What is a Hardcore Gamer?

[L.B. Jeffries]

*edit*

It's a term loosely used until it was adopted by marketing geeks back when the Xbox 360 first hit the market that encouraged a sense of elitism and achievement in online play and feeling superior to other consoles. Fueling Xbox achievements and competitive culture, advertisers began to have the phrase backfire on them when it was realized that term actually drove people away sometimes. They then started marketing certain products as 'Casual' and...well, you know how this story goes.

 

[Caliostro]

I'm not saying you're not completely 100% right.
However, anything you can legally do and that isn't completely insane is a good thing right?
To make an example out of myself, I have Aspergers Syndrome and I am generally feeling good about myself, but at the same time, I also recognize that I do like to be respected for the things I am good at, be it mathematics or popping caps in people's behinds in First Person Shooters.
For me, being respected for the things I am good at, them being large or small, makes me feel better about myself and ultimately boosts my self-respect?

There's a difference between liking something, and needing it. I'm sure everyone likes being respected, there isn't really a negative to being respected.

I think the problem here lies in people misunderstanding "respect", most likely a whiplash of the whole troglodyte "gangsta!" culture kids these days follow, but respect isn't... A coin, or a rank, nor something you can demand or enforce in any way... If there's something that makes me wanna punt a baby across a mine field is when people start gurgling about "respect" like some sort of currency. "YO BETTA GIMME RESPECT HOMIE!", "respect this", "respect that", etc, etc, etc...

Respect is actually very complex. Respect is something you give or receive free willingly. Only when it's granted in honesty and of free will is it truly respect, and not some fake cover of fear or manipulation. Respect isn't something you can search, isn't something you can try to acquire, it's not something you should try to get, it's something that you CAN receive.

Picture true respect as the most sincere form of flattery. You can't very much walk up to someone and demand they say you look beautiful, or that you're clever, or whatever the fuck really... And you can't go through life expecting someone to walk up to you and say "my god, you're a genius!"... If someone does, great, makes you feel good naturally, but you can't "seek" it, you can't try to "grab" it... If you're so desperately attempting to reach this "respect", then you lack something more important, you lack valuing yourself, for all your good and bad things, and you won't truly be "free" in life till you do.

But back to the point at hand, there's nothing wrong with liking games, and liking them a lot, I sure as hell do, but the kind of people that would label themselves "hardcore gamers", in general, are the same kind of people to whom games are no longer really fun, they're an addiction, like crack or heroine, they are their method of "living", "approval junkies", "addicts of admiration", they're all in it for the "that guy is really good at it!". And as we've established already, that points towards far deeper and graver personality disorders.

L.B. Jeffries: The term "hardcore gamer" has been around long before the 360, or even the original Xbox were even created.

 

[Hellion25]

In my experience "Hardcore" is just a term thrown about by people with inferiority complexes who need to elevate themselves above others for whatever reason. A gamer's a gamer right? Who cares about the elitist shite.

 

[HeyZeus_Ezekiel_Jesus]

Hardcore gamers are not biased and thus don't read reviews and can tell when a game is going to be shit.

 

[CCountZero]

There's a difference between liking something, and needing it. I'm sure everyone likes being respected, there isn't really a negative to being respected.

I think the problem here lies in people misunderstanding "respect", most likely a whiplash of the whole troglodyte "gangsta!" culture kids these days follow, but respect isn't... A coin, or a rank, nor something you can demand or enforce in any way... If there's something that makes me wanna punt a baby across a mine field is when people start gurgling about "respect" like some sort of currency. "YO BETTA GIMME RESPECT HOMIE!", "respect this", "respect that", etc, etc, etc...

Respect is actually very complex. Respect is something you give or receive free willingly. Only when it's granted in honesty and of free will is it truly respect, and not some fake cover of fear or manipulation. Respect isn't something you can search, isn't something you can try to acquire, it's not something you should try to get, it's something that you CAN receive.

Picture true respect as the most sincere form of flattery. You can't very much walk up to someone and demand they say you look beautiful, or that you're clever, or whatever the fuck really... And you can't go through life expecting someone to walk up to you and say "my god, you're a genius!"... If someone does, great, makes you feel good naturally, but you can't "seek" it, you can't try to "grab" it... If you're so desperately attempting to reach this "respect", then you lack something more important, you lack valuing yourself, for all your good and bad things, and you won't truly be "free" in life till you do.

