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People who neglect their social life, play games for hours and hours every evening and could really use a hobby or two.
People like me.
People like me.
What is a "hardcore" gamer?
- Thread starter BoredAussieGamer
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Mostly it's a title people give themselves to make themselves seem important. In truth, there isn't really a difference of gamers. One person's hardcore is another person's weaksauce. No one really uses it in a positive or fair manner (and I mean that from both sides of the word's usage)BoredAussieGamer said:
However, if we're going to use it in a neutral fashion, I tend to go with the parameters of a) playing roughly 20 hours of games per week on average and b) spending time separate from games thinking about them (ie how to beat a boss, really cool events or details etc.).
It's more about one's dedication to the medium than how or what you play. For example, You are hardcore if you spent 3 straight hours playing Castle Crashers, and are in the process of trying to get a couple buddies to play co-op with you. However, you are not hardcore simply because you beat an obstinately hard boss from Dark Souls in one go.
Bloody hell I thought you'd fallen off the face of the forum for a few weeks there, haven't seen you on the first page for a while.Daystar Clarion said:
OT: It's a label used by pretentious fuckstains to differentiate themselves from the rest of us lowly peons because they think they're better than us because they play "hardcore games". Often they play Call of Duty and not much else and whine if something doesn't feature excessive gore, tutorials, handholding, fool-proof gameplay, etc.
Let's not forget whining really really loudly if anyone else tries to get in on the "sanctity" of their gaming experience and mechanics are inc. in the game to allow for it that don't effect them in the slightest because they don't have to use them or games are made that don't appeal to their "hardcore" tastes.Yopaz said:
I spend a lot of time on games, and would like to consider myself hardcore, but the bar has been rising rapidly with the rise of streaming and e-sports.
I'm clearly not e-sports material. I don't have the drive to play a single game competitively for hours on end. Games I do put a lot of time into tend to be forgiving ones like Fallout or Far Cry.
I'm also not into scores, it's just too much heartburn. You go on Newgrounds and play some flash game that got a high rating, and sure, it's fun. But then you look at the high scores and somebody has 3,000,000, whereas your best attempt came out to 12,000, and you start to think 'they probably cheated'. But some of them have got to be legitimate. Which means someone played this dumb little flash game long enough to get an astronomical score.
'Hardcore gamer' is a term I see used on forums as a bragging point, or by marketers (and they rarely use it in a positive light). The first bunch is extremely relative and overall pointless. The second bunch are generally referring to a time commitment, or else they're referring to e-sports.
To steal from a post on Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/183697/What_the_hell_does_midcore_mean_anyway.php#.UO2eYuTAdFs] earlier this month:
Hardcore Player: Plans their time around gaming.
Mid-core Player: Plans their gaming around their free time.
Casual Player: Plays games only during down time (subway, calculus class, etc.)
I'm clearly not e-sports material. I don't have the drive to play a single game competitively for hours on end. Games I do put a lot of time into tend to be forgiving ones like Fallout or Far Cry.
I'm also not into scores, it's just too much heartburn. You go on Newgrounds and play some flash game that got a high rating, and sure, it's fun. But then you look at the high scores and somebody has 3,000,000, whereas your best attempt came out to 12,000, and you start to think 'they probably cheated'. But some of them have got to be legitimate. Which means someone played this dumb little flash game long enough to get an astronomical score.
'Hardcore gamer' is a term I see used on forums as a bragging point, or by marketers (and they rarely use it in a positive light). The first bunch is extremely relative and overall pointless. The second bunch are generally referring to a time commitment, or else they're referring to e-sports.
To steal from a post on Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/183697/What_the_hell_does_midcore_mean_anyway.php#.UO2eYuTAdFs] earlier this month:
Hardcore Player: Plans their time around gaming.
Mid-core Player: Plans their gaming around their free time.
Casual Player: Plays games only during down time (subway, calculus class, etc.)
