I think classifying people into three groups makes sense. Though I think mobile gamers and handheld gamers are different than console gamers.
Speaking of console gamers specifically this is how I think it breaks down.
Casuals: People who don't play very much, they own an Xbox or playstation but don't they probably buy less than 5 games a year and those games are mostly games like Madden, COD, GTA, ect. They don't put a ton of time into gaming and don't really know much about their system beyond the fact that it plays games and Netflix.
Average gamer: Plays the same games as the casual player plus a few heavily advertised "core" franchises. Halo, Assassins Creed, Uncharted, ect. May check places like IGN from time to time and follow news of their favorite franchises. Plays games pretty regularly and considers gaming to be a consistent hobby.
Hardcore gamer: Actively seeks out new games beyond ones they just see ads for. Considers gaming to be a major part of their life and can carry a conversation about gaming as a medium.
I don't think someone not knowing or caring about hardware specs makes them less of a gamer.
Bet with Adamblaziken:
I bet that on launch the Nintendo Switch will have no built in in-game voice chat. He bets that it will. The winner gets six months of avatar control over the other user.
