What do you mean by mainstream?

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Oh come on. As if you haven't walked into GAME and haven't been tempted to shout IDIOTS! at a mainstream/casual gamer?

Ahem. But as a whole, no. Besides some things which I do find rather stupid, as a whole they're just mis-informed.

So I guess I should pity the mainstream prehaps? I dunno.

And don't flame me with eggs. Only cause Rllmuk didn't sort out the robotnik avater I had...:: mumble mumble ::

Erm, actually no. Oddly enough I have felt tempted to rip ino the occasional 'hardcore gamer'. Funny that.

And I don't see why you should pity them. It seems that the caual gamer actually enjoys the game more for what it is rather than griping about other gamers. Maybe you should save the pity for yourself.

And I would say misinformed is the wrong word to use here - that would imply they have been given incorrect information. Why is it incorrect not to know so much about games?

[Lazychu]

Oh come on. As if you haven't walked into GAME and haven't been tempted to shout IDIOTS! at a mainstream/casual gamer?

I have occasionally given a little 'wouldn't go with that game, mate' or a bit of 'yeah, you'll love that one', but insulting people in that kind of way only makes you look like an idiot IMO.

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

The thick GTA buying wankers. Good job we're above all that eh?

But ... But ... I've been playing GTA3 for the last two days and am still loving it after all these years ... Does that ... that ... that mean I'm not

H4RDC0R3!?

[Lazychu]

But ... But ... I've been playing GTA3 for the last two days and am still loving it after all these years ... Does that ... that ... that mean I'm not

H4RDC0R3!?

You not a gayer?

[NEG]

Erm, actually no. Oddly enough I have felt tempted to rip ino the occasional 'hardcore gamer'. Funny that.

And I don't see why you should pity them. It seems that the caual gamer actually enjoys the game more for what it is rather than griping about other gamers. Maybe you should save the pity for yourself.

And I would say misinformed is the wrong word to use here - that would imply they have been given incorrect information. Why is it incorrect not to know so much about games?

Mainstream gamer alert!

Oh and I'll reply properly later. Got too much of a headache currently.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Mainstream gamer alert!

Yeah, if you want to label me.

If it's a choice between a mainstream gamer who enjoys playing game or a pretentious, self rightous, elitist prick who craves to be accepted into Otaku fuelled culture than I'll take the former, no hesitation.

[InfantoRay]

I'd consider most of the games released nowadays "mainstream", in a sense that they apparently seem to fall into a category where an easy bet production- and marketingwise (often licensed, quick sequelled titles of a currently wellselling genre) blend with just being it a game I find myself completely unintrigued by.

Maybe "mainstream" enjoys various definitions based on different point of views. Often I feel myself gravitating towards the notion that this label gets attached to games we don't seem to appreciate because these don't match our individual tastes at all, in order to express our utmost dislike for them. Furthermore, as if to distance ourselves from a group of game players (culture) to heighten awareness of our own individuality in this area (subculture).

Thinking about it, "mainstream" in the gaming field for me appears to equal titles which lack content quality to a great extent. Still, I grant that there are gamers who might enjoy them for their own individual reasons. If people look down on those who buy stuff that we ignore because it seems generic and uninviting to us, that's just plain stupid. Be thankful for different tastes instead, you could view it as a great opportunity for discussion.

[11 Herbs 'n' Spices]

Be thankful for different tastes instead, you could view it as a great opportunity for discussion.

Also companies that earn revenue from more mainstream titles can afford to to invest in 'riskier' (read less mainstream) titles e.g. Sony with ICO.

[kaa]

Mainstream gamer alert!

Oh and I'll reply properly later. Got too much of a headache currently.

So let me get this right? If you're a casual gamer then you MUST be playing "mainstream"stuff?

Is it such a hard concept to grasp that you don't need to be playing games every waking hour of the day to appeciate the more obscure games out there?

Gawd, sorry Amplitude, looks like you're going to have to be sold now, need space this is football 2004, hardcore gamers told me so.

[Sprite Machine]

Mainstream = common/popular, prevailent, the views or practices of the majority.

If we're talking about 'mainstream games' then it would be, by definition, characterised by popularity, not obscurity of the concept. The Sims is a pretty obscure concept for videogames (at least, it probably was - I mean, no killing, no levels, just a big dolls house?!) and it sold shit-loads.

