Okay, clarification time, please. What are we talking about here, exactly? "Core" and "hardcore" are not the same thing at all. A hardcore player is usually just a very dedicated, sometimes fanatical, player. They are often core, but not necessarily. I know a woman who plays more puzzle games in a day than I play video-games all week.
Microsoft designates four types, three of which most of us on websites like this would describe as "casual": Dabblers, Family-Timers, Connected, and Core. In their terminology, core is mainly defined by genres played (RPG, Action-Adventure, Shooters, etc.) and by a generally higher level of technical savvy. "Core" is not a dirty word by any stretch of the imagination. Actually, "hardcore" isn't either, as I've known hardcore players who are very open-minded. Hardcore in no way automatically equates to elitist. Generalizing core or hardcore is just as bad as generalizing casuals.
