Reggie “really chafes” when people say Wii lost the hardcore

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime isn't in agreement with those who say the Wii lost the hardcore audience.

[Snookies12]

The Wii lost me as a hardcore gamer... :\

It was great at first, and there were definitely a few wonderful games on there. Just not enough to keep my system around, because it was collecting so much dust. I'd play it once every couple of months.

[avengers1978]

Okay reg, then why are hardcore gamers pissed at you, for not giving them more core games.
Hardcore to Casual is simple, if you only play games on your phone or facebook then you are a casual gamer...
If you know what playing with one or two buttons, was like, if mp used to be you and a friend on a couch with 2 controllers, If you play many, many games a year, and a wide range of games, When you can talk about games not because they are out now, but because they are coming out in a year or 2, then your Hardcore.
And if your only playing one fricking game I dont care what it is you are not hardcore...

[Nimblest-Assassin]

I've been a die hard Nintendo fan since the SNES..., recieved an N64 for Christmas with Ocarina I got a gamecube on opening with melee, I bought a Wii on opening day for games like twilight princess.... but then in 2008, I got a PS3... and only revisited my wii for Mario Galaxy 2 and Skyward Sword

The problem Nintendo had was the lack of third-party support. There were these huge game famines on the wii... that you craved something new to play, but the shoddy third party games, and shovel ware on the wii just turned me off. There are a few third-party gems, but the truth of owning a wiii was for the games nintendo made... but those came out in few offerings and over extended periods of time

I never felt the need to buy a PS2 or an xbox with my gamecube... however I contemplated that with the wii

I bought a PS3 to scratch my hunger for more games...

I have supported Nintendo since I started gaming... the problem is the WiiU just turned me off. It feels like a catch up sadly.

I might pick one up... but its going to be the first time I have never got a nintendo console at launch

[morkendo23]

I believe the problem with Nintendo losing gamers they have not yet release none of SNES portfolio games on wii or announce any on wii-u yet which us gamers waiting on. im dieing for CONTRA,GRADIUS,R-TYPE,EINHANDE R,G-DARIUS,DOUBLE DRAGON,GOLDEN AXES,DRAGON QUEST.

[N4g_null]

Wow the gc drought where way worst than the wii.

[eagle21]

To me the modern definition of hardcore is a nympho gaming maniac. These gamers are insatiable. Some if not most don't even complete their games quickly looking for the next gaming fix...lol.. They need help. There is no pleasing the modern definition of hardcore. They are fickle and i'm not saying this is negative. I just know its the truth from seeing how some gamers love a game one week and say its stupid or lame the next. Nintendo focuses on the experience of true gamers.

[yeahokchief]

Yep I bought every Nintendo console except for the Wii. Not buying the Wii U either.

[LAZL0-Panaflex]

Someone disagreed with you, what a ra-TARD.

[Spydiggity]

Zach Galifianakis isn't the least bit funny and should NEVER, under any circumstances, be quoted.

he's a like a fat, even less funny version of Tom Green.

[LAZL0-Panaflex]

Bought it for my kids. I like the title "Wedgie really chafes" when people say wii sux, hey i got an idea wedgie,...get over it. Or i got a one way ticket for ya back to jabbapoint.

[manaxknight1]

I think shigeru miyamoto evolved as a game designer, so did his goals. I believe he had a vision of bringing the whole family in the picture. i dont think it has to do with making the games easier but yes more accessible so that families could have a fun experience of video game entertainment. In that sense Nintendo accomplished its vision and made a profit on it and pushed the envelope with the Wii and its motion control technology that was emulated by Sony and Microsoft.
Once again we see Nintendo pushing the envelope on how we experience video games with the Wii U.

[PopRocks359]

I think Reggie makes a very good point. Nintendo did provide core experiences on the Wii (Metroid Prime Trilogy? Hello?). But there were far fewer 3rd party core games because it could not support proper multiplatform titles from the 360 and PS3, so the core gamer experience suffered.

I got Xenoblade this year and I'll be getting Last Story in August and I think that does it for this year. Kind of sad, really.

[Lord_Sloth]

The problem with the Prime Trilogy is that it was just a re-release or already existing games, like half of what Nintendo launches. They didn't even try to make their last Metroid, they just outsourced it.

