"Mid-core" gamers ..do they really exist?

...Do "Mid-core" gamers really exist, what are they? is the term "Mid-core" a real way of describing a type of gamer (if they or the term exists) ?

I mean wt have Hardcore gamer and we have Causal (Soft-core) Gamers but wt do we call gamers that don't fit in to any of those two labels ?

what you think put you thought below.... happy gaming (^_ ^)

...Do "Mid-core" gamers really exist, what are they? is the term "Mid-core" a real way of describing a type of gamer (if they or the term exists) ?

I mean wt have Hardcore gamer and we have Causal (Soft-core) Gamers but wt do we call gamers that don't fit in to any of those two labels ?

what you think put you thought below.... happy gaming (^_ ^)

I've never heard this term before. My feeling is that we have to get rid of these labels because they are misleading and in the end worthless.

I think anyone who uses the terms 'hardcore' and 'softcore' gamer is a complete wanker. None of them are good terms to use.

Along with just sounding stupid, the term hardcore gamer never made any damn sense to me.

Lets say someone plays hundreds of games every year but never puts more than ten hours into any of them. Are they a hardcore gamer?

What about a young kid who buys Call of Duty and puts 500 hours into it over a year but never plays anything else. Is this person a hardcore gamer?

WHICH ONE IS IT!?

From a business perspective they are very much real and worth differentiating.

How about we stop with the stupid labels? They're getting worse.

I'm post-modern, myself

I like my games like i like my Sex, Hard Core. But honestly those labels are stupid.

@Galiant said:

How about we stop with the stupid labels? They're getting worse.

Thanks. This needed to be said.

They're the group of people who aren't calling each other no lifers and casuals.

I'm a progressive tech death gamer-core.

Never heard the term. Guess it describes everybody who'd play way more if they had the time.

I think anyone who uses the terms 'hardcore' and 'softcore' gamer is a complete wanker. None of them are good terms to use.

I'm three-quarter-core!

I think most people on here at least are aware that if "hardcore" and "casual" must be used, they only really work as very vague terms about the kind of games people play. Not to be rude but I find your question rather unusual, you seem to have made up a word and then asked what that word means. Certainly, if there is a "midcore" I've never heard of it.

The term Hardcore to me doesn't relate to how many games you play but just more or less the total time invested weekly, as well as a community involvement of some sort. Whether it be an online community through a website or through an online service like PSN or Live. If you invest a work week+ into gaming (at least 40 hours a week), I feel you fit into the term HARDCORE. That mean's a lot of if not all of your free time is invested in gaming, again you can be researching online tactics or watching SC2 replays but it still involves a game or games in general.

Mid-Core to me is someone that puts in 20hours a week, 1-3 daily and then one weekend day dedicated like 5hours or so. Figure a half work week (20-25hours). Spends sometime with a community but doesn't neglect social situations. And while I have not heard the term before, there should be some differential between hardcore and casual.

These are just how would define them however.

a quick Google search on midcore autofills with "midcore gamer" and doing an actual search brings up quite a different topics across various websites devoted to gaming. I think categorizing anyone as a "gamer" let alone a type of gamer is a little ridiculous. Unless it's a profession, don't see the point in it. Possibly as a business or marketing standpoint as TentPole, the terms may be useful. If I take photos now and then with a camera, does that instantly make me a photographer? I drive back and forth to work every day, does that make me a "driver"? It becomes a matter of semantics, and I never understood it personally. People cannot even define hardcore gaming/gamer.. let alone pigeonhole someone in to another vague category. To me, casual gamers are those who play games to while away time, whereas hardcore gamers (using the definition of the word hardcore) are those who are committed to the activity of playing games - as in you devote consistent time to playing games. Breaking it down much further is a game of minutia, and a little anal.

I could roll with that. I think that fits me best of the three.

