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[Musashi Wins!]

I know that generally speaking when one refers to the hardcore gamer they mean one of two things....the person who spends a goodly amount of their time interested and following games/media...and the other, twitchmaster, he of the SFII combos, Ikaruga fiend, etc.

I'm kind of curious about the phenomena of the second type. I notice with myself lately that I sort of drift from new game to new game. I'm looking for the next decent experience to distract myself, but I'm unlikely at this point to put major time or effort into perfect scores or clearing levels or finding secrets, etc. the way I would when I was young. It's still play or distraction...but my focus level is different since I give so much of myself to other more pressing areas of life. That said, I'm a bit regretful since gaming is obviously more important to me at this age than I thought it would be...and I can't help but feel that I would get more out of the activity in general if I was a little better at some of it, haha.

Some people say you can't improve past a certain point with these games. That it's a matter of natural reactions, etc. but obviously time and effort can make you pretty damn good at some of them no matter who you are.

How do you react to difficulty in games..and if it's somewhat of a requirement or challenge for you...what do you get out of it? I assume it's something intrinsic, like a good chess player or something, because for the most part arcades are dead and most of us are too old to be hanging out at one thinking we're top shit anyway. Are most games you play worth playing well? Has it always been that way for you? I really think that skilled gamers exist in all genres, not just shooters and fighters as nostalgic as they are.

Or are difficult games and expertise in video games a big fucking waste of time that your no longer sadistic enough to explore?

Sound off.

 

[Ranger X]

That's interesting. I have alot less time than before to play my games but i'm still in search of "ever improving myself" when i play. Some games i can attain satisfaction. Most of the time it's when i feel i'm doing things great and most of the time, as a matter of fact, i'm better than most people at the game in question.
A good difficulty in games give me more of an accomplishement feeling when i'm good at it or finish it.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Some games i can attain satisfaction.

That would be a good tag.

I think what you say makes sense, I think larger disposable income than in my youth is a problem as well ("well, shit I'll buy this and play it for 2 weeks, etc.")

 

[Ranger X]

Buy GTASA then: 150 hours for 60 buck. That is freakin good rate.

 

[sprsk]

The first isnt a hardcore gamer, that type of gamer is what we call a "Fanboy".

 

[Kai Dracon]

The first isnt a hardcore gamer, that type of gamer is what we call a "Fanboy".

In my mind, a real hardcore gamer is in it for the games first, and fanboys are in it for image, mindshare, and fandom relations and games (games of a different kind). A lot of people who present themselves as "hardcore" fans seem anything but hardcore to me - the people who are so petty they, for example, won't play a game or will hate on it if it has a stylistic element that is unacceptable to them out of gaming context. ("Nooo! If I am seen playing Sly Cooper people will think I am teh kiddie!") Real hardcore gamers love games for their own sake, IMHO, and understand enough about actual gaming concepts that they can give fair and as unbiased as possible opinions. They have wide taste in gaming because they grasp videogames in a deeper sense than their own personal foibles and hangups, many of which seem to come from stuff that has nothing to do with gaming in the first place.

Example:

*A hardcore gamer doesn't have to love 2D gaming or Japanese art style, but he/she comprhends the place those have in history and the influence on both games and gamers, and is mature enough to respect their merits even if those things are a personal turnoff.

*A fanboy gamer vomits tedious garbage about how "them jap" game makers who draw faggoty girly men need to be disembowled and cheers at the idea of Nintendo going under because gaming will be left to Da Grown Men who play GTA.

 

[Vlad]

I know that generally speaking when one refers to the hardcore gamer they mean one of two things....the person who spends a goodly amount of their time interested and following games/media...and the other, twitchmaster, he of the SFII combos, Ikaruga fiend, etc.

I'm kind of curious about the phenomena of the second type. I notice with myself lately that I sort of drift from new game to new game. I'm looking for the next decent experience to distract myself, but I'm unlikely at this point to put major time or effort into perfect scores or clearing levels or finding secrets, etc. the way I would when I was young. It's still play or distraction...but my focus level is different since I give so much of myself to other more pressing areas of life. That said, I'm a bit regretful since gaming is obviously more important to me at this age than I thought it would be...and I can't help but feel that I would get more out of the activity in general if I was a little better at some of it, haha.

Some people say you can't improve past a certain point with these games. That it's a matter of natural reactions, etc. but obviously time and effort can make you pretty damn good at some of them no matter who you are.

How do you react to difficulty in games..and if it's somewhat of a requirement or challenge for you...what do you get out of it? I assume it's something intrinsic, like a good chess player or something, because for the most part arcades are dead and most of us are too old to be hanging out at one thinking we're top shit anyway. Are most games you play worth playing well? Has it always been that way for you? I really think that skilled gamers exist in all genres, not just shooters and fighters as nostalgic as they are.

Or are difficult games and expertise in video games a big fucking waste of time that your no longer sadistic enough to explore?

Sound off.

