An Article on Piracy
- Thread starter tpex
- Start date
Azimuth
New member
I don't think calling people names and leaving it at that is particularly constructive myself. 
Attitudes like Raven's do bother me, though, especially that hateful rubbish about casual gamers. It's like he's just repeating stuff he's heard or read somewhere else without ever actually stopping to think about it. When you're presuming to dictate who can play what, you're on very slippery ground.
As for piracy - its murky legality aside, it's really just plain greedy and selfish.
Attitudes like Raven's do bother me, though, especially that hateful rubbish about casual gamers. It's like he's just repeating stuff he's heard or read somewhere else without ever actually stopping to think about it. When you're presuming to dictate who can play what, you're on very slippery ground.
As for piracy - its murky legality aside, it's really just plain greedy and selfish.
Azimuth
New member
Well, I don't really know. What's a casual gamer even? I think the whole casual / hardcore thing is completely retarded anyway.
If you're really pushing me for an answer, I guess I'd define a hardcore gamer as someone who plays a lot, and competitively (i.e. in a clan, or something like this). It's not a very good definition at all, though, is it?
I play games a lot (usually around 3-5 or more hours a day, since I work from home and I have the time), but strictly for fun. I don't give a crap about my kill/death ratio, or my career stats or scores or anything like that. I own a PC, an Xbox, a Wii, a PS2, a DS, and a PSP (and I've got a bunch of games on my iPod Touch), and I'm not especially snobby about what I'll play - I enjoy everything from Modern Warfare and Gears of War to Fallout to Pokemon the Sims to Sim City to Peggle and Scene It.
I grew up a PC gamer (I started gaming when I was 6 or so, but only bought my first console in my mid-20s), but I play far more on console these days for a bunch of reasons that mostly boil down to a simple personal preference.
Does that make me a casual or hardcore gamer? I don't care. But I'd probably go with casual, simply because I don't like a lot of the connotations attached to the so-called "hardcore".
If you're really pushing me for an answer, I guess I'd define a hardcore gamer as someone who plays a lot, and competitively (i.e. in a clan, or something like this). It's not a very good definition at all, though, is it?
I play games a lot (usually around 3-5 or more hours a day, since I work from home and I have the time), but strictly for fun. I don't give a crap about my kill/death ratio, or my career stats or scores or anything like that. I own a PC, an Xbox, a Wii, a PS2, a DS, and a PSP (and I've got a bunch of games on my iPod Touch), and I'm not especially snobby about what I'll play - I enjoy everything from Modern Warfare and Gears of War to Fallout to Pokemon the Sims to Sim City to Peggle and Scene It.
I grew up a PC gamer (I started gaming when I was 6 or so, but only bought my first console in my mid-20s), but I play far more on console these days for a bunch of reasons that mostly boil down to a simple personal preference.
Does that make me a casual or hardcore gamer? I don't care. But I'd probably go with casual, simply because I don't like a lot of the connotations attached to the so-called "hardcore".
Last edited:
tpex
New member
To me you sound Like a true gamer, somebody who plays for fun, and its a main hobby, I would define casual gamer as somebody who can own a console or PC (but these days more lightly a console) and maybe games a few hours a day, but its not their main hobby its kind of like all the jocks had their PS2s and played NFS and FIFA, those I would define as casual gamers
I was just wondering because you always get up in arms when somebody attacks the "casual gamer" which frankly you don't seem to be at all
But hardcore, i can't even come up with a definition for that...
Last edited:
Necuno
The Piper
Azimuth
New member
hardcore gamer programs their own games
Haha, that works.
Tsar
The thing that should not be
I never really understood the word harcore when it came to games. Back in the day There were no such labels(well only nerd lol.)It really is silly. Just play the games for gods sake and enjoy them.
I grew up a console player(original nes) I was 4 years old and know I would be referred to as a pc gamer lol.
Raven Gold
Local Boy Hunter
I back it up by saying that the Wii is bringing in too many people into the market. Too many people ruins everything. Again, quality over quantity, all these people are allowing the publishers flourish. While in the past, when games wee in there best, stand alone developers made just enough money to keep going, publishers had no place and couldn't find any.
Yes, I am a PC "fanboi", but for this argument I don't knock consoles because of it. I'm blaming them because of what there doing to the industry.
The casual gamer, the hardcore gamer, and everything in between come in a lot of shades. "Casual gamers" are those who play games just to play, because it's "cool" or it's just something to do every once in a while. (see above VGcats comic)
The hardcore gamers are the ones that game competitively or as a part of there job.
Theres a few flavours in between. I don't think I'm a hardcore gamer, but I do border on it sometimes. I play games because I love them, It's my passion. And the casual market pisses me off because thats whats destroying the core of my, and many other's, passions.
Last edited:
Azimuth
New member
This is the "But I wanna be special" argument, and it's not a very good one. Publishers making more money means publishers can fund more games. How is this a bad thing? It's not like you have to play everything that's released. I mean, really, how hard is it to just ignore a game you don't want to play? Sure, loads more games are being developed these days than ever before, but plenty of these are games still very much worth playing. I remember back in the 90s, there were perhaps three or four games released in a year that were worth playing. To suggest this was somehow better is just absurd, unless you're the sort of person who only plays three or four games a year anyway. Me? I've bought over 30 games this year, and enjoyed all of them. I'm ecstatic.
Frankly, I think it's absolutely ludicrous to complain that the Wii (or anything else) is bringing too many people into the market. It's like complaining that too many people are eating chocolate because it's there. So what?