I don't play any light, portable games, whether phone or portable console, and I play "hardcore" games a few times a week, but without statuette collecting, comic book tie-in reading, or any of the proper "hardcore gamer" bits.

I dunno...

They exist as much as hardcore and casual do.

Meaning they are just labels on games, not on a person.

@Gamer_152 said:

I think most people on here at least are aware that if "hardcore" and "casual" must be used, they only really work as very vague terms about the kind of games people play. Not to be rude but I find your question rather unusual, you seem to have made up a word and then asked what that word means. Certainly, if there is a "midcore" I've never heard of it.

I too have never heard of this "Mid-Core" you speak of, but do we really need to put labels on everything. As far as I'm concerned there are only games and gamers trying to put labels on them is stupid.

As far as business people are concerned, no.
 
But yes, I would describe a "Mid-core" person as somebody who plays "real" games, and keeps up with news and culture somewhat, but is too busy to play all that often. I know several people who fit that description.

*comes in to play devil's advocate* To those of you saying "get rid of labels": do you really think it's possible that people will give up their labels so easily? Hardcore gamer is considered a badge of honor by some; hence, they've no reason to give it up.

Midcore porn

@Bleeble said:

@Gamer_152 said:

I think most people on here at least are aware that if "hardcore" and "casual" must be used, they only really work as very vague terms about the kind of games people play. Not to be rude but I find your question rather unusual, you seem to have made up a word and then asked what that word means. Certainly, if there is a "midcore" I've never heard of it.

I too have never heard of this "Mid-Core" you speak of, but do we really need to put labels on everything. As far as I'm concerned there are only games and gamers trying to put labels on them is stupid.

I think people do get too fixated on putting people in boxes in certain situations, but the problem is we need words for things. The people who are playing a couple of Facebook games or playing a few iOS games on the bus are obviously a different market from people who are regularly booting up their 360s, PS3s and Steam to play games. Now obviously there's going to be some overlap between these groups and the people in these groups are going to have very widely varying game habits, but there is a divide there and if we're going to talk about the modern games industry with even a little depth, I think we need a term for people on each side of that divide. I don't think there's anything wrong with the idea of talking about the casual crowd and the more traditional crowd, I think the problem is more with the context in which these ideas have been often used.

I don't really label myself because I'm not sure what I would consider myself. I love games in general, I listen to several gaming podcasts during my daily runs and I do play hardcore games. I used to play tons of them actually. But I can't really call myself a hardcore gamer anymore now since I'm almost 27, I have a daughter and a wife and a full time job. It' hard to find time to game and weeks can go by without me touching a "hardcore game". At the same time I have a G73 gaming laptop, gaming desktop, PS3, 3DS, PSP, high end android phone. and I read up tons, watch videos and game when I get time. maybe I'm part of this "mid-core" that you speak of.

"Mid-core" isn't a thing, anywhere. 
Unless there are suddenly Lowcore, Middlecore and Highcore gamers, but that just sounds fucking dumb

i@Gamer_152: I completely agree with you. I guess that I'm just tired of seeing these terms used in a derogatory or negative way.

@MysteriousBob said:

I think anyone who uses the terms 'hardcore' and 'softcore' gamer is a complete wanker.

Unintentionally(?) hilarious.

@Xeiphyer said:

As far as business people are concerned, no. But yes, I would describe a "Mid-core" person as somebody who plays "real" games, and keeps up with news and culture somewhat, but is too busy to play all that often. I know several people who fit that description.

Like meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (except you probably don't know me. If not, Hi! I'm Vince.)

It's weird, because those terms are totally subjective. Wouldn't a person who plays Halo 5 hours a week be "hardcore" to a "casual" player of Bejeweled? Wouldn't that same Halo player be considered "casual" by the guy who logs in 30+ hours each week on Reach?

I'm the guy who works 45 hours a week, has a commute that's too long for my own good, used to play WoW with friends for a few hours each week, and spent the rest of my game-playing time trying to get through Saints Row 3 and a recent campaign of Shogun 2.

