Print

Author Topic: Has Nintendo forgotten the hardcore gamer?  (Read 10330 times)

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2009, 02:39:49 PM »
Examples being quibbling about who is more hardcore: who has more games, who is a bigger fan, who plays the game for 8 hours a day, etc., etc.
i.e. Lizard Dude and bobman vs. anyone sane.

Anyway, I believe I have expressed similar distaste with the term "gamer" in the past. I like to play video games. But I don't really consider myself a "gamer". I consider myself a person. I own 300 games, but they aren't the most important part of my life. They are an escape from real life. This is why I don't like work simulators such as WoW or The Sims. (These are games played by tons of casual gamers, incidentally.)
I do plan on writing music for games, but I've recently come to the conclusion that that's way too narrow an area of work. Motoi Sakuraba does all sorts of other projects, so I can too.
That was a joke.

The Chef

  • Super
« Reply #16 on: January 31, 2009, 03:19:09 PM »
Well, I care about the game industry to a point. I know a bit about a wide variety of games, but I haven't exactly played much outside a fraction of the usual Nintendo library.

I used to want to work in the game industry myself, but then I realized that the main reason I liked Nintendo's games was for stylistic reasons. Currently I'm working towards being a cartoonist/animator.

TEM

  • THE SOVIET'S MOST DANGEROUS PUZZLE.
« Reply #17 on: January 31, 2009, 03:24:42 PM »
I dislike the term "gamer" because it is a component of big busines's'es' attempts to create a "gamer culture" that they can market to. Instead of an activity/product that some people enjoy, it is turned into a trendy fad that creates all sorts of divisions between people who play video games and people who don't, and in-fighting as well. This is probably all just a subjective observation, though, there are probably people older than me who say this happened when video games started being mass produced and sold for money, or perhaps when people started taking "sides" during a console war.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2009, 03:28:49 PM by TEM »
0000

Reading

  • is FUNdamental
« Reply #18 on: February 02, 2009, 04:39:01 PM »
I might be considered a "hardcore" gamer due to my fondness for video games and my knowledge relating to them, but really, that's about it. I don't care about console wars, online competition, "gamer culture", or even game critics. I think the word "hardcore" itself implies something about mindset; someone whose life basically revolves around video games, or at least has a very strong mindset regarding them...which isn't the way I am. I just play games and enjoy them.

Incidentally, I wasn't always this way. I can say that I was definitely a "hardcore" gamer a few years back by most definitions. I was definitely on Nintendo's side and no other side, and I sometimes tried to convince my friends that the Gamecube really was the best system and the others were bad. Which was pretty foolish, considering I'd never even touched an Xbox or Playstation 2. Beginning around 2006, however, my hardcore attitude sort of gradually dissipated as I accepted the merits of other game consoles. I'm not sure exactly when I definitely decided not to be a Nintendo fanboy, but it probably came with my more encompassing "attitude overhaul" at the beginning of 2008. My getting an Xbox 360 at Christmas of that year was still quite a surprise to my friends. I supplied my 360 and both Rock Band games at the all-nighter I went to this weekend. :P
We went to see them for the first time in 5 years because they were going away for 3 years.

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #19 on: February 02, 2009, 06:35:48 PM »
Console wars aren't hardcore or cool by any means anyway. Those are for little kids.

But you know, that's to be expected. I think young players are best off playing Nintendo and should start playing more when they're ready, and a split occurs when the kids who want to feel older put down those kids and play games way over their age demographic.

I think I grew up right. Mario and Pokémon starting at age five, played my first M-rated game at fifteen or so (Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, not too intense or gory), and got a 360 one month ago, and one month from now I'll be able to buy M-rated games on my own even if I get carded (17). I've been pretty close to the intended age for the games I play for my whole life, just a little quicker. But it's not the same as kids' shows or toys. I still play Mario and Pokémon games (the good ones, anyway). Some people still try to pull the "omg ur immature u play kiddie game" trick at this age, but you can tell that they're usually the ones who either don't play video games or don't play good ones.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

« Reply #20 on: February 02, 2009, 07:36:10 PM »
I believe that it really boils down to how one defines "hardcore". If the term has come to be a synonym for "M-rated", then one could easily argue that Nintendo has most certainly lost its hardcore...ness in the flood of crappy movie-licensed games we've seen being released out the wazoo during the last four or five years. Even though Sony and Microsoft have seen their share of cash-in kiddie titles during the last two console generations, most of it has certainly been loaded onto Nintendo due to its seemingly-unshakeable reputation as a child-oriented label.

