This, being my first ever blog, comes from scrolling through the forums here at GS, finding nothing but what seems to be an abundance of people bickering about casual, and hardcore games/gamers. For the first time, I am not ashamed to admit, that I am now (though I haven't always been) a casual gamer.

I'm all for finding one's self, and the desire to fit in to some sort of "elite" group, but in this case, what are we all really proclaiming?

There was a time when I was "hardcore": I had beat all the games I owned, complete with all the secret areas, and little useless sidequests. I played for hours more than my friends, giving me the edge any time we played one another. I easily dominated any opposition at any game, on any system. But at what cost?

Hindsight, they say, is 20/20. My friends who devoted their lives to gaming soon found themselves without girlfriends, pulling all-nighter game-fests, and neglecting to join any sports teams. My parents wouldn't allow that to happen to me, so i gradually began to distance myself from them.

I still shared my love of video games with them on occasion, but I found that there was just too much else going on outside of the basement to risk missing, just to save another princess. My gaming obsession tapered off after the 16-bit era, where I didn't purchase a system again until Dreamcasts were $50 second-hand. I played this cheap, disappointing system when i was a poor apprentice, working for $9/hour, and couldn't afford any kind of conventional entertainment.

I've since finished my apprenticeship as a Plumber (insert Mario joke here), and have my own company. I finally make enough to spend and splurge on any and all games that I could ever want! But I dont...

why? Because my time in poverty taught me what video games are for: A temporary escape from reality. The key word here is TEMPORARY. I'm afraid that by pondering this sequence of events, I have discovered what being "hardcore" is. I think it is when our reality becomes the temporary part of our lives, and the game becomes the primary reason for waking each morning, that we then become hardcore.

My friends that lived downstairs in the dark playing their games to the point of obsession are still that way. Only now, they are onto the FPS, and MMORPGs that have become this "elite" group of games, not playable by the "noobs". I'm just glad I got out when I did. I can see what this kind of life has earned them. Few have gone on to any kind of respectable career, and any kind of mature conversation is a lost cause.

The term Casual Gamer more accurately describes my gaming tendencies these days, as I seldom have more than 20 minutes at a time, 3 or 4 times a week to play. And I'm FINE with it! I still have great skill, and easily beat the games dubbed "hardcore", but I don't have to devote my life to them to enjoy them. I have a wife, daughter, baby #2 arriving in 2 months, and a growing company to take up my time. Occasionally, I need a break from the stress, or a trip through someone elses life that might seem more interesting. That's all I need.

I'm not going to stand here and blab about how the rewards I get from life and success far exceed any video game accomplishment, bla bla bla... everyone should know that already. I will say that I am glad I'm not a Hardcore Gamer though. I wouldn't be as happy as I am, had I become one.