What does that make me? Just that guy who'd really like to have more time to play games, I guess.

fuck that.
 
Where are the thrashing GRIND CORE gamers?

While I don't like labels, I think some ppl like them because it is a way to feel to belong to a group.

However, everyone has different perceptions of a certain label, so it could be very misleading to define yourself and others through a label.

Instead of trying to describe yourself with just one word, one should take the time to just explain their habits when asked.

I am more of a tepid gamer myself.

While these labels are pretty dumb, I suppose I fit the bill of what a "midcore" would be defined as. I'm above average at the games I play, and I play a fair bit, but I'm not ridiculous about it anymore. Unless it's a game I seriously love (an example being, I beat Mass Effect 2 in 2 nights, and didn't really rush)

There is no such thing as "Hardsore" or "Casual" gamers, it is a stupid set of terms. We have Traditional Gamers, us who play all types of games and we have New Gamers who are just startng out and are more likely to be playing shorter, more lightweight games. New Gamers are our future and need to be nurtured, not derided.

A gamer's a gamer.

A gamer's a gamer.

I think anyone who uses the terms 'hardcore' and 'softcore' gamer is a complete wanker. None of them are good terms to use.

All gamers should be classified like hot sauces. Mild, medium, hot and diablo! That might invite more confusion come to think of it...how about "flaming". Hmm, "I'm a flaming gamer"...yeah, more confusion. "Blazing" maybe? "Magma?" "Insanity?" I really haven't thought this thoroughly through.

The fact that the terms "hardcore gamer" "softcore gamer" and "gamer" exist makes me sad.

"Casual" and "hardcore" definitely have some importance in the business aspect of games. They are two different markets - the "hardcore" is the group that buys big-name games for consoles often. Call of Duty, Skyrim, Uncharted, Halo, those are the hardcore to the business mind. Casual is the Angry Birds, Plants VS Zombies group. The two overlap. Yes, this has plenty of importance in the business world so the terms are here to stay. Fucking deal with it.

Mid-core, however, is an entirely useless term to them and doesn't really have much of a justification for existing. Were there hard definitions for this I'd probably fit in the "high mid-core" group of gamers, but for now I just want to stick with saying "I play video games".

As for the term "gamer"? It has just as much a right to exist as the terms "movie-goer" and "music lover" and whatever (nicer) term bookworms get applied to them. It denotes someone who plays either a large number of games or one game for a large number of hours. I don't see the hate for this one at all, it doesn't really imply anything bad. It just implies a deep interest in a form of entertainment.

@Xeiphyer said:

As far as business people are concerned, no. But yes, I would describe a "Mid-core" person as somebody who plays "real" games, and keeps up with news and culture somewhat, but is too busy to play all that often. I know several people who fit that description.

I to fit in to the aforementioned term as a play a fair bit of casual game such as PVZ and peggle but i also liek some hard core stuff like fallout 3/new vegas, left for dead 2, fighting games and portable game for mt 3DS (such as Crush3d, Resident Evil: Revelations ect. ).

I see that my blog has got quite a response from my blog post with quite different and strong opinions from "we should not use labels" to hey the term "mid-core" may not exists but i kind of get what this guys on about as i kind of understand the term, it describes me (in some of my gaming ways/habits). there have been some who have take the "no labels" attribute and that is fine (but it quite contradictory to use the mid-core term to describe ones self as midcore if you object to use labels....this is my opinion).

Now let end on a happy note in saying thank you for commenting in (and about) my blog post its been really funny and insightful into the mins of GB users and gamers a like \(^ - ^)/.

god damn this is getting ridiculous. you either play games or you don't.

I'd be your "mid-core" guy if such a ridiculous term could ever exist. I play games all day, every day, but I don't worry about stupid shit like losing frames per second or whether EA and Gamestop are ruining videogames for us all. Also, I have never used Steam.