Now if we're looking to define 'casual' or 'hardcore' on the other hand... well, I won't. It's all to do with gauging your interest/dedication levels, or perhaps your knowledge. But [fast show]it's a load of old bollocks[/fast show] anyway, so STOP IT!!!

Please.

[connerfitzgerald]

Is Halo mainstream? Its sold a shed load of copies and single handly got MS into the console business, but I don't think its recieved the mass market acceptace of GTA and Goldeneye.

I can remember having an N64, having an all-nighter on Goldeneye and then 3 different friends going out the next day and getting an N64 just for Goldeneye.

But i've had 16 Player weekend long marathon sessions on halo and friends have argeed that its better than goldeneye, but then haven't gone out and got it.

I'm not sure if its because of the more geeky nature of Halo (Space Marines and all that) or if times are changing for my friends but they have a very different reaction to spending money on halo.

[Hoop]

I'd say that Halo is mainstream - most people of a certain age have heard of it.

[Rygal - Reader of Threads]

I'd say that Halo is mainstream - most people of a certain age have heard of it.

Yeah, but it wasn't one of Texas's biggest hits, was it?

[zuum]

I guess if you have to label people then mainstream would be someone who bases his or her buying decisions purely on whatever games are displayed most prominently in shops.

[Chorlton]

If Mainstream=popular, does that mean that neither Xbox or Gamecube is mainstream, ergo none of their exclusives are mainstream either?

[Sprite Machine]

If Mainstream=popular, does that mean that neither Xbox or Gamecube is mainstream, ergo none of their exclusives are mainstream either?

It's all about the relativity.

[Chorlton]

It's all about the relativity.

I know

Relative to the PS2 they're not popular.

What I mean is that whilst popularity is clearly a factor, it can't be the only criteria for mainstream.

Look at Gareth Gates. His last stuff sold bugger all, but I wouldn't class him as 'alternative' music

Or Blair Witch - is that Mainstream cos they made a mint?

[Sprite Machine]

What I mean is that whilst popularity is clearly a factor, it can't be the only criteria for mainstream.

Look at Gareth Gates. His last stuff sold bugger all, but I wouldn't class him as 'alternative' music

But he's popular, isn't he?

That is to say, if you ask 100 people who he is, most of them will know and will probably have heard a song or two of his.

Or Blair Witch - is that Mainstream cos they made a mint?

I'd say so.

[Chorlton]

But he's popular, isn't he?

That is to say, if you ask 100 people who he is, most of them will know and will probably have heard a song or two of his.

Well most people know who Harold Shipman is, but I'd hesitate to say he was popular

I meant in terms of sales - At first he sold a lot, and (I would say) was mainstream, then he stopped selling any singles (which suggests he was no longer popular) but his music would still be classed as mainstream.

I suppose I would maybe compare it to something like Grabbed by The Ghoulies, a game that I would guess was designed as a mainstream product, but was clearly very unpopular with gamers as it never sold.

[Sprite Machine]

I meant in terms of sales - At first he sold a lot, and (I would say) was mainstream, then he stopped selling any singles (which suggests he was no longer popular) but his music would still be classed as mainstream.

I wasn't thinking of just sales, really. I mean 'popular' as in 'liked or acknowledged by many'. Perhaps popular is the wrong word to use then.

'Mainstream' it is!

I suppose I would maybe compare it to something like Grabbed by The Ghoulies, a game that I would guess was designed as a mainstream product, but was clearly very unpopular with gamers as it never sold.

I don't think Rare's gay-looking game about ghosts exclusively for a Microsoft console was ever destined to become anything approaching a 'mainstream' product.

[Sprite Machine]

...but his music would still be classed as mainstream.

Ah, now hang on a minute...

If everyone ignores him from now on, he gets no more songs into the charts or even on the radio or anything anymore, but he still releases the same 'type' of music... one could argue that - despite being unpopular/unknown - his music is still 'mainstream'. I would say, however, that's slightly different to what I was saying though, and I understand where you're coming from. In this example, his new songs would be mainstream-style (oh god, here we go...) but not specifically mainstream, at least, not individually so. Just in general, like.

So yeah, s'all relative.

SILLY WORDS!!!!!!

[Chorlton]

Excellent!

Now we've clearly defined 'Mainstream' .

Next problem please

[NEG]

Excellent!

Now we've clearly defined 'Mainstream' .

Next problem please

We have? Ha!