[PopRocks359]

Just because they outsourced Other M does not mean they had no hand in production. It's Nintendo's IP. Also Metroid Prime Trilogy may have been a re-release, but it provided new and (IMO) superior controls to the first two games. Not to mention Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was almost brand new at the time.

Besides, what about the two Zelda games they made for it? The two Mario Galaxy games? Mario Kart Wii? Smash Bros.? Those are core titles.

[justpassinggas]

That's not really a good list for nearly 6 years on the market.

[Shnazzyone]

Hasn't miyamoto consulted on all three metroid prime games? To me the "nintendo rehases" is only in name alone. Every time a new mario, zelda or mario kart comes out, it is a new game overall. and it's been that way for the history of nintendo. It's based on the same ideas but it's wholly different each time(kid icarus anyone?)

Compare that to uncharted 1-3, games that all came out 1-2 years apart from each other. All esentially the same game with upgraded controls and minor tweaks but a different story. Gears of war, basically the same game 3 times with a different story, assassins creed, same thing, basically the same game with improvements with each sequel and different settings and story. I'd go into halo but it's the same story.

Now compare Super mario Bros with super mario galaxy two and tell me that's the exact same game and it's a rehash.

Marvel's had many of the same superheroes for about 50 years. Ever see people say, "MAN! ever single spiderman is exactly the same! When are you going to get new heroes marvel?" Some people are just blind to how much more impressive it is to have great relevant characters who spawned on a medium where presentation changes dramatically in a regular interval for over 20 years and to use them effectively and respectably every time.

In short. Claiming nintendo is bad because they take care of their franchises properly is just stupid.

[PerpetualMathx10]

i would say hardcore to me in terms of Nintendo means 1st party or exclusive 2nd or 3rd party games aimed at people interested in Nintendo's 1st party games. the rating of the games means nothing. i do however find it odd that Nintendo made a weird change after gamecube with wii. because from the days of the nes to atleast the N64, everyone you know had those sytems and played all the same classic games. and nothing was categorized as hardcore or casual, for example the same people who played smash bros or mario party also enjoyed games like star fox, donkey kong 64, and zelda. there was no difference in who the games were marketd to everyone played what came out.

i do feel as though with the wii instead of just putting out those typical waves of classic Nintendo games or new ip's, they put out this really dumbed down gimmicky shovel ware aimed at children when in fact children were just as capable playing a new mario game like mario galaxy. we see them do it all the time with pokemon games. so then why was mario galaxy marketed more as a core title when there was nothing more core about the idea other than it not being shovel ware?

i just think Nintendo has created this rift in the platform of quality vs shovel ware. im not saying Nintendo should publish or have nothing but 1st paty titles by any means. but they do need to make sure if those arent the games constantly coming out, gamers have quality 2nd or 3rd party titles to play in between.

[gorebago]

Fastest system i ever got rid of. I think i had it for only six months.

[militant07]

mine is just been collecting dusts since I completed RE4 like 3-4 years ago.

[gorebago]

That was the last game i played on it too. It was awesome.

[Sorrow24]

RE4 was the first game I bought for the Wii. Best game on the system imho.

[militant07]

Its a shame since its a previouse generation game.

[TopDudeMan]

I think if he publicly agreed with that statement he would lose his job.

[miyamoto]

but wasn't it Iwata that told the share holders that Nintendo neglected the core gaming gamers.

“Moreover, regrettably, what we prioritized in order to reach out to the new audience was a bit too far from what we prioritized for those who play games as their hobby. Consequently, we presume some people felt that the Wii was not a game system for them or they were not willing to play with the Wii even though some compelling games had been released.”

I don't think agreeing with Iwata would make him loose his job.

[Godmars290]

What should have chaffed was having the hardcore beg - actually and literally beg - for games like Xenoblade and Last Story - and you still wouldn't Fu*king give them to us!

[BakedGoods]

We got Xenoblade!

[Godmars290]

Only after Nintendo turned down doing it directly.

They're name may be on it, but someone else paid to bring it over.

[Xof]

Except we did get Xenoblade and we are getting The Last Story later this summer.

