as "proper" games or whether they're meant to be guilty pleasures or something but I like simple, casual-friendly games like.....well, I was gonna say Peggle, but y'know. But all the stuff I play on the iPhone is extremely simplistic and I actively avoid the "proper full" games on the system.

I was under the impression that Peggle, Zuma, Plants vs. Zombies, etc are seen as being ok in the eyes or the snob? Which is what I suppose hardcore means in that sense, that the hardcore gamer to me means your level of interest in the hobby is statistically higher than most people, but in the 1up poster it's the snobbish person who looks down on a game because they see it as being for babies or something. To be honest, those kinds of people always come across as being about 12 anyway.

[Sly Reflex]

One of my ex's friends thought killer 7 was a kids game.

[TopGunKnacker]

i always though puzzle games like zuma were allowed too, bubble bobble, tetris etc too

[illdog]

Hah, that was a good list Sly.

H-dayzle wrote:

I actively avoid the "proper full" games on the system

Thats precisely what i did with GTA4, i find myself sneering at it eve tho its supposed to be amazing. I realise thats bad but its trufaxlol.