Be proud, gamers!

[xPixelatedx]

I have never been prouder to be a gamer then I am right now.
There was a time when we allowed just about anything to fly. It wasn't so long ago that CoD removed dedicated servers for PC, and PC gamers were talking about a boycott for getting so screwed. Yeah, a lot of good that did, especially since the leaders of said boycott were caught playing it online. But in these days actually riling up gamers has negative consequences... and that's how it should be! Aliens: Colonial Marines was the final nail in the coffin for false advertising. Mass Effect 3 got such a stink surrounding it Amazon actually refunded opened/played games, Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3's disappointing sales showed giving the middle finger to the core fan base was stupid, and their reasoning was moronic and greedy in every sense of the words. Speaking of moronic and greedy: when Nintendo announced the 3DS price was being increased because "Demand was so high", no one really bought one when it finally came out, and it was only after an actual apology and a huge price decrease did they start selling like crazy. We made a difference for the better. You should all feel proud right now!

Even more so over the Xbox One debacle. Microsoft thought you'd just take it. Microsoft thought you were incapable of criticizing them regardless of what they did to you; that the success of the 360 meant their hooks were in deep and their walls were inflammable. I cannot say in words how happy I am that you showed them otherwise. For the foreseeable future, not only will the Xbox One do poorly, but every console that would even consider mimicking such anti-consumer practices will now think twice!

The Video Game Industry is on the precipice of disaster, and the best thing we can do right now is try to move it back on the right course before things get un-fixable. We're currently off to a very good start with everything we've accomplished these last few years alone, now all that's left is to show the world how much we will allow a major home console to take advantage of us. This holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone speaks out with their wallets yet again. Now go pat all yourselves on your backs for being awesome!

 

[Casual Shinji]

Didn't Resident Evil 6 sell like 5 million copies? I know Capcom considers that a disappointment, but I'd feel strange not to call that somewhat of a succes. [small]Despite the game sucking the way it did.[/small]

We'll have to see how the Xbox1 fares. I know I'm not buying the fucking thing, and I'm sure a lot of other gamers won't either. But what about the average consumer? I remember telling my brother, who is a casual FPS player, about the DRM of the new Xbox, and he really didn't seem to care at all. So I don't know.

 

[xPixelatedx]

Didn't Resident Evil 6 sell like 5 million copies? I know Capcom considers that a disappointment, but I'd feel strange not to call that somewhat of a succes. [small]Despite the game sucking the way it did.[/small]

Whatever the number, they made Capcom decide it's time it took a different direction, which can only be a good thing considering the direction is was going.

We'll have to see how the Xbox1 fares. I know I'm not buying the fucking thing, and I'm sure a lot of other gamers won't either. But what about the average consumer? I remember telling my brother, who is a casual FPS player, about the DRM of the new Xbox, and he really didn't seem to care at all. So I don't know.

Oh yes, I am sure the Xbox One will sell initially, even the wiiU did that without any real games. The more important thing is how it does after that, and the more casual people are indeed a deciding factor in that. The same people the whole skype and TV thing was market towards in a desperate attempt to hold onto that audience. However many of them have already jumped ship to tablets and such, which is why game sales are down across the entire board. I am sure they will make a big impact like before... but it can't as big as before, the audience just isn't there like it was. So sales now, more then ever, rely on people who do know better. Lets see if that's enough to chip away at the behemoth that is Microsoft.

 

[Silly Hats]

I'm the opposite. I kind of feel queasy about these sort of things now, nerd raging just wears me down. I wasn't going to buy Deadspace or an XBone to begin with.

 

[xPixelatedx]

I'm the opposite. I kind of feel queasy about these sort of things now, nerd raging just wears me down. I wasn't going to buy Deadspace or an XBone to begin with.

While I understand your concerns, some things are just necessary evils. If gamers and their grievances had this much of an impact when gen 7 began, things would look much different now. No online passes, none of that horrifically intrusive DRM, etc. These are things people could have stopped from happening if the companies responsible for such practices took significant losses when they originally made these decisions. Sometimes people need to get upset, complacence just gets you trampled.

