How do you fit into Nintendo's grand scheme of things?

How often do you play your Wii let alone, other consoles? How many games have/will you purchase? How often do you purchase games?

I often find myself talking, thinking about,and reading up on Nintendo's latest news and marketing (I'm sure most of you do too). We've all heard about/talked about the great "Casual/Hardcore" debate, and I honestly and firmly support it. I believe that my views are a little "easier" on the eyes though when it comes to the topic at hand. Here's the definition of both, let's take a look.

Casual- a person who might've bought the Wii because of word of mouth, and has only boughten a few games since it's launch. When you do game, it's not as often as you would like, and you don't plan on buying many more games. Maybe you bought the system just for the VC! In Nintendo's eyes, you're not a dependable consumer (my definition does not sterotype people to the genre/type of games you play).

Hardcore- I would consider a hardcore player or hobbiest a dependable consumer. You play, and buy many games frequently. You own another, if not all three systems (or PC), and play games more than anything else. Nintendo would consider you a dependable consumer (again, the genre/type of game does not matter here).

To me, there is a difference between the two, whether everyone wants to hear about it or not. I'm not creating this thread to spark debate, but it is welcomed if desired. All I'm asking is "How do you fit into Nintendo's grand scheme of things?" Again, what I mean by this is basically, how often do you game and are you dependable (as a consumer)? I'm not talking about if you play games like Wii Sports on a regular basis, or if you're a die-hard mature Ninja Gaiden fan. (please re-read my definitions above if you're still confused)

Even though I visit this site quite often, I would honestly have to say that I would consider myself as a casual player. Not because I want to be, but because of manyfactors. Job, school, budget, social life, etc. And, just to let you all know as further evidence, I'm actually going to school for game design, and I honestly want to know if there are other people that visit this site, that are like me. There's nothing wrong with being a casual gamer, so don't be ashamed!

so.... Do you game casually (not as a hobby), or would you consider yourself as a hardcore (hobbiest)?

(EDIT, forgot to add)

I honestly think this is what Nintendo's goal is to achieve in figuring out. Yes, the titles that they sometimes release (Wii series) are very casual/limited experiences, and don't offer deep gameplay.... but if I'm correct in my thoughts on how they view consumers, it doesn't need to be if you only play once a week (thinking from a consumers situation, like mine). Don't get me wrong, I like a deep experience just like any other player does, but sometimes... I have a hard time sticking with a game if I don't have the time.

Even though the Wii is my only system, I'd consider myself a hardcore consumer. I play games on a regular basis, and buy a new game about once every month. I continuously read on Nintendo and what they're doing at the moment, and would consider myself a dependable consumer for Nintendo.

I am right down the middle. I can play "Casual" games but, only if its not a Fitness or Mini game compilations.Vexx88

lol

you missed what my deinitions meant! It doesn't matter if you play simplistic vs complicated gore-filled games.

I'm Shigeru Miyamoto.

[QUOTE="Vexx88"]I am right down the middle. I can play "Casual" games but, only if its not a Fitness or Mini game compilations.danger_ranger95

lol

you missed what my deinitions meant! It doesn't matter if you play simplistic vs complicated gore-filled games.

(From IGN's most recent Nintendo minute.)

I think you and your readers would agree that there's no one definition of who is and who is not a "hard-core gamer." And we at Nintendo don't like to lump people into such arbitrary categories anyway.Denise Kaigler

Whether or not that is Nintendo's true intention, it's one that I'm in full agreement with. I don't consider myself a "hardcore" or "casual" gamer. I play games according to my interests and interests alone, and don't treat myself or my gaming tastes as a stereotype. Despite being a fan of Nintendo's products, I'm not one who worries about demographics, but rather what games I find the most fun, and what I play and how often I play depends on how much enjoyment I'm able to get out of the experience, nothing more.

[QUOTE="danger_ranger95"]

[QUOTE="Vexx88"]I am right down the middle. I can play "Casual" games but, only if its not a Fitness or Mini game compilations.Vexx88

lol

you missed what my deinitions meant! It doesn't matter if you play simplistic vs complicated gore-filled games.

