I'm also not a big fan of names/labels like "hardcore" gamer.
Mainly, because I think that it's one of those *VAGUE*, ill-defined, and, most of all...
SUBJECTIVE words.
Because of this, I think, that if you asked (and/or -in "Fantasy Land", if you were able to read the minds of 100 different gamers)...you'd likely hear 100 different definitions (or, in the case of "mind-reading"); I think that it's likely that you'd see 100 different ideas, images, and/or *criteria* for what does/doesn't constitute a "hardcore" gamer.
IMHO...I'd actually say that I would tend to think that what (again, *IMO*) would actually constitute someone as said "hardcore" gamer...would have
*LESS* to do w/ what genre of games they play, how difficult that those games that they're playing actually are/aren't, and the amount of time that they spend playing these games...but...I would say, that the main, defining features, traits and/or qualities of being "hardcore" would actually be based much
*MORE* on things like...
A). What *role* does gaming play in their life contrasted with:
(1). How much of a life/what the *Quality* of their lives are/and how happy & satisfied they are/aren't w/ the "non-gaming-related" parts of their lives,
B). Where gaming in general stands in relation (priority-wise) to the other areas of their lives, and
C). If gaming is...
(1). Rare/occasional entertainment,
(2). One (of several) hobbies,
(3). An *only* / *favorite* hobby,
(4). An infatuation/obsession (that, in some ways, may negatively impact, anger, frustrate, and/or put-off friends & family members), or
(5). An all-out, full-blown *addiction*; negatively impacting all/almost all areas of their lives, possibly losing jobs/relationships/friends as a result.
As Jobocan also stated earlier - I also don't think that being called/being a "hardcore" gamer is anything good, healthy, impressive, and - I certainly *don't* think that it's something to be treated w/ respect, bragged about, and/or encouraged/enabled.
Then again, these are just my own private & personal thoughts on the matter *AND* are likely quite biased & jaded coming from me (someone who struggled w/ all sorts of different negative effects and different manifestations of my own "Addictive-Personality" throughout most of my teen years, and even into my early 20's...then...got a grip on these things, went to school, and became an addictions counselor myself.
Take w/ several grains of salt, as I'm *FAR* from the 'typical' perspective & opinions on such matters