Oh I'm something else entirely. I may dump around 20-30 hours into gaming a week, but I don't think I'm hardcore. Cause I don't look down and berate people for playing games differently. And my idea of hardcore gamer kind of over lap with those Stop Having Fun Guys.
Not only that, but Hardcore gamers have super tight nostalgia goggles on and everything past there favorite game/system/character has ruined gaming forever. I've been playing games since I was four. I'm almost 22 years old now, that's 18 years. I've learned a few things, but most importantly is to take games as they are instead of comparing it to every other game you've played. It's more enjoyable that way. Second most important thing is to not let anyone influence your opinions about a game or genre you like.