In the 80s it was easy to spot those who would be considered hardcore gamers. They were the ones that spent their entire days in the dimly lit arcades. The impassioned, yet smelly, gamer continued to play the same games over and over again. Hoping that his next leap would be the leap home that he could get just a few extra points than his highest score from his countless games before. Nowadays it’s not so cut and dry.

Remember, hardcore gaming has less to do with the difficultly level of the game and more with the continued determination and passion of the player. And someone who makes sure to set their alarm so they can harvest their crops in Farmville is definitely someone I would consider hardcore. Obsessive is also a word I would use to describe them, as well. But there’s no denying their passion for the game.

And as always, your opinions on the matter are definitely welcomed.

I was pressing the random button in the comic navigation when I finally came across this comic. And it got me thinking… If I was a female, I think the number one thing to turn me off of gaming would be the creepy male gamers. Now, I’m not saying all male gamers are creepy. Uh, case in point. But we’ve all been on Xbox Live and as such have seen some of the least common denominators that lurk on there. You know what I mean?

It’s that stigma that causes a lot of females to avoid what we consider non-casual gaming altogether. I personally don’t think it’s because these games supposedly aren’t geared towards them. A good game is a good game and there’s more than enough variety out there for everyone. No, I think the perception of the people they think game plays a lot into their desire to pursue gaming further.

But then again, I could be completely off. After all, I am one X gene short of really knowing what I’m talking about.

What I think I’m trying to say is that games can not succeed by the support of hardcore gamers alone. You need the support of regular and casual gamers as well if you want to be truly successful. If you’ve got a better explanation feel free to post in the comment section below.

Once again, don’t forget from now until February 26th BigBoomBomb.com is pre-ordering The Laughing Dog (shirt). As with the other pre-orders, you save $2 off the regular price of $14.95 by ordering your shirt during this phase. So head on over there and order yours today.

I’ll see you on Monday or if you want sooner follow me on Twitter. I update that pretty frequently.