Video game consoles and games have evolved over the past 30 years and so have the people who play them.

Arcade games, video arcades and home consoles, like the Nintendo Entertainment System, stormed through America in the 1980s and began the evolution of video games.

“In the beginning of video gaming, there were just a handful of titles, but there are hundreds of games on different gaming consoles that can be bought or even downloaded through today’s gaming system,” Parker White, undecided major, 19, said.

The current generation of consoles from the big gaming companies are the Xbox from Microsoft, the PlayStation 3 from Sony and the Nintendo Wii from Nintendo.

Each console represents a different way to play and the phrases casual and hardcore gamer are used to describe who plays what. Games also vary from more hardcore to casual and its definitions stem from the amount of accessibility to the gamer.

“Hardcore games are different than casual games because you cannot just pick up and play,” John Stackowitz, physics major, 18, said. “Hardcore games have a tougher learning curve.”

“Casual gamers are people who play Nintendo at a friends’ house or someone who had a game system but does not play with it very often,” Mikey Chartrand, communications major, 22, said.

The gaming consoles vary from graphical and storage capacity. The Nintendo Wii is the most basic, with graphics that are slightly upgraded from the last generation to the newest and most powerful console, the Sony PlayStation 3.

Because each system is unique, game developers have to create games designed for each one. The Wii’s motion controls allow different game types, but the more family-friendly game selection for the Wii tags it as a casual gamer’s system.

The title of hardcore or casual gamer depends on how serious the gamer takes gaming.

“A person who would be considered a hardcore gamer during the 1990s would be someone who owned their own game console and bought every game that they wanted and played at least every other day,” Chartrand said.

Recently, the evolution of gaming and gamers have increased due to the introduction of new technology such as High Definition television and the ability to play video games over the Internet. With the Internet, gamers have the ability to play online around the world.

“I will stay up until 5 a.m. in the morning playing NCAA Football ’09 online some nights because I just cannot quit playing and go to bed sometimes,” Matthew Homolson, business major, 21 said.

Classifications of hardcore and casual vary from gamer to gamer, but the distinction between hardcore gamers is that they play more games with a more difficult learning curve. The type of games that would earn the label of hardcore would be role-playing games that take 40+ hours or first-person shooters (FPS) that would take hours of practice in order to be competent.

“Hardcore gamers are people that play around 8-10 hours a day as well as find a game-related job,” Kyle Schmidt, undecided major, 19, said. “Casual gamers like to play with friends and there is more of an emphasis on multi-player games.”

Video game systems also can play DVDs and CDs and gamers can even use the Internet to chat with other gamers, download games and play online. With so many features, gamers have plenty to do.

“I spend more time playing games than I do anything else,” Stackowitz said.

The difference with casual and hardcore has separated even more with the introduction of the Nintendo Wii. Even the older generation that had never played video games before can now enjoy playing.

“I have two Wiis,” Stackowitz said. “One is for my mother and the other is for my father.”

The current leader in console sales is the Nintendo Wii. According to www.vgchartz.com, the Nintendo Wii is on top with more than 35 million units sold worldwide. The Xbox is second with more than 22 million units and the Sony PlayStation 3 is third with more than 16 million units sold.

Because the Nintendo Wii is the top seller, there is a large gap between hardcore and casual gamers.

The casual gamers are thought to be ones who play every now and then as a social event, while hardcore gamers play a few hours a day.

“I play about 12 hours a week,” Stackowitz said. “The people I know who play and that I would classify as hardcore gamers would fit that description.”