The definition of "hardcore" depends on context. It basically comes down to three different broad concepts. Ill explain how each of those concepts relate to gaming:
Intensity, severity, relentless ect. Related to gaming difficulty or risk.
Dedicated, Confirmed, Die-Hard ect. Referencing playtime or hours put in more than anything else
Fundamental, Pure, "to the core." This is probably the least common usage in gaming. Something like "Hardcore EQ fan" makes the most sense.
Its all kind of subjective. I find that playtime is the most controversial. Some people consider "hardcore" to be 12+ hours a day (84 hours a week), and some consider it to be anything past 20 hours a week. In my mind, "hardcore" = part time job (or no job), with the rest of the persons day to day life spent on games.
Saying someone is hardcore because they spend a ton of time in a game is simply false.
But the correct use of hardcore in terms of time would be "Soandso spends 20 hours playing a game, that's hardcore!" Soandso does not have to be a hardcore gamer but the time he devotes to a game is hardcore he could be a casual player and devote 20 hours a day to a game.
Hardcore/Casual is more about the attitude one takes to a game at large not just one aspect like time spent you have to identify time spent specifically for it to mean time spent but when you talk about a Hardcore/Casual player themselves when not refering to their playtime specifically it is about the attitude, effort, dedication and efficency of the player.
Basically it is possible to be a hardcore player on a casual time schedule, as well as a Casual player on a Hardcore time schedule.
Go explain to webster that their second definition is "simply false"
I see anyone who plays an MMO (or any recreational activity really) more than 20-30 hours a week as hardcore. How you spend that time in game is irrelevant.
To me hardcore just means someone who likes their game to have a challenging level of difficulty, nothing more. Which pretty much means there are no hardcore MMOs anymore.
Well seems it's an opinion thing but I still think a hardcore game has nothing to do with how much time you put in a game. To me it is related to the how deep the complexity of the game goes. I'll say again in this definition the board game chess (or 'Go', or 'Shogi') is on one end of the spectrum and the game tic-tac-toe is on the other. IMO a game that is truly hardcore has to have savants or naturally gifted players. People who see a level of complexity to the game that others can't, no matter how long they play.
By that definition there may not be video games that hit the mark but I think at least a few get close to it. Anyways that's just my opinion.
hard core is something that requires a lot of time, patience, practice, and determination to achieve.
a task that requires reseach, atunment, the best equipment/consumables available, great group coordination, in depth knowlege of game mechanics and great skill with your role in the group, hours of focus and concentration, and dozens of flawless repetitions before success is achieved ......THAT is hardcore.
if anyone can do it it's not hardcore. when only about 10-20 % of players can do it, THAT's hard core. The rest is just wanna be.
Well seems it's an opinion thing but I still think a hardcore game has nothing to do with how much time you put in a game. To me it is related to the how deep the complexity of the game goes. I'll say again in this definition the board game chess (or 'Go', or 'Shogi') is on one end of the spectrum and the game tic-tac-toe is on the other. IMO a game that is truly hardcore has to have savants or naturally gifted players. People who see a level of complexity to the game that others can't, no matter how long they play.
By that definition there may not be video games that hit the mark but I think at least a few get close to it. Anyways that's just my opinion.
Here are the facts. That word has multiple meanings. Many of those definitions apply to gaming. Gamers use the word in multiple ways depending on context.
If I say "I play hardcore" in Diablo 3, it means I play "hardcore" mode that is characterized by perma death. Playtime is irrelevant.
If I say "Jim is a hardcore gamer, because he games 12 hours a day," this is also a fine use of the word. No one is going to ask me "wait, what did he accomplish in those games?" To qualify the term.
Then there are guys that don't have a lot of play time, but spend all their game time trying to accomplish as much as possible. They set in game goals like downing difficult raid bosses, and manage to do it despite working full time or comparable responsibilities IRL. These guys are still considered "hardcore," nerds, ect., by some people.
