Juul brought up the dichotomy of casual gamers versus hardcore gamers. Though Juul defined both terms as opposites of each other, I would argue otherwise. The stereotype of a hardcore gamer is one that devotes a lot of time playing games, prefers the most challenging settings, and exhibits in-depth knowledge of the game. A casual gamer would be the exact opposite. With the new consoles and gaming options in the market, the difference between casual gamers and hardcore gamers has become much less distinct.
The introduction of mimetic games such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Wii Console games, and Playstation Move makes it much harder to differentiate hardcore gaming and casual gaming. People can dedicate long hours on these games but they will not be considered as hardcore gaming. For example, there are families that spends many hours playing Wii Sports at home or individuals that plays this game every day. Does this mean that he/she is a hardcore gamer?
In the past, games used to be the players and the system. Nowadays, there are branches of games in the market that incorporates more aspects of our social life and health. With these revolutionary concepts and game style, do we label people who dedicate many hours on these consoles as hardcore gamers? I do not think so…
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