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EVOLUTION As the Games Industry has evolved and become increasingly sophisticated in response to the massive amounts of money to be made in multimedia ventures, gamers of all calibre are now addressed. More than ever people can ''invest'' increasing amounts of time, effort, and interest in games. This has effectively given birth to a new class of gamer who identify themselves with the playing of games as something more than just a pastime. In the latter decades of the Twentieth Century computer games were produced that could be followed by their players in a similar, but initially less developed, fashion to how someone would favor playing games of cards, or models of Role-playing Games . The lineage of the hardcore gamer can be traced back to the advent of Arcade Games and their availability for the first time in the form of Consoles in the home. Many hardcore gamers still enjoy these ''classic'' earlier examples as entertainment for their Gameplay , Aesthetic appeal, or even Kitsch value. However, hardcore gamers are also thought of as driving the modern day games marketMorris, C. (2004) Going hardcore: Casual gamers bring in the dollars, but it's the gaming geeks that create the buzz . CNN Money. Retrieved 2006-04-11. because of their consumption of new games and content, and new gaming experiences. INTERESTS The increasing availability of the Internet has enabled gamers to play Online Games with others; the Web has allowed gamers to congregate on forums to discuss their gaming interests. This has gone some way to producing common attitudes, opinions, and Memes amongst the more involved gamers. As gaming magazines moved, conceptually at least, online to provide gamers with news, reviews, and information they have inspired the involvement of the hardcore in forums and in the production of content such as Walkthroughs and FAQs , earning them the respect of the gamers they help on sites such as GameFAQs . In addition, one medium that has been successful in attracting hardcore gamers is that of the , 2005 .. Hardcore gamers respond well to the reward systems employed in games. The term is often used to describe those who value Gameplay over advances in Graphics . Hardcore gamers may well take gaming more seriously than other aspects of life. GAMES Arguably, part of being a hardcore gamer is the playing of many new games. All too often, another part is the Argument over what games hardcore gamers play. Opinions and trends change but there are a few games that have stood the test of time and are played by people who would describe themselves as a ''hardcore gamer''. It is hoped that this list illustrates some of the games played, especially the less obvious choices. By no means a complete list of some of the games that might be favored:
STEREOTYPES Hardcore gamers are often negatively stereotyped as asocial Geeky adolecent males who seclude themselves in their rooms and play console and computer games for most of their day, not venturing outside their room except to shower, eat, and take bathroom breaks; and sometimes considering some of these optional. A particularly pejorative stereotype, is that a lot of them are thirty-something Men who live in their parents' basement. A common association is the linking of Controversy in video games with those who play them; amplified by those who play them the most, the hardcore. The assumption is that that they are obsessed with games and have violent and impulsive reactions when things go wrong in their game or ''world''. While there are indeed some gamers with those characteristics, hardcore gamers can be normal, rational people who enjoy playing video and computer games as a form of entertainment and are perfectly capable of being well-adjusted members of society. Whilst competitive gameplay and its often associated bad Sportsmanship can be found in a large segment of the popular online games, enforcing the negative stereotypes; Teamwork and cooperative play and the camaraderie they instill feature in equal measure. USAGE OF THE TERM The terms ''hardcore'' and ''casual'' gamer may be used with derogatory overtones by the respective communities in describing each other. ESOTERIC TRENDS Hardcore gamers have been noted to partake in proud displays of their love of gaming. Examples include:
The reasons for this behavior varies, it is sometimes attributed to . REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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