A while back I was talking to a friend and I asked if he had a Wii. His answer was "nah, I'm too hardcore". It was an instant message so it's not considered impolite to slap your own forehead and shake your head in frustration. I took a minute or two before answering.
"So what games are you playing then?" I asked.
In the list was a handful of mandatory first person shooters, a few racing titles and fighters. He didnt cover any sports titles, so there is still hope. He also mentioned he had quit RPGs. (Yes, kids, RPGs are not hardcore anymore.) Then he said "Little Big Planet" is the best game ever.
At this time my forehead was black and blue. But revenge was mine.
"LBP is the most casual game ever!" I said, striking a righteus victory pose "you fail!"
Anecdote over, let me break this up for you kids out there.
The term "Hardcore" is used by the press when referring to a game with a very high production budget. You see, it is intended for the discerning gamer. We're talking state of the art graphics, sound, voice acting, motion sensing, physics... The key demographic is young single males, so the graphics and "genre" will normally be action oriented, but it's not a rule.
The opposite of this would be a game that skims in production because of sheer playability. It is a simple game, but it's lots of fun to play. Or at least they want you to beleive it is.
The term "Casual" is used for games intended for those who don't spend hours in front of a gaming console. Easy to pick up and play and to drop it when playtime is over. Production value is not an issue, a casual game can have a large or minuscule budget, but due to the required simplicity a modest budget will normaly suffice.
The opposite is a game with a steep learning curve, or an online game in which the competition may scare away a player who only plays a couple hours a week.
This is my point: "Hardcore" and "casual" are not opposites! A game can be easy to pick up and play but have a high production value, like your beloved guitar games. A strategy game, or an RPG is usually hardcore! "Handcore" is not a way to measure the testosterone level of a game, and dismissing a game for this makes you stupid.
