Hardcore gamer,does the label mean anything,even to a gamer?

R

radarhead

First time out of the vault
This week me and my friends of questionable social etiquette at the GameOverCast decided to answer a listeners question. The question being: Hardcore gamer, does the label mean anything ? Even to a gamer?
It caused a few disagreements between the cast, no one member completely agreeing with the other, we all had different interpretations of what it meant, and if it meant anything at all.
What do fellow Fallout players think? After all The fallout out series is by many peoples definitions a "hardcore" game.

Points to think about:
- How do you even begin to define a hardcore gamer
Is it the type of game/(s)?
Time spent?
Skill level/ability at a given game?
Knowledge of games and the industry?

- If there is such a thing as "hardcore" then what precedes it? Middlecore? Softcore? Casual etc?

- Is it a label people label themselves in attempt to make them seem aloof to other gamers, or as a statement "I am more a gamer than you!"

- Does someone who isn't a gamer recognise the label "hardcore gamer", would it even mean anything to them, would they even tell the difference between someone who has the label and someone who didnt, or would they just see them as a gamer full stop.

- I have friends who wouldn't consider themselves gamers, yet they have spent hundreds of hours of playing football manager, a game. Are they hardcore gamers?

You get the idea. What do you think? Discuss!

Also maybe check out the Podcast :). This week it features some awesome listener emails, a run down of Fallout New vegas played on the "right" platform (PC), though its only early impressions, much more tol follow on the next episode, and a fairly random quiz. Oh and one of the cast members(me infact) having to sing "I will survive" by Gloria Gaynor as part of a forfeit.....

Listen here, its a good listen honest: GameOverCastGameOverCast.
 
To me, Hardcore gamer is a person who treats games as something more than entertainment - really tries to immerse himself into the game world and tries his\hers best to get the most out experience out of a game. Someone who is interested with a game's lore, development etc.
 
I dont deny i have posted this topic in other places, the podcast is a hobby and a labour of love and i'd like people to know about it. At the same time I am genuinely interested in peoples take on the subject matter, for instance I also put this subject on theescapist forum where I'm not allowed(and don't) to mention the podcast.
 
Brother None said:
I don't think this term means what you think it means.
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I dunno man, copy-pasting an ad (with the clear purpose of generating hits on his website which was linked to no less than 4 times) under the guise of a discussion post on multiple forums at the same time seems incredibly spammy to me. Register account, CTRL+V, repeat.

Reminds me of this : http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=56302 which was also spammed on multiple forums.

Not my place to argue though Kharny, I'll bow out of this one.
 
The hardcore label is a pretty stupid attempt at Elitism. It's trying to say that they not only play video games alot they are an authority on playing video games. Which is stupid. Very stupid. And people who identify as hardcore usually have pretty stupid opinions like all good games are FPS and you aren't a true gamer if haven't put 300+ hours into MW2.
 
To be a hardcore gamer you need to own and use almost every well-known platform ever, the newest ones being a must, and at least one less known/cult platform. You need to be amazingly good at at least ten games, and have played through hundreds. You have to spend almost all of your time playing games. Finally you need to be a pro in one or more competetive genres.

That's basically the definition as of ten years ago, but it seemed alot more ridiculous back then.
 
I'm in agreement with Ravager69 mostly, a hardcore gamer does'nt nessesarilly be good at playing games, but his surrounding knowledge about games or a game should be good.
 
sea said:
The vast majority of people are concerned with having a good time and little else.
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You mean having good time by approaching games with a more laid back and relaxed manner, because my definition of a good time is also all the things you mentioned bellow. I see alot of people trying to stamp "good time", "fun" and other similar adjectives as definitions for simple, fast paced gaming only. Why can't i have fun with a complex, hard to crack puzzle game? :)

As for the hardcore gamer term, i think it's pretty pointless. Most people have very different definitions of it so it doesn't really serve as a concrete characterization in discusions.
 
I'm not a "hardcore gamer," or a "casual gamer," or any "adjective gamer." I'm just a gamer. I play games and have fun doing it. It's been my hobby for about 15 years now, and I don't see myself stopping.

If your self identity relies on whether or not strangers think you're a "ZOMG HARDCORE GAMER," /yourself.
 
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