The perception that you have is just totally wrong. You try to influence other with your idea that hardcore gamer is judging by score is totally wrong too. According to your standard, nobody will buy PSP game before God of War come out, then the industry will be doomed. According to your standard, how can a game above 9.0 should be called as epic "AAA" status, then what should it be called when it is above 9.5, "AAAA", the score is just a determination index and system, it is just a reference. You know what is the funniest part, you try to set up a score that high for determine a hardcore gamer and claiming that you are one of them but try to bashing them for for 0.3 score, this is so ridiculous. Was Wii being called a "kiddy" console because it got less above 90 games? Hell no, it is because it got more party game & child-friendly like game. Most of the gamer consider Madworld as a hardcore game for Wii, is it because it already been confirmed as a above 90 title? Hell no again. Why at NES time didn't have hardcore & casual like game? Because ESRB wasn't there. The earliest statement of hardcore & casual gamer appeared, was because the establishment of ESRB and the word "Mature" appeared. Do you think that there is really a buying pattern for buying only above 90 games and called as hardcore gamer? Hell no. They will only be Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony fanboy like buying pattern, they will buy the their game whatever it is 70, 80 or 90(at least it isn't bad at all first). Before the actual formed of internet, do you think people go online for checking review score and decide what to buy? No, there were only word of mouth & advertisement. The guy that you called as hardcore gamer type should be just a guy who decided to buy NG2 when it is above 90. Will it really turn most of the gamer away?Hell no again. It will just become least purchasable, no everyone is that rich to buy every game, will the gamer buy it again when the word of mouth is good? The answer is definitely.
According to your standard, Hardcore gamer will destroy the industry because it only buy above 90 game, other game just won't sell at all. Think about it again, before the online stuff, review don't really influence the buying behavior, and before the ESRB we don't really have Hardcore Gamer.
To leave aside your definition of hardcore and casual gamer, the question don't even exist.
If you really want to consider what is hardcore gamer without the "Mature" theory, I would say craze about videogames and willing to buy some of the game at the 1st day.
Poor PS3 Sales Means Smaller Losses
"Actually, because the number of units sold was not as high as we hoped, the loss was better than our original expectation," Quotes from Sony’s CFO Nobuyuki Oneda.