Lets face it, the Xbox One exists in the form it does because people weren't speaking loudly enough up till now.

 

[Casual Shinji]

We'll have to see how the Xbox1 fares. I know I'm not buying the fucking thing, and I'm sure a lot of other gamers won't either. But what about the average consumer? I remember telling my brother, who is a casual FPS player, about the DRM of the new Xbox, and he really didn't seem to care at all. So I don't know.

Oh yes, I am sure the Xbox One will sell initially, even the wiiU did that without any real games. The more important thing is how it does after that, and the more casual people are indeed a deciding factor in that. The same people the whole skype and TV thing was market towards in a desperate attempt to hold onto that audience. However many of them have already jumped ship to tablets and such, which is why game sales are down across the entire board. I am sure they will make a big impact like before... but it can't as big as before, the audience just isn't there like it was. So sales now, more then ever, rely on people who do know better. Lets see if that's enough to chip away at the behemoth that is Microsoft.

We'll have to wait and see. Nobody expected the Wii to take off as it did. Now granted the Wii reveal wasn't met with nearly as much hostility as the Xbox1, but you can never really predict what the public goes for. Let's just hope it goes the way of New Coke.

 

[Spambot 3000]

I'm happy too, the amount of utter shite stuffed into that horrible new box that Microsoft just expected everyone to lap up like obedient little dogs is unacceptable and although it will make some sales (it would be impossible for it not to) the backlash from it should see that it will hopefully not sell enough units for Microsoft to think 'no reason for us to make adjustments'. If everyone votes with their wallets the right way, this DRM, Kinect camera, no used games, jump through the hoops my little money puppet bullshit may never have to happen again.

 

[Dr Hammer]

Let's wait and see what actually happens. After all, the Xbone RRP hasn't even been released yet and there are still a lot of details missing from the picture.

 

[DoPo]

There was a time when we allowed just about anything to fly.
[...]
This holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone speaks out with their wallets yet again. Now go pat all yourselves on your backs for being awesome!

And I, by contrast, am not really proud. I mean I get where you're coming from - legit complains are finally getting some reaction. But the thing is, that just shows a deeper problem - the "us versus them" mentality. That gamers are supposed to fight for these things is actually kind of...sad. I don't think having bad guys to fight is how it's supposed to be.

 

[Charli]

I've consistently held my own personal boycotts of 'bullshit I don't want to swallow'. I don't expect others to 'rally around me' since I know that never works but this is just too universally bad on so many levels.

I haven't bought an EA game in over 7 years.
I don't buy DLC online if it wasn't made with the express purpose of adding to the game rather than just adding what should have already been there.
I do not give money to microsoft when I can avoid it (yes I have a genuine copy of windows 7 but that was ALL you are getting out of me and it's for work purposes)
Square Enix and Sega are currently on my 'Nope' List until they prove they have pulled their heads out of their asses.
Nintendo... The Online Letsplay/review thing I am still really irked by, and would prefer to not hand them money.


Really Steam and Sony are the only ones who haven't given me a good enough reason to snub them. And no you cannot quote me and ask me to give reasons because you CLEARLY know better, I know my convictions, I do not ask others to follow me.

Indie games firmly have my attentions right now, because there is a 95% rate of me not giving money to people who don't need it and aren't creatively bankrupt.

And I, by contrast, am not really proud. I mean I get where you're coming from - legit complains are finally getting some reaction. But the thing is, that just shows a deeper problem - the "us versus them" mentality. That gamers are supposed to fight for these things is actually kind of...sad. I don't think having bad guys to fight is how it's supposed to be.

