Poll: Is it just me, or is gaming becoming a constant stream of complaining about things we get?

[AnarchistAbe]

Not trolling, not flaming, just asking. It seems like, over the last few years, gamers have decided that, if they don't like something, they're going to start a petition, or boycott, or report the company to the BBB.

EA was voted the worst company this year, when companies like BP and some certain financial institutions were royally screwing people. Seriously? BP spills millions of gallons of oil, into the water supplies; but EA takes the cake for shitty games and poor customer service? Really?

I'm just posturing. What if we aren't being the "champions of the consumer" that many are claiming to be? What if we are just self-righteous assholes who need something to ***** about? Agree? Dissagree? Kind of agree? Please let us know. And, please, keep it civil.

 

[boag]

those stupid lousy whiny homophobic entitled brats, how dare they ask for their moneys worth, they should be grateful people even make games for them. *cashes another check*

 

[Forgetitnow344]

Yes.

Honestly, I'm having a hard time just enjoying video games anymore. It's always got to be a goddamn fight. But sometimes it seems like the devs WANT that fight. I legitimately enjoyed Mass Effect 3's singleplayer up until loldatending and the multiplayer is a lot of fun... But their pokemon card-style lottery for buying characters is shady as balls, especially since you need to spend 60000 credits (about 45 minutes to an hour of play time depending on your skill/your party's skill or 160 MS points) to even have a CHANCE of unlocking one of the new races. I can't really blame them for it though. I have probably thrown $25 at the damn game myself, and if it really pissed me off that much I wouldn't have stayed up until 3 AM playing last night with plans to play excessively this weekend.

To be honest... I'm sort of okay with it. It's slanted more to the side of the developer, but if I want to throw all my money at Spectre Packs, it's not entirely different from throwing all my money at Pokemon cards with the hopes I'll finally find a goddamn Charizard... And I should be allowed to. The problem with it is that the whiners are right. If the devs realize they can do this and get away with it, they'll abuse that and suddenly Spectre Packs will cost $5 instead of $2 and the likelihood of getting something decent will be even less. I'm not sure of the solution, but throwing petitions at it and whining your face off is probably not the answer.

 

[psicat]

Yes, gamers these day seem to be a group that constantly crying "I want it, but it better be just like I want it!" or "They screwed it up, they better fix it or I'll hate them forever!". I've learned over the years to deal with most gamers using the same frame of mind as when dealing with other peoples children, smile when they do something nice or leave and be grateful their not mine when they go into a tantrum.

 

[MiloP]

Gamers will always *****. Fact. I do so a lot myself.

The fact is, video games differ from other mediums like film, TV, and music in one key area - price. No standard edition of anything other than video games sells for £40 ($60). So, in a way, it's perfectly understandable, if you're displeased with a film, then it's 10 quid, not too bad. Games are a bigger investment, and the bigger your investment, the bigger your disappointment when you realise it wasn't a good investment.

In addition, the fact that films/TV/music is pretty much 100% opinion based, whereas video games can have unquestionable faults, like graphics issues or bad netcode etc, is something to consider. If you didn't like a film, it was probably because it just wasn't your thing, but games can be OBJECTIVELY bad as opposed to subjectively, which, again, due to the higher price point, can be a point of anger.

Of course, I very much doubt that either of these arguments make it to light. Most of the time, it's a simple as "you don't like what I like b'awwwww". Happens in everything.

 

[DustyDrB]

Anarchist wants us to be more orderly and less questioning of corporations.

I do think that some people take things too far and complain when it isn't necessary (though I doubt the things you have in mind when you made this thread are the ones I'm thinking of now).

 

[DoPo]

EA was voted the worst company this year, when companies like BP and some certain financial institutions were royally screwing people. Seriously? BP spills millions of gallons of oil, into the water supplies; but EA takes the cake for shitty games and poor customer service? Really?

BP, as in the British company, correct? I really have no idea how a British company didn't receive the title "The worst company in America for 2012".

You catch what I'm saying right?

 

[Kahunaburger]

People don't complain about every game that comes out - the criticism seems directed at a few games that mostly deserve it.

 

[AnarchistAbe]

EA was voted the worst company this year, when companies like BP and some certain financial institutions were royally screwing people. Seriously? BP spills millions of gallons of oil, into the water supplies; but EA takes the cake for shitty games and poor customer service? Really?

BP, as in the British company, correct? I really have no idea how a British company didn't receive the title "The worst company in America for 2012".

You catch what I'm saying right?

They have operations in America and are publicly traded on the NYSE. Wouldn't that qualify them to be nominated in this consumerist poll?

