Is Chess a casual game?

[mibuokami]

NJ5 said:

mibuokami said:

NJ5 said:

--OkeyDokey-- said:

NJ5 said:

I don't care if I look pathetic or not, I care whether I'm right or not.

Is is not true that the casual/hardcore distinction is being much more talked about this gen than the last? Is it not true that most of the gaming media acts as if 360/PS3 is where you want to be for "hardcore" experiences and Wii for "casual"?

 

Yes, and it's true, isn't it? Not saying there aren't any hardcore games on Wii or that there aren't any casual games on the other consoles, but that's pretty much it, yeah...

Gamers in general don't agree, not when the Wii is stealing market share from these two consoles, making them sell slower than the consoles of the previous generation. Unless you think the market of hardcore gamers is crashing of course.

 

The distinction with Chess is that you CAN be hardcore or casual about it if you wish, the game actually provide enough depth for you to study, analyse and be hardcore about.

A lot of Wii game do no have this distinction, they are made deliberately shallow to appeal to mass market but fail to provide the depth a hardcore gamer needs to keep him hook.

This of course is also generalising and I'm sure their are many games on the wii that you can get hardcore about, no least of which some of the system's evergreen titles such as Mario Kart etc.

With regards to the Wii, the Stigma is mainly tied to the fact that the wii promote alternative gaming which a traditional gamer may have very little to no interest in. When a console's flagship title include such game as Wii Fit and Wii Music one does not need to wonder why many teens and young adult look at the system and find it unsatisfying.

Call it an illusion, but it is one that Nintendo itself promoted to begin with, so I have no qualm in calling them out on it.

The wii lacks the high adrenaline visceral appeal of the PS360. It lacks voilence, it lacks sex and it lacks 'mature content' which is the staple food of a selective audience who have consider themselves 'hardcore' gamers for the past few generation.

A lot of PS3/360 games are very shallow too, starting with most FPS games which I never see people calling casual. Of course you could point out how people will perfect their FPS playing in online matches, but there are people perfecting their aim on the Duck Hunt game on Wii Play too.

As for your last paragraph, that's just a sad definition of hardcore as I implied in my previous reply...

 

The first part of my response was mainly aimed at explaining why chess is considered a hardcore game and why a lot of wii games are not (notice I mention in particular that the evergreen titles are NOT shallow). FPS games have a basic pickup and play attitude but once again, if you decide to get hardcore about them, all you had to do is look at some of the youtube videos to see some crazy play and even more fantastic team play.

The second part is my own interpretation of why gamers and gaming media's labels of the wii as 'casual'. Its not fair I agree, but its also the truth. Sega were the first to capitalise on this type of marketing but Sony truly brough it home with the PS1. If you search on youtube, you'd probably find an documentary in which Phil Harrison explained quite clearly that the PS1 was design for 18 year olds, because everyone wants to be a 18 years old, whether they are older or younger, people apparently want to be 18 (and male) and thus every single Playstation console (including the portable) where design quite clearly around this concept.

Nintendo did not do this, which is why all those gamers who have grown up being catered to (even force fed) a particular diet of game, find the wii's alternative gaming to be strang and 'unnatural'.

I freely admit to being of that generation of gamer, and indeed support the PS360 because they have the type of games that appeal to me in abundance. The difference is that I can look at it from a different perspective and admit to the issue.

Doesn't mean I don't hate the wii though. :p.

edit: I should also clarify that the first part does not relate to the second part, I was not labelling any game I mention in the second part as shallow. They are merely different (and unappealing to me).