what is "Hardcore" gaming?

[Continuity]

*sigh* This is probably the 10th thread on "what is hardcore" i've posted in since joining the forum.. I evidently like repeating myself, maybe I just like seeing my opinion in text. w/e.

OT: Hardcore simply (har har) refers to those gamers who are part of the nerd/geek gamer culture as opposed to those who are "casual", represented by the barbarian hordes of Wii and other motion control nouveau gamers invading "our" cultural niche. Thats the high level meaning anyway, hardcore is also often characterised by amount of time spent gaming, how "seriously" you take gaming as a hobby, and what sort of games you play.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

There is no hardcore and softcore gamers. There are only elitist gamers and regular gamers.

 

[Twuk]

There is no hardcore and softcore gamers. There are only elitist gamers and regular gamers.

I like this terminology much better.

 

[ShatterPalm]

The way I see it there are three types of gaming: Standard, casual, and hardcore. Standard is stuff like Metroid (discounting Other M of course), Okami, Infamous, etc. Standard is largely has a nice balance of gamplay and story, and it's position allows it to focus on either of the two. Casual Gaming uses as few gameplay elements as possible, has virtually no plot, and more often than not no characters. Mario Galaxy(yes, it is, don't deny it) and Peggle are good example. They're a lot of fun in a weird way and also strangely addictive. They usually balance skill with incrimental difficulty better than standard and hardcore games, and have no point other than to waste time. Hardcore titles are games that emphasize heavy combat, blood, guts, gore, etc, often to a point more than nescessary. BioShock, God of War, COD, Dead Rising 2, and No More Heros are the best example. More often than not the gameplay in a hardcore title is pretty good, but there is also normally a lack of any significant story or character development.

That's pretty much all I can come up with.