As we all know, videogames have been catering myriad numbers of demographics, from the Sport Jocks, The FPS dudes, the JRPG Otakus, the GTA Kids to the Wii Fit Mothers, and in order to appeal these market demographics. Game developers have concentrated on making their games to be accessible for everyone, making them easier and in sometimes a little bit shallow in their depth.

 This decision usually causes uproars among fans of the franchises that were once not that watered down. The “hardcore” would always blame the casuals for this and automatically label it the end of videogames. But what is killing the game franchises? The casuals that might even intend to play these games? The management suits in the developer’s side? Is it the publishers? What about the hardcore themselves?

From what I remember the term “Hardcore” wasn’t present when the games were presented only to what use to be called your average “gamer”. Back in the day, you were either a gamer or you weren’t, you either played videogames or thought they were too nerdy/geeky to be any part of your interest. As far as I’m concerned, the casual games before the casual games were the Maddens, the Fifas and the Winning Elevens, not saying they lack depth, but they always have been the gateway for non-videogame players to come and grab a joystick. 

Many “Hardcore” gamers usually say “a game is only fun if it’s hard”, that’s definitely never always the case. Sure games were simpler back then in terms of mechanics, but they did require a certain amount of strategy, it wasn’t all shooting faster and reacting faster.

Today’s gamer does not think the same way a gamer in say, back in the days of deeper games like the Lucas Arts click and point adventure games would think. Those games weren’t exactly mind numbingly difficult,but at teh same time, they required a different thinking behavior than your usual games of today. 

Let’s take Resident Evil as a fairer and more recent example, I was told by many that by the fifth chapter of Resident Evil 5, the game truly feels like a Resident Evil game. To my disappointment, the people who said that only referred to the presence of lickers, the enemies once found in Resident Evil 2. That’s it? That’s the return to canon for you? What ever happened to the puzzles of old that the Resident Evil franchise was famous for? Instead, one “hardcore” gamer justified it as it really felt like Resident Evil when played on hard, because it gave him the tension from the original Resident Evils… Great.

Apparently, its small fan service that keeps the hardcore happy- that little kibble of original game canon that does little or no positive effect on the game story’s out come.

This is what turned me off of MGS4, the same reason why I thought Advent Children was an overrated heap of garbage. It’s the cheap shot fan service that keeps the so-called “hardcore” happy, it’s the company’s last remaining bullet in order to win the timid “hardcore”, it’s not the game play quality, it’s not the story, it’s the fan service.

It’s always fun to see stuff from the past in new games, but never as the game’s last shot to make the experience “exciting”.