we need a new term

[Daedalus1942]

I'd have to say I consider myself a hardcore gamer.
I'm not being arrogant, I'm not really competitive in online games (though I do play them).
I simply class myself as a hardcore gamer as I tend to play the more difficult, obscure games very few people have ever heard of.
I play some mainstream games and own black ops but i have not played it online, at all and found the single player to be very disappointing.
On average, per day I'd probably spend about 10-12 hours playing videogames. Recently finished Digital Devil saga and have now moved onto 2.
I don't consider myself hardcore in the sense I have to win, or i'm an arrogant gamer.
I just play games probably way too much.
I can't really class myself as a casual gamer. I'm more full-time.
I don't see why the term hardcore has to have such a negative connotation, but it is for this reason I coin the phrase "full-time gamer".
-Tabs<3-

 

[Daedalus1942]

Well, I always considered "Hardcore gamer" to mean someone who plays a lot of games, not just the violent and bloody ones. I consider myself a hardcore gamer in that respect (just look at my shelf of PC games, then my two shelves of Wii games, then my drawer of GameCube games, then my two boxes of N64 games, then my box of NES games). I play games way too much. And I have been playing since I was about 5. So "veteran" sort of applies, but I take veteran to mean you're out of the game (lolz pun). A veteran of a war is done with the war and probably out of the service. I am not done with gaming and probably never will be (even when I start a family and stuff; example: one of my friend's dads still plays COD).

I'm still sticking with "hardcore gamer," for now.

ExaCTLY.
I'm the same.
I own an atari 2600, 2 PC's (one of which is 8 years ahead of it's time), psone (four of them), Sega megadrive (Genesis), sega master system, nintendo 64, gamecube, ps2, ps3, psp, xbox 360, and a wii.
I own over 100 ps2 titles, over 200 pc titles, about 50 psp titles, 15 n64 games, 70 or so psone games (most fairly rare and old like parasite eve, vandal hearts II, fear effect, jade cocoon, colony wars and so on and so forth.)
I'm not a violent or arrogant gamer, I just collect alot of rare ones, and play them too much. I also kind of never shutup about video games.
-Tabs<3-

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Well, I always considered "Hardcore gamer" to mean someone who plays a lot of games, not just the violent and bloody ones. I consider myself a hardcore gamer in that respect (just look at my shelf of PC games, then my two shelves of Wii games, then my drawer of GameCube games, then my two boxes of N64 games, then my box of NES games). I play games way too much. And I have been playing since I was about 5. So "veteran" sort of applies, but I take veteran to mean you're out of the game (lolz pun). A veteran of a war is done with the war and probably out of the service. I am not done with gaming and probably never will be (even when I start a family and stuff; example: one of my friend's dads still plays COD).

I'm still sticking with "hardcore gamer," for now.

ExaCTLY.
I'm the same.
I own an atari 2600, 2 PC's (one of which is 8 years ahead of it's time), psone (four of them), Sega megadrive (Genesis), sega master system, nintendo 64, gamecube, ps2, ps3, psp, xbox 360, and a wii.
I own over 100 ps2 titles, over 200 pc titles, about 50 psp titles, 15 n64 games, 70 or so psone games (most fairly rare and old like parasite eve, vandal hearts II, fear effect, jade cocoon, colony wars and so on and so forth.)
I'm not a violent or arrogant gamer, I just collect alot of rare ones, and play them too much. I also kind of never shutup about video games.
-Tabs<3-

Yep, this is how I feel about it too. It was only a hardware generation or two ago that this was what everyone meant when they referred to hardcore gamers, I don't even know where the other definition came from. If anything, OP, the people represented by the original definition of "hardcore gamer" need to take the term back from the meatheads who took it from us.

 

[BRMXJzjsoawk321]

It's hard to label myself, but if I had to attempt it..

The Yes-I-Play-Video-Games-No-I-Don't-Have-An-Xbox-Now-Piss-Off-I'm-Trying-To-Learn-Russian.. Gamer.