Another thing that doesn't effect them because no one is forcing them to play mobile games.Yopaz said:
I've said it before and I'll say it again; anyone who goes around declaring themselves a "hardcore" gamer is also declaring that they are a douchebag. And the only reason for the existence of the term "casual" gamer is to counteract those calling themselves "hardcore" gamers. Therefore both terms are simply stupid and irrelevant and anyone declares themselves as either is just being stupid.
Beginner's Guide to Gamers:
Gamer - Someone who plays games. Could be a lot, could be a little (casual gamer, social gamer). They use videogames.
Core Gamer - A core game consumer. What does this mean? Answer: AAA franchises and big budget IPs comprise a publisher's or platform's "core catalogue", so those who consume these products are the core audience or "core gamers".
Hardcore Gamers - An enthusiast gamer, a dedicated hobbyist. Gaming is what this person does instead of an annual holiday. This is where most if not all of their disposable income and time goes - every cent, every minute.
There. WHAT could be SIMPLER?
Gamer - Someone who plays games. Could be a lot, could be a little (casual gamer, social gamer). They use videogames.
Core Gamer - A core game consumer. What does this mean? Answer: AAA franchises and big budget IPs comprise a publisher's or platform's "core catalogue", so those who consume these products are the core audience or "core gamers".
Hardcore Gamers - An enthusiast gamer, a dedicated hobbyist. Gaming is what this person does instead of an annual holiday. This is where most if not all of their disposable income and time goes - every cent, every minute.
There. WHAT could be SIMPLER?
Imo it is possible to make the casual - core - hardcore distinction without automatically implying that one demographic is superior to the other, hell even the industry uses the same terms when talking about demographics.
Yes some "hardcore" gamers can be jerks but that's somewhat to be expected with ppl who are competitive and take things more seriously.
Yes some "hardcore" gamers can be jerks but that's somewhat to be expected with ppl who are competitive and take things more seriously.
Time spent and regularity are the only things that define a "hardcore gamer". I know many people who own several consoles, even gaming capable PC's, and have played many games on them, but may play a game and then nothing else for 6 months or a year. I wouldn't call them hardcore gamers.
I am not a hardcore gamer. I have all three systems and a couple of antiques, plus a Japanese Game Boy and a barely functioning Sega Game Gear. I buy only the exclusives available for each system (common titles on PS3 as well), I have a couple Steam titles and I often run one console on one TV while watching OTA TV or a Blu-ray on the other (hellooooo, Ergotron!) [https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUBYxA1mUbzEiNlN7ntgRZUf1Rq-1dnofVR5zhza_WrEMHic3Z].
A better description of me would be a gamingwhore trollop.
Let's face it folks, we're all just in it for the chemicals [http://gamertherapist.com/blog/2011/11/08/dopey-about-dopamine-video-games-drugs-addiction/]. I don't know what a 'hardcore gamer' is, but my name is [ ], and I am an addict.
A better description of me would be a gaming
Let's face it folks, we're all just in it for the chemicals [http://gamertherapist.com/blog/2011/11/08/dopey-about-dopamine-video-games-drugs-addiction/]. I don't know what a 'hardcore gamer' is, but my name is [ ], and I am an addict.
Everyone here on the Escapist who's got more than a few troll posts to his handle, is a core gamer.
Far too late to feign disinterest at this point. None of you are casual. Many of you may still like shitty, casual games, but that's just a matter of taste, not time.
Hardcore doesn't come into it.
A hardcore Starcraft player can back up his claim by kicking ass against most players in SC. Likewise a hardcore WC3 player in WC3. Etcetera. Being hardcore is about dedication and skill.
Core.
Far too late to feign disinterest at this point. None of you are casual. Many of you may still like shitty, casual games, but that's just a matter of taste, not time.
Hardcore doesn't come into it.
A hardcore Starcraft player can back up his claim by kicking ass against most players in SC. Likewise a hardcore WC3 player in WC3. Etcetera. Being hardcore is about dedication and skill.
Core.