Jimquisition: Angry Birds Is Not Sh*t

[dbenoy]

Well I don't hate Angry Birds, nor have I ever really expressed any hate for it in a serious manner. It exists, and I have no problem with that. I just personally don't play it so much, cause after downloading it, I just felt like the genre of game in general kinda had too much of a sense of 'hit or miss' to it; a lot of it was to do with blind luck as much as technicalities, and I'm not going to bother putting in the hours to hone my skills with Angry Bird to the point that luck isn't a factor anymore. So I dunno, whenever someone mentions Angry Birds I don't rage about it, but I'm kinda more "meh, I'm not so much a fan of Angry Birds"

You just echoed my sentiments there. Jim should have made the caveat of 'If you don't like it personally, that's fine, so long as you respect its right to exist'. When I watched the video it sorta came off as Jim attacking people who don't like Angry Birds, which I know was not his intention.

There are plenty of people who enjoy the thrill of luck, and that's one tool in the game designer's 'psychological toolbox' to give the users good feelings while they play their game. However, some people, like you and me, don't respond as well to this type of reward. Personally, I like games that emphasize skill and practice, such as Super Meat Boy and Guitar Hero. (On the opposite side of the spectrum are games like Peggle, and Angry Birds, and in the middle are games like World of Goo, where you need to use strategy and skill, but even the best player still fails many times before pulling it off)

 

[Rack]

It's a horrible horrible game because there's no connection between what you do and what happens. It's substantially more random than even Peggle which was riding the razors edge between a game and a flashing light simulator.

The combination of it's abysmally low quality and huge success means it's quite difficult to argue that there are actually decent games on the appstore. It's hyperbole to say it's a tragedy that it sold so well but then hyperbole gets around.

 

[Dogstile]

I only disagree with the comment where you say it took an idea from crush the castle and adapted it.

The only thing I see is that it changed it from stones to birds and men to pigs then gave the projectiles different properties. If I took my ideas from a game and changed it as little as they did in my programming class (not that it makes me an expert, but its a source of bitterness) I would have failed.

 

[dbenoy]

wow i honestly never knew there was soo much criticism with this game. i just imagined it was another one of these iphone games that get popular for about a month then the next one comes along. seeing as i don't have an iphone i don't take notice but can't condemn it. i knew there was a one like it in the past but as jim said it's all about plagarising for you. everyone does it. good luck to ya if you can take an idea and make it work for you

When I first heard there was a contingent of hardcore gamers out there with a serious hate for this game, I was relieved that I was not alone, because I was seriously starting to feel like I was alone.

Naturally Jim is right, though, this game is a good game if you're the type of demographic that likes it. Its right to success can not be reasonably questioned.

 

[Rabidkitten]

This type of thing happens all the time. Its prevalent in almost every thing ever. Physicists groan when lay men talk about string theory. Artists groan when people love Picasso. Literature enthusiast groan when books like Twilight sell a billion copies. Food connoisseurs groan when they see people eating McDonald. Gamers groan when everyone plays Angry birds and games like Portal 2, and Dues Ex don't get as much press or clout. Beer enthusiasts probably loath Anheiser Bush. Movie buffs die inside a little when the newest Transformers breaks box office records.

Get over it, when you dedicate your time and energy into something you will always have more knowledge of what is good within that particular thing. It's not up to everyone else to know this information, you know it because you spent time delving into that area. You can spend 100s of hours digging through a music store, listening to abscure online radio stations, and finding that absolute best music of a given genre. But don't get your panties in a wad when a normal person just likes the top 40 stuff they hear on the radio. They just didn't put as much time as you did into finding the very best music. I'm sure that same person could school you on the intricacies of fine knittery.

 

[dbenoy]

This is inspiring some thoughts about the meaning of a 'casual' game.

I'm very glad to see that people on this thread share my belief that Angry Birds is much more about luck than it is about skill, and that's one definition of a 'casual' game.

The other definition is for games like 'Tetris', where although they require vast amounts of skill and practice to master, they can still be picked up easily, played for a short time, and put down.

Another definition is that it's just very easy to understand and is non-threatening. Angry Birds, Tetris, and Farmville all meet this definition, even though Farmville doesn't meet either of the other two definitions.

 

[sephiroth1991]

I was unaware people hated angry birds, I never played it so I have no opinion on it. Informative as always Mr Sterling.

 

[KillerMort]

for those saying that a game that rips off concepts like physics and gameplay as the factor of unoriginality then riddle me this "what about every fighting game after street fighter, what about every platformer after Mario." the general concept and game play of these games is based off an original piece of equipment but then remade with new aesthetics to make the game their own,Mortal Kombat would be a crappy street fighter wannabe if it weren't for a few touches here and there to tell you "hey you're playing Mortal Kombat" 'ripping off' is no longer something to even have as a viable excuse to say something is not deserving praise, think about more games that have taken something from another and turned out more successful than the one who they based themselves upon, i'll give you another: BioShock

 

[mjc0961]

My only problem with Angry Birds is why the hell should I pay for something that should be a free game on Newgrounds or any other flash site? It's basically highlight the main problem with all those silly iPhone or other mobile games. Apple and other companies are always trying to promise that their phones are gaming platforms too, and you see people promising doom for the 3DS and Vita because of iPhones, and for what? Angry Birds? Cut the Rope? Fruit Ninja? Fuck off, I'm going to go play something with substance. Not that you can't have fun with those kinds of games. They're good if you have just a few minutes to kill here or there, but that's about it. They aren't a threat to any other handheld gaming though, so if everyone could kindly stop with the "dedicated portables are doomed!" bullshit, that'd be swell.

