What is a "hardcore" gamer?

[BoredAussieGamer]

After reading numerous threads regarding Dark Souls and seeing many dismissive posts claiming that, and I paraphrase:
"You have no right to call yourself a Hardcore gamer for not liking Dark Souls"
It got me thinking, all snobbishness aside, what the hell is a hardcore gamer? Is it the direct opposite of a casual gamer, or is it someone who actively seeks hard and/or unintuitive games?

So, here is the question I ask you, Escapists, what are the guidelines for being a Hardcore gamer?

 

[Vegosiux]

It's a label. Nothing more and nothing else. And I think there's no consensus on what the word is supposed to mean in the context either.

But of a pro skub vs. anti skub thing going on there and all.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

It's a nonsense term, used by people to hold themselves above the dirty casual hordes.

What those people fail to realise, is that they aren't me, so are inferior by default.

 

[tippy2k2]

Do you consider yourself a hardcore gamer?

If you answered Yes: Then you are a hardcore gamer
If you answered No: Then you are not a hardcore gamer

I can guarantee that with about 99% of people that it will be accurate.

I made this post previously about this same issue and I pose the same question to anyone who feels like you have to "pass a test" to consider yourself hardcore (this was a "what makes a gamer" thread but the question still works here):

If you force a line to be drawn, where does this line go? My examples in life: I have 80-year old grandmother who plays Angry Birds, my mother who plays Dance Central 3 when I bring my 360 over, my step-brother who only plays FIFA, my Dad who plays only Mass Effect/Dragon Age, and my brother who has a PC and plays Modern Warfare 2 & Skyrim on it. Not one of these people in my life would call themselves a "Gamer" (actually, my brother might) but if they did, I see no problem with it. A gamer is someone who plays games...the end. Is that enough or do they have to be like me to qualify for "gamer" (I own a 360 and a PS3; I subscribe to multiple gaming magazines; I have a giant E-Penis Gamerscore; most of my free time is spent gaming; etc. etc.)

If anyone has questions about gaming in my family, I am the obvious "hardcore gamer" choice for someone to ask but drawing a line in the sand and saying "To be hardcore, you must have at least X credentials" is absolutely silly. I guarantee that someone in this thread will eventually make a list of "hardcore" qualities that I (and many others) will fail.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

What those people fail to realise, is that they aren't me, so are inferior by default.

What happened to you, Clarion? You used to be so nice. Lately you've gone all hardcore.

 

[WoW Killer]

It means my favourite game is better than your favourite game, and rather than agree to disagree over what is clearly an opinion, I'm going to imply that preferring my own favourite game makes me "more of a gamer" than you.

No really, when most people say that sort of thing that's all I hear. If you're talking, say, Angry Birds versus Star Craft 2, then maybe I can understand that one is more casual than the other. It's when you get two very similar games that it really bugs me. More often than not, two very similar games which are clearly both non-casual.

I mean, look at any of the recent threads on LoL versus DotA. Now bear in mind I've never played either of those games, and I've only seen the odd videos of them. I have no allegiance. Lets be completely frank, MOBAs are not casual games. The most casual of casual MOBAs is still a hardcore game. Similarly MMOs. Every new MMO I play I have to be helpfully reminded by the community of how casual WoW is. I don't even play WoW any more.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Nah just kidding. There's no guideline except your own personal guideline. It's a pretty loose term really, everybody has their own definition based on what kind of games they like and how much time they spend on them.

EDIT - Here's another pic truer to my opinion:

 

[Daystar Clarion]

What those people fail to realise, is that they aren't me, so are inferior by default.

What happened to you, Clarion? You used to be so nice. Lately you've gone all hardcore.

I'm nice, I've always been nice.

Come here, and I show you how nice I am, with this huge stick.

 

[lRookiel]

Oh god please let's not start another chain of threads asking "WHAT IS A REAL GAMER?" we've had this shit before.

