Casual or Competitive?

[Flex]

I would like to see what kind of Gamers we have here on Mygaming.

Why do you play the games that you play? Do you just play for the fun, or are you competitive?
By being a competitive gamer it can mean all of the following:

-Playing for a team or on your own in leagues/competitions
-Playing to improve on your own or other peoples achievements whether it is by a lap time on a track or the time of a speed run

It is interesting to see how much the gaming worlds of these 2 type of gamers differ.

[EDIT]

I was also thinking why are there not Mygaming clans/Groups in more games. We have such an awesome community over all platforms and genres! Why not get a few guys/girls together and make a dgl group for people that want to play competitively but struggle to get a team

 

[DieGrootHammer]

Good thread idea. I had a similar thought a while ago.

For me, gaming is a relaxation technique, helping me escape the real world and all it's problems and issues into a fantasy world. I've therefor never been a particularly competitive gamer. Does that make me a casual gamer as you so definitively put it, no certainly not!! I believe the amount of gaming I do certainly puts me out of casual definition.

 

[Flex]

Good thread idea. I had a similar thought a while ago.

For me, gaming is a relaxation technique, helping me escape the real world and all it's problems and issues into a fantasy world. I've therefor never been a particularly competitive gamer. Does that make me a casual gamer as you so definitively put it, no certainly not!! I believe the amount of gaming I do certainly puts me out of casual definition.

So you classify yourself as a hardcore gamer? But a hardcore gamer that plays for your own satisfaction ? If that makes sense
Perhaps there is a category between casual and competitive

 

[BeoTeK]

Definitely casual for me. My days of competitive play are done for. I haven't got the time or patience for daai kak.

Also, as Hammer states, for relaxation. It's also my social place. I join up on TS every night with my clan mates and we talk shit all night while playing, we could all be in different games but doesn't stop us from giving each other shit. Also I've found that getting older your reflexes get slower, so our prime is done for, which is majority of the age group on the forums (I believe).

I get enough stress in my day-to-day life, I don't want to stress while playing a game. Games are meant to be fun, play it with the intention to have some!

 

[Flex]

Definitely casual for me. My days of competitive play are done for. I haven't got the time or patience for daai kak.

Also, as Hammer states, for relaxation. It's also my social place. I join up on TS every night with my clan mates and we talk shit all night while playing, we could all be in different games but doesn't stop us from giving each other shit. Also I've found that getting older your reflexes get slower, so our prime is done for, which is majority of the age group on the forums (I believe).

I get enough stress in my day-to-day life, I don't want to stress while playing a game. Games are meant to be fun, play it with the intention to have some!

Very True!
I find these days managing and playing in my CSGO team it becomes like a second Job!
Strat books, admin, organizing and and and!
Don't get me wrong I love playing competitively, but what you said is very true!

 

[Tom]

I would say im a bit of both... I enjoy playing Hearthstone competitively, but all other games i play for the fun of it...

But in saying that Hearthstone is not really a game that competitive play can be left out of... Doesnt matter who you are you want to win...

 

[DieGrootHammer]

So you classify yourself as a hardcore gamer? But a hardcore gamer that plays for your own satisfaction ? If that makes sense
Perhaps there is a category between casual and competitive

Why is it important that I be labeled or categorized as only one specific gamer? Why must I either be Hardcore multiplayer competitive dudebro gamer or casual?

So, if I play Kerbal Space Program, there is nothing casual about my playing style. I have spreadsheets with multiple TTW ratio calculations, delta-V calculations, various charts with planetary windows and injection angles and delta-V requirements....nothing casual about me playing Kerbal at all. Yet, I do all these achievements for my own amusement, not to beat someone else, or to be better that someone else.

I totally get that there are people that are competitive and play to win, and that's perfectly fine. I'm just questioning the whole concept of classification of gamers into "hardcore" and "casual"...is that the only way; can people be in more than one classification; is the classification game dependent....

 

[Flex]

Why is it important that I be labeled or categorized as only one specific gamer? Why must I either be Hardcore multiplayer competitive dudebro gamer or casual?

So, if I play Kerbal Space Program, there is nothing casual about my playing style. I have spreadsheets with multiple TTW ratio calculations, delta-V calculations, various charts with planetary windows and injection angles and delta-V requirements....nothing casual about me playing Kerbal at all. Yet, I do all these achievements for my own amusement, not to beat someone else, or to be better that someone else.

I totally get that there are people that are competitive and play to win, and that's perfectly fine. I'm just questioning the whole concept of classification of gamers into "hardcore" and "casual"...is that the only way; can people be in more than one classification; is the classification game dependent....

That is why i put this in "Playing to improve on your own or other peoples achievements whether it is by a lap time on a track or the time of a speed run"
Competitive does not necessarily mean vs other people.

I am sure that are many more classifications, but these 2 in particular interest me very much. As I believe they are the 2 main reason why people become gamers. Either to play for fun and relax, or show people or themselves that they are the best at a certain game

 

[Wenzdayz]

i play cause its fun but i do compete against my Fiance, cause there is nothing funner than kicking his ass at a game that he thinks he should be kicking mine in

 

[DieGrootHammer]

That is why i put this in "Playing to improve on your own or other peoples achievements whether it is by a lap time on a track or the time of a speed run"
Competitive does not necessarily mean vs other people.