People who hate any games are silly. Find something better to do with your time.

I'll hate downright terrible games like Okami and inFamous all I want, thank you. And it's not taking up any of my time at all, so I don't need to find something "better" to do with it.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

I don't know why you made another video about a popular game being hated, you already made one of Call of Duty. The one big problem I have with popular titles is that they overshadow just about everything else. They create a sense of familiarity that keeps most gamers inside their comfort zone and never wanting to come out. See ZP review on Braid.

 

[Active Schizophrenic]

Yeah, no Jim. No.

Angry Birds isn't "adapted" from Crush the Castle, it's the EXACT same game, only with a cartoon overlay and touch-screen controls. Crush the Castle doesn't play anything like Worms, and the fact that you're comparing two games that different. And saying that Worms=Crush the Castle=Angry Birds is a load fucking codswallop.

Rovio stole from a flash game maker and made millions and millions of dollars off of his work.

lolwut. well there is one MASSIVE difference between the two. the fact that rovio actually got there ass off miniclip and decided to make some fucking money. like a REAL dev team. angry birds Is a much more inventive level with some acually real challenge to it there is also the fact that it has been updated constantly since its release and even though they made a ton of sequels they still update their original version with new content for free. If crush the castle was really all that they would be making fucking money.

 

[Active Schizophrenic]

My only problem with Angry Birds is why the hell should I pay for something that should be a free game on Newgrounds or any other flash site? It's basically highlight the main problem with all those silly iPhone or other mobile games. Apple and other companies are always trying to promise that their phones are gaming platforms too, and you see people promising doom for the 3DS and Vita because of iPhones, and for what? Angry Birds? Cut the Rope? Fruit Ninja? Fuck off, I'm going to go play something with substance. Not that you can't have fun with those kinds of games. They're good if you have just a few minutes to kill here or there, but that's about it. They aren't a threat to any other handheld gaming though, so if everyone could kindly stop with the "dedicated portables are doomed!" bullshit, that'd be swell.

People who hate any games are silly. Find something better to do with your time.

I'll hate downright terrible games like Okami and inFamous all I want, thank you. And it's not taking up any of my time at all, so I don't need to find something "better" to do with it.

I REALLY hope this is just flamebait because if it isn't ill feel very sad for you.

 

[Drakey]

Ive been watching Jimquisition for a little bit now, only recently allowing myself the variety of video pleasures the Escapist has to offer. And I find myself thanking someones God....

 

[sir.rutthed]

The less I see of Jim Sterling the character and the more I see of Jim Sterling the observant, intelligent, outspoken proponent of gaming awesomeness the more I like the Jimquisition. Good episode all around, but maybe a little late in its timing.

 

[Charles McGuffin]

It's a horrible horrible game because there's no connection between what you do and what happens. It's substantially more random than even Peggle which was riding the razors edge between a game and a flashing light simulator.

XD You're an Idiot, because you've never played it.

Angry Birds is anything but random.

 

[Daveman]

It's not so much that it's shit. It's that I've played about 3 flash games this week that have been more fun and yet nobody wil have heard of them.

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

Angry Birds is shit. It's shit because of how popular and overrated it is. The game itself is good, but not so good that it deserved the attention it got. And, as we all know, when you tell someone something overrated isn't as good as they think, they only hear the words "it's shit" which is easier to say.

 

[restoshammyman]

i have the game.
i dont hate it, but it is kinda... shitty as games go.
its not very much fun.
the later levels very much about luck more then anything else.
i wouldnt call it a terrible game that brings on dooms day. but im glad i got the free version of it.

 

[orangeapples]

But we're the internet, and we have to be smarter and trendier than everyone else.

We like CoD before it was mainstream, but when it did it was the worst game ever. same goes for Nintendo; When WE were Nintendo's favorite child we adored Nintendo and every single thing they did, but when they started to look for other outlets for their affection we were betrayed and thus Nintendo became the worst company ever. We LOVED Halo, when it was just for us, but when other people got into it, "HALO WAS THE GAME THAT DESTROYED GAMING!!!"

If the common real world people like it, then it is mindless dribble, but if the masses don't understand then it is just misunderstood and we take care of it until the masses finally get it and then we push it away with a 10 foot pole with a rabid dog tied to the end.

Jim, what you need to understand is that the Internet thrives on hate. If people didn't hate stuff on the internet, the internet would starve and fade off into nothingness. It's just a part of the circle of life.