But back to the point at hand, there's nothing wrong with liking games, and liking them a lot, I sure as hell do, but the kind of people that would label themselves "hardcore gamers", in general, are the same kind of people to whom games are no longer really fun, they're an addiction, like crack or heroine, they are their method of "living", "approval junkies", "addicts of admiration", they're all in it for the "that guy is really good at it!". And as we've established already, that points towards far deeper and graver personality disorders.

L.B. Jeffries: The term "hardcore gamer" has been around long before the 360, or even the original Xbox were even created.

I think my first response to your original post covers what you're writing about the term "respect" pretty well.
Your points are very valid though, there most certainly are a lot of "gangsta mentality" gamers out there.
To make another example:
Party A shoots party B in the head with an unscoped Mp5 in CoD4 over a range of 200 yards.
Party B PMs party A with "Man, that was a bloody good shot!"
In this scenario, party B shows his respect to party A for a job well done, AKA, being good at the stuff he just did.

Personally, I consider that genuine respect/honoring/admiration.

And yes, you have made your valid points on the idea of desireing either of these three from your gaming peers, although probably more often your gaming superiours, but my own point is, that if it makes you feel good, then what is wrong with it? I assume you implied that a lot of people feel this way, most likely a vast majority.
Do you feel that this is "below your standards"? (I would probably think so myself if I was not one of these people, hang me if you hate me.)

Also, respect is most certainly something you can seek out.
Every single person who took specific actions toward an ultimate goal of becoming famous actively sought respect.
An example of this is a band such as U2. A couple guys got together, played some music, thought it sounded great, and wanted the world to listen to it as well.
At first this may have started out as "I like this and want to share it with the world", but eventually it always turns into the lead singer standing on stage screaming "I rock!" and 10000 fans screaming "We agree!"

 

[dooner11]

Im pretty sick of "hardcore gamers" who are super exclusive and act like they are better than casual gamers. I am certainly a hardcore gamer, but i still get mad whenever i see some make, say, a list of things that only hardcore gamers can do. To me, a hardcore gamer is someone who isnt embarassed by the title "hardcore gamer". They are proud of it. While casual gamers are the kind who deny their love of video games to avoid looking like a nerd. And when asked say "ya i play a little". If you seek the title "hardcore" then i think you are.

Stop being exclusive dickheads and putting labels on everyone.

 

[SimuLord]

Hardcore. Meet all or some of these requirements and you are one:
Logged over 2 months on WoW
Turned down sex for more gaming
Play videogames at least 25 (being generous) hours a week
Built your own computer
Have played at least 1 game over 13 times
Had to decide whether to get food or a new game
Have named, and refer to your console as a person
have spent over a week with more gaming time than sleeping

If you meet any of those you are hardcore. Other than that You might be dedicated but not hardcore.

Let's see...

Hate WoW, but spent two months each beating every nook and cranny of Oblivion and Morrowind. Close enough, I think.

I've scheduled dates in such a way as not to conflict with gaming time and neglected girlfriends to the point where they've called me to see if I'd died when in fact I was just playing Panzer General.

At least 25? If I got paid even minimum wage to play games I could make rent and pay my bills.

Sort of...I've taken a Dell pre-built and modded every part except the CPU.

I have a College Hoops 2K5 save on my PS2. Over 700 games played, all manual with 15-minute halves spanning over 20 in-game years since I bought the game in November 2004.

I'm not that pressed for cash but many times my wife asks me "have you eaten today?" and I've been like "I've been too busy playing [insert game name here] and just kinda forgot to eat."

Now that's just weird.

Over a week? How about every week? I sleep six hours a night on average. I easily game for more than that.

 

[Caliostro]

Also, respect is most certainly something you can seek out.
Every single person who took specific actions toward an ultimate goal of becoming famous actively sought respect.
An example of this is a band such as U2. A couple guys got together, played some music, thought it sounded great, and wanted the world to listen to it as well.
At first this may have started out as "I like this and want to share it with the world", but eventually it always turns into the lead singer standing on stage screaming "I rock!" and 10000 fans screaming "We agree!"

