I consider myself a hardcore gamer. I love games and playing them. But, I only play 5-6 hours per week (much less than a typical harcore gamer) and in general I do not play games rated "M".

I've noticed that for most, a hardcore game means that a game has to be rated "M". Why is this? Can't a game be for hardcore gamers, and at the same time not have to contain violence, sex or profanity? I believe that is the case.

But the "hardcore" stigma implies that people who are "hardcore" gamers only play those types of games.

What are your thoughts?

They don't. That's why the word hardcore is nonsense.

F-Zero GX is my example, maybe others can give some other examples. It is hard, very hard and can not be mastered without putting in a significant amount of time, the only definition of hardcore that i can abide by.

it doesn't need to be rated M...

unlike what many say, Nintendo's 1st party is not casual... Do casual buy the console of the same maker every gen just to play the games of that maker? no, hardcore gamers do (gamecube).

Because the people who call themselves "hardcore" need that sweet, sweet rush of aggression hormones, and that's what M-rated titles are geared to give.

Nobody ever said that. Stop making stuff up.

no one says it explicitly, but typically you get lists like

GTA, Halo, Gears, God of War, DMC, Killzone, and the like whenever someone states what a "hardcore" game is.

Triple Post

Super hardcore triple post.

Well the problem here is the Wii (or is it Nintendo).  Certain people hate the Wii (many analysts, PS360 fanboys).  They look for every way possible to downplay Wii's success.  What is the easiest way?  There are certain games which developers have always put on PS360 since this gen launched.  Those games have seen huge success on those consoles.  But there have been very few (if any such games on the Wii - CODWAW is the only one I can think of) and have had lower sales on Wii than they have had on PS360.  So those Nintendo haters have now used those types of games as the definition of hardcore so that they can say their consoles are the winners in the hardcore field and Wii is the loser.  Those games were never considered hardcore before this gen.  In fact GTA was a casual as they come (which is why it sold so well).

That's because, coincidentally, 90% of popular games among Microsoft/Sony fans are M rated :P