It's Pandora's Tower that we're still missing.

It's just shameful--absolutely shameful--it took months and months of begging and mass petitions and general Internet outrage on an -unprecedented- level to effect change.

And odds are that's just a taste of what we'll see in the future. The Wii's hardcore 'trifecta' controversy was bigger than any other controversy in gaming history. It was huge.

But, lo and behold, six months later: an even larger controversy centered around ME3.

In the future, it may well be that the ONLY way gamers get anything decent is when they raise a giant shitstorm DEMANDING not to be treated like garbage.

Of course, both the Rainbow stuff and ME3 stuff also aroused many dull-witted apologists... the kind of mush-brained fools who are dead-set and perpetuating this lopsided dynamic.

[DivineAssault]

everyone views hardcore differently so nintendos view is mario kart & smash bros.. Sony/XBOX owners see it as 3rd + 1st party M rated content.. Blood & gore doesnt make or break the game if its good but its nice to see.. Nintendo family systems arent the place to find things like that

[Incipio]

Then let him chafe, because it's the truth.

[abzdine]

i'm a console player since the 80's and i can call myself hardcore but for ma a hardcore gamer is one who "tastes" every machine and i play on Wii from time to time there are some really good games on it for hardcore gamers.

But these days if there are no FPS on a machine it's not a hardcore machine, which is completly wrong thinking.

[GillHarrison]

It's a matter of dropping the ball with third-party support, few developers used the system to make games specifically for the hardcore market.

[GillHarrison]

Of course there is a hardcore market, it's the group that doesn't want to play hundreds shallow mini-game compilations.

[ozzywazzy]

that's such a cliche nintendo fanboys keep falling back on. "Hardcore doesn't mean fps"... etc. etc. It's old. The Wii lost interest due to lack of good games. That simple. Sure everyone busts out smash bros every now and then but it seriously lacked good games. There was one gem for every 100 or so shovelware titles. The wiimote was a gimmick and most gamers will tell you the same.

[PeachyAenne]

Nintendo relies on gimmicks to sell their products. Instead of spending time and effort on creating new IP or better games, they waste it on silly peripherals.

[contra157]

@peachyaenne exactly

[manman6]

Most hardcore gamers that own a Wii probably own a Xbox or a PS3. The Wii didn't offer any of the high profile games that many people would to play and on top of that many people dislike the controller.

[AO1JMM]

Hard core = gun in center of screen and blood everywhere.

/sarcasm

I've been gaming since the 80's as well and for me a "hard core" gamer is the person who plays a game to 100% completion and goes for the high score. Also they usually play games on all systems.

[TheGamingArt]

I chafe when Reggie says they're still about the hardcore.

[smazzei80]

The fact that he disagrees with that statement is exactly why Nintendo has lost us.

[d4sholil1]

I have been with nintendo since the 8 bit nes; until the wii. I was dissapointed with the gamecube, but nonetheless still enjoyed what I could with it. Couldnt invest in it as I did with previous nintendo consoles. If I were to purchase the wii u, I'd probably be dissapointed again. Still love nintendo, but I can't see myself investing money into them at this point.

[MoveTheGlow]

“What I’ll tell you is that with the Wii we did not have the benefit of multiplatform games from key publishers. I didn’t have The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I didn’t have the best of the Call of Duty games. That’s what I missed.

“With the Wii U’s graphics capability, processing power, and HD-output, we’ll get those games. That’s a huge competitive advantage versus where we were with the Wii.”

This can't be what he personally thinks about this. Does he really not get it? Competitive advantage against what? The systems we've had for years?

From the look of what we saw at E3, the Wii U's going to look ever so slightly better than one console generation behind the competition (yeah, we haven't seen those yet, but why would a PS4 or Xbox '720' have the same processing power as last time?) come the end of 2013. Does he think publishers will just love downscaling their games, adding touchscreen functions, and sending out late-arriving ports by 2014 for some huge Wii U audience that doesn't exist, because there's hardly any good first-party support out of the gate that we've seen? Until Nintendo shows us otherwise, this looks like history repeating - this time with Nintendoland, and this time with huge monetary losses.