They cultivated that battleground when they started seeing us as the enemy to just pull money out of. Draconian DRM, blaming us collectively for low sales and piracy, insipid remarks about how we SHOULD be living (Y'know, always connected, living above our means, having every gadget and buying all their peripherals) This attitude was born from them. We loved their products, we were their most loyal, and they pretty much all spat in our faces and told us that we were just walking wallets to them.
You don't have to agree with me, but I do not condemn those who are more than fed up with feeling as though the creativity they loved has been smothered by some dark beast that's killing the larger industry with utterly idiotic decisions and proclamations.

 

[rob_simple]

There was a time when we allowed just about anything to fly.
[...]
This holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone speaks out with their wallets yet again. Now go pat all yourselves on your backs for being awesome!

And I, by contrast, am not really proud. I mean I get where you're coming from - legit complains are finally getting some reaction. But the thing is, that just shows a deeper problem - the "us versus them" mentality. That gamers are supposed to fight for these things is actually kind of...sad. I don't think having bad guys to fight is how it's supposed to be.

I'd also add to that that the success of these righteous complaints has also lead a lot of gamers to assume that whenever a developer does absolutely anything they don't personally like it's time to declare the next crusade. Mass Effect 3's free DLC seems to have convinced some people that just complaining hard enough will get you what you want.

Aliens: Colonial Marines was a dishonest disaster and right to be pilloried, but the backlash over Devil may Cry --saying it would be terrible and calling for boycotts before a demo even dropped-- only for it to be released and generally accepted as a good game? That was just silly.

I think now is a better time than ever to be a gamer, but there are aspects of the community that make me ashamed to be associated with it, at times (I'm looking at you, Sonic fanboys).

 

[wooty]

Some of those examples of us "standing up" are quite petty, especially the CoD servers and Mass Effect 3 ones. I still personally find them petty to this day.

But I fully agree with the Xbone one. The sheer amounts of cow pat that have come out since that press conference has been enough for people to think about the industry intelligently, rather than just "Red greyn blu, rofllololl suckyassgame omfg1337n00b!". A disappointing ending is nothing in comparison to the corporate shafting skill that MS seem to of displayed over the last week or so.

Now if only people could be bothered to show so much passion towards unfair rising fuel and energy prices as they did to CoD not getting a server, me might make a real change someday.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

There was a time when we allowed just about anything to fly.
[...]
This holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone speaks out with their wallets yet again. Now go pat all yourselves on your backs for being awesome!

And I, by contrast, am not really proud. I mean I get where you're coming from - legit complains are finally getting some reaction. But the thing is, that just shows a deeper problem - the "us versus them" mentality. That gamers are supposed to fight for these things is actually kind of...sad. I don't think having bad guys to fight is how it's supposed to be.

This reflects how I feel about the state of gamer culture. It seems to me that a large portion of "us" (I use the term sparingly) feel the need to be anti-establishment. Like they're almost predisposed to hate for the people that make it possible for us to even play these games.
Sure these large corporations make mistakes, misinterpret trends as "the next big thing" and sometimes squander goodwill by making poor PR choices, but that is part of humanity's core.
I feel that passive and positive discussion breeds better things than direct opposition and hate speech.
I can't fault these corporations for their attempts at preserving their IPs, for attempting to bring others into the fold of gaming (casuals deserve love too folks) and also trying to maximize their profit margins. I can however understand that there is no discourse between the end-user and the corporation simply because the end-users have a tendency to throw away communication in favor of emotional outbursts.
Working in customer service for a certain number of years gave me a good way to see this from both sides of the aisle. I was less inclined to go above and beyond the call of duty (no reference intended) for people who were irrational or threatening ("I'll never buy a product from you again") than I would have someone who genuinely had a problem and wanted to work out a way to get it fixed.
Rational discourse is the only way to get ahead of the problems we face, and cutting off that communication through negativity and misanthropy isn't going to solve anything. Or another way I could put it, if you are so adamant about not buying said product why are you raging about not buying it?
Also without all the information present for the issues being "discussed" how can you logically form any opinion about these things? We are still unsure how the "always on" thing will work, and it seems even Microsoft is suffering from the telephone game with regards to their PR department. Its already been said the used games thing isn't necessarily what we thought it was so why not wait until more information comes to light before making a judgment call. And then when all the facts are laid out, if there are issues you still have with it, then formulate your protests and concerns in a rational logical manner. I can't guarantee you will be heard but if all you can do is spew vitriol toward these corporations I will guarantee you WON'T.

