frat boy mentality-a plague on the gaming industry?

[RaikuFA]

This is something thats been upsetting me lately. People acting like all games need are good graphics. Games I like that are considered "niche" are getting bad reviews based on the fact that theyre not endorsed by a redundant football announcer, theres no space marines, theres no kung fu hobo beating up russian bear wrestlers* or because it dosent look like its Michael Bays latest masturabatory aide**. These arent bad games(except madden because actual american football is funner and cheaper)

One of the worst examples I can come up with off of my head? Disgaea 3. got mainly mediocre reviews, but IGN gave it a 6. Why? Because it has sprite graphics. Thats all the reviewer talked about. He just kept on going on and on about how it's bad because it dosent have high definition graphics. Then it was put on their list of worst games of the year. One of my favorite series, Shin Megami Tensei is another example. It gets good reviews but it's hated by the public because "Its a Final Fantasy knockoff, brah". Even Gamestop pulls this crap off by not even putting out copies of games that are good and instead just waiting for someone to ask if they have it.

Why am i writing this? Two weeks ago, I went in to Gamestop to get my reserve of Devil Survivor Overclocked, I looked around and noticed the game wasnt even on the shelf. It took the cashier ten minutes to find the game and when he did, he says he couldn't find it because, and I quote "It looked like another generic weeaboo game". Then I show him my preorder slip and he looked at it to see where the current game was and to see what other games I preordered and he had a disgusted look on his face like i had preordered every generic movie based game ever. Also this VGCats strip: http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=285

As Yahtzee said "I dont know how you think gaming is ever going to adapt as an art form when people go out of their way to make original games but fuckwits like you never buy them because they're too busy inhaling furious amounts of dick."

What do you think? Is this type of mentality ruining gaming?

*Street Fighter
**Call of Duty

 

[Ordinaryundone]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

 

[RaikuFA]

EDIT: Double posting. please disregard

 

[RaikuFA]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

its because niche games get automatic bad reviews or are considered crap by the consumer because theyre not popular. and that douchebag judged the game on its cover alone

also, street fighter is mediocre to me, although ive been hating it because capcom rereleased SF4 twice already yet said when it was first released they wouldnt be pulling this crap

 

[Zantos]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

If we can replace this comment with the last two words replaced with the other franchise OP needlessly insulted then I'm going to skip out the paragraph I had written and just say "See above".

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

what do you think? is this type of mentality ruining gaming?

It's the ugly side of gaming becoming popular outside of it's traditional audiences/markets.

Is it good for the gaming industry? Fuck yes. Ask Activision or EA if endlessly shitting out the same game over and over works for them. Of course it does. The mainstream doesn't like different or challenging, it wants retellings of the same old shit - comfortable with the familiarity offered. Big publishers drop obscene amounts of cash on having games developed and in return they want the big pay day, which means pandering to 'mainstream' tastes. It's no wonder that more and more gamers are dreading any announcement involving a title they've been interested that contains the phrase 'broadening appeal'...

As for ruining gaming... No.

However, it is changing gaming. When people spout off about gaming becoming more mainstream and more accepted and how great it is and how more people should game, it almost always comes with the naive assumption that these 'mainstream' people, these potential future gamers, will have the same tastes and attitudes as most gamers do. Fact is they're not changing their attitudes or tastes to fit gaming, gaming is being changed to suit their tastes and attitudes. This is why so much of the offerings from major publishers has started carrying the same stagnant, fetid stench that other popular entertainment media has about it.

 

[RaikuFA]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

If we can replace this comment with the last two words replaced with the other franchise OP needlessly insulted then I'm going to skip out the paragraph I had written and just say "See above".

i believed i called them mediocre. last time i checked mediocre is better than absolute shit, which is what youre making it look like i said

 

[Zantos]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

If we can replace this comment with the last two words replaced with the other franchise OP needlessly insulted then I'm going to skip out the paragraph I had written and just say "See above".

i believed i called them mediocre. last time i checked mediocre is better than absolute shit, which is what youre making it look like i said

Calling it Michael Bay's latest masturbatory aide is hardly calling it mediocre. A weak clarifying "they aren't bad games" statement doesn't detract from the completely unnecessary nature of the comments made.

 

[Gamer_152]

I believe the frat boy mentality is having a very grating effect on the games industry, however I can see various things wrong with what you're saying.

Your first issue isn't actually to do with the games industry, it's to do with games journalism and frat boy mentality isn't something that has got its hooks in games journalism. It sounds like in that single instance the IGN reviewer did a bad job, but on the whole games journalism has been good about observing games from both big business and the independent side, and games that are both iterating on a proven formula and trying to do something more original. As for the public, for the large majority of gamers they won't even know about Disgaea 3, and for those who do most of them are not morons unable to form a valid opinion about it.

With the second issue I think it's important to note that your one encounter with that single Gamestop employee alone says nothing about games retailers as a whole, let alone the games industry as a whole. The game is a very obscure title in the west though and while I'd prefer that Gamestop try and give shelf space to more obscure titles I can't speak for how they're doing so on the whole and as hard as it may be to deal with, there's not really much incentive for them to do so when people (even the more informed gamers out there) aren't buying this stuff to begin with.

Finally, there may be some problems with certain members of the community that have built up around them, and CoD may not deserve to be as popular as it is, but there's nothing wrong with Street Fighter or Call of Duty themselves.

