What is a "Hardcore" Gamer?

[PityOnU]

Question is in the title. Also, what age group are they?

 

[Mollycule]

It's a cheesy title that people give themselves when they're relatively good at a game that they spend more time playing than doing anything else.

 

[Foxi4]

I don't really see the point in dividing between casual gamers and hardcore gamers strictly in terms of what games they play, rather in frequency and length of individual sittings as well as the circumstances.

A casual gamer plays a game from time to time to kill time, either on their phone or their PC - they don't bother with hardware dedicated strictly to gaming because they're not passionate about it - it's not a hobby for them. As such, they usually grab shorter, smaller mini-games rather than long and complex RPG's which require longer sitting, but this is not a rule - you can jump in and out of a game easily these days.

A "hardcore" gamer plays games as a hobby - it's an important part of the daily schedule. Some people watch TV in their spare time, some read a book, some read a newspaper - "hardcore gamers" play video games. This difference in approach causes more of a variety when it comes to genres commonly played, but it shouldn't be used as a restricion.

As far as the age group is concerned, I'm 24, consider myself more of a "core" gamer but I don't think the age itself is a huge factor here. What matters is the way you see gaming - whether you enjoy it thoroughly and can't quite see yourself being able to go around without it or just do it to kill time when you're bored on the train or when you're waiting for an important E-Mail.

 

[Shady Guy Jose]

I was more of a hardcore gamer when I was 11-18, since I had less other interests and a lot more time than I do now, as a 20-year-old medschool student. As far as genres I played most, platformers and JRPG's are the ones that consume most of my gaming time, even though I do like beat-em-ups and racing games as well. I just don't spend so much time on them.

EDIT: However, I am under the (perhaps misguided) impression that the most common genre between hardcore gamers is undoubtedly FPS, especially since a lot of high school gamers who play exclusively CoD may fall under the definition given earlier (first choice of hobby being "turn on your PS3 and start playing a game"), while not even being interested in games in general.

 

[PityOnU]

I was more of a hardcore gamer when I was 11-18, since I had less other interests and a lot more time than I do now, as a 20-year-old medschool student. As far as genres I played most, platformers and JRPG's are the ones that consume most of my gaming time, even though I do like beat-em-ups and racing games as well. I just don't spend so much time on them.

Same here. I was definitely a hardcore gamer from 11-18, but after that I just didn't have time anymore.

Applicable:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/online_gaming

 

[Fishaman P]

Personally, I'd say you're hardcore if you're a speedrunner/score-attacker.

 

[Gahars]

An enlightened individual untouched by the filth of casual scum.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is casual scum and should be quarantined immediately so their inferior opinions do not spread.

 

[emigre]

Isn't this the fourth thread of this type in the last six months or so not?

 

[Depravo]

People who only play mainstream FPS games. They're all 13.

 

[PityOnU]

Isn't this the fourth thread of this type in the last six months or so not?

I'm not sure, I haven't been around that long.

I'm just curious because a big part of the console war is appealing to "hardcore" gamers. Who the fuck are these people?

 

[yuyuyup]

It's a fluid definition, not really set in stone. You can be hardcore playing casual games, and you can casually play hardcore games. You must be at least 5 minutes old to be considered hardcore (10 secs to give controller to birthed baby, 4 min 50 secs for the baby to demonstrate commitment)

 

[Clarky]

A whiner usually

 

[DinohScene]

13 year old COD players.

Meh, I could be considered a hardcore gamer cause I pretty much spent hours on end on games.
I just like gaming~

 

[TripleSMoon]

I'm not sure, I haven't been around that long.

I'm just curious because a big part of the console war is appealing to "hardcore" gamers. Who the fuck are these people?

People who are way more likely to invest in gaming consoles and large quantities of games, and thus are the most critical market to the likes of Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft's success.

 

[Celice]

Well, this topic certainly seems to be indicative of someone's personal associations with "hardcore" types.