Casual- a person who might've bought the Wii because of word of mouth, and has only boughten a few games since it's launch. When you do game, it's not as often as you would like, and you don't plan on buying many more games. Maybe you bought the system just for the VC! In Nintendo's eyes, you're not a dependable consumer (my definition does not sterotype people to the genre/type of games you play).

Hardcore- I would consider a hardcore player or hobbiest a dependable consumer. You play, and buy many games frequently. You own another, if not all three systems (or PC), and play games more than anything else. Nintendo would consider you a dependable consumer (again, the genre/type of game does not matter here).

you're not even in between? lol you're an alien!

[QUOTE="Denise Kaigler"]

(From IGN's most recent Nintendo minute.)

I think you and your readers would agree that there's no one definition of who is and who is not a "hard-core gamer." And we at Nintendo don't like to lump people into such arbitrary categories anyway.Madmangamer364

Whether or not if this is Nintendo's true intention, it's one that I'm in full agreement with. I don't consider myself a "hardcore" or "casual" gamer. I play games according to my interests and interests alone, and don't treat myself or my gaming tastes as a stereotype. Despite being a fan of Nintendo's products, I'm not one who worries about demographics, but rather what games I find the most fun, and what I play and how often I play depends on how much enjoyment I'm able to get out of the experience, nothing more.

so, one might say you in particular are a little of both categories then.

Obviously, you're not one who worries about demographics, but rather what games I find the most fun, and what I play and how often I play depends on how much enjoyment I'm able to get out of the experience, nothing more.

if you're interested in, and buy 10 games that look appealing to you at that particular time, I would say you would be playing more often than not (if everything allowed you to do so). This would make you dependable.

Well, what if you never once found anything (after the fact of you purchasing a Wii) that looked enjoyable? You wouldn't be a dependable consumer, and Nintendo wouldn't be doing their job correctly.

By those definitions, I fluctuate between hardcore and casual. It all depends on what games are coming out and how much free time I have. Since I'm still a student, I've been playing games a lot for the couple of months due to summer break, but that all might change in a few weeks. In the long run, though, I've bought 26 Wii games, so I'd probably be considered a pretty dependable customer.

By those definitions, I fluctuate between hardcore and casual. It all depends on what games are coming out and how much free time I have. Since I'm still a student, I've been playing games a lot for the couple of months due to summer break, but that all might change in a few weeks. In the long run, though, I've bought 26 Wii games, so I'd probably be considered a pretty dependable customer.

JordanElek

thank you Jordan!

I honestly forgot to mention itin my OP, that you can fluctuate between the two, but I don't think people get what I'm trying to say.

I would say I'm a little of both, but lean more towards the casual end of it.

so, one might say you in particular are a little of both categories then.

Obviously, you're not one who worries about demographics, but rather what games I find the most fun, and what I play and how often I play depends on how much enjoyment I'm able to get out of the experience, nothing more.

if you're interested in, and buy 10 games that look appealing to you at that particular time, I would say you would be playing more often than not (if everything allowed you to do so). This would make you dependable.

Well, what if you never once found anything (after the fact of you purchasing a Wii) that looked enjoyable? You wouldn't be a dependable consumer, and Nintendo wouldn't be doing their job correctly.

danger_ranger95

Or one might say I'm a lot of neither category. In fact that's what I'm saying. :P Chances are that I wouldn't go out or get ten games at any given time or never buying a game after getting a system. Neither option sounds like one I would take part of. I don't see myself as dependable or independable; I get what I get and play what I play. And whether or not Nintendo appeals directly to me isn't a life-or-death concern. If the selection of games are to my liking and I can afford them, that's my focus. I can do without finding myself seperated amongst two different "demographics" that serves as little more than popular fad-like gestures at the moment.

I can do without finding myself seperated amongst two different "demographics" that serves as little more than popular fad-like gestures at the moment.

Madmangamer364

I completely changed what the usual meanings of these terms are, so I'm confused on what you mean by"fad-like gestures."

either way, you have your opinion lol

Few games since launch.

