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Forums - Gaming Discussion - The silliness of "hardcore"?

I am not saying they are not hardcore, I am saying that hardcore games are silly because of the themes and that they are taken too seriously among hardcore gamers.

Whether it is TV, Movies, videogames, or literature plots revolving revolving around aliens, pirates, ninjas, or zombies are in a difficult place to bring new people into the fold.

This isn't about Nintendo or Casual games (to answer that question) it's more of a question of how seriously any of these artforms can be taken. I often make jokes about the comic book guy from the Simpson's; it's people like that who scare others away from enjoying games, sci-fi, comics, etc.

Maybe it is my frustration with the whole industry right now, on one hand you have Nintendo who is making a major push to sell games mostly on gameplay. Why'll MS is pushing an online agenda, and Sony is pushing Bluray. All three are decent strategies, but don't help a more mature and sophisticated direction for the art of storytelling through games.

Heavy Rain is an attempt at drama, and I can appreciate the risk there, but I would like to see more. More War games that tackle the difficulties and pain of war. More adventure games that bring you into the feelings of loneliness and struggle of the adventurer. Fantasy that challenges modern day society to look at itself, like Gulliver's Travels or Alice in Wonderland. Where are the deeper characters, more poignant humor, and challenging themes?



I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.

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"Hard-Core" is a silly term and a foolish mentality to begin with ...

I could be wrong but I suspect that the term originates from Pornography where it was first used in a critical way; basically only someone who was hard to the core (not in that way you pervert) would be able to watch such graphic pornography. Through pornography "Hard-Core" became associated with being extreme.

From its roots in pornography it would have moved into anti-establishment subcultures like the punk movement in the 70s and early 80s, and eventually the 80’s hair metal movement; eventually it moved into the extreme sports crowd and eventually dropped into gaming (both in the 90s).

For the most part it has retained its meaning as “Hard-Core” is the same as “Extreme” yet I don’t think anyone can really explain why one group of gamers is more “Extreme” than another, and why one segment of games is more “Extreme” than the other.

This is why I personally prefer the term “Core” gamer because it refers to the group of videogame players who form the foundation for the “Gamer” subculture. Mario, Metal Gear and Halo represent “Core” gamer games because they’re the meat and potatoes of the gamer diet; most “Core” gamers play at least some of these games or at least see the quality and value of these games.



akuma587 said:
That is one reason I have shied away from Nintendo games, because they are not story driven. That is not to say that Nintendo doesn't produce fantastic games, I am just not compelled by Mario's quest to save the princess.

I am still dying to play Super Mario Galaxy in any case. I am not willing to purchase a Wii for it though. I do appreciate the artistic break the designers have taken with the game though, because it looks fantastic and very surreal. Definitely a step in the right direction.

It's interesting, because this is precisely why I DO like Nintendo games: I strongly dislike most story driven games. Not because I don't like stories -- I do, very much so -- but because the stories are consistently puerile in nature. Again, just my experience. 



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That the thigh HappySquirrel, what the hardcore gamers consider hardcore is so silly. 

Examples:

The Big Daddies of BioShock, may be cool to fight and cool looking, but the idea is silly. 

Snake flipping through a girly mag to get health and then knocking enemies out by rolling inside a barrel.

The whole fatality/finishing move move set being done to death and over reliance on sex selling (see: Heavenly Sword)

Halo Series melodramatic story, one-liners, alien appearances that represent diffent stereotypes of battle prowess.

Warp Pipes and magic mushrooms.

 

I am not saying that these games are bad or that they aren't fun, it's just disappointing that there is almost no movement to make a serious game among developers.   I think this is part of the reason why older gamers stick to Brain Age-like trainers, Wii Sports/Wii Play, music games, and puzzles.  Are the games that go accross the spectrum of teenage to young adults and older gamers always going to be limited to puzzles and mind-games?  I hope that there is more growth than that.

I think there is an oppurtunity now that more people of all ages are willing to play games on there TV screens (because of the Wii) for developers to attract them to play more mature (not rated M, I mean mature in the traditional sense) content.



I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.

Regardless of whether those games are "hardcore" or not, they all contain an amount of "imagination required". Whether it's aliens, little drill-arm girls, Mario running around jumping down pipes, or any other video game, games can't really be serious. If there were serious games they'd be called Super Accounting and Flossing 64. Games need some level of abstract, completely "impossibleness" to garnish our attention. We spend the rest of our day doing the mundane stuff, so this is a good outlet. Same reason we watch movies that aren't really all that feasible, huge explosions, one man taking on 100, and not to even mention anything Disney/Pixar. Who wants to spend 8 hours at work and then come home to play Super Accounting? Not me. In fact, I'm going to throw my copy of it away right now.



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I don't mean they should make Super Accounting.

Some games start off sounding like they are trying to do what I am talking about but they hardly ever end up as originally planned.

Kane and Lynch started off that way. I thought that would take a step in the direction I mean. Like a jump from Quick Change (good in a way) to Heat.



I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.

I dont like hardcore always stange people who liste to it



I am with you on this one steven787. Few games have a storyline better than Debbie does Dallas or some 80`s porn. I finished a good old Nes game today called Bad Dudes. Wanna know the story?
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY NINJAS.

ARE YOU A BAD ENOUGH DUDE TO RESCUE THE PRESIDENT?
That is it. Stupid, isn`t it? What about the ex USA president kidnapping the current USA president, and the ex US president twin brother is trying to defeat his evil brother. Meanwhile, some of the deceased US presidents in a secret worldwide organization are planning to kill them all (that is a real game storyline if you did not get it, a famous one).

That is not to say I hate all storylines in VG, but I hate when VG scenario writers take themselves too serious or think they are some kind of Shakespeare or Dostoievski. I like games with storylines like Day of Tentacle that are totally nonsensical or basic yet entertaining like DQ 8. Old PC adventure games are the closer you can get to a good story. There is also Fatal Frame, but the part where you kill ghosts with your magic camera makes it looks like a ... game.



Satan said:

"You are for ever angry, all you care about is intelligence, but I repeat again that I would give away all this superstellar life, all the ranks and honours, simply to be transformed into the soul of a merchant's wife weighing eighteen stone and set candles at God's shrine."

So wrong its not even funny.

Is Matrix or LOTR silly ?



Hus said:
So wrong its not even funny.

Is Matrix or LOTR silly ?

The Matrix is amazingly silly (in particular the second and third movies) ...

Lord of the Rings has issues but at least has a deeper more though out plot than "Kung-Fu and Special Effects are cool"