As far as the difficulty thing goes, there's really different types of difficulty, along with different levels. As soon as I get to a point in a game where the improving requires me to over-analyze the game, I immediately lose interest. Like in a fighting game, for example... once I need to start memorizing how many frames a certain move takes or something similar to get better, that's pretty much the most I feel like playing that game. Or a FPS game that requires running a specified lap around the map to get the best items in a Deathmatch.

Now a game like Viewtiful Joe gets the difficulty thing right. The difficulty in that game comes from just having to figure out how each enemy attacks, and learning the best way to take them out. Sitting down and memorizing where each enemy comes from and how much damage each attack of theirs does isn't necessary to doing well at the game. To do well in VJ, you just need to practice and get better actually playing the game, and it's still nice and difficult.

 

[LakeEarth]

What seperates a gamer and a hardcore gamer?

Gamer + Can do a Ryu Uppercut without thinking = Hardcore gamer

It's sad when my friend says he's a "gamer" and can't pull off a fricken fireball to save his life.

I can't wait till SFIII is xbox live, I don't think I've ever faced off against anyone who knew how to fight. I think in every fighting game, 99% of the people I've played, I had to dumb myself down. Everything but No Mercy, now THERE was some real compeition there.

 

[Dyne]

I don't think they necessarily have all the consoles, but they devote an insane amount of time into just a few games, mastering them. Like, my friend Alan. He only owns two GBAs for this generation. He plays all the Megaman games, imported and localized. He makes FAQs for the games, even. That's a hardcore gamer I can respect. He probably plugs more hours into his Megaman games than I do all my games combined.

I define myself as Hardcore as well, but my friend's case is PURELY hardcore. Working off little money, you can go a long way in the enjoyement of games.

 

[DDayton]

I think a "hardcore" gamer can be one of any of the following:

* Folks who enjoy games for the sake of being GAMES, and not for other reasons (to be "cool", etc..)

* Folks who collect gaming stuff

* Folks who master a game to the point at which you feel worried for them

These aren't really cut and dry rules, but I think the general sense is that a "hard core gamer" is simply the complete opposite of a "casual gamer".

 

[bjork]

I think the "hardcore" term is one people use to separate themselves from "casual" gamers they view as being dorks or whatever, but make themselves sound dorky in the process.

I say just play what you like and buy what you want... because everyone is someone else's joke, so why sweat that?

 

[DDayton]

I think the "hardcore" term is one people use to separate themselves from "casual" gamers they view as being dorks or whatever, but make themselves sound dorky in the process.

..or that "hardcore" gamers are those who acknowledge and revel in their nerd/geek/dork level, while the "casual" gamers express revulsion at any such thing?

 

[bjork]

..or that "hardcore" gamers are those who acknowledge and revel in their nerd/geek/dork level, while the "casual" gamers express revulsion at any such thing?

That's why I said people should just like what they like and not label themselves or whatever.

I mean, some guy is like, "I'm hardcore, I've got more hours on FFXI than anyone ever!" and a lot of people go, "what a douche." But to him, it's cool... so who cares what those people think?

I do my thing, but I don't try to set myself apart like that. There's always someone worse, and there's always someone better. It's just a matter of whether the person is having fun or not imo.

 

[MarkRyan]

Gamer + Can do a Ryu Uppercut without thinking = Hardcore gamer

I dunno, that's a pretty low bar, dude.

A real hardcore gamer can tell you why a game is good without mentioning any anushats, and while using words like "balance," "control," and "challenge."

 

[sprsk]

I think a "hardcore" gamer can be one of any of the following:

* Folks who enjoy games for the sake of being GAMES, and not for other reasons (to be "cool", etc..)

* Folks who collect gaming stuff

* Folks who master a game to the point at which you feel worried for them

These aren't really cut and dry rules, but I think the general sense is that a "hard core gamer" is simply the complete opposite of a "casual gamer".

1. Thats just being a Gamer

2. maybe thats a "hardcore collector"

3. This is a hardcore gamer (or competitive gamer if you think hardcore is too elitist)

 

[fennec fox]

That's easy.

Hardcore gamers read

 

[jedimike]

damn, canin... we're just too much alike! Generally, I just consider what me and you do as pissin away money. I swear, I buy tons of games... and I'll play them for 3 or 4 hours and lose interest. I could name assloads of games where I got 20-50% through the game and just stopped playing. Off I go to get the next new game.

It pisses me off to no end. But my most limited resource is time, not money. So I play all these games and then every now and again a game will come along that grabs all of my attention and I just have to finish it. Strangely, the games that grab me usually aren't the same ones that grab everyone else. Some games that have grabbed me this gen... Midtown Madness 3, Splinter Cell, Wreckless, Outlaw Golf, Links, RSC2, and Fable.

When these games grab you and you get lost in them, it's a wonderful experience and makes it all seem worth while.

Am I hardcore? Not anymore... no, I just consider myself a gaming afficianodo. I enjoy the history, technology, art, and business aspects of gaming as much as I enjoy playing games.

 

[LakeEarth]

I dunno, that's a pretty low bar, dude.

I agree, but I'm telling you, you'd be suprised how many gamers under 18 right now don't know how to pull off simple fireball commands.

