To me, being a "hardcore gamer" requires having a black-and-white view of the gaming industry, using the "No True Scotsman" fallacy when something comes up that conflicts with that view (i.e. "real gamers play/don't play X game"), and generally having some form of obsession with what you label yourself and others.

But really, it's anyone with a passionate interest in video gaming regardless of what they play and how they play it.

From what I've gathered from reviews, you may as well just play a CoD game or an old-school arcade rail shooter like Time Crisis or House of the Dead. It's just not worth it unless you're the type who plays bad games for the novelty of playing a bad game.

Rage has the same presentation and run-and-gun feel of Borderlands. Only thing it's missing is the humor. Otherwise, you'll just have to wait until Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel and Destiny for similar titles.

Technically, it's not AVGN playing, as James doesn't use that persona in James and Mike Monday videos. I'd advise changing the topic title to reflect that.

He's had plenty of positive reviews. Skryim, GTAV, South Park: The Stick of Truth, Bioshock Infinite, Far Cry 3, Borderlands 2, Max Payne 3, Mass Effect 3, to name a few. The guy doesn't just trash everything he sees, he has his own standards and he's just as quick to say something good about a game as he is to say something bad.

Would love to see a Star Wars game where your lightsaber actually cuts through stuff. Walls, AT-ATs, stormtroopers, everything. They could just take the gameplay from Metal Gear Rising and put a Star Wars coat of paint on it, and that would be good enough.

I've read enough horror stories about whiny kids and douchey players on XboxLive and subscription MMO's to be able to say that a paywall is definitely not a deterrent.

I prefer watching Let's Play's with two commentators as opposed to one. The best setups I've come across are like what Chip Cheezum and Ironicus have going: one guy who's extensively played the game and another who hasn't played but has good charisma and can easily pick up on things. It's a perfect balance of being both informative and entertaining to watch.

Coincidentally, the guys I linked are also some of the best LP'ers in the business.

Wasdie made a good post on this over on System Wars. In short, space combat games are still getting made, it's just that it's a mostly PC endeavor now, and those games are usually made possible through Kickstarter or crowd-funding. Look up the games he mentions in the post, they might be what you're looking for.