"Hardcore gamers need to chill out," said Payton. "I don't know how long I will stay in this industry, but I do hope that I can see a day when hardcore gamers lose this 'us versus them' mentality." The success of casual gaming on consoles is a blessing in disguise for gamers, he said, as it's opened the door for smaller independent games - like Super Stardust HD, Geometry Wars and even Penny Arcade Adventures - that might never have made it onto consoles years ago.
Jaffe agrees, saying that "there's a rise in both casual games and… smaller hardcore games, and a lot of times there's a tendency to lump both of them in together." He added that there are plenty of "casual" games that get so intense as to be considered hardcore; "I think the difference is just that the entry level and the thematic for those games are clearly aimed at people who don't consider themselves gamers."