However, if one regards the term "hardcore gamer" as one who anticipates, loves and obsesses over quality video games, then it's hard to say that The Big N has lost a stitch of care for them. Zelda: Twilight Princess is just as "hardcore " as Nintendo games have ever been, and Super Mario Galaxy, at least as far as I'm concerned, caters equally to novice gamers and experienced Mario fanatics expecting the utmost in quality the company has to offer. Oh, and let's not forget the triumphal return of an ever-increasing number of Nintendo classics being offered on the Wii's Virtual Console. These may not be new games per se, but their appearance certainly goes to show that our boys back in Japan have not forgotten those of us who appreciate quality games.
YYur  waYur n beYur you Yur plusYur instYur an Yur Yur whaYur

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2009, 02:45:56 PM »
The main concern isn't that Nintendo has abandoned hardcore gamers (that's just hyperbole; Nintendo hasn't announced that they're only releasing casual titles), but that they're releasing high-quality, long, deeply engaging action-adventure games ("hardcore") with less and less frequency. Which is why it sort of gets on my nerves that SMG and TP are the only two examples ever offered of "hardcore" games by those defending Nintendo. Both of them came out close to two years ago, and there haven't been any "hardcore" (read: high-quality, long, deeply engaging action-adventure games) since.
every

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #22 on: February 03, 2009, 06:59:11 PM »
Super Paper Mario and Brawl are pretty good too (except for Brawl, that's just plain awesome and everyone who wants to say Melee is better is either a pr0 who wants his wavedashing or someone who wants to complain about something). And there's WarioWare.

But like I said before, I predict that things will be picking up for the Wii soon. The SNES got really good around 1995. The 64 had to wait until 1998 just for its first Zelda, and the beloved Paper Mario came around towards its very end. And again, the shovelware for Wii is probably not even as bad as the NES had. It's just that it's advertised that you think there's so much more of it. But I mean, can you blame Nintendo for that? They don't NEED to advertise Mario or Smash Bros. One word and the Internet takes care of the rest. Advertising the crap for the people just looking for a spare time killer is making them rich.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #23 on: February 03, 2009, 08:25:36 PM »
Shovelware for Wii is about on par with NES at this point, I have to say. Tons of short (~5 levels?) games with minimal graphics and sound that aren't very fun either.

Fragile is pretty much the only thing I'm looking forward to on Wii at this point, and it hasn't even been announced for America yet (grrrr...)
Namco also put the second Tales of Symphonia game on Wii, which I heard wasn't as good as the first (although ToS1 isn't the most awesome, it's decent.)
That was a joke.

« Reply #24 on: February 10, 2009, 07:32:18 PM »
I believe that Nintendo's only forgotten the hardcore gamer to a certian extent. Such hits like Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Metroid Prime 3 and Twlight Princess are what I consider hardcore since for one thing, they retain most of their original elements and can be very difficult to beat. Some games like Galaxy and MP3 have created some new original elements while keeping some of the old ones.

When some of the Wii features are realized and utilized by both Nintendo and 3rd-party companies, we may see a new generation of hardcore gamers; maybe even redefine the term hardcore. For now, we'll just have to wade through the 'dry spell' the Wii is under so nothing is certian about the hardcore gaming world for Nintendo. I haven't played video games in awhile so I may be a little rusty in what I've said. 
Werid Fortune Cookies- Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #25 on: February 10, 2009, 08:43:01 PM »
Such hits like Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Metroid Prime 3 and Twlight Princess are what I consider hardcore

every

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #26 on: February 10, 2009, 10:03:16 PM »
. . . maybe even redefine the term hardcore.
I don't think that's possible since no one really has any idea what it means in the first place.
That was a joke.

CrossEyed7

  • i can make this whatever i want; you're not my dad
« Reply #27 on: February 10, 2009, 10:22:03 PM »
"Would you like a little more tea?"
"Well, I haven't had any yet, so I can't very well take more."
"Ah, you mean you can't very well take less."
"Yes. You can always take more than nothing."
"Oh man, I wish being a part of a Mario fan community was the most embarrassing thing about my life." - Super-Jesse

« Reply #28 on: February 11, 2009, 05:15:05 PM »
I don't think that's possible since no one really has any idea what it means in the first place.
It means your core is hard.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #29 on: February 11, 2009, 06:30:28 PM »
Glorb, I believe it's your turn to make a dirty joke?

Words can't describe the feelings of vindication this stirred in me.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2009, 06:44:41 PM by ShadowBrain »
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Print