Of course, destruction can be creative. They fall far enough down this Wii U rabbit hole, they could wind up being solely a software publishing company. It's clearly their strength; optimizing the company for making new, creative, enjoyable games would be awesome.

[ozzywazzy]

This. Why people will defend and follow Nintendo to the ends of the earth is really beyond logic. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the route Nintendo are taking, who their demographic is, and where they plan to take the Wii U. It really is the wii all over again. I think us as gamers and ex Nintendo supporters should demand more from Nintendo rather than apologize and accept their mediocre products.

[mike1up]

Wonder Book and Kinect say hi!

[bothebo]

"Why people will defend and follow Nintendo to the ends of the earth is really beyond logic"

Well said.

[PeachyAenne]

It's not so much that they lost the hardcore fans, it's more they lost the "core" fans that grew up with NES/SNES/N64. While the children we used to be when playing on our old consoles have reached adulthood, Nintendo didn't do the same. They are still stuck thinking we are kids, and catering to those needs, not our current gaming needs.

Also, It doesn't help that Nintendo turned their backs on the competitive Smash community, when they are one of Nintendo's biggest supporters.

[Salamander]

Im sure the kids of today would like to grow up with Mario, just like we did.

[WildStyles]

I could have sworn Nintendo has said "They want the hardcore back" many times. Even Nintendo as a company acknowledged they lost the hardcore gamers. Dude is just in denial because it's the truth.

[attilayavuzer]

He should get some Gold Bond for that...

[TooTall19]

To me a hardcore gamer is someone that wants a steady flow of challenging games. Games that require a certain level of skill to enjoy. When you complete a hardcore game you feel a certain level of accomplishment because of the effort you put in to develop those skills. They are complex and not games you bring to a party, unless you are going to a party full of gamers.

Just a few examples include challenging action/adventures (Dark Souls), tactical RPGs, online FPS, and racing sims.

Fighting games are an exception where they can be hardcore, but everyone can enjoy them.

Why I feel Nintendo lost the hardcore is because they aren't providing these games on the same level as their competitors. Edit: The N64 was hardcore imo, and Perfect Dark was incredible for its time. You couldn't find a game like that on PlayStation.

[Skateboard]

Get over it. Nintendo will do its thing if you don't like it don't buy their products.

[chadboban]

What is a hardcore gamer? Someone who plays video games as a main hobby and explores the variety of games within that media. That's is all.

[MehmetAlperTR]

Look at the source web site. Nintendo EVERYTHING LOGO. And tell me please, how can Nintendo be a HARDCORE with those heroes ????

[Y_5150]

Hey! Nintendo hero are hardcore. Kirby is hardcore! Mario can be anything! :)

[adamant715]

Who cares..

These hardcore/casual labels are stupid anyways.

[jessupj]

There's a very clear distinction between a casual gamer and a hardcore gamer.

Deal with it.

[adamant715]

Ooooooh, someones a bit offended!! LOL

[Optical_Matrix]

But it did. Anyone saying otherwise is delusional. Theres a reason the majority of AAA 3rd party games aren't on the Wii. I kept mine because despite its weak software offerings, Nintendo's first party titles + gems like Muramasa, The Last Story, TvC and Xenoblade are must plays.

[Plagasx]

Well, judging from that terrible E3 press conference, I think they had no intentions on bringing back the "hardcore"... and that's what counts.

[Digimortal]

What bullshit is this. I guess games like AC3, Tekken, Darksiders 2, Batman, ZombiU, and many others that will becoming to the Wii U that haven't been announced. Nope Nintendo doesn't care for the core. FUCKING people i swear.

[MoveTheGlow]

A lot of people are just stating this in the wrong way. Nintendo thinks there's a "hardcore" audience that they either lost or didn't, they're supposedly the people that used to play SNES's, N64's, but then "grew up" or something and played CoD. That isn't the case at all. Being a fan of Nintendo is being a fan of awesome design, finely-tuned gameplay, that "charm" that comes with their best franchises, and the stark *contrast* their best games have to the "hardcore" auto-aim-and-shoot franchises.