 

[StriderShinryu]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

its because niche games get automatic bad reviews or are considered crap by the consumer because theyre not popular. and that douchebag judged the game on its cover alone

also, street fighter is mediocre to me, although ive been hating it because capcom rereleased SF4 twice already yet said when it was first released they wouldnt be pulling this crap

I think this thread can be summed up very succinctly with two words found in that post. Those words being "to me."

Reviews are facts laced with opinions. The GameStop clerk had an opinion. If this is the true story, he may have been rather overt in expressing it.. but really no more overt than this thread is.

In reality, I see the complete opposite of what the OP is stating. Me too titles and endless sequel parades have never been more in the crosshairs than they are now. Everyone is crying out for innovation, even in the longest running of series. Sure, some games sell a lot of copies without necessarily trying but amongst those who consider themselves fans of games, I don't see the supposed frat boy mentality at all. To be honest, one of the biggest things that is damaging the industry right now is those upon high horses looking down their noses at things they deem beneath them for little reason other than it being something they don't like or don't understand.

 

[Dogstile]

Saying gaming is succumbing to a frat boy mentality because you read IGN is like complaining that everyone where you are is a meat eater while you're at baconfest.

Also, no, people do not like what you like. What you like isn't going to be the most popular thing in the world. People have tastes that are different to yours. Just because someone doesn't agree with your tastes, doesn't make them a frat boy.

In fact, I love COD and Street Fighter, but if you look at my avatar, do I really look like a damn frat boy?

 

[RaikuFA]

I believe the frat boy mentality is having a very grating effect on the games industry, however I can see various things wrong with what you're saying.

Your first issue isn't actually to do with the games industry, it's to do with games journalism and frat boy mentality isn't something that has got its hooks in games journalism. It sounds like in that single instance the IGN reviewer did a bad job, but on the whole games journalism has been good about observing games from both big business and the independent side, and games that are both iterating on a proven formula and trying to do something more original. As for the public, for the large majority of gamers they won't even know about Disgaea 3, and for those who do most of them are not morons unable to form a valid opinion about it.

With the second issue I think it's important to note that your one encounter with that single Gamestop employee alone says nothing about games retailers as a whole, let alone the games industry as a whole. The game is a very obscure title in the west though and while I'd prefer that Gamestop try and give shelf space to more obscure titles I can't speak for how they're doing so on the whole and as hard as it may be to deal with, there's not really much incentive for them to do so when people (even the more informed gamers out there) aren't buying this stuff to begin with.

Finally, there may be some problems with certain members of the community that have built up around them, and CoD may not deserve to be as popular as it is, but there's nothing wrong with Street Fighter or Call of Duty themselves.

that is true, i hate them because of the fans, not because of the game(although i prefer Guilty Gear, BlazBlue and Bioshock over those two)

 

[Gorilla Gunk]

So you are mad because a game store owner didn't know about some obscure as hell game, and because the stuff you like isn't popular? Did I get that right?

Also, what the crap is wrong with Street Fighter?

its because NICHE GAMES get automatic bad reviews or are considered crap by the consumer because theyre NOT POPULAR.

You do know that something that's considered a niche game CAN'T be popular, right? I mean if niche game was hugely popular, it wouldn't really be a niche game.

 

[Rawne1980]

Some games just aren't going to be popular.

Graphics has very little to do with it (I give you .... Minecraft .... thats doing okay).

Reviews tend to concentrate on the big games because thats going to get the most readers.

But I admit I do like my games to have good graphics. Why? Let me enlighten thee.

I started gaming in 1985 when graphics were, simply put, shit. Hands up all those that remember the likes of Asteroids and Pong and one of the best RPG's of the time that was in text format ..... Zork.

Now I love the 80's (except mullets .... I hated that mullet .... it should have come under child cruelty making us have them) and I keep hearing the same thing with regards to things I like and don't like.

I like the 70's and 80's music I listen to. I don't like a hell of a lot of stuff released these days and I get told "well, times change old man" ..... fair enough.

I like a lot of the older movies from my childhood. I don't like a lot thats released and the complete fuck up remakes of our childhood favourites and I get told "well, times change old man" ...... okay, right you are.

I like the cartoons I used to watch as a kid. I don't like a lot of cartoons that come out now but I get told "well, times change old man" ..... I suppose they are right.

I loved the games I had as a kid. I love a lot of the games coming out now but I don't like most of the indie ones because they look like games I escaped from 26 years ago and people say "well, times chan"...... let me stop you right there......

If times have changed then let me enjoy my decent graphics on games I like and stop telling me how awesome games are with graphics from 26 sodding years ago.

I know how good it was then I WAS THERE, however, I refuse to pay good money for games that look like I should be playing them on my old Atari 2600.

 

[Terminate421]

Popular stuff is popular for a reason. These "Frat boys" allow the publishers to get funded, and they pay developers to make more games. I swear, too many assume lesser known games are godly next to the latest CoD game.

Some are just getting into our medium. Big Budget AAA titles allow them to step in further as interesting things will catch their attention.

 

[RaikuFA]

Saying gaming is succumbing to a frat boy mentality because you read IGN is like complaining that everyone where you are is a meat eater while you're at baconfest.

Also, no, people do not like what you like. What you like isn't going to be the most popular thing in the world. People have tastes that are different to yours. Just because someone doesn't agree with your tastes, doesn't make them a frat boy.

In fact, I love COD and Street Fighter, but if you look at my avatar, do I really look like a damn frat boy?

heres the thing though, im told a lot, not just by gamestop employees, that my choices of games are shit. take zelda for instance, link to the past is my favorite game of all time, yet whenever i give that as my answer i get told at least 75% of the time "thats a sucky game, OoT is the best because its in 3d."