For me, casual gamers are individuals who see games as primarily entertainment, and are concerned with the medium purely as consumers. Where games come from, how they are made, the implication of publisher and audience relations, and similar topics are of no concern. These gamers range from people who game on their phones exclusively, to individuals who associate themselves with brands or developers instead of looking at games as a whole, rhizomatic structure, to individuals who buy consoles or have gaming PCs without really knowing why or what they made their purchase for (e.g. having gaming for the sake of gaming).

Hardcore gamers simply have an interest in their games, and treat it more than mere junkfood entertainment. They look towards good discussions, often critical in nature, pertaining to a particular game, gaming trends and tropes, the state of the industry, and other topics that are not exclusively geared towards one fan topic or another. The entirety of gaming is a concern. These gamers often look towards the experience of a game as most important--and are not as easily turned off by genre, length, or style.

 

[Panzer Tacticer]

A 'hard core' gamer, is a person that can find a justification in playing a game when no one else could.

The game need not be great, it need only be something the hard core gamer couldn't resist playing. Think smoking, can you walk away from a game? Then you are not hard core.

I have a Nintendo DSi XL, it is in excellent condition, because I don't play it to death. The battery will likely die from old age before being worn out. I have copies of a zillion DS games I might never get to, titles most would consider must play titles. But the day is only so long, and there are so many thing to do other than Nintendo games (believe it or not). I am sure not a hard core gamer inasmuch as Nintendo DS games goes.

But, you should see my collection of PC wargames. I have bought games worth 80-90 bucks and have yet to get around to playing, titles that have expansions that effectively make the sum total price around 150 bucks. That's a lot of cash for games I hardly play. So am I a hard core wargamer or not? Hard to tell. I do other things besides wargames.

I think the term that might apply to me is merely addict I can't stop buying wargames. I even buy some mainstream titles just on the idiotic belief 'I might get around to playing them eventually'. That's why I bought Dragon Age for the PS3 and why I bought Guild Wars 2 for PC. Likely money wasted (it's wasted money if you don't play the game regardless of how everyone says it's great).

I don't think you are hard core if you play the game to the detriment of your health. I believe that is merely called stupid.

I have friends that own all the consoles and play all the top games and play them a lot in their spare time, but, they still have jobs and they still have things like housework. They have other interests as well. But they play their games 'hard core' if they can claim to have 'beaten' a new title in just a week.

I think a hard core gamer is someone that can state they have all the consoles regardless of whether the consensus states some of the machines suck for one reason or another. If you use Steam even though you think it sucks, and if you are ready to get an X Box One regardless of all the brain dead spy crap you are likely hard core. If you consider a specific version of the PS3 a vital item for just one aspect of the machine, you are likely hard core. I have a PS3 for instance and it sits on a shelf unused currently. I don't even care what flavour or machine it is. I am not that hard core about it.

I think the only thing I am hard core about, where games are concerned, is I am not interested in the opinions of adults on what is and is not a suitable game for someone my age. But then again, like the sig says, I ditched my age group, they suck when it comes to thinking growing up is worth something.

 

[narutofan777]

hardcore gamer is a person who gets all the titles, trophies and accomplishments in a game. also they play games for 8+ hours daily. the top runescape player suomi was playin over 15 hours everyday and sometimes 24 hours a day..for years. yeahh hardcore.

i've played many games but i would not consider myself a hardcore gamer.

age for hardcore gamers: 18+. its not possible for teens or kids to play games 8+ hours or even 15+ hours a day for a year. they gotta go to school and play outside.

 

[Veho]

This guy is a "hardcore" gamer.

 

[Gahars]

This guy is a "hardcore" gamer.

*snip*

I am appalled by his behavior.

I mean, seriously, talking to a casual? What a disgrace.

 

[TripleSMoon]

I am appalled by his behavior.

I mean, seriously, talking to a woman? What a disgrace.

Fix'd