However! Their E3 was awful. They let Ubisoft expound on a game most of us have already played for so, so long - now with remote control batarangs? Seriously, why didn't we see Platinum's game? Wario? Why did Nintendoland take so long? Why did they give this guy so much time to explain a ruleset on stage? Where is a Mario title that breaks the mold? Why are there two NSMB's at the same time? What the heck was with the ZombiU face demo?

To me, that wasn't a slight to the hardcore; it was a slight to Nintendo. They undersold their strengths in order to push some weak and old games. I could care less if they lost the "hardcore." Semantics. I care if they lose sight of what makes Nintendo so great, and that conference was leaning that way...

[jessupj]

And what do you think is going to happen to 3rd party support again for the wii U when the significantly more powerful PS4 and 720 release?

F*cking people... I swear.

[Digimortal]

Who says that next gen PS4 and Xbox 720 is going to be a huge power house of a system. Won't happen. If it does. HUGE MISTAKE

[TruthbeTold]

If a 'hardcore' Nintendo gamer buys a competitor console, but only because they want the 1st party exclusives for that console, then it means that Nintendo has done the Wii U right. So far they act as though this will be the case, but I remain skeptical that the Wii U will receive the bulk of multiplatform games on time, and with comparable visuals, online modes and incentives.

So yes, it's difficult to define 'hardcore' but what I just described above is what Sony and MS did with the PS3 and 360. If you own a 360 but later bought a PS3 or a Wii, you did it for the exclusives. Not because there was a whole library of 3rd party games that you just couldn't have. That's what people mean when they say Nintendo 'lost the hardcore'.

It isn't exactly correct because a lot of us remain. But it's also true that many just said F it, and moved on, just as many more will if the Wii U proves to be unacceptably underpowered a couple of years from now. We'll be missing out again on games simply because it's not worth it for Developers to scrape so low in order to give some semblance of the gaming experience that they intended.

[tigertron]

Well I disagree with Reggie. Nintendo alienated me with the Wii. I was a huge Nintendo fan (I still am a fan) and I thought the Gamecube was an incredible console, but the only problem was that it lacked third party exclusives. However, the console had lots of first party support and made titles that appealed to me from Metroid Prime, to Eternal Darkness and Mario Kart. I know the Wii has some of these games but not in the quantity that I would have liked.

The Wii however, is a different story...there must be about 5 games on the console that actually appeal to me and for me I feel that Nintendo gave up trying to cater to me in order to get a quick buck from casuals. I know business is business, but they should have focused just as much on the hardcore market and have a balance like the PS3 does now.

As someone said above "if you don't like it then don't buy it" and thats exactly what I didn't do. I didn't buy a Wii and from the way things are looking with the Wii U, I doubt I'll buy that either.

I prefer a conventional controller and don't want to reward a company with money if they give me a console with ancient specs. Yeah-yeah, I've heard the whole "graphics don't make a game" arguement, and thats true to a certain extent, but I don't like it when companies think they can take the easy option. I want significant improvements which can help developers create environments that they envision - to utilise technology to create atmosphere and immerse us into their worlds.

I have very fond memories of Nintendo. The first console I played was the SNES with Mario. Maybe the old Nintendo will return one day, but for now I'll just stick to the Playstation and Xbox. Thats just my take on Nintendo and I'm speaking as someone who has lots of respect for the company and all the fantastic franchises they created over the years like Mario and Pokémon. I'm sure many will disagree with me for whatever reason, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who Nintendo has alienated this gen.

[Colonel_Dante]

They built a "next gen" console and DID NOT put a HDD in it.. yes, they clearly want the casual market to eat this up.
Lots of flash memory for Wii U Music 2,Donkey Kong 738846 and Mario 7392682 save blocks for gamesaves.

[Y_5150]

Someone doesn't like Nintendo anymore...