Also, I don't think you're in any position whatsoever to criticise the quality of games, or the amount of money publishers and developers are making or were making back in this alleged "golden age" of yours, when you pirate games and contribute nothing at all the gaming industry, and likely never have. It's your choice to pirate, of course, but don't expect to have an opinion about the industry's finances that means anything at all with it.
What? Seriously, statements like this make you look a bit daft. Consoles aren't "doing" anything to the industry except keeping it in business. Just like PCs. And last I checked, there were plenty of shit games on PC too.
I'm glad you let a crap web comic like VG Cats prescribe your opinions for you. Personally, I prefer to make up my own mind.
Also, I think that comic is much more (deliberately) self-referentially ironic than you've realised.
Once again, how is casual gaming "destroying" your hobby? You might have a point if every single game released this year was a franchise clone of Petz or something, but it wasn't. What you're doing here is basically saying that the people playing Peggle or Wii Sports during their lunch break are ruining your life. Which is really quite ridiculous, isn't it?
I think you're also far too quick to dismiss the people you've labelled as "casual" gamers. What makes you think they don't love the games they play? What makes your love of gaming more valid or relevant or legitimate than theirs? As I've already said elsewhere in this discussion, presuming to dictate who deserves to play games on the basis of some scale spanning such nebulous qualifiers as "casual" and "hardcore" (for whatever they're worth) is outrageous. You're in absolutely no position whatsoever to decide something like that. It's like deciding who's allowed to go to the beach on the basis of the colour of their skin. Remember how that one worked out?
You come off as an immensely intolerant person, Raven, and pointlessly so. Stop and think about it.
Last edited:
Raven Gold
Local Boy Hunter
No I'm not a nazi.
But I am intolerant of people who don't have any standards and will buy anything that has a hint of shiny to it. I try to ignore all of those games but there being shovelled everywhere and pushing out all the great ones to point where there going extinct.
But I am intolerant of people who don't have any standards and will buy anything that has a hint of shiny to it. I try to ignore all of those games but there being shovelled everywhere and pushing out all the great ones to point where there going extinct.
shadowfox
Anime Junkie
Damn ... keeping quiet and munching popcorn was soooo worth it 
Sadly Raven, although there are plenty of times I don't agree with Azi's point of view, I'm fully in agreement with her this time. And I find your point of view needlessly shortsighted.
Consoles, in terms of gaming, have been around a bit longer than PC's - that's what they were made for. And when you're talking about them bringing too many people into the arena I may as well complain about Windows and all its subsequent spawn bringing too many people into PCs. Gone are the days when the elite commanded DOS in all its forms. I'm sad now because every Tom, Dick and Harry can use them and it's no longer my private little domain. So I blame Windows. It must be.
If you read the above paragraph it all looks a little bit retarded doesn't it.
And the whole casual/hardcore labeling thing doesn't do it for me either. I describe myself as a casual gamer - never anything more, because it's a passtime - something I enjoy doing when I have a bit of time to waste. And you are basically casually telling me to sod off because I'm cluttering up your horizon.
Tolerance is also a great asset, you would do well to cultivate some.
Sadly Raven, although there are plenty of times I don't agree with Azi's point of view, I'm fully in agreement with her this time. And I find your point of view needlessly shortsighted.
Consoles, in terms of gaming, have been around a bit longer than PC's - that's what they were made for. And when you're talking about them bringing too many people into the arena I may as well complain about Windows and all its subsequent spawn bringing too many people into PCs. Gone are the days when the elite commanded DOS in all its forms. I'm sad now because every Tom, Dick and Harry can use them and it's no longer my private little domain. So I blame Windows. It must be.
If you read the above paragraph it all looks a little bit retarded doesn't it.
And the whole casual/hardcore labeling thing doesn't do it for me either. I describe myself as a casual gamer - never anything more, because it's a passtime - something I enjoy doing when I have a bit of time to waste. And you are basically casually telling me to sod off because I'm cluttering up your horizon.
Tolerance is also a great asset, you would do well to cultivate some.
I don't think calling people names and leaving it at that is particularly constructive myself.
Attitudes like Raven's do bother me, though, especially that hateful rubbish about casual gamers. It's like he's just repeating stuff he's heard or read somewhere else without ever actually stopping to think about it. When you're presuming to dictate who can play what, you're on very slippery ground.
As for piracy - its murky legality aside, it's really just plain greedy and selfish.
Yeah, I guess that I should have said more, but comments like Raven's just seem so out of touch with reality, that I didn't bother to say anything else.
Anyway, from the origanl article, it's an interesting problem that gaming has. Young gamers have less money, but more time, and older gamers have more money, but less time. Too bad games ca't be like tickets to sports events, cheaper prices for school kids.
Raven Gold
Local Boy Hunter
Thats a good example. It not the clutering itself so much that bothers me. It's the fact that you build your house right in the middle of my view, in a spot where you would get a much better one, but than you build the house in such a way that you don't enjoy it yourself.
The "Casuals" as I lable them simply because there is no better word, don't deserve the games they get because they don't apreciate them. And remeber, my definition of a casual gamer is probably alot lower status than any of yours.
Solitude
Mr. Nice Guy
Awww man, I like my casual games. Like the Popcap games and flash games and so forth.
I didn't read all the posts in this thread because I got some gaming to do but I think the general gist is that you feel that the casual gaming market has flooded the market with mediocre games. What you forget is that it has brought a lot more people into the market, thus allowing for more money and bigger games to be made.
I know of some people who started gaming by getting a Wii just for the Wii Fit. So they played some games on the Wii and then they got a PS3. Now as a couple they are having fun playing through inFamous and they just bought Demon's Souls.
I'm all for casual gaming and hardcore gaming. I like games. There will always be good quality games and poor quality games. The bigger the quantity though, the wider the choice and the better for me.