Hey Grampy.
First of all, I read your post and agree 100% with you.
A while back, while I was analyzing the Wii Music debacle I realized that many of the people that hated the game (long before it was released mind you) were young male gamers who, liked you said, see casual gaming as degrading their favorite activity.
This is noticeable when you compare Wii Music reviews. You either have people that loved the game and see it as a masterpiece while others see it as a sholverware title. The positive reviews seem to come from older gamers who have experience in the field while the negative reviews come from the more "hardcore" publications either run by young gamers or by male reviewers who seek to only appeal to said gamers.
The truth is that "hardcore" gamers are the most insecure out of all the social groups. They grow up isolated from other members of society, clinging onto what their peers say. So if that group says that "Gears of War 2 is their main game" they tend to follow rather than go out of the way and try to socialize.
They also take gaming VERY seriously, to the point where there's no room for anything else. I consider myself a gaming fanatic, but I like to meet a lot of people, whether they are gamers or not. I like discussion of a lot of topics and prefer to integrate myself into a group rather than looking for one that appeals to my needs. Gaming is great, but has never been a focus in my life.
This also applies to gaming publications. You know why many female readers hate girl magazines? Because they offer advice that is shallow and unrealistic (like buying expensive clothes etc.). This train of thought can be carried over to the hardcore gaming publications. They appeal to that sector of the gaming populace, and go out of their way to make sure that the tough gamer image is maintained, even at the cost of credibility. Take Game Informer, for example. What type of games are constantly featured on the cover? M-rated titles and shooter titles. The majority of the review crew are males reaching their 30s. They give extensive coverage to games THEY thing fit the core gaming populace perfectly. Finally, they clearly show a preference in their reviews. Many Wii titles (and even casual titles on the 360 and PS3) are shoved down to small reviews because they see them as not worthy of receiving decent coverage.
So its no surprise why many gaming websites and publications are acting just as bad as the community; they are just as insecure as their fans are and need to keep the status quo up if they need to maintain credibility.
I believe all of this will change soon. Gaming is becoming more mainstream and more and more gamers are flooding the gates. Sooner or later, gamers HAVE to accept this change just as many accepted "cool gamers" back during the PSone days. Its part of a gaming evolution that will make you look foolish if you decide to neglect it.
