a hardcore gamer, these days, seems to be the video game playing equivalent of an elitist geek. also, someone who never goes out and doesn't bathe much.

If it shows naked girls, then it's hardcore.

i.e. God of War

PC gamers will always be considered geeks opposed to console gamers.

I think self proclaimed hardcore gamers are snobs, who scoff at the thought that anybody might be playing a different game to what they like. TBH it doesnt matter what game each individual plays, be it COD, Mario, or a game that is perceived to be "shovelware". If they are having fun does it really matter???

A core gamer is an enthusiast. It is not necessarily determined by the game genre. Although a compilation of mini games is probably more likely to appeal to a casual rather than a core gamer.

When people use the term, I think it essentially means "games I like".....

A hardcore gamer is a person that plays hardcore games hardcore games are games with fair but exceptionally hard gameplay. Its hard because it has clever and difficult gameplay and is not hard because you glitch through cliffs while jumping and die or because enemies can fire through walls etc. (thats why there is HARD in hardcore)

People have to distinguish between "casual" "mainstream" "hardcore" (it would be better to have easily accessible and non-accessible games instead of the C/H debate tho.)

Casual is stuff like "Final Fantasy All the bravest" you can play a short session and its not to complicated.

Mainstream is stuff like Call of Duty etc. You can compare those to stuff like Transformers or 2012 (movies) its mostly visually impressive for the "simple" people out there. As said it is impressive but not that challenging. (i'll explain why the GAME itself is no challenge later)

Hardcore games are games like alot of mario games (the harder ones NOT the NewSuperMario series!!!) most games from the arcades, stuff like super hexaon or all those bullet hell games. Really challenging games.

(not because another person you meet online etc is the challenge but because the game itself is a challenge. I mean you can invite the worlds best Wii Sports player and he will be a serious challenge for you but this doesnt make Wii Sports a hardcore title its the same reason COD is not a hardcore game the Game is not the challegne its other players. I can also find people that can fart louder than me this also doesnt make farting something hardcore right?)

About the accessible non accessible games. It would be smarter to drop this stupid hardcore casual crap and just talk about how accessible a game is for people that are new to this type of game etc. Angry birds accessible but you can fail alot (like in old arcade games) this is why Angry Birds is not a casual game even tho you can play it in short bursts. Its simply accessible because the gameplay is obvious and actually simple yet challenging.

The ones that show penetration.

Well for me if just anybody can pick up the game and be good at it.....it ain't core.

There are no hardcore or casual games, the term applies to gamers. Mario can be hardcore or casual, CoD can be hardcore or casual, God of War can be hardcore or casual. Because all the games are created to appeal to the widest crowd possible, is how people play those games that make the difference.

A core (or hardcore) player will not struggle with the game too much, it will (if time allows) play it multiple times, in the higher difficulties, likes complex mechanics and tries to pick up everything on their way.

A casual player will finish the game, if necessary will reduce the difficulty to the lowest and from time to time have some rounds/matches in the multiplayer modes.

Fighting games are a good example, those games are not core or casual, but can be played in both ways. People think that making the game easy to pick up and play will make it casual, it will not but is a way to make it available to more people and enjoyable for people that only play casually. But many very complex or hard games are also played by casual gamers, I have a lot of friends that I would consider casual that buy and finish the latest FIFA game, the latest CoD and God od War, if you ask they don't play anything else, 2 or 3 games every year, so they are casual gamers for me, but does not mean that those games are casual or hardcore.