I hear the word "hardcore" being bandied about recently. I, personally, don't think that there's such a thing as a "hardcore gamer" or hardcore games" - it seems like an attempt by a bunch of teenagers and manchildren to try to place themselves in some sort of elite, high-minded clique, in comparison to those supposedly kiddy/shallow/whatever "casual gamers."
So, convince me that "hardcore games" actually exist. How do you define a "hardcore game" - or, for that matter, a "hardcore gamer"? What creates such a stark difference between "hardcore" and "casual"?
"'Casual games' are something the 'Game Industry' invented to explain away the Wii success instead of actually listening or looking at what Nintendo did. There is no 'casual strategy' from Nintendo. 'Accessible strategy', yes, but ‘casual gamers’ is just the 'Game Industry''s polite way of saying what they feel: 'retarded gamers'."
-Sean Malstrom
