It's almost impossible to level a new character now. What gives, SE?

[Gramul]

Core games are longer, yes, but they're just as accessible as casual fare like Bejeweled. The fact that I can easily save and pick up where I last left off in almost any core game released in the last 15 years tells me everything I need to know about the needs and desires of core gamers. Time investment is not a factor, and is certainly not the driving force that makes me complete a game; that's actually kind of retarded, actually.

I don't know about that. The fact that Dwarf Fortress not only exists, but is popular in spite of it's insane complexity, crazy high learning curve, and necessity for long term commitment makes me think that there is a strong market for time heavy games.

And please don't insult me with callous name calling like that. When developers talk about how they want to appeal to a more casual audience, it's usually by making the game playable in small segments to conform to the little time they want to commit to the game. I'm only following their examples.