My whole point is that if you're actively seeking out respect in others you're already doing it wrong.

 

[Lavi]

There is no such thing as hardcore. It's just people trying to boost their non-existant egos.

Though if the term was to refer to anything besides people with inferiority complexes, I'd assume a hardcore gamer to be one who can get money for playing.

 

[Graustein]

*edit*

It's a term loosely used until it was adopted by marketing geeks back when the Xbox 360 first hit the market that encouraged a sense of elitism and achievement in online play and feeling superior to other consoles. Fueling Xbox achievements and competitive culture, advertisers began to have the phrase backfire on them when it was realized that term actually drove people away sometimes. They then started marketing certain products as 'Casual' and...well, you know how this story goes.

This. In other words, it's a load of bullcrap used by pretentious gamers desperately seeking for some way to inflate their fragile egos.

 

[Graustein]

There is no such thing as hardcore. It's just people trying to boost their non-existant egos.

Though if the term was to refer to anything besides people with inferiority complexes, I'd assume a hardcore gamer to be one who can get money for playing.

Nope, that'd be a professional player, or occasionally a cyber athlete

 

[CCountZero]

Also, respect is most certainly something you can seek out.
Every single person who took specific actions toward an ultimate goal of becoming famous actively sought respect.
An example of this is a band such as U2. A couple guys got together, played some music, thought it sounded great, and wanted the world to listen to it as well.
At first this may have started out as "I like this and want to share it with the world", but eventually it always turns into the lead singer standing on stage screaming "I rock!" and 10000 fans screaming "We agree!"

My whole point is that if you're actively seeking out respect in others you're already doing it wrong.

By now we are starting to get into defining the idea of what "Right" and "Wrong" is.
Naturally, everyone is entitled to their own personal definition, but a fundemental idea of right and wrong is neccesary to justify upholding laws.
In our different types of democracies (single-ruler systems does not have a fundemental right and wrong, as only one man decides this, making it a personal definition) it always comes down to a majority either directly selecting laws that defines right from wrong, or a majority selecting other people, whose opinions they share, to define right and wrong for them.

Thus we have established that majority makes right, and minority makes wrong (although some humans do have genetic limitations to how far they are willing to take this, such as the act of genocide).

With this in mind, I can start getting to my point.

If so many people are "doing it wrong", how can it actually be wrong?

Also, if we cut all the way down to extremes, it could be said that every single human being on this planet is selfish.

An example of this:
I give you a cookie. Why did I give you a cookie? Because it made you feel good. By making you feel good, I bring you closer to liking me. I gave you the cookie because I want you to like me. >> I WANT << you to like me, because it makes me feel good.

 

[Caliostro]

Also, respect is most certainly something you can seek out.
Every single person who took specific actions toward an ultimate goal of becoming famous actively sought respect.
An example of this is a band such as U2. A couple guys got together, played some music, thought it sounded great, and wanted the world to listen to it as well.
At first this may have started out as "I like this and want to share it with the world", but eventually it always turns into the lead singer standing on stage screaming "I rock!" and 10000 fans screaming "We agree!"

My whole point is that if you're actively seeking out respect in others you're already doing it wrong.

By now we are starting to get into defining the idea of what "Right" and "Wrong" is.
Naturally, everyone is entitled to their own personal definition, but a fundemental idea of right and wrong is neccesary to justify upholding laws.
In our different types of democracies (single-ruler systems does not have a fundemental right and wrong, as only one man decides this, making it a personal definition) it always comes down to a majority either directly selecting laws that defines right from wrong, or a majority selecting other people, whose opinions they share, to define right and wrong for them.

Thus we have established that majority makes right, and minority makes wrong (although some humans do have genetic limitations to how far they are willing to take this, such as the act of genocide).

With this in mind, I can start getting to my point.

If so many people are "doing it wrong", how can it actually be wrong?

Also, if we cut all the way down to extremes, it could be said that every single human being on this planet is selfish.

An example of this:
I give you a cookie. Why did I give you a cookie? Because it made you feel good. By making you feel good, I bring you closer to liking me. I gave you the cookie because I want you to like me. >> I WANT << you to like me, because it makes me feel good.

Reading too much into things. "You're doing it wrong" is an expression. Didn't feel like repeating my original post.

