But i just have to ask, how do one play Monster Hunter casually?

Put simply, it's a game with a low to no learning curve designed to be played in small doses, typically with simplified game design and gameplay.

It's still possible to play a casual game like a regular or core game just as much as it is possible to play them for hours and hours to the point where the player masters every little nuance and aspect of the game.

It's also possible to play any core game in a casual manner, which is to say it will probably never be finished and definitely never mastered.

I've bolded those which I consider casual.

For me a casual game are all those mini-game collections, party games, edution and fitness.

You'd have to ask outlawauron, he's the one who said that it wouldn't be much of a stretch to call Monster Hunter casual.

like people have said, you can play MH casually. If you barely play the game at all. every other week for an hour or two, thats casually, IMHO.  Of course you wont get far and most people are most likely not to play it that way.

^That's how I usually play my RPGs.

^^^ me too, funnily enough, except for something like FAllout 3, where I will play for about 5 hours straight, and next week or two do the same, I wouldnt consider that casual gaming, But i have more RPGs than I actually complete

All this thread really proves is that there are many people who have a huge misunderstanding as to what the casual games genre is. It is like people who think Zelda, Castlevania, GTA, and Metroid are RPGs.

The casual games genre is specifically defined as brain teaser games and games designed for short (few minute) session gameplay. Examples of Casual games are: MS Solitaire, Brain Age, Angry Birds, Find Mii Now, Puzzle Swap, Face Raiders Minesweeper, etc...

Mario Kart is a racer
Pokemon is an RPG
Super Mario Bros is a platformer
Zelda is an action adventure

No, that is called an "easy"game :P

Anyway, the main problems I have with the term "casual" games are as follows:

- The Definition of a "casual" game is completely relative and always changing. There was a time when games like Pacman, old Mario games, even Zelda, were considered casual, or "watered down" by the snobby computer gamers in the 80s. Some people define a casual game as mini games, party games, whatever. Others definite them as easy, watered down games. Some claim cutesy, kiddie style games to be casual. And still others simply classify anything that has sold X number of copies as casual. So which is it?

- Casual defines the WAY you play a game, not the game itself. I can MAYBE see the argument for the legitimacy of a casual gamer, but a game itself cannot be "casual." It is meaningless branding in a useless attempt by game developers and media to separate, categorize and create demographics.

- It is a sort of ignorant, lazy way of degrading certain games or gamers. Malstrom put it best - games that these snobby gamers don't like, or they claim to be beneath them, are simply branded as "casual." it is simply a politically correct code for retarded games, which to me, is jumping the gun and shows their ignorance, as well as their arrogance.