Basically it's when people are being stupid, now excuse me I'm off to play my PC games and scoff at the lowly console scum xD

 

[Bertylicious]

I don't think you can be a real gamer unless you game for at least 40 hours a week or are so pro that you have diabetes.

 

[XMark]

I think it boils down to a simple question. For the games that someone plays:

Can a person who has not played the game or similar games before become competent with the controls in a few minutes?

If the answer is yes, it's a casual game. If not, it's a hardcore game.

If someone prefers hardcore games, they are a hardcore gamer.

 

[ThePuzzldPirate]

Hardcore was a label the gamers created when they didn't want to be categorize with the people that influxed with the popularity of the Wii. Hardcore means nothing, it was just a ploy for people to have something to be proud about and in return, keep their balls. The "Hummer" of gaming if you will.

 

[GigaHz]

I like to think hardcore gamers fall into six categories:

1) Highly competitive gamer (could be professional)
2) Highly obsessive gamer (in a completionist sense)
3) Highly skilled gamer
4) Marathon gamer
5) Masochistic Gamer
6) Dedicated Gamer


1) Highly competitive gamers don't necessarily need to be of high skill, they just need to take a game seriously enough to want to win whenever possible. I don't just mean preferring to win, winning is their one option. Only a small percentage of this type has what it takes to game professionally and many are prone to raging when they have experienced a severe whoopin'.

2) Plays one game for years to uncover any and all secrets. Sometimes, they can be like Masochistic Gamers in that they will do something seemingly arbitrary for the sake of experimentation and will probably examine an internet rumour if it means uncovering something they don't yet know about.

3) Speaks for itself. You know 'good' gamers. These people have the skill of ten of them. You don't know how they got so good. You suspect they may be cheating. Honestly, they scare you a little bit. They are just lucky enough to posses the traits required to thoroughly master a game.

4) Plays a game of Civilization 5 in one sitting... as a warm up. Not opposed to pulling all nighters or "poopsocking". They have way too much free time and it shows. You just hope they don't end up as a news headline at some point in the future.

5) Will play a game on an untested difficulty, despite developer warnings, despite logic, despite the laws of physics. The gamer embodiment of "if there's a will, there's a way". If they can disadvantage themselves in some way, they will do it. Somehow, they always beat the game. This "throws out the challenge" to the next Masochistic gamer to do something even more crippling to one-up his damned brethren.

6) Nothing fancy here, just someone who regularly games. Closest to the definition of hardcore, as in possessing intense loyalty.


Or at least, this is how I see it. I'm sure there are more examples.

 

[Full]

I thought it was a term that resembles how much you care about or spend time on a hobby, like a Cinephile or an Athlete. That' always how I saw it anyway.

 

[WoW Killer]

stuff about Starcraft, CS, Dota etc.

You're comparing Binding of Isaac, The Witcher 2 and Super Meat Boy to Starcraft, CS and DotA. There's a better dichotomy than casual/hardcore to describe these. What you're referring to is single player versus multiplayer.

 

[redknightalex]

For the longest time, I always believed that being a hardcore gamer meant you were a CoD fanatic that spent numerous marathons and sleepless nights playing online, getting into shouting matches with other players all for the "fun" of it. When I realized that these were arguably some of the least "hardcore" gamers out there, if only because their world revolves around CoD and the next release, I tried to figure it out myself. I came up with freedom of choice.

Since there is no real consensus on what a "hardcore" gamer is, I feel its up to the person to decide if they are a hardcore gamer. If you call yourself a hardcore gamer then I believe you as I have no proof, or care, to disagree with you. Actually, I'd rather the "hardcore" part of hardcore gamer be left-out and all of us just consider ourselves gamers, perhaps even the ones who only play Angry Birds during their lunch breaks or standing in line for their lunch.

But, most of all, saying that playing a multi-player game most of the time gives you the automatic "hardcore" status is bull. I'd consider the JRPG gamers to be more hardcore than any CoD player, and many of those are single-player only. I mean, look at those speed runs!