I Am Casual

That's right, I am a casual gamer. I'm the guy responsible for Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Brain Age and Carnival Games. I'm the guy responsible for the dumbing down of Deus Ex, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, DIRT (nee Colin McRae Rally), Mass Effect, KOTOR and countless other "hardcore" games. I'm the guy who buys EA's NHL title every year regardless of changes. I am the one responsible for "ruining" the industry.

And you know what?

Some day, you're going to thank me.

You "hardcore" types have forgotten what makes a game good. A good game doesn't need great graphics, or an epic story, or complex gameplay. No, all a great game needs to be is enjoyable. A great game is a game that you can play for 5 minutes or 5 hours; and when you're done, you want to get right back in the saddle. A great game is something you sit down to play for 30 minutes, but 2 hours later you're still there. Simply put, you've forgotten that at the end of the day, all a game needs to be is fun.

"But hardcore games are fun!" you say. And you know what? You're right, they are. But what you haven't realized is that after a while, those 80+ hour epics you pine for get boring. Really boring. Mind-numbingly boring. That's where I come in. If you "hardcore" gamers were all that were around, all that would be made are epic RPGs and games with manuals thicker than most novels. But lucky for you I'm here, and there are a hell of alot more of me than there are of you.

Sure titles like Carnival Games suck, but it isn't hard to find the gems. Your Wii Sports, your Audiosurfs, your You Don't Know Jacks, your Rock Bands, all great casual titles. Even "hardcore" games like Mario, Portal, Zelda and Super Smash Bros are really, in essence, casual games. Without me those games wouldn't get made, and without those games you would *hate* your "hardcore" games. You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action.

So rather than blaming me for the sorry state of the industry, gang violence, the economy and communism, accept that I'm doing you a favour. I'm forcing developers to think outside the box, I'm forcing people to innovate. I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. So rather than blame me for the problems in the industry, accept my role. Sure some games will be "ruined" in the process, but I'll do far more good than those games ever could have.

I don't know what I am and I don't care.

I don't play to care about my gamer status.

You're part of a gaming community

You're not the kind of casual you're speaking about.

You're part of a gaming community

You're not the kind of casual you're speaking about.

Jaysonguy

1. Solitaire
2. Minesweeper
3. You Don't Know Jack (party/trivia game)
4. SSBB
5. Forza 2

Just because I'm part of the community and that I do enjoy "hardcore" games doesn't make me any less of a casual gamer.

That's right, I am a casual gamer. I'm the guy responsible for Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Brain Age and Carnival Games. I'm the guy responsible for the dumbing down of Deus Ex, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, DIRT (nee Colin McRae Rally), Mass Effect, KOTOR and countless other "hardcore" games. I'm the guy who buys EA's NHL title every year regardless of changes. I am the one responsible for "ruining" the industry.

And you know what?

Some day, you're going to thank me.

You "hardcore" types have forgotten what makes a game good. A good game doesn't need great graphics, or an epic story, or complex gameplay. No, all a great game needs to be is enjoyable. A great game is a game that you can play for 5 minutes or 5 hours; and when you're done, you want to get right back in the saddle. A great game is something you sit down to play for 30 minutes, but 2 hours later you're still there. Simply put, you've forgotten that at the end of the day, all a game needs to be is fun.

"But hardcore games are fun!" you say. And you know what? You're right, they are. But what you haven't realized is that after a while, those 80+ hour epics you pine for get boring. Really boring. Mind-numbingly boring. That's where I come in. If you "hardcore" gamers were all that were around, all that would be made are epic RPGs and games with manuals thicker than most novels. But lucky for you I'm here, and there are a hell of alot more of me than there are of you.

Sure titles like Carnival Games suck, but it isn't hard to find the gems. Your Wii Sports, your Audiosurfs, your You Don't Know Jacks, your Rock Bands, all great casual titles. Even "hardcore" games like Mario, Portal, Zelda and Super Smash Bros are really, in essence, casual games. Without me those games wouldn't get made, and without those games you would *hate* your "hardcore" games. You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action.

So rather than blaming me for the sorry state of the industry, gang violence, the economy and communism, accept that I'm doing you a favour. I'm forcing developers to think outside the box, I'm forcing people to innovate. I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. So rather than blame me for the problems in the industry, accept my role. Sure some games will be "ruined" in the process, but I'll do far more good than those games ever could have.

