Gamers: Why You Can’t Pass a Hardcore Gamer Test

When you hear the term "hardcore gamer" it's easy to imagine some red-eyed teen surrounded by empty soda bottles and crumpled-up candy wrappers, controller in hand, eyes fixated on a mammoth screen with at least two minutes to go before their next blink. The reality, however, is a bit harder to capture in a solitary image.

Turns out there are many different criteria to consider before you can be blessed with the seemingly supreme badge of "hardcore gamer." A badge, by the way, that shouldn't be self-proclaimed or misused unless you want some major debate.

BTW: THIS IS NOT A TEST. I doubt you'll find a hardcore gamer test that could ever silence every critic. There is simply too much opinion and preference involved. For that reason we won't call this a hardcore gamer test – more like a checklist of hardcore gamer criteria.

So what exactly can be used to gauge your core as a gamer? Just how DO you know if your gaming core is, in fact, hard or soft? I scoured the web to find the answer and believe it comes down to six key areas.

Gauge #1: Time Spent Gaming

Here your game play is evaluated not just on frequency but also on longevity and priority. Both gamers and non-gamers seem to agree (at least somewhat) that the time you spend gaming is a key factor in earning the elusive hardcore gamer nomination. To the non-gamer this is the simplest way for them to classify you as hardcore because, for them, there just isn't much more from which to base their decision. A gamer, on the other hand, knows that the time you spend gaming is only a part of the big picture.

Frequency – An average gamer might say, "I play every day." OK, but does this really mean you're hardcore? I email and text every day. Does that make me a "hardcore communicator"? Probably not.

Longevity – An average gamer might say, "I play for hours and hours." Fine, but again, does that make you hardcore? Maybe, but it could also mean you enjoy killin' lots of time, hiding from reality or are just plain slow as molasses.

Priority – An average gamer might say, "I play no matter what my other half says." Now we're gettin' somewhere, but still, is this enough to make us call you hardcore? Ballsy, yes. Hardcore? Not so sure.

Taken individually, these indicators may hint at your devotion to gaming but a hardcore gamer might be more likely to say, "I play every day, for hours and hours, no matter what my other half says!" But even then it would be easy to knock you off your high-horse using any one of the remaining 5 gauges.

Gauge #2: The Types of Games You Play

Much like the age-old chicken/egg question this could be debated for hours. Is a game hardcore because a hardcore gamer plays it – or is a gamer hardcore because they play a hardcore game? For our purposes today we will simply try to illustrate why defining the term "hardcore game" is not an easy task.

So just how DO you define a "hardcore game"? Is blood and guts a prerequisite or is it all about speed and strategy? Do only games that get your adrenaline pumping qualify and if so, whose adrenaline do we judge by? After all, Granny sure can get worked up farmin' that ‘ville of hers.

What about puzzle games? Where do they fit into the equation? Could a die-hard Bejeweled player ever be deemed hardcore? Do audio and video play a part in making a game hardcore or would a game without image or sound deserve consideration? (Wumpus anyone?)

As you can see, the question ("what is a hardcore game") only leads to more questions. So... Until there is a way to clearly define what a hardcore game is – looks like this gauge is purely subjective and will allow your status of hardcore gamer to forever be in doubt by someone – somewhere – even if you can produce hardcore gamer screenshots to back up your claim to the title.

Gauge #3: The System(s) You Game On

We all know people that own multiple systems but I am sure we can all agree that unless you actually PLAY games on those dusty old consoles, you are a collector – not a gamer – and that your collection alone will never qualify you as a hardcore gamer. For this part of our discussion we will be talking about the systems you play on – not the ones you collect.

Ok, so let's suppose you've forgone all the console madness and play strictly on your PC. Does this elevate you immediately to hardcore gamer status or knock you out of the running completely? Depends on which side of the PC/Console ‘war' you are on. What if your PC is the infamous e-Machine? Would admitting that you try gaming on it require you to withdraw from the race all together?

On the flipside, let's suppose you own each major brand's latest system and give them all equal play time. Does this make you a hardcore gamer or a consumer completely void of brand loyalty? If you have one, and only one, system can you be hardcore or will you forever be branded as a "fanboy"?

General consensus seems to be that a gamer that keeps up with the latest and greatest is typically deemed more hardcore than a gamer that lets a couple generations pass before they upgrade their gaming environment.

One possible exception to this would be if you tweak your last-generation system to make it better than originally designed. In order for this exception to keep you in the running for hardcore gamer status, the tweak in question must be made for the purpose of pushing the envelope – not as a an attempt to break the law.

Gauge #4: Feats Accomplished While Gaming

So you've made it this far and still think you have a shot at the hardcore gamer title. Now let's measure what you've actually DONE as a gamer. Simply put, what have you accomplished as a gamer that made you feel like a rock star?

Have you ever legitimately gotten a score high enough to rank on a reliable leaderboard? It doesn't matter if you actually submitted your score – it just matters that your score is totally on the up and up. No cheats, hacks orPhotoShopped screenshots.

Have you ever passed a level on a game that an overwhelming majority have deemed too difficult to pass? Skeptics will wanna see hardcore gamer screenshots – and they had better be your own.

Have you ever played a game from start to finish without pausing? Have you ever gotten a perfect score? Have you won or placed at a gaming competition? Was it a local, regional, national or international competition?

Your gaming accomplishments should be somewhat recent or over-the-top awesome if you expect them to elevate you to hardcore gamer status. The older the feat, the more likely someone is to trump it with something more relevant in today's world of gaming.

Gauge #5: Pains Suffered While Gaming

Here we look at the personal hell you endure while gaming. This was, by far, the most comical and disturbing part of my hunt for hardcore gamer criteria. Stories abound of pain and suffering in the name of gaming. I found everything from self-deprivation of basic human needs (sleep, food and bathroom breaks) to physical angst or injury brought on during time spent at the controller.

What is debatable is if your self-imposed pains make you a hardcore gamer or just plain stupid. Maybe the definitive answer lies in your willingness to share your story and your ability to tell it with more pride than embarrassment.

Gauge #6: Pains Suffered as a Result of Gaming

Here we measure the aftermath of one's gaming activity. Unlike the pains suffered WHILE gaming, this gauge is a bit more controversial in that opinions will vary from case to case and from person-to-person as to whether or not a specific gaming activity was worth the resulting pain.

Let's take divorce for example. If your spouse actually leaves you BECAUSE of your gaming habit, that would most definitely be a pain suffered as a result of gaming. However, one can argue that if your marriage was already in the toilet and destined to fail anyway, the gaming activity might have been totally worth the pain.

Now consider losing your job as a direct result of gaming. If you have the ability to replace it without much consequence – gaming wins – totally worth it. If your job is the only thing that allows you to eat and cannot be easily replaced, the paycheck wins. It's simple gamer logic really.

Now, as far as determining whether or not these things make you a hardcore gamer, as I said before, it depends on who's gauging the pain. While your buddies are offering up obligatory high-fives and/or fist bumps, your parents might be busy writing you out of their will.

Are you a Hardcore Gamer?

So it seems the common perception of a "hardcore gamer" that we first imagined today is really just a culmination of many individual – and absolutely true – gamer characteristics, any one of which could elevate your status to above average. The final question is – just how many of those characteristics do you need to rightfully be called a "hardcore gamer"?

Your turn. Let's hear it? Which of these gauges do you use when measuring someone else's gaming? Which do you use for yourself? Does a truly hardcore gamer give a crap if people consider them hardcore or are they too busy gaming to notice or care?

Related:

• 11 signs you're no longer a hard-core gamer
• Wiki: Hardcore Gamer