[GARBAGE LICKER]

I still havent given up on the wii, playing xenoblade chronicles right now and waiting for last story

[malypso]

Honestly, "hardcore" gamer, is someone that plays games as a primary hobby often for long periods of time, dedicated to mastering their games. I find it funny when people think that "hardcore" gamers have to play nothing but mature content! I play everything, I got a platinum trophy on Demon's Souls and about to on Dark Souls, and have nearly completed Kid Icarus Uprising to 100%. Both games are really challenging and gratifying, and I consider both to be "hardcore" games. The art direction is different but both take time and dedication to master, in both controls and content.
I know someone in particular who claims he's a "hardcore" gamer, yet doesn't play anything unless its on Sony but rarely does that anymore either. He buys other games but never plays them and lets them sit there depreciating in value; ex. The Witcher 2, KI:Uprising, etc. Whats the point!?! Also, he gets mad because he thinks that playing only M rated games, on Sony platforms, makes you a "hardcore" gamer. To me that's not a "hardcore" gamer, that's a "hardcore" fan-boy, pretending to be a "hardcore" gamer, that truly limits himself from enjoying wonderful games. I quote "hardcore", because I believe that the word has lost its meaning because of people like him! My fellow gamers know how to differentiate what a true gamer is without the need of "hardcore" attached to your title! A person that plays, enjoys and masters games, without having a biased opinion.

[TruthbeTold]

Agreed. Even so, a grossly underpowered system has an element of burden on both 3rd party developers, and the gamers who want to play their games. I own all 3 consoles this generation. I would love to only buy 2 next time around, but be able to play just about everything.

[DivineAssault]

Reggie says Mario Kart Wii & NSMB Wii are core titles & says Wii U will have core titles too.. Did u play those? Those core titles will come to the Wii U too so the Wii U will have plenty of core games.. Fear not fellow gamer, the core games will come.. Hell, maybe some from 3rd party will too..

[BrianC6234]

How can Nintendo of America have a leader with the name Reggie? That name is pretty childish. Seems like a company with kiddie games. Maybe he should change his name to Reginald or something more grown up.

[PooEgg]

I have a lot of respect for Nintendo as a company, since they revived the gaming industry after Atari killed if off back in the olden days... but sorry Reggie, there is nothing anyone can say to convince me that the Wii is for hardcore gamers. It was designed and marketed to appeal to kids and casual gamers, and that is what it did.

Sadly, At the moment I have seen nothing to convince me that the Wii U isn't following in those exact same footsteps, but I would never rule Nintendo out, because they are one gaming company that loves to pull rabbits out of their hats.

[Nikhil]

He must be very chaffed then.

[capjacksparrow]

Lolololol what does he expect? I had over 20 games for my GameCube (70 games for my PS2). Now I have 2 games for my Wii and over 80+ for my PS3 (not countin he downloadables). I have a 360/had an xbox. I must say they lost my money for the most part.

[omarzy]

well considering reggie has stated many time that the average age for a wii owner is 29( you can look it up) i would have to say that nintendo did not lose the hardcore. Of course, facts do not always sit well with people( very much so in the gaming community)

[josephayal]

Wii is pure HARDCORE

[BitbyDeath]

In all fairness they did make a lot of stupid design decisions.
No Blu-ray, no HDD and i still can't get over having a tablet as a controller, it just doesn't look very gaming friendly.

I know there are other controllers but those other controllers should be standard, the tablet should be a mere addon. IMO

[AWBrawler]

I think what Regginator was saying is that they didn't lose any Hardcore Nintendo fans,but Nintendo hardcore is not the same as what N4G crowd calls hardcore.

This is the same crowd who argued me down that Wind waker wasn't hardcore and argued that Mario Kart is a casual game.

I always say its the player, not the game that is hardcore, because my buddy, Fyree, is a hardcore Tetris player

[Kos-Mos]

I think the hardcore gamers that is mentioned here and speaks for hardcore gamers is teens who like skyrim and cod, thus thinking they are real hard core gamers.

[BitbyDeath]

COD is a casual game cause it attracts the casual crowd

[Jirachi]

truth is even the hardest of hardcore players were kids and since no one is born with skill to play games correctly(muscle memory requires your muscles to be exposed to something before they can get used to it...) you were as a kid a casual player(what kid ha more then 2-4 hours a day to play games between school homework and chores?)

Yet you mock the very system that if it didn't exist you would have never picked up a controller

[esemce]

F@ck U Reggie and Iwata, much respect to Shigsy still though.

[_LarZen_]

"Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime isn't in agreement with those who say the Wii lost the hardcore audience"

If that is the truth, someone should fire him.