PBSnipes

A game can't be enjoyable without those. A casual doesn't know any better, that's why games like 50 Cent Bulletproof sell. Ignorance is bliss.

That's right, I am a casual gamer. I'm the guy responsible for Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Brain Age and Carnival Games. I'm the guy responsible for the dumbing down of Deus Ex, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, DIRT (nee Colin McRae Rally), Mass Effect, KOTOR and countless other "hardcore" games. I'm the guy who buys EA's NHL title every year regardless of changes. I am the one responsible for "ruining" the industry.

And you know what?

Some day, you're going to thank me.

You "hardcore" types have forgotten what makes a game good. A good game doesn't need great graphics, or an epic story, or complex gameplay. No, all a great game needs to be is enjoyable. A great game is a game that you can play for 5 minutes or 5 hours; and when you're done, you want to get right back in the saddle. A great game is something you sit down to play for 30 minutes, but 2 hours later you're still there. Simply put, you've forgotten that at the end of the day, all a game needs to be is fun.

"But hardcore games are fun!" you say. And you know what? You're right, they are. But what you haven't realized is that after a while, those 80+ hour epics you pine for get boring. Really boring. Mind-numbingly boring. That's where I come in. If you "hardcore" gamers were all that were around, all that would be made are epic RPGs and games with manuals thicker than most novels. But lucky for you I'm here, and there are a hell of alot more of me than there are of you.

Sure titles like Carnival Games suck, but it isn't hard to find the gems. Your Wii Sports, your Audiosurfs, your You Don't Know Jacks, your Rock Bands, all great casual titles. Even "hardcore" games like Mario, Portal, Zelda and Super Smash Bros are really, in essence, casual games. Without me those games wouldn't get made, and without those games you would *hate* your "hardcore" games. You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action.

So rather than blaming me for the sorry state of the industry, gang violence, the economy and communism, accept that I'm doing you a favour. I'm forcing developers to think outside the box, I'm forcing people to innovate. I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. So rather than blame me for the problems in the industry, accept my role. Sure some games will be "ruined" in the process, but I'll do far more good than those games ever could have.

PBSnipes

A game can't be enjoyable without those...err wait, a game can be enjoyable without those because a casual doesn't know any better. That's why games like 50 Cent Bulletproof sell. Ignorance is bliss.

Someone has a high opinion of themselves :roll:

well said. It seems strange as a causal gamer that you have a gamespot account, but you give an interesting take on what idiots think are the death of the industry: causal games.

http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html

i cant get a link, but this is another opinion on causal games that deserves to be read.

"Hardcore gamers" are just closed-minded niche gamers who want to make themselves feel superior. In truth, they are to the video game industry what action fans were back in the 90s. It's the casuals who demand variety AND quality at the same time. It's just that the "casual" definition of quality is simply one word: fun.mjarantilla

I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. PBSnipes

Because games that good don't get made anymore because they'll scare you away? Yeah, thats something to be thankful for.

Fact: Hardcore gamers don't play games for fun.

Fact: Hardcore gamers think they're superior to other gamers.

Fact: Hardcore gamers put gaming as something higher than a hobby.

Fact: There is no way to determine who is a better overall gamer.

(Given a set criteria or a certain game, you can only determine a more skilled player, but not gamer.)

[QUOTE="PBSnipes"]I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. jeffwulf

Because games that good don't get made anymore because they'll scare you away? Yeah, thats something to be thankful for.

[QUOTE="PBSnipes"]I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. jeffwulf

Because games that good don't get made anymore because they'll scare you away? Yeah, thats something to be thankful for.

[QUOTE="PBSnipes"]I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. jeffwulf

Because games that good don't get made anymore because they'll scare you away? Yeah, thats something to be thankful for.

Those games aren't casual or hardcore, they're unconventional. Hardcore gamers don't like unconventional games that break the mold. They like the status quo, and they like getting good at the status quo so that they can brag about it. That's why you see COD4 getting more hype than Crysis, for example.

Fact: Hardcore gamers don't play games for fun.

Fact: Hardcore gamers think they're superior to other gamers.