 

[MeChaNiZ3D]

EA is still alive. Some people aren't doing their job as gamers.

Jokes aside, while we have seen some legitimate concerns addressed, I still think the silent and possibly not as well-informed majority make most of the difference here. Note that all this will be without a shred of credibility: I think A:CM was severely affected because most of the people who picked it up would be fans of the franchise rather than a broad audience and expectations were high after the demo, and RE6 and DS3 doing poorly may not necessarily be because people recognised them as bland and uninspired games, but because the handholding action-shooter market is too heavily saturated for the larger market to buy all of them. The masses are probably still the main buying power when compared to core gamers who are intent on defending their consumer rights (and in plenty of cases, varied other things they disagree with).

As for the Xbox One, this is about the first time I've seen systems that will (in my opinion) make the least involved, most easygoing player think twice about their purchase. Microsoft trying to force used games sales to occur under their watch only and mandatory internet check-ins may at last be something regular consumers with no axe to grind on launch DLC, DRM, special editions, preordering or unacceptable endings will find annoying enough to not put their money on. But we'll see.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I'm the opposite. I kind of feel queasy about these sort of things now, nerd raging just wears me down. I wasn't going to buy Deadspace or an XBone to begin with.

While I understand your concerns, some things are just necessary evils. If gamers and their grievances had this much of an impact when gen 7 began, things would look much different now. No online passes, none of that horrifically intrusive DRM, etc. These are things people could have stopped from happening if the companies responsible for such practices took significant losses when they originally made these decisions. Sometimes people need to get upset, complacence just gets you trampled.

Lets face it, the Xbox One exists in the form it does because people weren't speaking loudly enough up till now.

You're right. The Xbone is physical manifestation of everything that's wrong with the industry today. Gamers tend to get labeled as entitled and sometimes it's true but for the most part we are consumers with rights just like anyone else. If a company expects us to pay money for their product, we reserve the right to criticize, curse, laud, praise whatever product that is. Also It's important to speak out about even the smallest of questionable business practices because if you don't they get bigger and bigger and then you get things like.. Well the Xbone.

I know I always come off as quite negative in my posts but I'm very passionate about what I have enjoyed doing for over 30 years and I tend to get heated regarding them. It's been a rough month I think for all of us with all the BS of the upcoming gen. The Escapist gives me an opportunity to vent and voice concerns over an ailing industry and while it may make feel better in the short term, I'd feel much better long term knowing the message we keep preaching to each other actually gets out to the average consumer. But I think it will.

Still everyone has their own free will and their choice to buy whatever. Either way I appreciate this thread.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I don't feel the same way. Right now I've feel there has never been a worse time to call myself a gamer. For one thing that Mass Effect 3 thing was blown waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of proportion. And second of all we haven't yet seen any sales figures for the "Xbone" yet. How many of those who say they're not going to buy the thing actually have the will power to follow through with that. If they're the same people who were going to boycott MW2 back in '09, I'd say none of them. Me? I have no choice, I can't afford it anyway.

 

[shrekfan246]

(I'm looking at you, Sonic fanboys).

Hey now, don't lump all of us together. Even some of us think the rest of those guys are crazy.

I think now is a better time than ever to be a gamer, but there are aspects of the community that make me ashamed to be associated with it, at times

This reflects my feelings.

