I'm curious to know this because people I know consider me to be one but I don't think I am.

I admit, I am a Hardcore Final Fantasy fanboy but that's about it.

I have a near unshakeable interest in the Pro Evo series and Tekken series

With a level of admiration for Gran Turismo and Metal Gear Solid.

Apart from that I have no solid intests in anything else except for a casual interest in Strategic RPGS and puzzles/misellanious games (like Lumines, Devil Dice etc etc).

As for my skill levels.

Eventhough RPGS are my poison of choice, I'm average in terms of skill with regards to them.

I have a respectable level of skill in sports and fighting games. (Expect a good performance from me not a tournement winning one)

I suck at racers and I don't do shooters.

Lastly, eventhough I love the puzzlers, I have to admit I'm below average.

So the question is, in your opinion (out of 10) how much of a "hardcore gamer" do I come across as?

Also in your opinion, what makes a hardcore game?

...gotta find that hardcore pic.

Genres don't matter. How much do you play? If my mom played Wii Fit for four hours a day (it will never happen), I'd consider her a hardcore gamer. Or like the guys in A Fistful of Quarters, those guys played nothing but arcade games. The fact that they don't touch RPG's or shooters doesn't make them any less "hardcore."

Here's a simple test to see if you are or are not a hardcore gamer. And all it takes is to answer one simple question.

How do you celebrate Wintereenmas?

By hoping in vain that people will realize Tim Buckley isn't funny or creative.

One that uses anal beads.

^^Lmao!

OT: Traditionally - a person who dedicates a lot of time to play video games, regardless of the genre.

Nowadays - an a**hole.

I'm actually sick of the whole "hardcore" label (and its insidious evil twin, "casual"). I've seen both of them used by just about everybody imaginable, almost always incorrectly. Let's see what Merriam-Webster online says.

Hardcore

Main Entry:

hard–core

Pronunciation:

\-ˈkȯr\

Function:

adjective

Date:

1940

1 a: of, relating to, or being part of a hard core <hard–core poverty> <the hard–core unemployed> b: confirmed , die-hard <hard–core rock fans> <a hard–core liberal>

2 of pornography : containing explicit descriptions of sex acts or scenes of actual sex acts — compare soft-core

3: characterized by or being the purest or most basic form of something : fundamental <a room gussied up in hard–core French provincial style — John Canaday>

Casual

Main Entry:

¹ca·su·al

Pronunciation:

\ˈkazh-wəl, ˈka-zhə-wəl, ˈka-zhəl\

Function:

adjective

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French casuel, from Late Latin casualis, from Latin casus fall, chance — more at case

Date:

14th century

1: subject to, resulting from, or occurring by chance <a casual meeting>

2 a: occurring without regularity : occasional <casual employment> b: employed for irregular periods <a casual worker> c: met with on occasion and known only superficially <a casual friend>

3 a (1): feeling or showing little concern : nonchalant <a casual approach to cooking> (2): lacking a high degree of interest or devotion <casual sports fans> <casual readers> (3): done without serious intent or commitment <casual sex> b (1): informal , natural <a casual conversation> (2): designed for informal use <casual clothing>

Hardcore = repetitive gameplay mechanics over and over again. For example, FF7 ~ FF12 - basicaly interactive anime with traditional and retarded battle system. FF7 was a success and benchmark for jRPGs, all following in the series just copying it with a few new elements, some tweaks here, some tweaks there. Yes, FF means epic storyline through a lot of CGI, but was there epic gameplay? Definitely no, there're just no room for gameplay when CGI occupy 9/10 room of data medium (that's just exaggeration, I'm not serious at this point). But that just a matter of opinion - "ludologists" vs. "narratologists" - I'm a gameplay guy. Sorry, FF-fans, no offence, I just got tired by Square Enix mass production of jRPGs.

//BTW the same with so called "modern FPSs" cloning each other... run-cover-shoot - is that a hardcore? I just don't get it, may be I'm NOT hardcore.

I don't play that much anymore because I'm always working or too tired from work. but when I do, it's usually 2hrs on pro evo (about once a week) or 1hr on the psp.