Fact: Hardcore gamers put gaming as something higher than a hobby.

Fact: There is no way to determine who is a better overall gamer.

(Given a set criteria or a certain game, you can only determine a more skilled player, but not gamer.)

tmntPunchout

A lot of those "facts" seem highly opinionated too me.

[QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

You're part of a gaming community

You're not the kind of casual you're speaking about.

PBSnipes

1. Solitaire
2. Minesweeper
3. You Don't Know Jack (party/trivia game)
4. SSBB
5. Forza 2

Just because I'm part of the community and that I do enjoy "hardcore" games doesn't make me any less of a casual gamer.

No you're not, you know there's a depth to gaming you just choose not to partake in it

The casual you're talking about doesn't know that such depth exists in gaming.

They think all games are on the same playing field for delivering fun and they just choose the ones that interest them.

[QUOTE="tmntPunchout"]

Fact: Hardcore gamers don't play games for fun.

Fact: Hardcore gamers think they're superior to other gamers.

Fact: Hardcore gamers put gaming as something higher than a hobby.

Fact: There is no way to determine who is a better overall gamer.

(Given a set criteria or a certain game, you can only determine a more skilled player, but not gamer.)

majadamus

A lot of those "facts" seem highly opinionated too me.

Well I'll be, I guess you're only hardcore if you think you're hardcore.

[QUOTE="PBSnipes"][QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

You're part of a gaming community

You're not the kind of casual you're speaking about.

Jaysonguy

1. Solitaire
2. Minesweeper
3. You Don't Know Jack (party/trivia game)
4. SSBB
5. Forza 2

Just because I'm part of the community and that I do enjoy "hardcore" games doesn't make me any less of a casual gamer.

No you're not, you know there's a depth to gaming you just choose not to partake in it

The casual you're talking about doesn't know that such depth exists in gaming.

They think all games are on the same playing field for delivering fun and they just choose the ones that interest them.

No, you're the one who MISPERCEIVES a depth in gaming that is simply not as broad as you would believe it to be. If gaming was an ocean, then it would be a knee-deep ocean with a neck-deep trench in the middle.

Gaming is not mature enough to have depth. The vast majority (and I do mean VAST majority) of games are still cliched action fests designed to do nothing more than raise the heart rate and blood pressure. There's no artistry in these games. The few games that do demonstrate some depth only do so experimentally.

No you're not, you know there's a depth to gaming you just choose not to partake in it

The casual you're talking about doesn't know that such depth exists in gaming.

They think all games are on the same playing field for delivering fun and they just choose the ones that interest them.

Jaysonguy

You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. Not really

You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. If I have fun all those 80 hours then not really

You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action. I used to do that all the time so .. not really.

You really can't generalize like that even though I agree with you for the most part.

You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. Not really

You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. If I have fun all those 80 hours then not really

You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action. I used to do that all the time so .. not really.

You really can't generalize like that even though I agree with you for the most part.

jangojay

[QUOTE="jeffwulf"]

[QUOTE="PBSnipes"]I'm the reason you cherish games like Deus Ex, Fallout and Chrono Cross. mjarantilla

Because games that good don't get made anymore because they'll scare you away? Yeah, thats something to be thankful for.

Those games aren't casual or hardcore, they're unconventional. Hardcore gamers don't like unconventional games that break the mold. They like the status quo, and they like getting good at the status quo so that they can brag about it. That's why you see COD4 getting more hype than Crysis, for example.

What are you talking about? Stalker goes away from the established and is raved about by hardcore gamers. Fallout goes tworards generic and people flip out and rave about how Bethseda doesn't deserve fallout. Portal is raved about because there is no other game like it. Morrowind is held up in reverence while Oblivion is decried because Morrorwind had depth and options while Oblivion was the definition of the 'status quo'. Call of Duty 4's perk system got it praise, something unique for the game. WoW is toted for being different from every MMO before it. Spore is feverishly looked forward to because no one has ever tried something so ambitious before. Games from Bullfrog Studios were extremely popular because they did things no other game had done before. Your assumption is so far off track, I'm calling search and rescue to see if they can find it before it dies in the middle of the wilderness.

Except 50 Cent: Bulletproof isn't fun.

