So how do you like to play your games? Every gamer is unique, unlike anyone else and enjoys his or her games in a different way to the rest of the world. Some are avid online gamers with a multitude of tags on a variety of services: others are anti-social "Solos" who prefer the comfort of a darkened room to the clamour of an all-night Wii Sports party.

Personally speaking, I don't really care how I get my gaming, so long as I get an hour or so in every day. This could be with squealing Chinese girlfriends at my stately apartment in uptown Shanghai or surrounded by gorgeous single women at the noisy arcade in the heart of the downtown district. How I game doesn't matter, but gaming is essential as a part of daily life. For me, any gaming is good gaming, though that's not true for everyone.

Solos like the comfort of a familiar armchair, or specially purchased gaming chair with maximum support for tired buttocks and ample space for in game sustenance. Running low on health after a marathon session? Flip up the arm-rest to find a pre-cooled bottle of Sprite and a selection of fine fried snacks. Players like this may enjoy testing their prowess against others, merely for short-lived bragging rights, but Solos mostly enjoy the peace that they get from their gaming, a nice escape from reality.

Hybrids enjoy a mixture of experiences, and are liable to be reasonably open-minded in their gaming habits. Neither playing only alone or primarily with friends, Hybrids will mostly own two controllers and have a large selection of games that have both multiplayer and single player options. These gamers spread their time evenly between a variety of titles, putting one down as another becomes more appealing. Often, these players will not finish their games, just enjoying the experience of something new every now and then.

The Hardcore are not a large group, but are doubtlessly the most vociferous of the bunch. Staying up late to watch E3 or stream video from TGS, Hardcore gamers get to hear announcements long before the general public and often the gaming press as well. You have to be wary of these gamers - they are a select bunch and their style of play may be off-putting for some. Among this Hardcore breed are those who will win at all costs, never truly cheating but exploiting encyclopaedic knowledge of physics and gaming insight to prove themselves superior. Equally, there are those who really don't give a damn if they lose, so long as they fight the very best fight that they can. On a level playing field, Hardcore gamers can be a lot of fun. There are those among them who will deck themselves out in the regalia of their favourite series, and hey, football fans support their team, so why not us?

Online Gamers are increasing as a breed, and there are now players worldwide who enjoy their games exclusively online. Much like Solos they have a preferred seat and selection of handy beverages and sustenance through the simulated wars. Some may even refer to their bedrooms or dens as a "Command Centre" and this is truly the mark of someone dedicated not only to games, but the lifestyle around it. You often meet these guys in the harder maps on Halo 3 and the deeper strategy games. More often though, you meet these guys as they shoot you from behind and steal all the cool stuff you've just been hoarding. Gits.

Multiplayer Maddies may or may not enjoy online gaming, but are principally defined by their love of having friends round for a party with games. These gamers can easily be spotted when purchasing their consoles, as they are invariably the ones who are buying three extra controllers for the hardware � in fact, it's these they picked up before the hardware itself. While maybe not as skilled as your Online Gamers, they are far more fun to encounter as their disposition to friendly competition makes them better allies and more gracious enemies.

Fadders are those of the gaming world who latch onto whatever is the biggest casual hype-fest at the time. Fadders make up the largest section of casual handheld gamers and will normally never purchase anything more out-of-the-ordinary than the latest Mario game or rarely get anything more than the few titles their consoles were bundled with when they wandered past the games shop. Never try and engage this breed in deep conversation about their gaming habits, as they normally dedicate such a short amount of time daily, or even weekly to the games that they will really not understand what you are saying. Typically they will own a DS and PS2 with an EyeToy and some kind of Dance Mat, as children their parents will buy them games based on their favourite TV shows, and as adults they will only have anything that catches their eye in a copy of Best or Men's Health.

No breed of gamer is more controversial in the world than the Casual Gamer. Their name is often spat by Online Gamers and Solos � these are not true gamers and are akin to the drunk but irritatingly rich uncle that you invite over for Christmas because you need a new microwave. Gamers like this can make or break the success of a console, and in many ways other members are indebted to them for their support of any given system. Like Fadders they will buy anything that catches their eye and very little else. This demographic is the one most susceptible to marketing, and it is these people we have to thank for the yearly EA updates of FIFA and the sales of games based on films.

Casual Gamers regard their gaming as simply another avenue of entertainment and extra means for bettering their amusement. A console is like a local cinema, coffee shop, theatre or club, one of many options open to them in a plethora of possibilities. In a way, you have to respect these gamers, as they have no preconceptions of what constitutes a good game or a bad game, and therefore their horizons are perhaps a little broader than the hardcore. Though they my be derided for favouring generic rubbish instead of hidden gems such as Zack and Wiki, the additional sales they bring to things like the Resident Evil series and Nintendogs are a boon for their developers. The tragedy is when only the minority play great games and studios are discouraged from developing better titles due to poor sales.

However, the Hardcore are quickly becoming a minority in the face of these Fadders and Casual Gamers. But that is unfortunately evolutionary fact, as companies striving for greater profits will attach themselves to any demographic that they believe will drive sales of their software and hardware. This in turn leads to a diminishing output of games that appeal only to those with a long history of support for games, as they themselves diminish in number.

But this is not all bad news, and in a rare optimistic turn, I believe that when games such as Mario become more casual, they open their arms to more players who can then be scooped up and coerced into buying more hardcore titles, just because they have Mario in them. There is naturally no justification in intentionally turning out terrible games to appeal to the masses: it's a bit like only putting sugar into porridge every day. The thing is, once in a while someone out there discovers jam and suddenly everyone is eating jam, er� playing Mario.

So, who are you? A Fadder? A Solo? Vote in our forum poll to label yourself up a treat!

Iun Hockley
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