Poll: How do you feel about Mainstream Games?

[RazeElement]

The demographics of video gamers have certainly changed since 15-20 years ago, let alone 5. Companies have changed their approach in marketing and are now aiming it towards broader audiences. Changes have been made, old greatness has been sacrificed, all so that innovation could bring a new light to a young art form. The question is, was this for the better or the worse?

YOUR thoughts/emotions on the mainstream is what I'm looking for, and how your perception of gaming has changed due to it. Please spill your thoughts.

 

[Son of a Mitch]

I really don't care if it's mainstream or obscure. If it's a game I enjoy playing, then I think it's a good game. Halo and Zelda games are really mainstream, but I have tons of fun with them, while games like CoD and Gears of War don't really appeal to me at all.

 

[Jedoro]

Different people enjoy different games, and I just find myself enjoying games like Modern Warfare. Not too sure how to explain it more than just saying I think they're fun.

 

[werty10089]

I oppose the fps takeover of mainstream gaming, but I understand that people can buy what they want. 'Mainstream' gaming is much akin to 'mainstream' music, you get your fads here and there, but really everyone can just decide for themselves what they view as overrated or not.

 

[RazeElement]

What I was trying to make a point about with this poll was gaming has changed A LOT since it's birth back in the older days. Due to it's young age and it's increasing popularity, it has been growing with no signs of slowing down.

Games like Madden, Guitar Hero, Modern Warfare, Gears of War, Halo, Zelda all have evolved since their predecessors (depending on how old they are) just so they can mold into a bigger market. I am curious entirely on if you are accepting of the mold that these games presented or you wish they would have not been pushed into the public market. Getting mainstream certainly presents drawbacks to anybody with hardcore feelings towards a subject because it is selling out an original idea.

Ultimately, by being vague I missed the point I was trying to drive. Do you like or dislike mainstream games as a whole?

 

[mental_looney]

If it's fun, it's fun doesn't matter if it's mainstream or obscure, gaming now still has lots to offer and opening it up to other markets would hopefully bring more change as a whole once the fps fad ends which is a bit better than the music games of many peripherals one.

 

[Mr. Omega]

I don't mind the CoD series. What I DO mind is every single company with maybe one or two exceptions trying to be the ones to make the next CoD by out CoD-ing CoD.

But the REAL big thing I dislike is that the Hype Machine decides what games are successful and which aren't. Back in the day, you had to make you game stand out from all the others. You had to do something different. You had to be your own damn game to be successful. Nowadays, you can be the blandest, unoriginal, samey, generic, uninspired piece of cookie-cutter copy-pasted FPS and still sell better than many of the more original titles out there so long as you have a shit-ton of money behind your game's marketing. There are exceptions, of course, and dozens of factors behind why things are the way they are.

Still, there is a nice variety. Yes, there are dozens, if not hundreds of bland, boring, samey brown and "realistic" FPS games on the market, and dozens of RPGs claiming to be original when all they do is change maybe one or two details of the established Tolkien norm or just set it in space. But you still get your adventure games like Zelda, your action games like God of War, your stealth-action games like Assassin's Creed, your quirky games like Portal and so on.

 

[Cogwheel]

I don't play mainstream games for the most part since I lack the relevant consoles and my PC isn't good enough. That said, there are good games and bad games. If it's good, I'll like it, whether it's mainstream or not (exceptions exist, like L4D, which is good but not a game I actually enjoy playing). If it's bad, being an indie game isn't going to suddenly redeem it or anything. Simple enough.

 

[AzureRaven]

I'm...50-50 with mainstream right now. Some series' appeal to me, some don't, that's all there is to it really. There's some stagnation, yes, but that's because everyone wants to play it safe in an economically unstable time. Risk losing your job and -maybe- produce a hit, or keep it and clone a working formula? And despite all that, there's still a few great games out there, so I'm not too worried.

 

[Delsana]

There's really no such thing as the "mainstream" games.

 

[RazeElement]

I don't mind the CoD series. What I DO mind is every single company with maybe one or two exceptions trying to be the ones to make the next CoD by out CoD-ing CoD.

But the REAL big thing I dislike is that the Hype Machine decides what games are successful and which aren't. Back in the day, you had to make you game stand out from all the others. You had to do something different. You had to be your own damn game to be successful. Nowadays, you can be the blandest, unoriginal, samey, generic, uninspired piece of cookie-cutter copy-pasted FPS and still sell better than many of the more original titles out there so long as you have a shit-ton of money behind your game's marketing. There are exceptions, of course, and dozens of factors behind why things are the way they are.

Still, there is a nice variety. Yes, there are dozens, if not hundreds of bland, boring, samey brown and "realistic" FPS games on the market, and dozens of RPGs claiming to be original when all they do is change maybe one or two details of the established Tolkien norm or just set it in space. But you still get your adventure games like Zelda, your action games like God of War, your stealth-action games like Assassin's Creed, your quirky games like Portal and so on.

Amen to that, I couldn't have said that better myself.

 

[s0p0g]

should i feel?

if there is a good game, indie, underground, or triple-a, i'll buy it.
if it's not good, be it indie, underground or triple-a, i'll not buy it.

 

[Odegauger]

What is "mainstream".

You can't poll on something this broad and undefinable.

 

[The Lunatic]

Generally, not really.

I've tried a few of the more popular games. I've picked MW2, WoW and a bunch of other popular games, and I just honestly don't find much amusing in them.

I'm the kind of guy that plays Dwarf Fortress and can't help but anticipate when new systems and layers of depth are added to the game.

The world of instant action, split-second gaming and what-not just isn't for me.

 

[RazeElement]

What is "mainstream".

You can't poll on something this broad and undefinable.

Mainstream as in highly marketed, and well-known.

 

[brumley53]

I like to play both Mainstream games and less mainstream games.

Most recently I bought Deus Ex HR, Red orchestra 2, the humble indie bundle and Trauma. A nice mix of everything.

 

[zehydra]

I like playing what's fun and enjoyable. I play beyond Mainstream though. I like Retro and Indy games as well.

 

[Watchmacallit]

Its like when people say a song is "Too mainstream for me". It just pisses me off, the popularity or the funding or what ever else shouldn't effect if something is likable. I love Battlefield, Shogun 2, Team Fortress etc and I also love Mount and Blade, Frozen Synapse and Magicka.

I like the game because of how good it is, anyone that doesn't like something just because of its origin (I'm sorry) is mentally retarded in some horrible way.