I'm not really big on the last definition (despite that I acknowledge that people use the term this way). This is because the crowd I game with, it is a given that you will try to accomplish goals and progress your character when you play. The primary dividing factor is how much time people are able or willing to devote to the game.
Sometimes I take vacation or leave off work when a game I'm anticipating is coming out. So I can "go hardcore" for 3-4 weeks and play a lot (usually anywhere from 8-16 hours a day). Then I go more "casual" (but not very casual) so that I can keep up with raid attendance, not having time for much else.
The reason I call WoW "casual-friendly," is because you can accomplish just about everything in the game without much play time. Even the world first guild do not play that much after the content is on farm mode. In fact, sometimes they only log in 6 hours a week, skipping weeks here and there. Then they go back to playing all day once a content patch is out.
Well seems it's an opinion thing but I still think a hardcore game has nothing to do with how much time you put in a game. To me it is related to the how deep the complexity of the game goes. I'll say again in this definition the board game chess (or 'Go', or 'Shogi') is on one end of the spectrum and the game tic-tac-toe is on the other. IMO a game that is truly hardcore has to have savants or naturally gifted players. People who see a level of complexity to the game that others can't, no matter how long they play.
By that definition there may not be video games that hit the mark but I think at least a few get close to it. Anyways that's just my opinion.
Here are the facts. That word has multiple meanings. Many of those definitions apply to gaming. Gamers use the word in multiple ways depending on context.
If I say "I play hardcore" in Diablo 3, it means I play "hardcore" mode that is characterized by perma death. Playtime is irrelevant.
If I say "Jim is a hardcore gamer, because he games 12 hours a day," this is also a fine use of the word. No one is going to ask me "wait, what did he accomplish in those games?" To qualify the term.
Then there are guys that don't have a lot of play time, but spend all their game time trying to accomplish as much as possible. They set in game goals like downing difficult raid bosses, and manage to do it despite working full time or comparable responsibilities IRL. These guys are still considered "hardcore," nerds, ect., by some people.
I'm not really big on the last definition (despite that I acknowledge that people use the term this way). This is because the crowd I game with, it is a given that you will try to accomplish goals and progress your character when you play. The primary dividing factor is how much time people are able or willing to devote to the game.
Sometimes I take vacation or leave off work when a game I'm anticipating is coming out. So I can "go hardcore" for 3-4 weeks and play a lot (usually anywhere from 8-16 hours a day). Then I go more "casual" (but not very casual) so that I can keep up with raid attendance, not having time for much else.
The reason I call WoW "casual-friendly," is because you can accomplish just about everything in the game without much play time. Even the world first guild do not play that much after the content is on farm mode. In fact, sometimes they only log in 6 hours a week, skipping weeks here and there. Then they go back to playing all day once a content patch is out.
Hmm you sound like the guy from dragnet "just the facts mam" :P
Hardcore is when you are preparing a tasty stew, and everything smells fantastic, the meat is just right, soft and tasty and the vegetables are tender and juicy, and as you are teasing your better half about how you will soon beat them at cooking, instead of playing along, they answer with a soft grunt as they seem to try to chew something.
You roll your eyes at the poor humor of your partner, you pick one of those deliciously looking potatoes, you bite in and....
Damn! the bitch is raw! It did not cook properly! it´s got a hard core!
Originally posted by Jagarid To me hardcore just means someone who likes their game to have a challenging level of difficulty, nothing more. Which pretty much means there are no hardcore MMOs anymore.
Concise and accurate. Perfect.
Originally posted by Larvae Originally posted by Rorrin01) xp loss on death02) average 12 months to reach max level03) no mini-map04) no map period05) advancement only via group reliance06) spawn camping for rarest items07) no quest markers or quest log08) 40+ person raids09) open world conflict, either through pvp or mob tagging, kill stealing10) requires 8+ hour gaming sessions to progress11) requires min-maxing to shine and really stand out above your peers12) possibility of losing corpse on death, corpse dragging13) dungeons you can get lost in14) no sparkly trail showing you where to run to next15) guild membership mandatory to succeed16) class and role reliance to succeed17) minimal, and meaningful, fast travel - fast travel is a privilege, not a right mentality18) non-instanced dungeons19) willing to gear up others before yourself to progress20) mobs that can 2-shot you are in every zone
This, you really nailed it for me.
