by ADirtySlate Sat Mar 30, 2013 7:14 pm
I would say that there are many different levels of gamers out there, like many have said here before. However, I believe that it is more than simply the amount of time you put into a game or the type of game that you play. I'll put how I define the many terms below.
NOT A GAMER:
These people may not play games or they many play a few. The most basic way I can put this is into why they play in the first place. We "gamers" usually seek video games as a primary source of entertainment. These people could play anything from Nintendogs to Dark Souls, and they could still be in the same category. Their primary source of entertainment is something different: TV, books, friends, playing outside, philosophy, etc. They only play video games when all or most other mediums are exhausted or another form of their entertainment comes into play (such as their friend asking them to go a round with them in Street Fighter).
-Playing based on circumstance, not interest
CASUAL:
Let me start by saying that I do not find this a derogatory term, as I'm sure most of us here don't. These people are usually based on the types of games they play, but I will say that I disagree. A "casual," in my opinion, is one who generally does not know much about games, but frequently plays them. This can easily play into the types of games mentioned as "casual," e.g. Call of Duty, FIFA, and Angry Birds, due to their hand-holding, simple controls, or tutorials. I say that it is more in-depth than that. For instance, say someone plays Dark Souls, who I will call "Dave." Dave enjoys Dark Souls a lot, and plays it frequently. He has reached and beaten NG+7 on it and is a great fan of the PVP in this game. However, he does not think that Dark Souls even has that much of a story, and if you asked him about the backstory of, say, Gough, he says he does not know. This is where Dave falls short of being a hardcore gamer, in my opinion. He takes gaming as far as it goes: a game. He simply plays it and does not think more of anything. It is not a difference of skill, the game he plays, or even his opinion on games. He simply does not take that much of an interest of games beyond its base level.
-Plays games as a primary form of entertainment
-Does not know much about a game beyond what it shows
HARDCORE:
A hardcore, as you probably know due to the previous paragraph, is one who takes his or her love of video games to the next level. A hardcore will (usually) participate in the fandom of what he or she loves, and will have a logical discussion of it. Above having discussions of weapons, stories, etc, the hardcore will look beyond the literal meaning of each situation: deconstructing situations, finding hidden meanings, plotting great situations in his or her head, etc. Basically, to be a hardcore gamer in my eyes, you need to find entertainment in a game beyond what is presented to you: that is why I still find some games casual-oriented, but one who plays only those games can be hardcore.
-Plays games as primary form of entertainment
-Derives enjoyment from a game beyond simply playing it.