 

[GDJustin]

The older I get the more and more I play a game just to advance the game and make that completion percentage rise or "unlock" everything, instead of trying to get better at it. The only notable exception to this rule is monkey ball 1 and 2, which I played competitively and held world records in.

 

[Late Stage Marxist]

I am definitely NOT hardcore in the latter sense. I think to be a gaming journalist you would have to be a gamer with a fairly broad set of tastes, but for the rest of us, it is just important for us to know what we enjoy.

I think my tastes are pretty much set in stone at this point. Occasionally I'll stray from the usual and play a title like Kingdom Hearts, but I'm not afraid to admit that I'm somewhat biased towards a number of genres that I no longer find entertaining. Occasionally a new genre or phenomenon will emerge such as GTA, or re-emerge in the case of Metal Gear Solid's revitalization of the stealth genre.

I used to be a big fan of RPG's, but eventually I started to find them to be a lot less interactive than games like The Legend of Zelda. I no longer have the patience for random battles, and transitional loading screens between overworld and battle. I still have the yearning to play RPG's, as I love the style and atmosphere for many of them (Shin Megami Tensei), but I know I just cannot enjoy them as games.

RTS games have never really appealed to me outside of the occasional match of Warcraft. I'd much rather be there in the trenches playing a game like Call of Duty or Dynasty Warriors than clicking away at a mouse, simply watching from the sidelines.

Sports games do not appeal to me at all, because professional sports bore me to tears. Of course this has absolutely no bearing on whether or not one is considered a hardcore gamer in any context.

I'm starting to get into some of the more arcadey racers, but I'm not really a car fetishist, so I'm really only in it for the flashy graphics, sparks* and online play.

I still partake in fighting games, but the one I've been inspired to attempt to master was Soul Calibur II. It must be noted that SCII is about the only fighting game that I've played with real people in the last 5 years, so I think that probably has something to do with it.

So yeah, I think being a hardcore gamer often depends on whether you surround yourself with other hardcore gamers. Which is definitely not the case with me. I'm somewhat proud to say that I'm not hardcore, as often the title imbues conformity to a conventional mindset within gaming culture.

* PS2 of course

 

[Musashi Wins!]

damn, canin... we're just too much alike! Generally, I just consider what me and you do as pissin away money. I swear, I buy tons of games... and I'll play them for 3 or 4 hours and lose interest. I could name assloads of games where I got 20-50% through the game and just stopped playing. Off I go to get the next new game.

It pisses me off to no end. But my most limited resource is time, not money. So I play all these games and then every now and again a game will come along that grabs all of my attention and I just have to finish it. Strangely, the games that grab me usually aren't the same ones that grab everyone else. Some games that have grabbed me this gen... Midtown Madness 3, Splinter Cell, Wreckless, Outlaw Golf, Links, RSC2, and Fable.

When these games grab you and you get lost in them, it's a wonderful experience and makes it all seem worth while.

Am I hardcore? Not anymore... no, I just consider myself a gaming afficianodo. I enjoy the history, technology, art, and business aspects of gaming as much as I enjoy playing games.

Yea, that spells it out for me as well. I do get frustrated though even when I can afford spending the money on games I don't really have the desire to finish. Or however I acquire them. I'm just a consumer sucker for those new, unplayed titles and like you, the ones that often grab me are not always the critically or popularly acclaimed titles. It's a nebulous sort of standard that makes it all worthwhile when it strikes. Perhaps I just need to consider what that "thing" is more clearly for myself with certain games and then I would make more informed purchases. When you love a game, the amount of time you give to it in exploration tends to take care of itself.

I agree with the sentiment that labels aren't the most important thing and folks are unlikely to agree about them anyway, the distinction I was trying to explore was the different mindset in "attacking" a game.

 

[Mashing]

*A fanboy gamer vomits tedious garbage about how "them jap" game makers who draw faggoty girly men need to be disembowled and cheers at the idea of Nintendo going under because gaming will be left to Da Grown Men who play GTA.

You could almost replace fanboy with casual gamer and that statement would still be true. I really can't stand casual gamers (the ones who play nothing but sports games and GTA and don't try anything even remotely orginal). They are the reason some of my favorite games don't receive sequels... I have no love for them.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

You could almost replace fanboy with casual gamer and that statement would still be true. I really can't stand casual gamers (the ones who play nothing but sports games and GTA and don't try anything even remotely orginal). They are the reason some of my favorite games don't receive sequels... I have no love for them.

Here's an area though where we might profitably compare the movie and game business. One could imagine these niche games as being supported by their own small audience much the way that art house films are indirectly supported (through distribution and such) by major releases. These gems aren't going to be duplicated and sequalized the way a Madden or Mario will, but this very sense inspires many one-shot titles of high quality. The occasional one to be noticed and either published or aped by the companies with more money. There's no reason to demand that everyone enjoy an ICO anymore than everyone needs to go see [insert favorite indie film]. Media often enjoys a two-tiered system like this, even though the second often aren't monetarily rewarded for their successes.