Poll: Cult and obscure, or well-known and popular?

[joebthegreat]

If I like it I don't care about the popularity.

That said a lot of things I like are popular, for the reasons I like them.

The thing most people seem to forget is that we're sitting on a game forum talking about games. I love Team Fortress 2 and StarCraft 2. Those are both VERY popular games from where I'm sitting...

But if I go into work and talk to the "gamer" teenagers there, most of them have absolutely no idea what Team Fortress 2 is, and have only ever heard about StarCraft at best.

While most games I love happen to be niche and not that loved by other gamers (Total War series, 4X grand strategy, managing simulations) I still enjoy a good deal of popular games in almost every genre.

So let me put it this way: Popularity is often times indication of a game being well polished and worth your time. However, what many people consider popular in gamer culture isn't really popular comparatively.

 

[JokerCrowe]

I honestly don't care if something is popular or not, I like the things I like because I think they're good. If everyone else also realizes that, Fine! And if I'm the only one who likes something, that's fine too. I mean, everyone else is just missing out...

EDIT: but lately I have been leaning more towards things that are popular, you know I want to try new things, and I was very Anti-popular before..

 

[M Rotter]

yeah i feel like if someones' like or dislike of something depends entirely on whether or not its popular or obscure then they shall be labeled a hipster.

 

[Ghengis John]

As many have said, I don't really care what's popular or what's not. Worrying about that is pointless, it's all relative. Sufficed to say most of the things I like tend to be pretty obscure to the mainstream but well known in their fan circles. I'm always trying to gobble up new music, and guess what? If that band you're trying to find isn't on youtube now they will be in a year or so. Something every one over 20 knows like the national anthem can be unheard of to everyone under 20. In short, don't think about this so hard.

 

[moretimethansense]

I actually am indifferent, I play (many) popular games because I've heard of them and I play cult games when I hear of them, for me it's about the type of game I enjoy rather than it's popularity.

The exeption to this is if an otherwise avarage (I'd like it but not overmuch) game is released but gains massive popularity, I start to hate it, overexposure plays a part but mostly it's resentment that an ok game can be a blockbuster when truly fantastic games go unnoticed, I feel the same about films.

 

[Ghengis John]

The exeption to this is if an otherwise avarage (I'd like it but not overmuch) game is released but gains massive popularity, I start to hate it, overexposure plays a part but mostly it's resentment that an ok game can be a blockbuster when truly fantastic games go unnoticed, I feel the same about films.

Braid. I don't know why that sucker got all the press loving it did.

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

I will be using CoD as an example of this! You have been warned so don't go raging at me after


I don't like the CoDs for being too popular, for example.
I won't play a game if it's too popular, because it makes me uncomfortable, being part of the adoring masses makes me feel shallow and driven by shiny things.
Besides, knowing more obscure games gives more culture.
For example, when someone says: "MINECRAFT SUXORZ, IT'S SO 1000 YEARS AGO", I say: "It's a game in development that's gonna best any shooter and is too good to even be mencioned to or by such an ignorant twit."
It doesn't have CoD-like graphics, but I don't care. Minecraft is always differerent whenever you log on, unlike CoD, that's always: "Kill this! Kill that! America is awesome!"
It's the essence of the game that counts. Check out ExtraCreditz: Game Mechanics and Narratives.

... I'm sorry, I tend to go on and on...

Let's make it a shorter version.
I prefer lesser known games.

 

[ThePinkAcidSmurf]

Why is being indifferent a cop-out? I mean if you read/view anything you find decent regardless of it being weird or mainstream, that's your opion?

 

[smithy_2045]

I like what I like. There's no real consistency whether it's obscure or mainstream.

 

[Woodsey]

I like more known stuff, but it doesn't have to be popular.

I loved The Assassination of Jesse James for example, but I've yet to see anyone really say anything about it in 3 years, despite it's cast and pure amazing-ness.

 

[brunothepig]

Why is the indifferent option the "cop-out" option? Somethings popularity, or lack thereof, doesn't mean anything to me. If I like something, it isn't because others like or dislike it. So some things I like, such as my musical tastes, aren't exactly mainstream. But then, I do enjoy the movie Avatar, or did. Haven't seen it in a long while.
Anyway, my point is, whether something is or is not popular does not have any effect on how much I enjoy it. In fact, I ignore general opinion on most of my tastes since people started telling me I am a satan worshiper (yes telling me). So I have no idea if many things I do are popular or obscure, so I honestly can't say what I lean towards.

 

[joebthegreat]

I won't play a game if it's too popular, because it makes me uncomfortable, being part of the adoring masses makes me feel shallow and driven by shiny things.

But it shouldn't. The masses aren't all shallow idiots driven by shiny things. A popular game is that way for a couple reasons: They're intuitive, the controls make sense and you can pick it up without a lot of previous knowledge; they're polished, with less glitches and visible mistakes to break immersion. These things will make any game a better game. That alone means that quality games are the ones that people tend to prefer.

Sure sometimes the game is "mediocre" compared to your darling pet games in the genre, but look at it brutally and honestly and tell me, does your pet game have bugs? Does your pet game have an unintuitive interface or annoying learning curve? Sure once you get good at a game and patches come out these issues go away, but honestly there's a reason some otherwise good games don't get popular, and it isn't ever because they have TOO MUCH quality.

Besides, knowing more obscure games gives more culture.

Well so does knowing more obscure paintings, or books, or Swahili tribal dances. But that doesn't mean everyone has time to dedicate themselves to those things. Yes, if you're a game enthusiast, it's good to know the breadth and scope and history of your preferred medium, but that doesn't disqualify the best games from being the best games. And the best games are generally more popular.