And yes, we are all selfish in all honesty, all we do is for ourselves.

 

[Anarchemitis]

Hardcore. Meet all or some of these requirements and you are one:
Logged over 2 months on WoW
Play videogames at least 25 (being generous) hours a week
Had to decide whether to get food or a new game
Have named, and refer to your console as a person
Have spent over a week with more gaming time than sleeping

If you meet any of those you are hardcore. Other than that You might be dedicated but not hardcore.

How about 'at least 2 of the above. 3 Definitely.'

 

[Remag]

The definition of "Hardcore Gamer" often varies with the crowd you're dealing with. I've seen various definitions of the term, and all seem to bear some validity.

When used as a positive connotation, a Hardcore Gamer might be classified based on one of the following factors.

Chronology - The point in time in which a gamer first began any serious gaming, often referred to by which generation of PC or gaming console said gamer started with.

Typical Phrase by a Chronology Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I've been gaming since the Atari 2600, and started PC gaming on my 486 where I played text based MUDS before graphic RPGs game out for the newer generation.

Achievements - The number of achievements a gamer has achieved in his/her gaming career, and the efficiency and speed in which those achievements were acquired.

Typical Phrase by an Achievement Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I have 100% in every GTA game from III onward, and am already level 40 in Warhammer Online.

Ranking - The rank, score, or placing of a gamer in any kind of recognized (officially or otherwise) gaming venue, or the amount of money and/or prizes garnered at any kind of gaming tournament.

Typical Phrase by a Ranking Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I routinely score top at Halo 3 tournaments, Street Fighter Turbo elimination matches, and have declared tournament gaming as my occupation on my tax filings.

Gaming Skill - The ability to beat a normal game with some kind of self imposed handicap, or within an obscenely short period of time.

Typical Phrase by a Skill Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I can beat Megaman X5 with no hits in under 45 minutes, and have beaten FF7 with no materia/starting weapons only/Lv 30 max.

Dedication - The amount of time, energy, or priority spent on gaming as opposed to other hobbies, interests, or obligations. Yes, I routinely see this cited as a positive endorsement.

Typical Phrase by a Dedicated Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I play WoW 25+ hours/week, often game for more hours than I sleep, and have turned down sex from a willing and attractive member of my sexual preference in order to game on at least one occasion.

Familiarity with Obscurity - The amount of knowledge a gamer has on obscure titles, consoles, or information on gaming lore.

Typical Phrase by an Obscure Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I own an arcade cabinet of Boonga-Ga Boonga-Ga, Know the balanced and unbalanced custom characters in Win-Mugen, and know how Donkey Kong and Mario's name came about.

Collection - The physical collection of games and/or consoles owned by the gamer, and in what condition those games/consoles are kept.

Typical Phrase by a Collection Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I own the entire Virtual Boy game library, have mint condition copies of Final Fantasy 6 and Chorno Trigger (complete with original packaging, manuals, and promo material), and own every console released by Sega since the Master System.

When used as a negative connotation, Hardcore often seems to exemply the negative traits associated (justly or otherwise) with the characertics described above. A hardcore gamer might be described as having no life (Dedicated, Achievement, and Skill gamers), having bad priorities (Dedicated, Obscure, and Ranking gamers), poor hygene (Usually Dedicated gamers), bad financial management skills (Collection gamers), immature (Chroannlogy gamers) or astetic properties typically associated with the classification of "nerd" (All of the above).

 

[Righteous One]

It deprnds really how extreme you really meam by 'hardcore' gamers. I would consider myself a hardcore gamer. I play games frequently, I enjoy playing them whats wrog with that? I'd probobly also be defined as a 'geek'. I do still have a social life, however, and meet my freinds often (even if it is just to play more games).

Now the kind of (prepare for extreme stereotypes) pereson who plays games for more time than they get sleep, eat at the keyboard or not at all, perfect headshot tripple kill from five squillion miles and only know their freinds from online are the kind of people I would define as ultra hardcore. People to which games are no longer games, they are a way of life.

In short, hardcore is someone who likes playing games (a lot), ultra hardcore gamers dont 'play' games.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

I think the most brief description of hardcore gamer would be "an overcritical person who doesn't appreciate anything they have."

OK so I just said that because of how exploitable it was, but there's some truth to that.

