Something of a big break!

[LRH]

I know this isn't exactly spectacular news, but recently I've become a featured contributor on Yahoo!, giving me a very nice boost that I very much needed. The article that did it for me is below, if you'd like to read it.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8153533/casual_gamers_vs_hardcore_gamers.html?cat=15

[monkey0506]

Yahoo!(tm)? What's that? An antiquated search engine and murderer of GeoCities? Oh yeah..


:

[LRH]

Yahoo!(tm)? What's that? An antiquated search engine and murderer of GeoCities? Oh yeah..


:

I'm glad you're so happy for me

[monkey0506]

Congratulations dood! 

[straydogstrut]

Hey congratulations, haven't used Yahoo services in yonks but that sounds like a positive development. It's good to get your name and your writing out there. I hope to see more of your work.

Your article was interesting but very short I found. It seems to stop midway through when really I was expecting more. On the definition of casual / hardcore classifications, it's a fuzzy line in my opinion, but i'd probably go for our investment in game(s) - which is not necessarily an investment of time, but instead going deeper into the mechanics as you suggested, or the story or any other facet. I suppose creating fanart and cosplay could be considered hardcore because of the emotional involvement with the game.

I would call myself a casual gamer now, and by that I don't mean that I play simple coffee break games. I think that's a poor definition. I just don't invest as much time in games as I used to and not many titles can hold my interest now. I still engage deeply with the right game, but I don't follow the charts like I once did. I've stepped off to the side for a breather.

My tastes have changed too. Although i've never been what I would call 'hardcore', there was a time where I invested a lot of time and effort in games. StarCraft, Command & Conquer, Sonic, Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, Tombraider..were my staples. Now though i'm completely turned off by most of the new releases. The shooters all look so samey and generic to me now.

Instead i'm really into adventure games and indie titles, particularly anything niche and retro. The independent scene is breath of fresh air compared to the mainstream offerings. Admittedly, I only 'discovered' adventure games four years ago when I went to uni and researched the old classics, but the experience has been thrilling. Even here on the boards, there's more care and detail in many of the games than can be found in many commercial games. All that talk about trying to successfully implement story in games is a bit late: adventure games figured that out years ago in my opinion.

I think casual/hardcore transcends genres. I'm playing Mass Effect 2 right now and thoroughly enjoying it. Yes, it's a shooter, but it also has a lot of the adventure stylings I love. It's fantastic and i've actually finished it, but i'm replaying it to get a better ending, do all the side missions and get all the trophies. I see my involvement with it bordering on hardcore, not because I can play at suicidal difficulty levels (I really can't!) or for all the extras i'm collecting, but because i'm very emotionally involved with the game. The writing is some of the best i've seen and i'm quite attached to several of the characters. It's a game I feel compelled to play time and again.

It's a difficult one to pin down this. My thoughts above are rather contradictory to be honest. I can only suggest it's a combination of factors.

[m0ds]

Nice one sir, and an interesting article on casual gamers vs hardcore porn for sure  

Along the same lines as straydogstrut mentioned, there must also be 'regular gamer' - someone who knows what they're doing but don't geek out on it. For example, I love games intently but I don't go out and talk non-stop about COD, or Transport Tycoon And yes I've been subject to Warcraft debates too and they're the most boring times of my waking life. I definitely have soda cans laying around but I don't play games excessively. Two hours is about my limit for a gaming session. Do you think that's middle ground, or what is? Or is that still your stereotypical hardcore gamer?

Anyway: I say let soft core porn and hardcore beastiallity fight it out, as they continually do in a fresh gaming article every. *****ng. week. So long as it keeps you in the job and boosts your online writing stuff. Take care man! Ps. Wrap your trilogy up soon too, that's more important than Yahoo articles!!!11

[ThreeOhFour]

Congrats

I, too, would like to have seen the article expanded a little. It felt like it was lacking a strong summary of a point that you were trying to make. Why don't you spend some time discussing the reason behind examining the differences, what affect the arrival of the casual gamer has had/is having on the industry and the like? Or perhaps your considerations as an indie game designer with relation to each type, and how you either cater for a specific type of gamer or try to cover as broad a spectrum as possible in terms of designing an appealing, enjoyable game?

Still, it's a fine achievement!

[Ponch]

Congrats! I hope it leads to even more work in the future. Allow me to jump on the bandwagon and say it was a very nice read, but I expected at least another page. Still, good job dude!  

(That 7th "helpful" check mark. That was me. Now you're sure to get a big raise! You can send me some of the money later! )

[Baron]

Well, by now you already know that it was a bit short.  Otherwise, I liked it.  Good clean writing style, a touch of humour -it was good.  I always wondered who wrote those "brain candy" articles for the portals -now I know. 

I am curious: you did get paid for this, right?

[InCreator]

Hardcore gamer... hardcore gamer is someone who plays Jagged Alliance 2, still cannot let Counter-strike 1.6 go or plays any of games made by Paradox Interactive (because god knows they're way too complex to even try).

But how do you call those people who replace textures in Quake 2 so levels would be single color, player models also, but different color, remove all particles, UI and weapon from screen so they'd have a clear vision, have FOV of 130 and rocket jump from one side of level to another?
Superhardcore? Insane?

[monkey0506]

Hardcore gamer... hardcore gamer is someone who plays...any of games made by Paradox Interactive (because god knows they're way too complex to even try).

I have THIS. I play it with some frequency. I played it online via GameSpy Arcade when I first got it.

I never knew how hardcore of a gamer I was. 8)

[LRH]

Well, I would agree that there needs to be a middle-ground, but I was actually given an assignment to compare the extremes in 500 words or less. It was a test of sorts.

[Ponch]

Jagged Alliance 2 separated the (nerd) men from the (nerd) boys.  8)

But let's not derail this thread. We're supposed to be cheering for Domithan in his moment of triumph. Soon he'll be to famous to bother with any of us. 

[LRH]

Damn straig- er, what? Never!

Also mods- don't worry, it's being worked on.

[kconan]

  Good job man, hope the boosts continue.

  Jagged Alliance was awesome...Another sequel is allegedly in the works.  Since Silent Storm, I've yet to play a truly great turn-based strategy shooter.

[m0ds]

Soon he'll be to famous to bother with any of us.

Doing a Yahtzee was so 00's. Now it's all about doing an Erin.