I think us hardcore really fail to realize just how hardcore we are. The casual gamers used to be looked at by us people who don't really play games, and buy up every crappy movie liscense that comes out. Now that we've encountered a new group, who is not only casual, but into games that run perpendicular with ours from a design standpoint, we not only resent them, we're scared like **** of them. They out number us, afterall. So now we look back at those damn casuals who were stopping creativity in games and all those other bad things, and we have to be like, well, they may be our last hope at keeping our way of gaming alive. We can't support the industry by ourselves, we're the gluttons who keep asking for a bigger turkey. This seems to be the situation as it stands from a gaffers point of view.
However, I see things a little differently, and I think Nintendo sees it too. Actually, I know they see it, because Iwata talked about it during the conference. This idea of "lifestyle" software or non-games or whatever, taking a non gamer, and turning them into a late gamer. Zelda for DS is a perfect example of this. Zelda DS may be the best selling Zelda game in Japan after it's done; sales seem to show no signs of slowing down in the near future. What does this mean? Late gamers are buying our games. The reason Zelda DS makes such a great example though, is that it not only is one of those "satellite" games, it also merges aspects of our games with aspects of theirs and makes something really refreshing and creative. So not only does it show that late gamers aren't totally evil, but it also shows that this sidestep has benefits for us by way of fresh ideas coming into the games we love.