I get where all of the complaining comes from. I really do. People are passionate about a hobby and don't want to see it going in an anti-consumer direction. It makes sense. But some of the backlash and nontroversies that happen couldn't be more insane if they were devised by The Joker. As before mentioned, the DmC outcry? One of the most childish things I've ever seen before. People whining that Metal Gear Rising wasn't a stealth game like Metal Gear Solid just because it has Metal Gear in the name, whining that Dead Space 3 was going to include co-op, constant bitching about the mere existence of a shooter with the XCOM name attached to it even after Enemy Unknown was announced and still now after it's released and become a massive hit, all of the sensationalist outcry for Tomb Raider over half a second near the beginning of the game, the sexism outcry over Hitman: Absolution -- And I haven't even scratched the surface of the complaints aimed at EA, Activision, Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft.

This 'All or nothing' war mentality just wears me out, and makes me ashamed to say that I'm part of the 'video gaming community'. At the very least, there's something called 'picking your battles', which is something the community doesn't seem to ever do. Or we could at least wait for more than unsubstantiated rumors caused by gossip spread from video gaming news sites looking to boost their view numbers in the wake of big industry announcements... no? Oh, of course... gotta jump on everything no matter how true it might be.

 

[Something Amyss]

Aliens: Colonial Marines was the final nail in the coffin for false advertising.

That's to be seen.

Mass Effect 3 got such a stink surrounding it Amazon actually refunded opened/played games

Which is nice, but it also showed how large an apologist community the corporations have.

Resident Evil 6 and Dead Space 3's disappointing sales showed giving the middle finger to the core fan base was stupid, and their reasoning was moronic and greedy in every sense of the words.

Capcom still got five million sales out of RE6, and while it admits it didn't meet sales expectations that doesn't mean they learned anything from it. In fact, it looks like business as usual at Capcom. They've already created new pie-in-the-sky expectations for next year and next gen, and are looking into monetising the mobile market. You know, where they can use their same DLC practices, but people accept it because SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

If anything, all that happened was the death of two beloved franchises. 5 million sales is hardly a screw you to the industry, and EA told the studio behind DS3 that their services would no longer be needed. No practices appear to have changed.

Meanwhile, John Riccitiello stepped down and gamers rejoiced, ignoring the fact that the guy who took his spot (possibly temporarily) ws the guy behind the shit they hated in the first place. John was actually fairly innocuous, but we were too busy doing a snoopy dance that a figurehead took the fall to notice that the guy we should be hating was not only still in the company, he at least temporarily had the reins.

Speaking of moronic and greedy: when Nintendo announced the 3DS price was being increased because "Demand was so high", no one really bought one when it finally came out, and it was only after an actual apology and a huge price decrease did they start selling like crazy. We made a difference for the better. You should all feel proud right now!

The 3DS had a launch similar to the DS. It was only because sales didn't meet expectations that there was a price cut ajnd an apology. Nintendo made a difference by shooting for the moon. We didn't really do anything but buy or not buy as we were already going to do.

Even more so over the Xbox One debacle. Microsoft thought you'd just take it.

Let's not pretend they thought about us at all.

But still, we as a community might still "just take it." Gaming is full of cases of boycotts where, due to the nature of the media, you can see the boycotters have purchased the boycotted product. It is a tale told by an idiot, one might say. Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Microsoft thought you were incapable of criticizing them regardless of what they did to you;

Yes, people have been so positive towards Microsoft up until this point. It's amazing that they even dealt with the RROD, we were so far into them.

that the success of the 360 meant their hooks were in deep and their walls were inflammable.

Inflammable is a synonym for flammable. If they thought their walls were inflammable, they were correct.

For the foreseeable future, not only will the Xbox One do poorly, but every console that would even consider mimicking such anti-consumer practices will now think twice!

Sony has been dodging the question of used games pretty significantly. It's very likely they have SOME sort of anti-consumer practice going there. Also, you're declaring a victory before the console even has a price tag, let alone pre-orders, let alone a release date. That's incredibly naive.

The Video Game Industry is on the precipice of disaster

Unlikely.