ArisShadows

Except 50 Cent: Bulletproof isn't fun.

ArisShadows

[QUOTE="jangojay"]

You would hate having to play a game for an hour at a time to have a meaningful experience. Not really

You would hate having to sink 80+ hours into a single game just to get to what will amount to a really ****ty ending. If I have fun all those 80 hours then not really

You would hate spending an hour planning a mission in Rainbow Six just for 5 minutes of action. I used to do that all the time so .. not really.

You really can't generalize like that even though I agree with you for the most part.

PBSnipes

Oh yea I have my fair share of casual games. Audiosurf, wii sports and Wario ware come to mind immediately. SMG if you count that as one.

[QUOTE="ArisShadows"]

Except 50 Cent: Bulletproof isn't fun.

PBSnipes

I didnt find it fun or average, but one persons trash is another person's treasure I guess.

I know casual, and you are definitely not casual.tekmojo

I find these terms lames, either you are a gamer or you are not, you aren't anything else. You may have a more dedicated to something but you arent any less or more.

I know casual, and you are definitely not casual.tekmojo

Exactly what I'm thinking. Most people that bother wasting time on a gaming forum (especially something like SW) aren't what I would call "casual gamers".

[QUOTE="tekmojo"]I know casual, and you are definitely not casual.ArisShadows

I find these terms lames, either you are a gamer or you are not, you aren't anything else. You may have a more dedicated to something but you arent any less or more.

The world isn't boolean based. It's not true/false, yes/no, black/white. Sure you're either a gamer or not, but when you go into the gamer portion there exists a bunch of "gray".

[QUOTE="Jaysonguy"][QUOTE="PBSnipes"][QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

You're part of a gaming community

You're not the kind of casual you're speaking about.

mjarantilla

1. Solitaire
2. Minesweeper
3. You Don't Know Jack (party/trivia game)
4. SSBB
5. Forza 2

Just because I'm part of the community and that I do enjoy "hardcore" games doesn't make me any less of a casual gamer.

No you're not, you know there's a depth to gaming you just choose not to partake in it

The casual you're talking about doesn't know that such depth exists in gaming.

They think all games are on the same playing field for delivering fun and they just choose the ones that interest them.

No, you're the one who MISPERCEIVES a depth in gaming that is simply not as broad as you would believe it to be. If gaming was an ocean, then it would be a knee-deep ocean with a neck-deep trench in the middle.

Gaming is not mature enough to have depth. The vast majority (and I do mean VAST majority) of games are still cliched action fests designed to do nothing more than raise the heart rate and blood pressure. There's no artistry in these games. The few games that do demonstrate some depth only do so experimentally.

Hi, want a broader brush to paint everything?

Of course there's depth in gaming. Depth that someone who knows about the industry can find. There's always going to be games as the ones you've described but there's also an amazing amount of depth to be found if you know how and where to look.

To say there's not is just ignoring a large chunk of the overall landscape available to all gamers.

[QUOTE="ArisShadows"]

Except 50 Cent: Bulletproof isn't fun.

PBSnipes

That depends on what the context of 'bad' is. Grand Theft Auto is bad because you go around killing people for fun. In that case, Big Rigs is better than the majority of the games we play(which involves killing of some sort) because all your doing is driving semis around a course, which isn't considered bad consensually(One could consider driving heavy machinery wrecklessly around a course at high-speeds a bad thing). More proof that its difficult to define these things, even if we have consensus its still not fact.

I think the 'Hardcore vs Casual' arguments are contradicting because the 'casuals' that play those flashed based computer games put as many hours into them as 'hardcores' do. And those that play DDR I suppose are considered casual even if the hardcore croud are physically unable to perform the leg work require to play DDR competatively.

[QUOTE="ArisShadows"]

Except 50 Cent: Bulletproof isn't fun.

PBSnipes

That depends on what the context of 'bad' is. Grand Theft Auto is bad because you go around killing people for fun yet people consider it amazing. In that case, Big Rigs is better than the majority of the games we play(which involves killing of some sort) because all your doing is driving semis around a course, which isn't considered bad consensually(One could consider driving heavy machinery wrecklessly around a course at high-speeds a bad thing). More proof that its difficult to define these things, even if we have consensus its still not fact.

