What Does 'Casual' Gamer Actually Mean?

I don't think "casual" here means irregular, I think it means not really caring about doing it. But then, who is it up to to define?

But the stupid thing is, you can't just divide people into "casual" and "hardcore" - there must be many different types in between (and maybe even beyond) in reality: some people might play games, or play games at certain frequencies, for different reasons to each other; people prefer different games to each other; some people play games alone, some people play them with their friends; some people play online games more; people prefer different brands, different genres; some people might only ever play one game, some people might play hundreds...

I suppose it would be reasonable if one person, or a single, related group of people were "hardcore" - then it would mean something, but once you have a large group of people, it loses its meaning; because everyone is hardcore to a degree, but only the most hardcore actually are "hardcore;" it has have a relative meaning. The amount of sense it makes, I would definitely say it was a marketing-invented term, for internal use, specifically to over-generalise - never intended to descibe a single person.

Even calling someone a "gamer" is imprecise; it tries to imply that if you play games a certain amount, you are superior, but there's no specification as to how often you must play games to call yourself a "gamer." What agitates me most is that it's not even a real word - with the meaning it implies - anyway. "Gamer" means nothing, it just means that you think you're superior/stylish, because you think that you like games more than other people, which, to me, simply means you're a fool.

In the same way, I could say, "I like Monopoly more than you; so I'm a Monopolyer (note, not even a real word), and when you play Monopoly, it is trivial, because you don't play it enough for it to mean anything, and you don't fully understand it." But this is exactly how "gamer" is used, so that use of "Monopolyer" has no specific (hence, valid) definition - it's simply a synonym for "snob." If I started declaring myself as a "Monopolyer" to people in that way, they'd (a) think I was a nerd, (b) think I was being pretentious, and (c) not take me seriously.

Anyway, what comes next, then? If I like platform games, does that make me a "platformerer"? I don't get it, and I wish it would go away. It makes me feel ashamed/alienated to play games, even though I've been playing them for years.

This is easy.

If you own one console system and fewer than 12 software titles, and play video games for less than 5.5 hours a week, you are a casual gamer.

If you own two consoles, more than 12 titles and play games between 5.5 and 12.75 hours a week you are a serious gamer.

If you own three or more systems, over 25 gaming titles, and play games for between 12.75 and 28.3 hours a week you are a hardcore gamer.

More than three console systems, only one gaming title (World fo Warcraft maybe) and play games for more than 28.3 hours a week you are an otaku.

hey i have over 3 consoles and handhelds but i play on average about 5.5 hours a week, unless im really into something i use to be a hardcore/geek gamer but since i got a life and a family i cut it down and now consider myself casual gamer? maybe im more of a serious game now becuase when gta4 is out ill be on it 24hrs a day, but i think anyone who plays games and enjoys them on a regualr basis but less than a couple of hours a day is a casual gamer.

I'm not really sure how useful the term is. The term only has relevance for me when dealing with games themselves. There are games that are 'casual gamer' games, but not everyone who plays them is a 'casual gamer'. Put simply a 'casual gamer' game is one with an easy learning curve, that doesn't require a large investment of time or effort. For instance, almost any console FPS is NOT a 'casual gamer' game, because using the dual analog sticks with any degree of skill, for the uninitiated, is difficult. While games like Tetris are classic 'casual gamer' games.

I think the best way to define 'casual gamer' is by defining what it is not. In the spirit of Jeff Foxworthy...

"You might NOT be a casual gamer if...

The games you play have a steep learning curve.
You think you're a hardcore gamer.
You frequently put off other obligations in order to play games (work, sleep, food, sex with the wife)
You combine any of the aforementioned activities with game playing.
You can't stand to watch someone else playing and "doing it wrong".
You regularly complete games.

I voted for 'family/party' games, even though I think puzzle games also fall into that category.

If you put off sex with the horny new girlfriend to play games, you might not be a casual gamer.

If you put off a once in a blue moon opportunity like sex with the wife for gaming, you're definitely well hardcore.

ah yes, but one of those falls firmly under the heading of obligations, while the other might not, and indeed the horny new girlfriend might look elsewhere were you to intimate that you view it as such...then again she might be like "Thats right bucko, now get your skinny ass over here..."

hay what about games addict as this is what i class my self as
reasons i get agro if i don't play a video games (any sort ) for at lest 4 hours aday
i own a large amount of games for a lot of systems my biggest being my dreamcast which i am missing only 20 games to make the hole eu dc games that ever came out
iv still got my zx and my bbc i own all 3 next gen all last gen and so on
i feel a casual gamer is some one how likes to play games but dose not care if the game is fin 100% eg my last flat mate ho owned ps2 had only 4 games and only fin 1
there is other types of games that must be put in to the list i think
eg console gamer . pc gamer .reto gamer and so on in my opinion if you enjoy playing games of any type then you are a gamer of some sort and i don't give a sh1t

Chose "Other" - I believe a casual gamer is someone with a healthy interest in games.
Unlike a gamer - who has an unhealthy interest in games. ^_^

To put it better - someone well adjusted, with a passing interest in the odd game or two, but who also has a life. ^_^