I am sure that are many more classifications, but these 2 in particular interest me very much. As I believe they are the 2 main reason why people become gamers. Either to play for fun and relax, or show people or themselves that they are the best at a certain game

Ah, I understand the crux of your argument now. And yes, I agree completely, people play games either for relaxation or for competitive reasons. But I do believe e that it's also game specific. Loom at Forza for example: here I am preaching that I am not a competitive gamer, yet participate in challenges against other drivers. But when it comes to something like FPS games, I usually drop the difficulty to lowest and enjoy the ride. As an overall gamer, I may not be as competitive as other, but within certain games, I do become that type.

 

[Flex]

Ah, I understand the crux of your argument now. And yes, I agree completely, people play games either for relaxation or for competitive reasons. But I do believe e that it's also game specific. Loom at Forza for example: here I am preaching that I am not a competitive gamer, yet participate in challenges against other drivers. But when it comes to something like FPS games, I usually drop the difficulty to lowest and enjoy the ride. As an overall gamer, I may not be as competitive as other, but within certain games, I do become that type.

Very very True! The game does play a huge role!
But even then in the Forza challenge, you have people that join just for the fun and social aspect of it. They don't care what car they drive or about their times. They do it just for the ball of it. So I think personality type plays even a bigger role than the game type.
This is exactly why it is so interesting to me. Because you can take any game and try and make it competitive if you really want. And some people do exactly that

 

[DieGrootHammer]

Very very True! The game does play a huge role!
But even then in the Forza challenge, you have people that join just for the fun and social aspect of it. They don't care what car they drive or about their times. They do it just for the ball of it. So I think personality type plays even a bigger role than the game type.
This is exactly why it is so interesting to me. Because you can take any game and try and make it competitive if you really want. And some people do exactly that

I believe most people to some extent are competitive in most activities we do. We constantly want more money than someone else, or better clothes, or drive a flashier car, or have a better PC, or play on the strongest console. It's this competitiveness that fuels PC Master Race debates, console wars debates, and even this game against that game debates.

But, as we play different games, I believe that people will associate different type of games with their particular need for competitiveness. Some people find that in FPS game, other in RTS games, and other in racing or sport games. Also, all these games have a very instinctive me-against-them type, where competitiveness is bred and welcomed.

 

[DieGrootHammer]

I've had a thought about it, and although this is said a bit tongue-in-cheek, here are some classifications of gamers I came up with:

True Casual
Informed Casual
Competitive Casual
Social Competitive
True Competitive

 

[BeoTeK]

I've had a thought about it, and although this is said a bit tongue-in-cheek, here are some classifications of gamers I came up with:

True Casual
Informed Casual
Competitive Casual
Social Competitive
True Competitive

Nice assessment.

And while I agree with you on the labelling of "gamers", even that title I take issue with. Why do we feel the need to be subjugated to have a title or even a label as such?!

 

[DieGrootHammer]

Nice assessment.

And while I agree with you on the labelling of "gamers", even that title I take issue with. Why do we feel the need to be subjugated to have a title or even a label as such?!

I feel like we are missing the point of the thread a bit, but this topic is such an interesting one that I can't help myself but continue (sorry [MENTION=16362]Flex[/MENTION]).

You won't label yourself as a audiophile just because you listen to music, right? There isn't even a label for someone that watches movies, so why does the label "gamer" exist?

Well, it's the same as someone that partakes in sport. If you play golf, you are a golfer. If you enjoy cycling, you are a cyclist. If you enjoy running, you are a runner. It's an activity that you actively partake in, thus you are labeled as such. Thus when you play games, you are a gamer. The label is something you can't really run away from.

 

[BeoTeK]

Yeah, bit off topic, sorry. I regress.... the competitive gaming I do is for fun where I can shove it in my friends face.

 

[Avantar]

Casual gamer for fun.

 

[Flex]

I've had a thought about it, and although this is said a bit tongue-in-cheek, here are some classifications of gamers I came up with:

True Casual
Informed Casual
Competitive Casual
Social Competitive
True Competitive

I agree with those 100%!

Nice assessment.

And while I agree with you on the labelling of "gamers", even that title I take issue with. Why do we feel the need to be subjugated to have a title or even a label as such?!

We should remove labels and names from everything! Lets start a revolution!!!! A world where i can call a chair a banana if I wish and ti will be acceptable by society !

 

[Flex]

I feel like we are missing the point of the thread a bit, but this topic is such an interesting one that I can't help myself but continue (sorry [MENTION=16362]Flex[/MENTION]).

You won't label yourself as a audiophile just because you listen to music, right? There isn't even a label for someone that watches movies, so why does the label "gamer" exist?

Well, it's the same as someone that partakes in sport. If you play golf, you are a golfer. If you enjoy cycling, you are a cyclist. If you enjoy running, you are a runner. It's an activity that you actively partake in, thus you are labeled as such. Thus when you play games, you are a gamer. The label is something you can't really run away from.

No no no not at all go fir it! It is very interesting and love discussing this!

 

[BeoTeK]

I agree with those 100%!



We should remove labels and names from everything! Lets start a revolution!!!! A world where i can call a chair a banana if I wish and ti will be acceptable by society !

well not really labels per se, but more titles if you will. Even in the work place, I hate it. I hate being classified as something. Does it make you more superior than I am? not a fuck!

Just because you may play BF professionally, does that make you better than me? That's where I'm going with it. Maybe that's your way of having fun with it, but my way is to play 10 hours a week, does that make me casual. I have a lot less time on my hands for games so thus in my eyes I'm spending a lot of MY time gaming therefor I could see myself a hardcore gamer.

Hmm... something to ponder.