Video Games: Casual v. Hardcore

I've been thinking about the difference between "casual gaming" and "hardcore gaming" for a while. The subject keeps coming up on various website, blogs and podcasts about video games. It is referenced in the mainstream news when stories about the success of the Nintendo Wii.

I have a Wii and love it by the way. Can't recommend it highly enough. But, that is why the subject of casual versus hardcore comes up.

Here's my definition:
Casual gaming: video games that can be enjoyed is short sessions of time. Any game that is measured by how many times it is played.
Hardcore gaming: video games that require long sessions of time. Any game that is measured in how many hours it takes to beat one time through.

By my definitions, Halo multi-player can be considered a casual game. But, Halo single-player is hardcore. This might not make sense, but a person can sit down and play through two or three matches on Halo and be done for the day. And, with a good save system, the single-player campaign can be played in short 10-15 minutes bursts of time. It doesn't require long, marathon sessions to play the game. But, most "hardcore" gamers do this anyway.

I believe that all "casual" gamers could be "hardcore." And, all "hardcore" games can play in a "casual" manner. It depends on the game itself. And, none of the consoles are exclusively "casual" or "hardcore."