I think the 'Hardcore vs Casual' arguments are contradicting because the 'casuals' that play those flashed based computer games put as many hours into them as 'hardcores' do. And those that play DDR I suppose are considered casual even if the hardcore croud are physically unable to perform the leg work require to play DDR competatively.

[QUOTE="tekmojo"]I know casual, and you are definitely not casual.-RPGamer-

Exactly what I'm thinking. Most people that bother wasting time on a gaming forum (especially something like SW) aren't what I would call "casual gamers".

[QUOTE="Jaysonguy"]

No you're not, you know there's a depth to gaming you just choose not to partake in it

The casual you're talking about doesn't know that such depth exists in gaming.

They think all games are on the same playing field for delivering fun and they just choose the ones that interest them.

PBSnipes

That's pretty much me there but that's more like hardcore gamer who also enjoys casual games to me, no?

Also I agree that most ppl here aren't that much of a casual at all. Sure there are but not that many. Not knowing what a Zerg is doesn't make you one.

wall..of..text..

and no, you're not casual. anyone that posts on a gaming forum everyday is considered to be a "hardcore" gamer. that means you go out of your way to learn the gaming secrets, join clans, post your set-ups, and strive for achievements.

kind of sad when you think about it...but o well

wall..of..text..

and no, you're not casual. anyone that posts on a gaming forum everyday is considered to be a "hardcore" gamer. that means you go out of your way to learn the gaming secrets, join clans, post your set-ups, and strive for achievements.

kind of sad when you think about it...but o well

Jolly_Lolly

Casual in my dictionary is someone that will ask to buy a game system and then ask how much does it cost. Or buy a game system and then wants to know what it does.

Someone with little to no knowledge about games and base their purchase on the cute pictures on the back of a box.

[QUOTE="-RPGamer-"]

[QUOTE="tekmojo"]I know casual, and you are definitely not casual.PBSnipes

Exactly what I'm thinking. Most people that bother wasting time on a gaming forum (especially something like SW) aren't what I would call "casual gamers".

That was essentially one gamer. Not knowing a lot about RTS does not in turn make you a casual gamer.

"Hardcore gamers" are just closed-minded niche gamers who want to make themselves feel superior. In truth, they are to the video game industry what action fans were back in the 90s. It's the casuals who demand variety AND quality at the same time. It's just that the "casual" definition of quality is simply one word: fun. The "hardcore" definition of quality is, "Make me live my teenage fantasies."mjarantilla

essentially, yes.

To the TC, you're not doing me a favor. I've enjoyed the past several generations without the Wii. I enjoy the Wii, but devs have hardly done anything "outside the box" of what Nintendo did with Wii Sports.

Besides, you hardly sound like the "casual" you speak of anyway. You called Zelda a casual game. You obviously have no idea what casual means. Maybe you mean recreational?

lol dude, I just checked out your profile. You are not a casual gamer. You are a gamer who like wellmade casual and hardcore games. Plus you think shovelware like Carnival Games is ****. You're like anyone else pretty much. Probably more of a hardcore gamer than most folks seeing how you apparently consider Forza 2 to be casual.

lol dude, I just checked out your profile. You are not a casual gamer. You are a gamer who like wellmade casual and hardcore games. Plus you think shovelware like Carnival Games is ****. You're like anyone else pretty much. Probably more of a hardcore gamer than most folks seeing how you apparently consider Forza 2 to be casual.

Now the 1 million+ people who bought Carnival Games, 2 million+ who bought At World's End, and 3 million+ who bought Transformers, there's your problem. Luckily actual quality sells as well, so it's not like casual games will be taking over the world any time soon. Except for when it comes to the Wii.

lol dude, I just checked out your profile. You are not a casual gamer. You are a gamer who like wellmade casual and hardcore games. Plus you think shovelware like Carnival Games is ****. You're like anyone else pretty much. Probably more of a hardcore gamer than most folks seeing how you apparently consider Forza 2 to be casual.

Now the 1 million+ people who bought Carnival Games, 2 million+ who bought At World's End, and 3 million+ who bought Transformers, there's your problem. Luckily actual quality sells as well, so it's not like casual games will be taking over the world any time soon. Except for when it comes to the Wii.

InaneBasura