..That's what I'd say if the jerks who play video games at my school ever uttered a word to me. >_>

OT: Veteran gamers sounds good at first but I myself don't have money to buy a whole lot of games (Except when it came to the Wii, my mom really wanted me to like that thing) so I don't play a whole lot of them.. That and I'm young.. So I guess I wouldn't fit into this category you're putting the Escapists in.. ;~; I'm sure others would though?

 

[Confidingtripod]

I think rookie or greenhorn for casuals, genralist for those who like a bit of everything, specialist for people who like a very specific genre, veteran for those who used to play alot of games but have cut down heavily/stopped and eliet for those who play all the time, combine those as you need to and they would work...

 

[Judgement101]

Softcore gamers - Regular gamers
Hardcore gamers - Arrogant gamers

What do I fit under? When I play multiplayer games I quit right when I get annoied and realise I'm not having fun and on singleplayer I just wing it.

 

[GrymZero]

If I have to describe myself to other people who enjoy gaming (I refuse to use the word 'gamer'), I simply say that my interests in games are varied, since I like almost every genre out there, with a few exceptions that I won't get into here.

 

[likalaruku]

My own friends can't agree on a definition. Here's their terminologies:

1)Hardcore is WHAT you play. Softcore gamers play Wii/Kinect/Move PopCap/Bigfish & phone games; stuff that only retains interest for a short period of time & doesn't really have any substance, just repetitiveness.

2)Hardcore is HOW you play. No cheating, no easy mode, no walkthroughs, soloing in fellowship quests.

3)Hardcore is how LONG you play. A hardcore game is long & a casual game is short. If you're playing a casual game over & over for a long period of time, it's hardcore playing, & hardcore games can also be played casually.

4)Hardcore depends on the CONTENT. Does it have a story? Were the graphics cutting edge or at least standard for it's time? Does it have a lot of content & variety? Can you play it all week? All month? Does it have mods & expansions? Does it have a cult following?

One makes me both hardcore & casual, two makes me casual, 3 makes me & my grandmother hardcore, & four puts me on both sides again.

 

[Lullabye]

I thought the most hardcore gamer was the kind that played everything?
I always thought of myself as hardcore, in the respect that I am competitive and i will play anything once.
Casual gamers are just.....casual. Like you are a casual sports fan. Yeah you like it once in a while, but don't do it every day or even want to.

 

[lemiel14n3]

The rest of you could be called "Beverly," how does that sound?

Spoiler: I like it, reminds me of THIS guy

Video Game Enthusiasts.

It works, but I consider these over elaborate titles part of the political correctness that's neutering society.

My own friends can't agree on a definition. Here's their terminologies:

1)Hardcore is WHAT you play. Softcore gamers play Wii/Kinect/Move PopCap/Bigfish & phone games; stuff that only retains interest for a short period of time & doesn't really have any substance, just repetitiveness.

2)Hardcore is HOW you play. No cheating, no easy mode, no walkthroughs, soloing in fellowship quests.

3)Hardcore is how LONG you play. A hardcore game is long & a casual game is short. If you're playing a casual game over & over for a long period of time, it's hardcore playing, & hardcore games can also be played casually.

4)Hardcore depends on the CONTENT. Does it have a story? Were the graphics cutting edge or at least standard for it's time? Does it have a lot of content & variety? Can you play it all week? All month? Does it have mods & expansions? Does it have a cult following?

One makes me both hardcore & casual, two makes me casual, 3 makes me & my grandmother hardcore, & four puts me on both sides again.

And you've very neatly summarized the issue. Everyone throws around the word "hardcore" but no one knows what it means. I'm kinda saying let's give the obsessive MW and Halo players the word "Hardcore"

I kinda like "Enthusiasts" It was being kicked around by a few people, and it seems like it would work.

Yeah, I like it. instead of calling myself a "hardcore gamer", I'm an "Enthusiastic Gamer"

 

[Knusper]

I don't mind the hardcore and casual tags for gamers, I would call myself a hardcore gamer owing to the fact that games take up a good portion of my interests and I own quite a varied range of games, but not out of arrogance - just because I recognise that gaming is important to me. However, I feel a certain amount of veterancy has to be gained before I could really be called hardcore, since I'm only 16, and so have only been gaming as a proper hobby since I was 9 or 10.

