What do you consider to be a mainstream 'gamer'? It used to be to me anyone who plays a variety of games and types of games. Now, however, mainstream seems to be those who just play games at all. The people who play this fitness games or the dedicated FPS crowd, like COD and Battlefield, or those who simply buy the biggest games of the year. These days I don't know. Since gaming has become more accessible to all brands of society they are now the more mainstream and majority of gamers then the 'hardcore' gamers I suppose you could call them now, who play a variety of different styles and platforms. Your thoughts?
Well, I could be tempted to say the mainstream gamer tends to be looking for an interactive entertainment rather than a challenge and cares more about cosmetic details than about the gameplay, but I think it' s a little too blurry, it' s more a guideline than an accurate definition. I mean I consider myself to be a hardcore gamer, but I' m not allergic to a few pure entertainment moments nor nifty graphics. The only line I draw in the end is that of dedication. Do you play a lot/often ? Can you play for several hours straight ? Then you' re a hardcore gamer in my book, even if you only play COD or, gasp, that fitness thingy you mentioned.
I agree that playing a wide array of games can definitely be a hardcore gamer characteristic, but not on its own. I mean if you play a wide array of games but just jump on the latest shiny thing that caught your attention (if you do not play often and/or barely finish any game at all), then you' re a casual player to me. I also think those who play many games superficially are precisely the kind of gamers that hurt the industry (qualitatively, not financially).
I would say a mainstream gamer are those who stay up the night before a release date for a popular game, camp out in front of the store in the middle of a hailstorm, ya know, "I want it because everybody else likes it!". A hardcore gamer is somebody who plays everything in as little a span of time as posible, thinks of nothing but gaming, and wants to knock up and have kids with their X-box. Thats my opinion XD
I disagree, I'd say it's not that at all. Hardcore gamer; someone who spends a lot of time playing video games, and are passionate about it. I think "Mainstream gamer" is more the casual gamer; more of a hobby-gamer. Not as passionate about it. Probably owns a Wii instead of the good consoles/computer. Me, for example, consider myself a hardcore gamer. In 5 days I may have 30 hours of playing video games, depending on schoolwork or other things. In the weekends/holidays, I may have a 12 hour game-session. I play different games, but I am passionate about all of them, and have several people whom I play with in the different communities.
Anyone who calls themselves either a mainstream or hardcore games is a tool. Play your games and be happy, let others play their games and be happy.
I wouldn't call it a title, I'd rather call it an identity. It's part of who you are, which is why you characterize yourself as a hardcore gamer, to show that it matters more to you. For example, people who collect something or have a hobby often characterize themselves as an "avid" collector, because it's that important to them, and it gives them an identity. Which is why you differentiate between "hardcore" gamers, and "mainstream" gamers. While the hardcore gamers are like the avid collectors, the mainstream gamers are more like hobbyist collectors, who don't necessarily identify as a collector of "x."
The reason I like to know is because it affects the Video gaming industry as a whole. With more 'Mainstream' games in the market now thanks to the Wii, Kinect and Move the gaming industry has begun to cater for them instead of the 'hardcore' market. I might be classified as a hardcore gamer from the majority of games I play, even if I dont consider myself as one. What interests me is that if the industry is more focused on getting the money from the Mainstream gamer who may buy a console for Fitness games or just for popular action games like FPS games then my 'Hardcore' gaming wants won't be met. So I care. Because games that I want won't be made because they're not making the most profit. Hideo Kojima recently said that Creativity in the Gaming Industry was dead. No one is willing to take chances on new and different games because there is not any assurance unlike the FPS military games that are incredibly popular and successful. When consumer demand says that's what is popular the market follows the trend. I'd rather see more varied approach to gaming and gamers. I want them to have a taste of a bit of everything before settling on what is more popular. But yeah, enjoy what you play but try more out of your comfort zone, you could be surprised.
Well, marketing has always been a part of their job. Those who tried to emulate Nintendo and cater to a casual audience quickly noticed that if they don' t have the same marketing steamroller as Nintendo then casual games don' t sell at all. Or any kind of game really. The rise of the Internet is the one thing that allowed the industry to cater to its audience more than ever before. It is the perfect marketing tool, developers can use it to feed us any information they see fit while monitoring our reaction at the same time. How about that, the SOP actually exists ! Years ago Kojima used his MGS2 game to yell at us "This is what awaits us, it has already begun". Ironically Kojima himself is just a cog in that well-oiled machine.