[esemce]

Reggie is just full of shit like a used car salesman or a damn politician, he cares nothing of the core gamer only for profit.

They think they can do what they did with the Wii again....sell outdated tech and shovelware it's easy money for them.

[ThatEnglishDude]

It really chafes me when people use the word 'hardcore'. It's such an elitist term. You either play videogames or you don't. 'harcore' and 'casual' are stupid ways of saying 'This is a game aimed for a younger audience, and this is a game aimed towards an older audience' splitting them into two elitist words causes nothing but arguments and confusion.

It's like saying a movie like Toy Story is a casual movie, and Prometheus is a hardcore movie - they're both movies but are simply directed toward two different audiences.

[mike1up]

"Casual" is easy to define, but "hardcore" not so much.

How do you know if you are "hardcore"?

1. Do you whine, usually about nothing, the loudest on sites like N4G?

2. Do you think that you're better than other gamers, simply because you chose a different game from the shelf?

3. Do you honestly believe that graphics are more important than gameplay, but yet are too lame to go the PC route?

4. Are you always on websites, trying to tell millionaires how to run their companies... instead of actually playing video games?

If you answered "yes" to any of the following then congratualtions! You sir, are a "hardcore" gamer!

[Warj]

Reggie's statements are why I am wary of picking up a WiiU. Yes, the Wii had many great titles, core titles (since many commentors seem to believe a hardcore title must be an M rated FPS, I shall refer to other games that take time and commitment to complete as core).

Getting back to point, the issue with the lack of core titles stems from the consoles life. The first 2-3 years were filled with many great games. When I complain about the lack of games, it generates from the last 3 years. 2011 had Skyward Sword, one game. I put 30+ hours in (begrudgingly), a lot of time when not put against the context of 51 weeks of nothing.

So yes, the WiiU may have many great titles in its future, but I won't buy it for 3rd party games I can already get on my PS3 and 360, and I won't buy it only for it to go into 'drought mode' after the first half of its life.

It is to bad to, because the system itself looks like alot of fun. I'm just worried that Nintendo's track record will continue.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

This is a good point.
I am a Nintendo Fan, but I have suffered long game droughts under Nintendo's consoles. (not so much with Wii but GC and N64)
I am accustomed to it like a man who lives in the desert. If all WiiU has is Nintendo games I would be just fine with that, but so far it has many 3rd Party ports. Some have been released already but I haven't played them. (ME3, Ninja Gaiden, BM:AC)
Even so, there are a lot of games on Wii I have not played yet, like Elebits and Zack & Wiki.

If you notice the games that I have mentioned have vastly conflicted graphic styles but it does not matter to me, fun is fun.

I refer to myself as a "Gamer" not "Hardcore" or "Casual" but I am able to play all of these games and enjoy them with varying degrees. I also see the value in all of these types of games. And more importantly I can see how each of these types of games effect Hardcore games i.e. WiiSport effected LoZ:SS. Mario 64 effects 3D console Shooters.

Someday I will buy a PS3 (price drop) and play Beyond and Heavy Rain. --- You should do the same with WiiU, Even though I want a WiiU ASAP.

[Warj]

Yes, I may do that after the WiiU has built up a good library.

[Drainage]

animal crossing and pokemon are more hardcore than crap like Last of Us, Beyond, Heavy Rain, etc. Call me when you put in 100+ hours into a game. Until then, continue to be a fanboy and say that nintendo is for casuals, when games like Pikmin are more challenging than Uncharted(7hours long btw). wahhh wahhh .

and I didnt even mention smash bros

[Omnislash]

Never in my life did I ever hear the word "Casual" in video games... Not until Nintendo came out with the wii and all the soccer moms bought it to play Netflix at home... Nintendo IS casual this gen, then Xbox comes second. Thanks to Nintendo they took a different direction with their console and they did it for money and created a domino effect with other companies because Casual = Money.

[Warj]

I agree, although it is sad that it became about the money. The original promise of the Wii, making things more intuitive and bringing more people into gaming, seemed like great things. I still believe that is a noble goal.

But, I suppose that is just business.

