As far as i am concerned, "hardcore" involves a certain level of depth and immersion to a game. It is with this meaning in mind that I have been lobbying for hardcore games on the Wii. Yet slowly, I am starting to feel that hardcore involves a certain level of violence.

I see people of this site calling games like Madworld and HOTD:overkill hardcore games. To me when a game is 5 hours long, it can't be called hardcore, it is simply called a demo. You might as well call the "Imagine" series hardcore, as you will find just as much depth is such a game. 

Apparently, hardcore does not have to do with playtime either, as Wii sports has been played more than most games which are considered hardcore, yet Wii Sports is considered a casual game. 

It also can't have to do with sales, as both Okami and GTA are considered hardcore, and yet they lie at different ends of the sales spectrum. 

So what exactly does hardcore mean? I am not necessarily fan of violent games; I will take Pikmin or Mario over Resident Evil any day. So should I stop lobbying for hardcore games? 

According to Webster dictionary Hardcore mean:

1 a: of, relating to, or being part of a hard core b: confirmed, die-hard

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

Only one and three apply to gaming.

Who knows.

I have heard people say that Mario games were not hardcore, but there was a time when Mario was the definition of hardcore.

I think hardcore is whatever we say it is at the time.

Personally, I think any game that is worth playing should be played. If Barbie : Pony Racing got a 10 or 100% from the reviewers and they said "It was very accessible for kids and surprisingly deep for adults" I'd rock it and be like what?

"Hardcore Games" and "Hardcore Gamers" are terms without any real definition, and their meaning changes in order to support the worldview of the person who is using the term ... Many people have choosen to stop using the terms "Hardcore Games" and "Hardcore Gamers"

Many people use the terms "Core Games" and "Core Gamers" to mean the group of games/gamers that have traditionally been the centeral focus of the videogame market. These games are typically the kind of more indepth experience that many gamers have enjoyed for the past several generations, there is no ordering associated with being a "Core Game" or "Core Gamer" (in other words you can't be more "Core" than someone else), and there is no association with subject material because gamers have traditionally enjoyed "Everyone" rated games as well as "Mature" rated games (and everything inbetween).

To me there are no hardcore games, just hardcore gamers. If you sit and play Barbie: Pony Racing for 5-6 hours a night, then to me you are hardcore gamer. If someone decides to play GTA4 and only plays for 30 minutes a night, I would call him a casual gamer.

Thats just the way I see it, gamers can be, games cannot.

someone said that instead of hardcore we should say traditional and i think that is more accurate, and traditional gamers have always like "certain level of depth and immersion to a game" so i think the right word is traditional gamers, the ones that have guided the market trend from 1985 to 2006.

I was thinking about this the other day and it really depends on who you talk to. I don't really think it's to do with violence although there are certain groups (usually teens) that see hardcore as being games with blood and gore and supposedly "mature" themes.

Hardcore games are just games designed for people who are devoted to gamming. This can range from Age of Empires to CoD to Mario to Final Fantasy to Zelda. Although others can play them they're tailored to more traditional gamers. On the other hand casual games are designed for people of other more varied demographics but can be played by the "hardcore" traditional gamers. So it seems to me to be more of a perception thing.

Best post of the day :P

A bunch of limited elitist people.

gamers definition:
hardcore gamer - someone devoted to certain title. it can be pokemon, gears of war but also wii music, wii sports or petz games.
hardcore game - there is no such thing as hardcore game cause game can't be devoted to itself, right?

graphical whores/narrow minded people/teens that think playing gore games makes them adult definition:
hardcore game - game published on ps360 and pc with uber realistic graphics and ultra bloody gameplay.
hardcore gamer - person playing hardcore games.