A reader rejects the label of hardcore gamer and asks what the phrase actually means and who else it would apply to.
I’ve been a gamer now for over 20 years and I wish to suppose I do know the passion fairly properly. I’ve all the present consoles, I hold updated with information and occasions, I do know all the massive identify publishers and builders, and I’ve performed or at the very least learn about all the massive franchises. Does that make me a hardcore gamer although? I feel by some definitions it might do. If I used to be speaking about motion pictures I’d be generally known as a movie buff however is hardcore gamer actually the equal of that? I’m not so positive.
I’ve a lot of youthful cousins who’re additionally, by their very own admission, actually into video games, however they don’t appear to know or care about any of the issues I like. Their mostly performed video games are Apex Legends, Name Of Obligation: Warzone, Fortnite, Minecraft, and Future 2. All both free video games or stay service video games, none of which I’ve any curiosity in.
To me these are the equal of claiming you’re a petrolhead, and actually into vehicles, and but discovering out you haven’t truly acquired a automobile and take the bus in all places. Though a number of the free-to-play video games are superb – I significantly like Apex Legends – the dimensions of their success will not be resulting from their high quality as a sport however the truth that they’re free.
Fortnite particularly will not be an particularly good sport and in case you needed to pay full worth for it, it might be nowhere close to as fashionable as it’s. Being free excuses quite a lot of issues and Fortnite has lengthy since developed from being a straight shooter to a bizarre mixture of group chat room and social expertise. That’s nice, that’s nice, however to me none of that has something to do with video video games.
Similarly, the explanation video games like Future 2 and Minecraft are profitable is as a result of they’re additionally social experiences. Future 2 now has little or no in widespread with issues like Halo or Name Of Obligation, and not competes with them and even tries to supply the identical form of experiences.
It’s not the gameplay or the story that’s the attraction with any of those video games, as it’s with all those I get pleasure from, it’s the simple accessibility, the continuously altering content material, and, most significantly, the sense of group and social interplay.
The free video games aren’t actually free, as a result of as quickly as you begin moving into them, you’re tempted to purchase all of the battle passes and microtransactions. I’m continuously shocked at my nephews shopping for skins and different, to my thoughts, pointless cosmetics for the price of an entire indie sport. I think they really find yourself spending extra on video games than me, although I’m shopping for full worth video games.
So are they the hardcore avid gamers? I discover it exhausting to say they’re given how little curiosity they appear to have within the video games themselves or any conventional titles. To them, the thought of a sport having a narrative or development being opposed by something apart from different gamers is totally alien, to the purpose the place it appears this stuff they play ought to virtually be referred to as one thing apart from video video games.
But when they’re not hardcore avid gamers then who’re? Possibly esports gamers and different professionals? I suppose you may argue that, however these individuals often solely play one sport, which appears far too specialist to deserve such an all-encompassing description. Streamers would possibly play a number of totally different video games, but it surely appears to me they’ve the identical limitation of slim horizons.
So perhaps it’s me. Possibly I’m a hardcore gamer. I nonetheless don’t really feel that means but when it’s not me or individuals like me, I don’t know who else it could be. I suppose ultimately it’s not the identify that’s necessary, however what we imply by it. Possibly we’re all hardcore avid gamers ultimately or perhaps merely… avid gamers.
By reader Cribbens
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