 

[likalaruku]

The rest of you could be called "Beverly," how does that sound?

Spoiler: I like it, reminds me of THIS guy

Video Game Enthusiasts.

It works, but I consider these over elaborate titles part of the political correctness that's neutering society.

My own friends can't agree on a definition. Here's their terminologies:

1)Hardcore is WHAT you play. Softcore gamers play Wii/Kinect/Move PopCap/Bigfish & phone games; stuff that only retains interest for a short period of time & doesn't really have any substance, just repetitiveness.

2)Hardcore is HOW you play. No cheating, no easy mode, no walkthroughs, soloing in fellowship quests.

3)Hardcore is how LONG you play. A hardcore game is long & a casual game is short. If you're playing a casual game over & over for a long period of time, it's hardcore playing, & hardcore games can also be played casually.

4)Hardcore depends on the CONTENT. Does it have a story? Were the graphics cutting edge or at least standard for it's time? Does it have a lot of content & variety? Can you play it all week? All month? Does it have mods & expansions? Does it have a cult following?

One makes me both hardcore & casual, two makes me casual, 3 makes me & my grandmother hardcore, & four puts me on both sides again.

And you've very neatly summarized the issue. Everyone throws around the word "hardcore" but no one knows what it means. I'm kinda saying let's give the obsessive MW and Halo players the word "Hardcore"

I kinda like "Enthusiasts" It was being kicked around by a few people, and it seems like it would work.

Yeah, I like it. instead of calling myself a "hardcore gamer", I'm an "Enthusiastic Gamer"

Oh, I forgot the worst one. Either a Youtuber or someone on this site years ago said that "only FPS games are hardcore & that all hardcore gamers play shooters."

 

[mattttherman3]

We are the story lovers, the role players.

 

[Skoldpadda]

I hate the word "gamer" as well.

 

[Cazza]

I believe I'm a hardcore gamer at heart. I can't play TF2 CP with getting annoyed at people who suck at getting the points. So I moved to 24/7 2Fort and don't get annoyed anymore. I belive hardcore gamers play to win and win only. Normal gamers play to have fun. I feel I can call myself a normal gamer now. I belive casual gaming are people who don't get into games other then party games and solitaire.

 

[Jekken6]

My own friends can't agree on a definition. Here's their terminologies:

1)Hardcore is WHAT you play. Softcore gamers play Wii/Kinect/Move PopCap/Bigfish & phone games; stuff that only retains interest for a short period of time & doesn't really have any substance, just repetitiveness.

2)Hardcore is HOW you play. No cheating, no easy mode, no walkthroughs, soloing in fellowship quests.

3)Hardcore is how LONG you play. A hardcore game is long & a casual game is short. If you're playing a casual game over & over for a long period of time, it's hardcore playing, & hardcore games can also be played casually.

4)Hardcore depends on the CONTENT. Does it have a story? Were the graphics cutting edge or at least standard for it's time? Does it have a lot of content & variety? Can you play it all week? All month? Does it have mods & expansions? Does it have a cult following?

One makes me both hardcore & casual, two makes me casual, 3 makes me & my grandmother hardcore, & four puts me on both sides again.

I would say it would be a mixture of all those.

 

[DarthAchaeron]

I think we really need to define the sectors of gamers better before we tackle this problem. But frankly, I think we should just be called general gamers

 

[little.09]

how about people? "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" or if you prefer LABELS ARE F-ING MEANINGLESS just play the games you want to play

 

[AndyFromMonday]

I believe I'm a hardcore gamer at heart. I can't play TF2 CP with getting annoyed at people who suck at getting the points. So I moved to 24/7 2Fort and don't get annoyed anymore. I belive hardcore gamers play to win and win only. Normal gamers play to have fun. I feel I can call myself a normal gamer now. I belive casual gaming are people who don't get into games other then party games and solitaire.

Hardcore gamers play only to win? Is that really what a hardcore gamer is or is it just dedicating a lot of time to playing a game? This "hardcore, casual" debacle is bullshit. How about we agree we're all gamers and leave it at that? The only ones who want a distinction are people who somehow feel offended that games they do not find enjoyable are enjoyed by others.