[ShaunCameron]

Oh the hardcore crowd that thinks gratuitous violence/sex/language = mature. The same hardcore crowd who ironically are teenagers if not teenage-minded talking all that "mature" **** just to look cool in front of their peers. The same hardcore crowd who cry for next-gen hardware specs, next-gen games , next-gen this, next-gen that but are not willing to to pay next-gen prices. Frankly, F*** 'EM! Let Microsoft and Sony have them.

[TheDivine]

1) Reggie is a tool and spouts PR BS 24-7.

2) The wii had a killer lineup of "core" games. People may overlook them because theyre not HD and shiny but there as many maybe even more than the ps3/360 have. Games like the 2 zeldas, mario's, ssbb, xenoblade, last story, pandoras tower, fragile dreams, okami, metroid other m, metroid prime 3, re4, cursed mountain, murumusa, new dk, monster hunter tri, tales of symphonia 2, tales of graces, sin and punishment, dead space extraction, goldeneye (i could go on and on all day). I myself wouldnt play wii games for a long time but once i got into a good game like the other m and xenoblade i totally dont give a shit about the graphics. Hd wouldve made it the best console ever but it was still good.

[Rageanitus]

truth is CONSOLES are NOT hardcore.... sigh
Even the most hardcore games like COD... are not hardcore.... Just see how the developers tweaked the mechanics..... AIM down your sights!

[poo342947294792]

lol reggie, peter montrex or wtf his name is and clibby b had a 3 way at e3 and bred a hybred supergame of total crap I heard

[Run_bare]

Yeap, they lost me. I am not sure about the rest of the world, but I would have think it. He is delusional to think differently in my opinion, since they market of casual gamers.

[Buff1044]

Here's what the "core" gamer did for Nintendo several years ago...put it in third place with the GameCube. Nintendo will always release games based on its franchises, but these days, companies need more than the "hardcore" to sell systems. You guys simply don't have enough consumer power. Get over it.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

I'm sure this will all pass over once nintendo gives us a WiiU HD smash bros and HD zelda title. Other than that they have yet to sell me on buying the wii

[smashcrashbash]

Nintendo has lost the hardcore a long time ago ever since Sony came on the scene. They lost most of their fanbase, market share and developer support back then and only have now started to recover from that. The Wii catered to the 'casual' which basically translated to people who were not really seasoned gamers or gamers at all for that matter to save themselves from another failed console.

So I am not sure why the sudden denial that they lost the hardcore. They are the ones that jumped to please the 'casuals' first over everyone else and now they are trying to pretend that they didn't? A pale attempt by Reggie to attract the hardcore to the Wii U by pretending that Nintendo didn't abandon us for money and to save themselves. And now you want to come running back now that you have a new system? Nothing but PR junk.

[GodHandDee]

Dat chafness

his Body was Chafed

[blackhammer]

Got bored. Went bowling, tried a few other games. I think the extremely weak hardware and, personally, the uncomfortable controller(s) were what killed it for me.
The system didn't seem capable of much, even though it had expanded in greater possibilities with gameplay the other systems weren't capable of, for a time.

[googergieger]

To me a hardcore gamer would be the equivalent of a movie nerd and/or movie buff. Someone that goes out of their way to find quality and doesn't settle for fluff. Your fans of the Transformers franchise and such would just be people who want something to watch(nothing wrong with that). Where as your fans counting the days away to your latest Park Chan Wook movie, are movie fans of a more discriminate taste. People that want to see movies made to the best of their ability.

To me hardcore gamers are gamers with a discriminate taste. That want to see video games made to the best of their ability. That champion creativity, risk taking, and hard work over the same ole, same ole. Casual gamers are gamers that just want something to play. It doesn't matter that they are essentially playing the same game with slightly better graphics and new guns/maps. It doesn't matter that they are playing the same game except this time Mario can use an all new colored mushroom!

So with all that said, yeah Wii clearly isn't catered to hardcore gamers. Will they have some games for them? Sure. It'd be impossible not to. However who has ever heard someone say, "I'd like a 360 or a PS3 but I'm a pretty hardcore gamer. So I'll go with the Wii." Is what it is though. No need to argue over something so trivial and concrete.