The videogames market has become rather multifaceted over the last twenty years-or-so since its arrival in mainstream culture. Developers, publishers and even videogames press have for years been cultivating a series of labels through which each market demographic can be directly addressed. Yet, something seems to have become quite muddled in recent years – if the developers and their respective publishers can't decide on the difference between the "hardcore" gamers and the "core" gamers, how would they be able to orientate their production correctly? And to that end, how can you tell whether a product is being developed with your interests at heart?
The majority of those reading this will no doubt fall into either of the above categories, but where does your little brother qualify; still playing KillZone on his PlayStation2? Or your partner, who deems Nintendogs a shrill and contrived attempt at garnering the "isn't it cute?" factor for ten minutes, instead finding themselves blazing Brutes for an hour-at-a-time on Halo 3? And, while orienteering these demographics into their tidy little pockets, how do you sell Guitar Hero to all of them?