We're currently off to a very good start with everything we've accomplished these last few years alone

A bunch of "on paper" victories at best.

now all that's left is to show the world how much we will allow a major home console to take advantage of us.

Exactly as much as the anti-consumer policies of the current gen allow, it seems. Or possibly what the PS4 has. That's not really a positive thing. DRM, on-disc DLC, online passes, microtransactions....Need I go on?

This holiday season is coming up, and I hope everyone speaks out with their wallets yet again.

And this is where the self-congratulation really puzzles me. What then, will be your reaction when the probable scenario happens? What then, should the gamer or consumer vote with their wallet and say "yes, XBox One, we want what you have to offer!"? Your own laundry list of "victories" is full of instances like Mass Effect and Resident Evil where we as a whole bitched and moaned and still bought in massive numbers. You know that line from the Princess Bride? Well, you keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means.

 

[rob_simple]

(I'm looking at you, Sonic fanboys).

Hey now, don't lump all of us together. Even some of us think the rest of those guys are crazy.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I consider myself a Sonic fanboy, too --I love the little bastard-- but when I hear about certain fans throwing a shit fit about the colour of Sonic's eyes in a particular title, it just astounds me that anyone can care that much about something so trivial.

I think now is a better time than ever to be a gamer, but there are aspects of the community that make me ashamed to be associated with it, at times

This reflects my feelings.

I get where all of the complaining comes from. I really do. People are passionate about a hobby and don't want to see it going in an anti-consumer direction. It makes sense. But some of the backlash and nontroversies that happen couldn't be more insane if they were devised by The Joker. As before mentioned, the DmC outcry? One of the most childish things I've ever seen before. People whining that Metal Gear Rising wasn't a stealth game like Metal Gear Solid just because it has Metal Gear in the name, whining that Dead Space 3 was going to include co-op, constant bitching about the mere existence of a shooter with the XCOM name attached to it even after Enemy Unknown was announced and still now after it's released and become a massive hit, all of the sensationalist outcry for Tomb Raider over half a second near the beginning of the game, the sexism outcry over Hitman: Absolution -- And I haven't even scratched the surface of the complaints aimed at EA, Activision, Nintendo, Sony, or Microsoft.

This 'All or nothing' war mentality just wears me out, and makes me ashamed to say that I'm part of the 'video gaming community'. At the very least, there's something called 'picking your battles', which is something the community doesn't seem to ever do. Or we could at least wait for more than unsubstantiated rumors caused by gossip spread from video gaming news sites looking to boost their view numbers in the wake of big industry announcements... no? Oh, of course... gotta jump on everything no matter how true it might be.

I couldn't agree more. What a lot of gamers really, really need to realise is that their opinion doesn't reflect that of everyone else and, even if it is in the majority, it still doesn't mean the developer should be at their beck and call to just do what the fans want, over and over.

I love the Ratchet & Clank series, they're probably my favourite games of all time --or at least the ones I've played the most-- and I got really pissed when Insomniac turned the franchise into a multiplayer focused affair. It felt completely unnecessary to me, but after a while I realised I still have all the old R&C's I love, so there's no reason to get my panties in a bunch because the new games aren't what I'd have preferred them to be.

I'd much rather developer's try new things from time to time --even if they fail miserably-- than just acquiesce to fan service. I know the word 'entitled' gets thrown around a lot and I think, when it comes to developers/publishers lying about what they are selling, people have a right to complain and make demands, but they have absolutely no right to tell those same companies what they've to do with their new projects, just because it's what they think they should be doing.

 

[rob_simple]

Snips

I think I've given you shit in the past for being snippy in your posts, but that was a joy to read, and wonderfully reflected my feelings on this weird back-patting circle jerk people seem to think we should be having because developers have --for the time-being, at least-- killed some great franchises.

I mean, Resident Evil only sold 5 million copies? That's like, what, £200,000,000 in sales? That'll show 'em! What a victory, where's that champagne I've been saving...

Anyway, my hat's off to you.