While the verbal sparring matches between “hardcore” and “casual” video gamers have raged for decades, they’ve reached a fever pitch over the past two years, because of the Nintendo Wii’s phenomenal success at bringing more people into the world of gaming. As such, “hardcore” gamers and other Nintendo haters are blaming “casuals” for the “downfall of gaming” and other such nonsense. I’m here to shed a little light on the situation. It’s really quite simple:

There’s no such thing as a “hardcore” or “casual” gamer anymore.

Originally, a “hardcore” gamer was someone for whom gaming was their dominant hobby. They played a lot of games, often across many different genres, and it took up a considerable amount of their free time. A “casual” gamer was just the opposite: someone who barely (if ever) played games, and their choices were often limited by what arcade machine happened to be in the corner of the pizza parlor at the time. Makes perfect logical sense, doesn’t it?

In recent years, thanks to the Internet and the legions of fanboys who are now interconnected, the terms have been altered, but this time for more arrogant and derogatory reasons. A “hardcore” gamer became someone who plays first-person shooters (FPSes) and other hyper-violent games almost exclusively, especially online. A “casual” gamer became someone who prefers games with bright colors or more upbeat themes, and/or enjoys quick Web-based games like Bejeweled. And it continued to snowball: a “hardcore” gamer was only someone who used an Xbox 360 or PC for their gaming needs, while “casuals” were Wii players. (PS3 users were [and still are] shit upon by both camps.) Someone’s “hardcore” or “casual” status is now described by the console they own and the genres they enjoy, not by how much time they invest in the hobby! You can see how ludicrous that is, which is why it’s now time for me to debunk the whole thing.

Look at the original definitions I described at the beginning of this article. If someone only owned a Wii, yet constantly played Wii Sports, Wii Fit, and Carnival Games for many hours on end (as a large number of Wii owners do), then they would certainly qualify as a “hardcore” gamer. If someone bought an Xbox 360 and a copy of Halo 3, and played it a little bit whenever they had a spot of free time, than they’re most certainly a “casual” gamer. But by these preposterous “modern” definitions of the term, neither of those apply. It makes no sense by any stretch of logic, and therefore, “hardcore” and “casual” gamers simply do not exist anymore.

Furthermore, the insane popularity of the Wii and the emergence of video games in general into pop culture also renders the “hardcore” and “casual” labels obsolete. Instead of being a niche market, games are now for everyone, just like movies, music, books, and other forms of popular entertainment. It all boils down to the hardcore losers being upset because they have nothing to hide behind anymore. Everyone wants in on their hobby, and they just don’t want to share. It’s arrogance on a nearly unprecedented scale, and it’s the exact reason why the general public looks at video game fanatics with such disdain. Can you blame them?

Don’t like the way the gaming world is shifting? Tough shit. Games are for everyone now, and will continue to be that way. If you don’t like it, find a new hobby. In the meantime, there’s a truly hardcore Tetris fan who’s ready to school your GTAIV-playing ass any day of the week.