 

[CCountZero]

The definition of "Hardcore Gamer" often varies with the crowd you're dealing with. I've seen various definitions of the term, and all seem to bear some validity.

When used as a positive connotation, a Hardcore Gamer might be classified based on one of the following factors.

Chronology - The point in time in which a gamer first began any serious gaming, often referred to by which generation of PC or gaming console said gamer started with.

Typical Phrase by a Chronology Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I've been gaming since the Atari 2600, and started PC gaming on my 486 where I played text based MUDS before graphic RPGs game out for the newer generation.

Achievements - The number of achievements a gamer has achieved in his/her gaming career, and the efficiency and speed in which those achievements were acquired.

Typical Phrase by an Achievement Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I have 100% in every GTA game from III onward, and am already level 40 in Warhammer Online.

Ranking - The rank, score, or placing of a gamer in any kind of recognized (officially or otherwise) gaming venue, or the amount of money and/or prizes garnered at any kind of gaming tournament.

Typical Phrase by a Ranking Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I routinely score top at Halo 3 tournaments, Street Fighter Turbo elimination matches, and have declared tournament gaming as my occupation on my tax filings.

Gaming Skill - The ability to beat a normal game with some kind of self imposed handicap, or within an obscenely short period of time.

Typical Phrase by a Skill Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I can beat Megaman X5 with no hits in under 45 minutes, and have beaten FF7 with no materia/starting weapons only/Lv 30 max.

Dedication - The amount of time, energy, or priority spent on gaming as opposed to other hobbies, interests, or obligations. Yes, I routinely see this cited as a positive endorsement.

Typical Phrase by a Dedicated Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I play WoW 25+ hours/week, often game for more hours than I sleep, and have turned down sex from a willing and attractive member of my sexual preference in order to game on at least one occasion.

Familiarity with Obscurity - The amount of knowledge a gamer has on obscure titles, consoles, or information on gaming lore.

Typical Phrase by an Obscure Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I own an arcade cabinet of Boonga-Ga Boonga-Ga, Know the balanced and unbalanced custom characters in Win-Mugen, and know how Donkey Kong and Mario's name came about.

Collection - The physical collection of games and/or consoles owned by the gamer, and in what condition those games/consoles are kept.

Typical Phrase by a Collection Hardcore Gamer - I'm hardcore because I own the entire Virtual Boy game library, have mint condition copies of Final Fantasy 6 and Chorno Trigger (complete with original packaging, manuals, and promo material), and own every console released by Sega since the Master System.

When used as a negative connotation, Hardcore often seems to exemply the negative traits associated (justly or otherwise) with the characertics described above. A hardcore gamer might be described as having no life (Dedicated, Achievement, and Skill gamers), having bad priorities (Dedicated, Obscure, and Ranking gamers), poor hygene (Usually Dedicated gamers), bad financial management skills (Collection gamers), immature (Chroannlogy gamers) or astetic properties typically associated with the classification of "nerd" (All of the above).

I suppose the point is that it's largely a matter of personal definition.
Which I guess is as close to the truth as anyone is ever gonna get without imposing world-wide dictatorship.


On that note, my personal defition ranks actually being good at what you do fairly high.
Also, owning or having played games for a long time doesn't make you hardcore, it just makes you rich or old.

After all, if I had played Mario Kart for N64 for 20 years, 2 hours a day, and still couldn't beat the Princess, it wouldn't really matter that I had played it for a long time, the only thing people would notice is that I never got better

 

[Remag]

After all, if I had played Mario Kart for N64 for 20 years, 2 hours a day, and still couldn't beat the Princess, it wouldn't really matter that I had played it for a long time, the only thing people would notice is that I never got better

Indeed. You would only be hardcore if you were playing back in the days of the original Mario Cart (Chronology), were able to beat all laps of Rainbow Road in under 2 minutes (Skilled), forgone other responsibilities or duties to play Mario Kart 64 (Dedicated), or won some tournament or another in Mario Kart 64 (Ranking).

I should have been clearer though that the opinions expressed in my post are not opinions I personally hold in regards to hardcore gaming, but rather opinions I have observed among gamers in both my immediate and indirect company, and a reflection of various facets of this gaming community.

Rather, my personal opinion, much like the opinions of many on this board, is that the term can have a mulititude of meanings.