| dcIKeeL said:
I said microsoft was going to take over the industry as in become number 1. Becoming number one does not equal a monopoly, which is what I pointed out never to have said. I simply said this is how microsoft thinks, it is their goal, wether they meet it or not. You seem to be confusing niche with hardcore. I'm using hardcore in the simplest terms. A game made for traditional gamers would fall under 'hardcore'. Hardcore is just a term to differentiate the nature of one class of games vs. the nature of another class of games. It is simply for naming purposes, so everyone knows what I'm talking about. I'm not going to come up with the most accurate politically correct label and have no one understand what I'm saying. You may disagree with the categorizations, but did you not instantly know the games I might be refering too? Mission accomplished. You also seem to be equating 'hardcore' with popular. Just because a game is popular does not make it 'casual' or whatever u'd like to call it. Shooters have become the most popular genre. A decade and a half ago shooters only existed on PCs and were the pride and joy of diehard computer gamers. Suddenly they've reached a broader audience in the console market and become very popular so their casual? Did the nature of the genre change or something? No it has not. If anything the genre has continued to evolve. Games from Gears to Valkyria chronicles no matter how they sell are 'hardcore'. These games take years to make and place heavy emphasis on battle systems, a intuitive HUD, storylines and more efficient gameplay mechanics etc. They are made for the traditional gamer. The traditional gamer doesn't have to be taught that in a conventional JRPG players have to exchange blows in a manner similar to a board game. They don't have to be taught what HP means or XPs and leveling up systems. All these aspects of gameplay are assumed by the developers. My mother is 55 years old. She knows what a phone is and can use one but if I give her my Iphone she'll find it nearly impossible to make a call. The original Iphone had a fairly intuitive UI for a cell phone yet none of us would take more than an 30 mins (at the absolute most) to learn the general ins and outs of the phone. This is because we speak a universal language OS language. We all know what a widget is and what it's there for. In all their shapes, sizes and names, a widget is a widget. Someone like my mother just doesn't understand that. Games and gamers are no different. We all speak a universal game language. A language that the casual gamers that make up most of the Wii's userbase simply don't speak. Hence, the games are simplified. They are dumbed down so they can be more accesible. How are games ever gonna continue to evolve if the Wii iteration of games becomes the standard? Nintendo definitely turned up the heat this E3 but why are you praising them for it. This was their obligation. I don't know if you recall, last E3 was just starved of games for the traditional gamer. The E3 before that wasn't as bad but still warranted a lackluster review. You got 3 marios in one E3. Amazing. One of these marios is a multiplayer iteration of all the 2d marios. Idc that it's a new storyline with new power ups and enemies blah blah. The game is nothing more than Nintendo recycling age old IP's. On an HD console it would hold the title of arcade game at best. I wonder how much 360 or PS3 would be getting bashed if they announced 3 gears and 3 MGS games along with fable 3 and halo 4 as their big hardcore titles? Nintendo is so removed from the traditional gamer that they don't even attempt to make new IPs. They simply release the 10th or 15th sequel of every major franchise they've made over the last 27 years. I no longer support Nintendo because I've outgrown them. The main reason is because they're boring and safe. Zelda is my favorite franchise of all time, and even my beloved Zelda is losing it's luster. At least for me. You might be as excited as ever, idk. Then again, what choice do you have? A sequel is all you're gonna get from Nintendo. That and Wii fit.
edited to get rid of massive block of quotations. Good god dude - Torillian |
"Hardcore" in videogames is heavily related to the action sports useage of the term, which means that it is (essentially) a synonym for "Extreme" or "Elite" which would imply that it was a very small (niche) demographic. What you're trying to associated with being a "Hardcore" gamer is actually best defined as a "Core" gamer in relation to them being the centeral group inside the gaming market.
"Casual" in videogames is best used to describe a person's commitment to videogames and not as a way to describe their gaming choices ... Many FPS are "Casual" games in that they're heavily played by people who have as low of a commitment to gaming as the Wii playing grandma that many people associate with the "Casual" gamer.
Edit: The largest demographic of gamer is often overlooked and can best be described as "Mainstream" gamers ... These are the gamers who make games like Guitar Hero, Mario Kart and Halo so popular. The only thing they're worried about when it comes to games is if a game is fun enough for long enough to justify their purchase.
