Why Casual Gaming Can Be Fun: Changing from a Hardcore Perspective

Game Podunk's Content Manager, Dancurtis writes, "Why am I telling you this? Simple. I want to show you, as a gamer, why casual games can be fun. Countless messages flying across the internet denounce casual gaming as a hideous blemish on the backside of the industry and many a gamer has expressed their dissatisfaction with the products of casual-ness, giving birth to the name 'Shovelware'. While I do agree that a vast majority of casual games are mind-numbingly bad, there are a few gems strewn liberally among the manure that I personally find are an absolute blast to play. I think at heart, everyone one of us would happily play a party game with friends or family rather than playing a hardcore title. Who honestly hasn't busted out Wii Sports in moments of family gathering and had a great time laughing as your Grandad tries his best to live out his dreams of being a pro-golfer by waving a white remote around indignantly?..."

[WildArmed]

Great article.

I agree with the 100%.

I'm definitely a core gamer, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying casual games.
I've played Wii Sports, SSB, Sports Champions, Singstar, Rock band, you name it, with my lil' cousins and family.

And I do enjoy them for during that time. Just like when I play any game split-screen, it's not that fact that my buddy sucks @ the game that matters anymore, but the fact that we are having a blast playing it.

Casual games give us a better 'bridge' (the core gamers) to play w/ people who really can't play FPS games/ action games w/ you (the casual gamers, if you so will call it that).

Sure, I can see why core gamers are mad w/ the influx of casual games. But, it's also an opportunity (if you so choose to take it) to play w/ your-not-much-of-a-gamer friend/relative.

[creeping judas]

I think a lot of us forget that the biggest chunk of the user base for PS3 and Xbox is and will aways be casual. I think Wii is all casual?

Hardcore gamers don't wait for the price drop, or for the black Friday sale, boxing day sale, or what ever sale .We didnt wait for the slim version of our console, or a new more advanced cooler chip to be installed.

We all stood in line day one when our console's came out.We scrimped and saved to be able to afford the initial asking price. Or we purchased them soon there after. The majority of people buying a new console this late in to the console life cycle are predominately casual.

I wish there was a way of confirming my thoughts but I don't think I am too far off the mark.

And that is why casual gaming will always be around.

[darthv72]

It used to be when I was younger, someone earned the designation of being hardcore by playing lots of games all the time. Now a days it has changed to the type of game you play.

The definition certainly has changed to suit those who feel the need to use it. I was considered hardcore at one time. Owning and playing almost everything every waking minute. That included shmups, rpg's, adventure games, sports...there wasnt an FPS genre back then (just yet).

So my years have progressed and while I may not play as much as I did, I guess that makes me fall into the casual category now. I still play the different genres of games, just not all the time.

Gaming as a whole is fun. I dont see the need to ridicule those who dont play the same type of games as others. Yet there are many who would disagree with me. As if to say that there can only be one type of gamer like there can only be one winning platform.

Gaming is about choice. Once you realize that, it makes enjoying the games you play that much more enjoyable. You dont need to worry about the other guy as much anymore. This medium of entertainment is just to diverse to take sides.

That is just my point of view.

[Kewl_Kat]

Should someone who bought a PS3 (as an example) when it used to cost at 499 or 599 but only used it for blu-ray playback since launch be considered hardcore, while someone who bought a 299 slim version last year and has been playing games on it non-stop be considered casual? Your reasoning is unfair, and yes, you're too far off the mark.

[King-Leonidas]

a casual game for me is being able to sit down with 10 of my fellow spartans and play a good split screen shooter... like time splitters on ps2

[King-Leonidas]

lol wth the author wrote an article :P

[Boody-Bandit]

The big problem with casual games is the novelty wears off rapidly on most of them for me personally. I mean in like an hour or less. I personally prefer complex strategic driven games. My favorite are sim racers, shooters and fighters.

I just cant get into casual games and it honestly does rub me the wrong way that so many games that are making the jump to this generation of consoles from the last gen are being made easier.

It's not about being a snob or elitist, it's just what I prefer for my gaming preferences.

[nycredude]

No one ever said casual gaming isn't fun ubt casual gaming usually involve a group of friends over at one's house just messing about playing with say the move or kinect. When you DON'T have friends over it isn't nearly as fun, so you go back to your core games. What are you going to do have friends over every night?

[DanSolo]

The only people who complain about casual games are the "snobbish" type of hardcore gamer who consider casual games somehow beneath them. If casual games were replacing hardcore games then it would be a problem... but as it is just another choice I don't see the reason to whinge about it!

