This is even more important because of what it means for the playlists. This is the reason every CoD title releases with only 3 or 4 Hardcore lists ~ the first few weeks there is not a large enough population to fill more than that because they are stuck waiting for people to meet the level requirement.
We go through this every time. After a month or two, they feel the existing lists have reached a high enough population count and then give us two more, typically CTF/HQ objective modes. Then we are stuck with those 5 again until DLC or we whine enough to get the lists addressed.
This thread is really onto something here. Remove the initial level requirement and the lists will not be underpopulated and there will be no reason to restrict HC to only 3 until it meets the numbers.
To elaborate on this even further - this ultimate just hurts the potential Hardcore population growth and the potential growth of other playlists. Some of us are HC4Lifers and will play it no matter what. But for those few that are actually new to the game, they put in the game and can only play Core TDM or one or two other types. They grow to like it and understand it and just stick with it. That probably has a large influence on why Core TDM remains the most populated list on all systems by a ridiculously large margin.
Players new to the game may want to try Hardcore, see the list is disabled to them, and never look back. They stick with what they can play, grow comfortable, and never try anything else. The same could be said for a lot of the level-restricted Core game modes that revolve around an Objective rather than just shooting the enemy. This whole logic made sense when CoD was brand new, but there are enough shooters out there now that players get the basic idea and should have the option to jump right into something else.
Fully support removing the level requirements for playlists, entirely.
11,145 posts since 
I would appreciate being able to play HC from the start of BO2.
