HappySqurriel on 02 April 2009
"Core" and "Hardcore" are not interchangeable terms (or at least haven't been for a very long time) ...
"Hardcore" is a term which constantly refers to different games and (in most contexts) the best definition for the term would be "The games I see as being more desireable" ... "Core" is a term which refers to the games, genres and fanbase that has existed in the industry for a long time and represents the centeral element of gaming. On top of that "Hardcore" is a term that can be used to order games ("Ninja Gaiden is a much more 'Hardcore' game than Viewtiful Joe") while "Core" is a category with no ordering ("Metal Gear Solid and Mario Galaxy are both 'Core' games")