For example, when someone says: "MINECRAFT SUXORZ, IT'S SO 1000 YEARS AGO", I say: "It's a game in development that's gonna best any shooter and is too good to even be mentioned to or by such an ignorant twit."

Yeah except that's a complete strawman and I don't usually argue with straw. It doesn't matter anyway because Minecraft was for the longest time in Alpha, and is only now in Beta. Games like that are by default going to be less polished and less intuitive, as it's still being worked on. In fact, I'd say the fact that Minecraft is so ridiculously popular is proof that games can be reasonably popular without being simply "shiny media-hyped mediocre games".

Also: Don't pretend like Minecraft wouldn't be improved with better graphics. Though some would say that might ruin the experience of living in a 3D 8-bit style world, I've always felt the charm in Minecraft comes from being able to fully destroy and create your environment. It's a true and simple execution of the sandbox concept, you can shape your own world from inside it. That would hold true with modern graphics just as easily.

It doesn't have CoD-like graphics, but I don't care. Minecraft is always different whenever you log on, unlike CoD, that's always: "Kill this! Kill that! America is awesome!" It's the essence of the game that counts. Check out ExtraCredits: Game Mechanics and Narratives.

You sell the CoD franchise short. I feel you don't give it enough of a chance simply because it is popular. The next time you get upset because somebody doesn't give Minecraft enough of a chance, and doesn't really enjoy it, I suggest you take a look at the way you treat their preferred games.

Let's make it a shorter version.
I prefer lesser known games.

To each his own. I just feel the judgment based on it's popularity is unnecessarily arbitrary.

 

[Kouen]

I will be using CoD as an example of this! You have been warned so don't go raging at me after


I don't like the CoDs for being too popular, for example.
I won't play a game if it's too popular, because it makes me uncomfortable, being part of the adoring masses makes me feel shallow and driven by shiny things.
Besides, knowing more obscure games gives more culture.
For example, when someone says: "MINECRAFT SUXORZ, IT'S SO 1000 YEARS AGO", I say: "It's a game in development that's gonna best any shooter and is too good to even be mencioned to or by such an ignorant twit."
It doesn't have CoD-like graphics, but I don't care. Minecraft is always differerent whenever you log on, unlike CoD, that's always: "Kill this! Kill that! America is awesome!"
It's the essence of the game that counts. Check out ExtraCreditz: Game Mechanics and Narratives.

... I'm sorry, I tend to go on and on...

Let's make it a shorter version.
I prefer lesser known games.

but hasnt minecraft gotten too popular too xD

that all half my friends ever go on about xD

on topic: i dont care really Obscure, Popular, Japanese meh if i like it ill play it

 

[KefkaCultist]

I kinda have to chose the cop out option. I don't lean either way, I'll buy it if it catches my interest or at least try a demo of it first. between my games, movies, and music I have about equal amounts of popular and cult stuff.

 

[Ham_authority95]

Well, let's hope the poll option does not have a failure of epic proportions.

So, just now, completely at random, it struck me. A long while back, in the troll-infested intellectual wasteland that is the YouTube comments section, one person told me the only reason I don't like Final Fantasy 7 is because it's popular.

No, shut up, this topic is not about Final Fantasy 7 and how it does/n't suck. This topic is about something we can discuss intelligently.

Now, I like Mario. I enjoyed the Harry Potter movies. I thought Scott Pilgrim was cool, though I still do want to read the comics at some point. I liked Gurren Lagann and Baccano. I enjoyed playing the Metroid games... Up until I keep getting stuck at about two hours in. (Half an hour, in the case of Other M.)

But, just recently, a thought came to mind. When the flying fuck was the last time I had anything to do with something popular?

I watch Gundam, Getter Robo, and Black Lagoon. I play Shin Megami Tensei, Tales, and Nippon Ichi Software games.

I enjoy EarthBound, Jak, and Monster Hunter. I read Berserk, Rave Master, and Kenshin!

You barely ever hear people talk about these things, if at all. And I'm betting that not one of you has ever even heard of the named "Getter Robo" before.

But, to make my point, this was completely unconscious. I found some of this stuff as a kid, and some of them I stumbled about recently. Heck, I didn't even know how obscure Getter is until I turned 13, and I've been watching it since I was about 11.

Go look at your shelves. See how many of your games and movies are things that everyone talked about for two weeks, and then forgot, or how much of your stuff is that which only a small group of people speak of as though it's a timeless legend.

It's been seven years and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is still arguably one of the best JRPGs around. Almost everyone who has played Zettai Hero Project will tell you the game is one of the single most amazing things on the PSP.

Now, fellow Escapists, I ask, where do you lean with your favorites? Are they obscure? Are they well-known? Which part of the scale is your collection on?

How about "Quality and entertaining"?

 

[TeeBs]

I don't mean to be that guy but...

Obscure for me would be when even the local indie music store has no fucking idea what I'm talking about obscure. Double points if you cant find it on Itunes.

 

[slevin8989]

They way i feel about it it's i like what i like it doesn't matter if it's popular or not it's my taste who cares about everyone else

 

[Veylon]

I guess I tend towards the lesser-known stuff, if only because the stuff I like never seems to become popular.

So, I like Dwarf Fortress and Paradox's games and Slayers (anime). I liked the Watchman movie (which bombed) and Scott Pilgrim (also bombed), but these weren't exactly indie films, either. My Final Fantasy is Tactics and I enjoyed Nippon Ichi's titles and I'm glad they've gotten big, as has Minecraft.

So, yeah...