"Overrated" = "Sucks"?

[Generator]

Well, I think it's important to take into consideration that if someone says that something you like is overrated and fails to follow that with a "but" statement, showing that though they feel it is esteemed to highly it also has its merit, you would be inclined to go on the defensive since the statement by itself is, in fact, an insult. And if it's not an insult, it's most likely a way for someone to feel clever when they say that they weren't saying it was "bad", just "overrated" (By the way, OP, I'm not saying you're a jerk who thinks he's clever or anything; just that if someone were to say something were overrated as their sole argument in a debate despite liking it, they most likely would be planning on trying something like that... if that made sense...).

 

[Arisato-kun]

No. Overrated does not mean bad.

Example: Modern Warfare 2

Incredibly overrated but still a solid shooter.

 

[Callate]

You can't have a heated discussion about something being mediocre. And Internet discussions rarely operate at a temperature beneath "raging boil". Therefore, if you bother to bring up the quality of a game, and you're not praising it to the heavens, you must be cursing it to an eternity in the slime-encrusted orifices of giant cockroaches.

(I'm being facetious. Mostly.)

 

[SonicKoala]

Nope, overrated certainly doesn't mean it sucks, just as underrated doesn't mean it's amazing. Take the first Half-Life for example - I personally think it's a tad overrated, but it's still a great game and it should be praised for its originality and innovation (for the record, this does not, in any whatsoever, apply to Half-Life 2).

On the opposite side of things, I thought that Godfather 2 got a lot of undeserved criticism, and it was, for the most part, a really fun game. It wasn't amazing, but it was still good.

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

I agree that most people don't understand what overrated means (that doesn't mean you should throw a temper tantrum about it, though). I, for example, think the Beatles are extremely overrated. That said, I'd still say they're one of the greatest and most influential bands of all time.

That problem arises from the fact that many people who talk about things being overrated do use the word to imply that it sucks. So you can't really get around it.

EDIT: 1337th post, woo!

I'm with you on the Beatles, for the most part. I think they're undeniably influential, but I personally don't care for them that much so, to me, they are hardly the greatest. It does seem like people use the term "overrated" as a synonym for "sucks" but that's just because people are generally stupid and bastardize the meaning of words.

I think that the Halo series is extremely overrated by its fans. That being said, I enjoy playing multiplayer with my buddies when we're hanging out cause there's nothing quite like talking smack and sticking each other with plasma grenades and screaming like girls when the zombies come charging after us.

 

[Miumaru]

Overrated does not mean sucks. I feel too many games are often over or underrated for silly things. Graphics is one of the biggest foes. As good as a game looks, if it is not fun, it is not fun. If an ugly man and attractive man apply for the same job, and the ugly man is better, he is better, even if its hard to look at him. I criticize many games, but I often say sucks and overrated seperate. While I am one who feels Halo 3, the Gears series, FF, and many other big titles are overrated, I do play them, though less passionatly than those who love them so.

 

[scnj]

Nah, they're different things. I love the Halo series but still consider it overrated.

 

[Vrex360]

I honestly just think the term 'overrated' has been used for far too long way as a subtler way of saying 'tHIs gaem suxxorz' and so now if you say it's overrated then people naturally put two and two together and assume you are saying that their game sucks.
The fact is declaring something is overrated implies that the people who like it so much are incorrect in their judgement. If you say 'I don't really like it all that much' you are merely saying YOU YOURSELF don't like it personally, but usually when people say it's overrated it comes across like they are declaring it as an actual fact. You are basically telling them that they are wrong and that does tend to piss people off.

I mean when someone barges into a thread about Halo, like let's say for example about how the story ends or something, then just interjects by saying:
"Halo is totally overrated!"
... That's not going to win positive points. It doesn't matter that techincally you aren't saying it sucks, you are still essentially saying that it's poor quality and that the people who praise it so highly are essentially wrong to think the way they do and that's kinda disresepctful.

Plus as I said before, people use the term 'Overrated' to mean 'sucks' try and deny it all you want but the fact remains people do it, just like how 'generic' and 'crap' are now considered the same meaning but with a different word. Hence people still get offended when you say it.

Oh, by the way.... why is Halo still the only game franchise that has to answer to accusations that the fanbase hype it up out of proportion, because it's not. Half Life fans talk about Half Life like it's the greatest contribution to human civilisation, Final Fantasy fans dress up like the characters and parade around the streets in broad daylight and Mario is still beloved over twenty years after his creation.
Halo is no less guilty of this and given the heavy amount of angry backlash it's been getting these days if anything the series is underrated at least as far as online communities go.

Granted, I don't think Halo is the greatest thing since sliced bread and I think people do tend to hype it up but no more than any other game franchise gets hyped up.

That said, yes I do understand that Overrated and 'It sucks' mean different things but I can still see why either one can be offensive.

 

[ultrachicken]

Fine examples are Halo, Gears of War, GTAIV, Call of Duty MW2, Fable and Section 8. While I will never say these games are in any respects BAD, they just can't hold my interest and I wonder why they are as popular as they seem to be.

Since when was section 8 popular?

 

[Arkzism]

well hmm for me overrated just means its not as great as everyone says it is.. it doesnt mean it sucks.. ok sometimes it can mean that; example (cloverfield)
but again its all up to opinion

 

[robobengt]

Technically, a game doesn't have to be popular to be overrated.

I don't care that people use "overrated" wrong. It's still a word with a specific meaning, and I can't think of any other words that describe what it describes. So if you want to say something's overrated (in the true meaning of the word) you have to use the correct word. Otherwise language will be watered down and in the end we'll all be running around going "yah. omg great. whatever!" which would mean everything from "come here and show me that book" to "what are you up to these days" (I suck at giving examples, but hopefully you understand anyway).

I hate it when people water down languages.

 

[Liberaliter]

I would use overrated in a case where a game which is wildly popular is not something I enjoy. For example, most Nintendo franchises.

 

[RicoADF]

Can't I say something sucks AND is horribly overrated? IE Halo.

That's acceptable, both because of the example, and because in that context your not saying that overrated means it sucks, you added that in to cover it