I'd like to play that game!!
Originally posted by Vocadi A term that is not associated with EQNext.
+1
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon. In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
Comments
Go explain to webster that their second definition is "simply false"
I see anyone who plays an MMO (or any recreational activity really) more than 20-30 hours a week as hardcore. How you spend that time in game is irrelevant.
Well seems it's an opinion thing but I still think a hardcore game has nothing to do with how much time you put in a game. To me it is related to the how deep the complexity of the game goes. I'll say again in this definition the board game chess (or 'Go', or 'Shogi') is on one end of the spectrum and the game tic-tac-toe is on the other. IMO a game that is truly hardcore has to have savants or naturally gifted players. People who see a level of complexity to the game that others can't, no matter how long they play.
By that definition there may not be video games that hit the mark but I think at least a few get close to it. Anyways that's just my opinion.
Player who applies to a hardcore guild thinking time spent is all that is needed=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofV_iFBw2YE
hard core is something that requires a lot of time, patience, practice, and determination to achieve.
a task that requires reseach, atunment, the best equipment/consumables available, great group coordination, in depth knowlege of game mechanics and great skill with your role in the group, hours of focus and concentration, and dozens of flawless repetitions before success is achieved ......THAT is hardcore.
if anyone can do it it's not hardcore. when only about 10-20 % of players can do it, THAT's hard core. The rest is just wanna be.
Here are the facts. That word has multiple meanings. Many of those definitions apply to gaming. Gamers use the word in multiple ways depending on context.
If I say "I play hardcore" in Diablo 3, it means I play "hardcore" mode that is characterized by perma death. Playtime is irrelevant.
If I say "Jim is a hardcore gamer, because he games 12 hours a day," this is also a fine use of the word. No one is going to ask me "wait, what did he accomplish in those games?" To qualify the term.
Then there are guys that don't have a lot of play time, but spend all their game time trying to accomplish as much as possible. They set in game goals like downing difficult raid bosses, and manage to do it despite working full time or comparable responsibilities IRL. These guys are still considered "hardcore," nerds, ect., by some people.
I'm not really big on the last definition (despite that I acknowledge that people use the term this way). This is because the crowd I game with, it is a given that you will try to accomplish goals and progress your character when you play. The primary dividing factor is how much time people are able or willing to devote to the game.
Sometimes I take vacation or leave off work when a game I'm anticipating is coming out. So I can "go hardcore" for 3-4 weeks and play a lot (usually anywhere from 8-16 hours a day). Then I go more "casual" (but not very casual) so that I can keep up with raid attendance, not having time for much else.
The reason I call WoW "casual-friendly," is because you can accomplish just about everything in the game without much play time. Even the world first guild do not play that much after the content is on farm mode. In fact, sometimes they only log in 6 hours a week, skipping weeks here and there. Then they go back to playing all day once a content patch is out.
This, you really nailed it for me.
Ah come on, everyone knows that.
Hardcore is when you are preparing a tasty stew, and everything smells fantastic, the meat is just right, soft and tasty and the vegetables are tender and juicy, and as you are teasing your better half about how you will soon beat them at cooking, instead of playing along, they answer with a soft grunt as they seem to try to chew something.
You roll your eyes at the poor humor of your partner, you pick one of those deliciously looking potatoes, you bite in and....
Damn! the bitch is raw! It did not cook properly! it´s got a hard core!
I hate when it happens.
No matter how cynical you become, its never enough to keep up - Lily Tomlin
Concise and accurate. Perfect.
This, you really nailed it for me.I'd like to play that game!!
+1
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit