Have we become spoiled game players?

[bushwhacker2k]

Considering that the "american" version of the NES was a far more of an inferior model to the Japanese one, we still view it with admiration.

I've heard that before, in what way was the American NES inferior?

You don't know? The one in japan was a top loader. This prevented the need to always "reset" the console to make it work. Also because of the way the "american" version hardware was build, the loader part would slightly bend the games cartridge (the name alludes me right now), thus you would slowly but surely damage your games each time you tried to play a game. No different than the problems we have now with current consoles. "Blowing" into the console was actually never part of the Japanese Famicom. What we looked at as "fond" childhood memories was nothing more than a very poorly built console.

That's so odd, if they had the console released first(which they should have, as they developed it first) why would we get a shoddier version; did we get a cheap knock-off?

 

[Evil Tim]

That's so odd, if they had the console released first(which they should have, as they developed it first) why would we get a shoddier version; did we get a cheap knock-off?

The main issue was the Famicom didn't have any lockout hardware (it also didn't have detachable controllers, so it wasn't all roses). The person you're replying to is wrong, and is just advancing the tiresome "everything Japanese is automatically better" argument. Blowing is an aspect of any cartridge console, and both my N64 and Mega Drive require it from time to time; it's just dirty connectors, and happens with card edge connections too.

The Famicom is also one of the most hideously gaudy objects ever designed by human hands, and Nintendo seem to have wanted to go for something less likely to cause seizures for the US market.

Wikipedia on the subject of the dirty / bent pins [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System#Hardware_design_flaws].

 

[Tipsythegza]

There's a difference between being spoiled and having standards. I think expecting game designers to DO THEIR MOTHERFUCKING JOB AND MAKE GAMES THAT WORK is not unreasonable. I don't expect them to all be like Valve, but the ratio of pure shit to good game has reached almost the level it was at during the Atari generations.

I'd have to agree, people get away with a LOT due to games being hyped up, not to bash but Homefront as an example, and don't get me started with Blackops. I think the problem nowadays compared to when i was a kid is hype does sell. Hellgate london: Hey we worked on diablo, this games gonna basically be diablo 3 but a different company!, Complete Doo Doo. Companies are more worried about hyping up their games and getting those initial numbers. They rely on fanboys (or girls) to carry them the first year with, "its still in beta, its only been out a month, they have done a lot in 6 months, WoW had a rough start too!"

 

[Natasha_LB]

I think the spoiled attitude goes far beyond gamers. The western world is gripped by an entitlement culture that has literally paralyzed every aspect of it's societies.

I don't think thats a fair comment to make at all. With the exception of America, do you really have enough experience of the rest of the western world to make that assumption? If you want to believe that America is paralyzed and spoiled by all means go ahead, but please don't group the rest of us in with you.

 

[Evil Tim]

I don't think thats a fair comment to make at all. With the exception of America, do you really have enough experience of the rest of the western world to make that assumption?

Do you have enough experience of America from living in Stoke-on-Trent to make that assumption?

 

[FalloutJack]

Some people are spoiled. Putting the 'we' in there makes it an over-arching term seeking to bundle us all together, and that's just not true.

 

[Natasha_LB]

I don't think thats a fair comment to make at all. With the exception of America, do you really have enough experience of the rest of the western world to make that assumption?

Do you have enough experience of America from living in Stoke-on-Trent to make that assumption?

I've spent a fair bit of time in the States, probably adds up to around 6 months in total, however that's completely besides the point, because where in my post did I make a single assumption about America? All I said was that "Sir John the Net Knight" was free to think whatever they want about the country they live in, but please not to make assumptions about the rest of the western world. I did not make a single assumption about America.

The only assumption I can see that I've made is that "Sir John the Net Knight" Only had significant experience of America, and not of the other western countries, a fair assumption to make, as I believe that for the comment he made, you would need a good 5 or 6 years of experience of various western counties.

Perhaps next time you reply to someones post, you should read it more carefully.

 

[PurplePlatypus]

Maybe but if being spoiled means giving game the criticisms that is due to them as a medium and have certain expectations of them then I don?t think it?s a bad thing.

I think there?s a certain amount of childish reactions but I think that?s mostly the internet and one childish reaction inspires others. Generally like opinion gather together. And really yes, when something is ever present you just get used to it and maybe don?t appreciate it as much as people who didn?t have it but then where introduced to it. I?m not sure it has to be a horrible thing; the bar needs to keep rising after all. We can?t remain amazed and incredibly thankful of this one thing if things keep moving on. The generation passed will appreciate certain things, we won?t as much but we will be introduced to new things we will come to appreciate and the next generation will see that as old hat and be introduced to something new.

 

[liquidus118]

Most games are half-finished nowadays. It's called DLC.
The only people being spoiled are the big rich publishers. All they have to do is rip off CoD and hordes of idiots are guaranteed to buy it.

 

[Evil Tim]

All I said was that "Sir John the Net Knight" was free to think whatever they want about the country they live in, but please not to make assumptions about the rest of the western world. I did not make a single assumption about America.

You assumed one person can have enough experience of the 308 million people in the United States to make such a generalisation; in effect, you granted him the ability to damn his entire country in your eyes. This is as asinine as acting like a single Frenchman could make generalisations relevant to three-fifths of the population of Europe.

Either you're willing to accept people making idiotic generalisations or you're not; the one you accepted is just a smaller version of what you told him off for. After all, he does live in "the West."

 

[vfaulkon]

I haven't looked at the OP post, just the title - I think that, by itself, is an interesting question. 'Have we become spoiled game players?'

Honestly, I don't think so. 'Spoiled' tends to indicate that we have regularly been handed only the best-quality goods, with everything else - even decent titles - just getting swept under the rug and ignored. That's simply not true. There are plenty of good, but not great, titles that still get positive reviews that, while falling short of the truly great games, still encourage people to buy and play them. The indie scene is full of these, and many critics like to highlight the good ones.

Instead of 'spoiled', I would say rather that there are two problems. One is a swell of gaming critiques we have access to (some right here on the Escapist, even!) all coming from sources of varying knowledge, expertise and validity to their claims, added on top of the natural difference two people will have in terms of how good or bad a particular title is. With so many people judging and complaining about every title, it's easy to see why some might think the gaming public is simply never satisfied.

Second, and more importantly I think, is that gaming really is evolving into something different. People that grew up in the 8-bit days are unused to epic storylines and multiple types of gameplay in a single game, and will see the demand for award-winning scripts and 'more complex' gameplay as unnecessary. Likewise, those from the 16-bit era could never play games like NBA Jam or Generic Football '96 online against someone in a different state or country, so now they can't help but wonder why every freakin' game in the universe has to have multiplayer.

In short, video games are basically going through growing pains. Now that there's a truly pronounced generation gap between old school and new school gamers, and developers have more tools and opportunities their disposal when making games, everyone's trying to understand what the modern 'good game' is. This leads to the glut of critics I mentioned above.

So no, I don't think we're spoiled. I think we're just trying to figure out what it is we want in games, and nitpicking every detail we can in hopes of finding the answer.