Going by those definitions, hardcore; my Wii game library is composed ofaround 20-25 games by now, I think.

I completely changed what the usual meanings of these terms are, so I'm confused on what you mean by"fad-like gestures."

either way, you have your opinion lol

danger_ranger95

LOL, I actually get what you're saying quite well, to be honest. I just figured I would have a bit of fun here. Honestly, I'm just not a major fan of the words in related to gaming, period, especially considering the fact that anyone seems to have the ability to change the meaning of the terms. Perhaps this wasn't the best thread for me to reply to, as I just can't call myself either "hardcore" or "casual" in any sense of the word, as it's become such a tainted method of exclusion among gamers these days. In short, I'm just a "gamer," and that's how I see myself in the situation that you speak of.

My apologies for turning my responses into more than what they probably should have been. :P Perhaps if you had used different words, I would have given a more suitable answer, even though I still see myself as a consumer the same way. I just think the further video games get away from all of this hardcore/causal hubbub, the better. I hope this helps clarify my point a bit.

I'm exactly what Nintendo is building, a hybrid of the two.

I love the goodhardcore games, and I love the good casual games.

Even though the Wii is my only system, I'd consider myself a hardcore consumer. I play games on a regular basis, and buy a new game about once every month. I continuously read on Nintendo and what they're doing at the moment, and would consider myself a dependable consumer for Nintendo.

HipYoungster42

I'm a gamer. I play games.

I'm stuck in the fine line of both casual and hardcore, but yeah I haven't played as much now as I used to back then.

Im just a gamer who plays games, don't care what platform is on...as long as I enjoy it :) ..tho I admit Im a Nintendo fan cos I grew up with NES -> SNES.

In TC category - I'd fit in with hardcore..

I think I'm between casual and hardcore, more to casual though. I play each day on my Wii but I don't buy very much games and I own only the Wii.

But lately I'm buying much more games then usual.

I buy a ton of games, but I don't play often. I consider myself a casual gamer.

I'm a gamer. I play games.

TheSmitto

This

[QUOTE="TheSmitto"]

I'm a gamer. I play games.

chris3116

This

I'm somewhere between hardcore and casual. I play games as my primary form of entertainment.

[QUOTE="chris3116"]

[QUOTE="TheSmitto"]

I'm a gamer. I play games.

osan0

This

All of this^

[QUOTE="danger_ranger95"]

I completely changed what the usual meanings of these terms are, so I'm confused on what you mean by"fad-like gestures."

either way, you have your opinion lol

Madmangamer364

LOL, I actually get what you're saying quite well, to be honest. I just figured I would have a bit of fun here. Honestly, I'm just not a major fan of the words in related to gaming, period, especially considering the fact that anyone seems to have the ability to change the meaning of the terms. Perhaps this wasn't the best thread for me to reply to, as I just can't call myself either "hardcore" or "casual" in any sense of the word, as it's become such a tainted method of exclusion among gamers these days. In short, I'm just a "gamer," and that's how I see myself in the situation that you speak of.

My apologies for turning my responses into more than what they probably should have been. :P Perhaps if you had used different words, I would have given a more suitable answer, even though I still see myself as a consumer the same way. I just think the further video games get away from all of this hardcore/causal hubbub, the better. I hope this helps clarify my point a bit.

gotcha, no big deal my fellow gamer.

Maybe i could've worded the definitions differently as well. I understand what you're saying about hating the debate between the two categories, as do I! That's why I tried to change the meanings of the two. What I don't like about the normal definitions (started at the beginning of this generation) is people were labeled/sterotyped by the types of games they played, which makes no sense to me. You could play Wii Sports 365 days a year, 8 hours a day and be considered a casual? No, I don't agree with that at all.

Again, to me... these definitions are how often you actually game, and how often do you buy new games. Is Gaming your hobby? Or do you just casually play (any type of title) on the weekends? The same can be said if you're a hardcore race car driver vs a casual Sunday afternoon driver :P

That's all. But again, no harm. Thanks for the posts

I'm sort of a mix of both.

im somewhere in the middle