There are tons of people who claim they are hardcore when it comes to gaming, but few have ever had the chance to tell us what makes them a hardcore gamer.  Here is your chance to tell me just that!

I will start the discussion off.

What makes me a hardcore gamer is first my passion for gaming and my willingness to be late for my best friends wedding because I was almost at the end of GT4.  Not sure if that is hardcore or stupid as I was the best man…  L  It is my motivation to drive a stake in the heart of someone that I am destroying online in any sports game…especially boxing…real hardcore right? 

Maybe my reasons for being hardcore are a little lame, if so, tell me what makes you a hardcore gamer and lets see who’s lame….chump!

I beat Tetris. Therefor I am hardcore

i am hardcore because i play games in all genres and on any system.

I found hardcore to be more when you know more about video games than you probably should. You get emotionally and physically attached to many (doesn't have to be all) games. To many this can become almost an obsession favorite games and series... I know at times its been tough to keep priorities straight for the real world.

If it's just one or two games you really love I'd probably not consider that hardcore.

I guess to compare it with my reading habits, there are maybe 2-3 novels I absolutely love and have read to death and know every detail of the book, however I'm not actively seeking more books to possibly become like that.

With games I have more than a handful that I've completely dissected and played over and over, and I'm constantly adding more games to go in and completely disect as well.

Going to Nintendo Powerfest '94 when you're 11 and wearing the T-shirt for 15 years.
Playing roguelike games in 2009.
Cosplaying as a Goomba to play a giant Atari 2600.
Being interviewed by GameDaily on behalf of the Nintendo Defense Force.
Attending lectures on game theory at college and taking multiple pages of notes.
Beating the first level of Super Mario Bros. with your eyes closed.
Posing nude next to your video game collection.

I doubt anybody here fits all these criteria though.

The sheer amount of games I own, been playing for 13 years, sheer amount of time in that 13 years I've put, and of course the kinds of games I buy... which is all kinds. I'm not sure if I need more justification... I mean look at my Leon Kennedy avatar haha.

Here are a couple of facts that present my argument of being hardcore gamer...

1. I beat Halo ODST on legendary, alone, today.

2. I beat battletoads

3. I spent 200 dollars to be able to use a sega saturn pad on my 360 for fighting games.

4. bought a 32X and Sega CD

being pretty damn close to owning almost every console/handheld ever made from 80's to present..

Having your wife almost leave you because you spend to much time and money on gaming..

And my Tattoo is the icing on the cake.

Finishing BattleToads on the NES blindfolded...

JK...

What makes me a hardcore gamer is that I take any game and I want to explore every inch of the gameplay and gameworld