I prefer hardcore games, but there is nothing wrong with some casual games for non-gamers to enjoy, and for the family to all mess about with together.

For some non-gamers casual games are just a thing to have fun on occasionally, for others it is an easy introduction into gaming that is more accessible than picking up a control pad for the first time and attempting to play a match of a FPS and getting ganked before they have even worked out what button does what.

All the time there is a choice to do either... then it is a good thing!

[thebudgetgamer]

i've played those mcdonald games for hours when bored on a plane

[Kon]

Casual games are fun. But there are people who can't admit it.

[unseen49]

All u 360 only fans get on the ps3 boat

[thebudgetgamer]

i like options.

[unseen49]

Casual games is fun no lie but hardcore games is better

[Bathyj]

I recently asked myself the question Am I still a hardcore gamer?

Over the holidays I was playing an obscene amount of GT5.
I would play for hours upon hours, and when I finally dragged myself to bed, I would put a B-Spec race on, let it play, and then wake up every half hour and start it again.

So yeah, I think I'm still hardcore.
I'm at the point now where I'm playing games in my sleep.

[sleepy3]

Where do you find time for people of the opposite sex?

[TheObserver]

I don't hate casual games. I hate the fact that many casual games are crappy. Shovelware describes it nicely. When someone say casual games, I can't help but to think of shovelware. I really like to play the harvest moon series (Most recent being Rune Factory 3), stark contrast to times when I play FPS games and the like. The only thing in common is that Harvest moon is well made, a rarity in an ocean of crappy Wii and DS games. Not saying that Hardcore games can't be bad. Look at COD. Hmm... Can the COD series be considered hardcore anymore, lol?

And how is a hardcore gamer defined? Are you hardcore if you play nintendogs 24/7? Or are you hardcore because you play games that require skills and thinking?

I defined it as someone who play games that is difficult.

[Kewl_Kat]

"I hate the fact that many casual games are crappy." But you can also say the same thing for hardcore games.

[TheObserver]

You didn't read all that I wrote. Even if I edited mine, you posted 20 minutes later.

[sleepy3]

Well you have to define difficult. I still have not beat CoD4 on the hardest difficulty (gave up a while now, moved on to more games), but there are people that breeze through it.

Same for ghost and goblins. Hard to me, easy to others.

So if a "casual" game is hard to someone but easy to me, what does that mean? I think this whole "A game isn't a game unless it has guns or can push a billion poly's per second" is retarded.

[CaulkSlap]

I refuse to accept casual gaming. Everything is being dumbed down to the lowest common denominator so any dumb ass could play it. I've been a gamer most of my life and have evolved a taste for depth and complexity to games. Even the RPGs and shooters of today have LOST features and design elements that should have been expanded upon. The casual gaming push is just an affront to everything that game design has worked towards and a slap in the face to real gamers.

[Kewl_Kat]

CaulkSlap: Get off my lawn, casual gamers!

[blackburn5]

Just because some of us can see crap for what it is doesn't mean we are not casual.Pasting together a whole lot of mini games is a lazy way of making a game and I am not sure why anyone should be rewarded or congratulated for it.Before Nintendo, Sega and Playstation made games that everyone played.Sonic, Megaman, TMNT, Mario 3, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro etc. There was no casual or hardcore. We all played games that were challenging and fun not just dumbed down so some company can take advantage of non gamers and people who feel that by playing this easy crap are accomplishing something.The shovelware that people defend are just companies like Ubisoft making a quick buck off of some nonsense that no sensible person would buy but play it because they call it casual.

So before you jump to click the disagree button, like I know you will,please stop calling yourself casual because you played some stupid mini game that a 2 year old could play with his eyes closed.You are not casual. You are a non gamers who doesn't know the difference between a game that is engaging and one that is mindless rubbish with the words 'casual' pasted on it.You play games like Joyride that you can barely control the car and it does most of the work for you. You play cheap little games like Carnival games that is obviously some crap they pieced together.Sorry to sound so harsh but I am getting a little sick of this nonsense where everyone is making excuses for these kind of games.And when anyone complains you say it's 'fun'. I am casual but I wouldn't play this type of garbage that these companies seem to just cobble together and say 'it's okay that it plays and looks like crap, they are so gullible they will fall for it anyway'

[Ratchet510]

im a hardcore gamer and i remember how it was being a casual gamer. There was a lot of challenges and it was fun but theres nothing wrong with casual gamers because you can train them or let them grow on their own. ever since i played the first ratchet and clank that is when i became a hardcore gamer and a master at platform games and that enhanced my skills in every genre.