[i]Preface: I use "Casual" in the scope of a player who doesn't really play the game enough to know the in's and out's of it and by extension, players who are bad at a certain video game. I speak in this subject from both the aspect of being a casual in certain video games and seeing their behavior in games I play a little more hardcore.[/i] [b]The "Casual" Problem[/b] [b][u]The "Casual" problem in PvP[/u][/b] The most prevalent area Casuals cause a problem is in a game's PvP. Casuals normally don't do to well on these sorts of games and causes numerous problems. They complain about the weapon that killed them. Likely never holding themselves accountable for their death and complaining about a completely balanced weapon that they simply cannot beat because of their own personal skill. Now, we have pressure on the Devs to do something about it or risk losing costumers. So they nerf a perfectly balanced weapon which disrupts the balance of the game. Probably the most annoying problem with Casuals in PvP is that some are so bad that the Devs opt to implement Skill-Based Matchmaking; probably Top 3 of three word phrases no PvP player wants to hear. Devs normally opts to do this because of how bad the casuals normally are, thus keeping the skilled players from the casuals. To casuals, this is a opportunity not to get pub stomped. To averaged-skilled players, this is a nightmare. Not because they are afraid of playing equally skilled players, but because the game is now [i]100%[/i] sweaty, all the time. It also negates the whole idea of being good. Why take the time to be good if you're just going to face harder opponents? Finally, casuals present a horrible problem in-game. They often are dead weight when playing team based game modes; which makes the game less fun for the rest of PvP community. They're casuals, so they don't have the desire nor the time to even [i]try[/i] to get better. [b][u]The "Casual" problem in Gaming franchises[/u][/b] Casuals are also a sort of a problem in gaming franchises. One of the examples I think of is [i]Star Wars Battlefront[/i]. While they aren't the sole reason the game is bad, they are contributing. EA has made Star Wars Battlefront a Casual's paradise, to the detriment to the game. Instead of making a game that has depth in its PvP system with classes along with attachments and customizable play-styles, we get a simplistic 1st/3rd person shooter that the average person can't play for more than a couple matches straight. To the causal, this is perfect. There is no commitment, no intricate systems to learn and no reason to keep playing. To someone who wants to play it hardcore, it's a boring Star Wars Simulator. And that's more or less the problem. When developers try to comply to Casuals, their game ends up being a simplistic, boring game. But they more or less have to because Casuals make up the bulk of the gaming community and their costumers. So now we have less quality of a game because of the Casuals. [b][u]The secondary problem with Casuals and gaming Franchises[/u][/b] When I think something the Dark Souls franchise, some casuals might say the game is too hard. Putting pressure on the Devs to lower the game's defining quality; effectively making the game worse. There's nothing more to say about this issue. They often will complain about a certain aspect of the series that is completely fine and defines the game, then the Devs are pressured to do something about it, effectively making it worse. For another example, when I first started playing CoD casually, I grew exceptionally angry at the Time-to-Kill, arguing that a slower TTK results in actual gunfights. While this may be a valid argument, had the Devs done this, they would have ruined CoD; all because of a causal crowd that don't fully understand CoD. [b][u]Closing Statements[/u][/b] I don't want you to walk away thinking that being Casual in itself is a horrible thing. It's mostly understanding that is the problem. Playing a game Casually doesn't mean you are a cancer to the game; its when you ignorantly comment on the game that presents the problem. With that being said, Casuals normally present a horrible dilemma for Developers. While they are their most valuable costumer, their feedback normally is a detriment to the game. What do you think? Do you think Casuals are a problem in Gaming? Edit: [i]To clarify:[/i] I don't want Casuals to stop playing or disappear. I merely wish that they adopt a more serious mindset about gaming in this respect: To one, expect more from developers and not be satisfied with a simplistic shooter or a bare bones RPG. And to educate themselves about the subject-matter before giving feedback so they don't ignorantly give bad feedback for the developers to follow and thus, make the game worse. Edit 2: [quote]"Not because they are afraid of playing equally skilled players, but because the game is now 100% sweaty, all the time. It also negates the whole idea of being good." [/quote] It seems people always misconstrued this point. I want moderation. I don't [i]always[/i] want these hyper competitive matches but that's not to say I [i]never[/i] want them. In my perfect world, you will have some matches that are super competitive and some that are casual and laid back. Under SBMM, you will always get that super sweaty, try hard matches; which are nice from time to time but it takes away from the fun of the game when you play them all the time.