 

[Xpheyel]

Regarding BP; apparently yes, they won in 2011. And thus were ineligible to be nominated again.

http://consumerist.com/2011/04/congratulations-bp-youre-the-worst-company-in-america.html

Anyway. No, because of "becoming". It always has been. The General Discussion board on the Escapist maybe has more of a tendency to become an echo chamber than other boards I've seen, but aside from that there isn't anything special about it.

Plus, the idea is too broad. Of course "gaming" is that way if by "gaming" you mean "anyone that might form a negative opinion about a game". If it exists, someone'll complain about it. I'm sure there a board out there somewhere with complaints about the Escapist's sacred cows like Deus Ex or Fallout 1 & 2.

Aside from the games themselves, publishers/developers are trying to shift business models, and/or charge more, and/or charge for things they weren't charging for before. Just like when Steam came out, some people are not going to like the changes. I didn't start using Steam for years. I still tend quit MMOs that transition to item malls. Some people are going to resist things that they perceive as price hikes. Heck, there was an outcry this year about BofA, second place in the Consumerist poll, trying to put a $5 monthly fee on debit cards. A loud enough one that they dropped the idea for the time being. Now turn that around onto video game DLC or online passes or whatever. Except double it because most of that stuff is $10 not $5.

 

[DoPo]

EA was voted the worst company this year, when companies like BP and some certain financial institutions were royally screwing people. Seriously? BP spills millions of gallons of oil, into the water supplies; but EA takes the cake for shitty games and poor customer service? Really?

BP, as in the British company, correct? I really have no idea how a British company didn't receive the title "The worst company in America for 2012".

You catch what I'm saying right?

They have operations in America and are publicly traded on the NYSE. Wouldn't that qualify them to be nominated in this consumerist poll?

Every other company was based in the USA, though, so I'd guess it's most probably about companies based in the USA.

I couldn't find any actual "rules" for the competition. What I did find is this

Oh well, Worst Company In America 2012 is officially in the books. All that's left to do is send off the Golden Poo to EA.

Traditionally, the Poo has been delivered on its little red pillow. But this year, we'll give EA three different color options for its pillow, though in the end it's still the same old Poo.

And it made me chuckle.

 

[neversleep]

well one it's the internet. Seriously go on any site, any topic anime, manga, music movies anything and people will be bitching.
two: as a gamer we have to invest effort into our medium so if we feel like the game is bad we feel even more cheated
three: videogames are expensive
four: videogames as a medium has a worse case of sequelitis than the movie branch, this means that alot of people build expectations upon previous entries and get enraged with every change compared to the old games.

we have more reasons to *****

that being said.
Jesus fucking christ I wanted to punch every person making the bazillionth topic on the ending of freaking mass effect 3. I haven't played it yet so I can't really judge. But for almost a whole week the whole first page (and some days the second) to be filled with nothing but bitching about mass effect was a new low.

So yeah maybe we've just started acting like whining pussies more.

 

[Squidbulb]

Yes (although I chose the third option to be ironic), it's annoying that everyone has seemingly forgotten how to enjoy themselves.

 

[Dansen]

Nope. Its just different group of people having issues with a variety of things in gaming, everybody doesn't get up in the morning just so that they can complain on an internet forum. People complain when some thing bothers them, for what ever reason.

 

[Kyr Knightbane]

Here's the thing. It's not just gaming. Although gamers take a large chunk of this particularly annoying pie, its this generation. All these, whiny, needy, complaining miscreants that demand android phones, and $200 jeans and want none of the responsibility of making the money to afford such extravagances. So you don't like something, whoop-de-doo. Did you do anything to prevent it? Did you have a hand in developing this? No? Then sit down and shut up.

People who still whine about Mass Effect 3, i have no sympathy. Plot was leaked days before the game released. You knew what was coming. Ok you didn't like the ending. Bravo. You complained enough and the company promised Post-Ending DLC. Still not good enough? What will be good enough? Do you want BioWare to go back in time to the days of 'Choose your own Adventure' books and let you write your own ending about how Shepard falcon-punches the bad guys and gets Tali-Flavored Herpes? Grow up. Not everyone grows up to be an astronaut. Not everyone gets a happy ending. Sometimes for the sake of narrative and the overall story, the good guys can't walk away with everything. It just doesn't work.

Maybe i'm just cynical, however i don't think i am. The real point i'm trying to make is that whenever something new comes along, however good or bad it might be, people have to complain. Its nothing bad. Its just a cycle that has to complete itself. I'm not certain as to how it benefits anyone, but as long as there is a topic that has feasibly 2 sides, someone will always complain about the side they aren't on.

TLR? Too bad. Read it. It's good for you

 

[Vivi22]

I'm just posturing. What if we aren't being the "champions of the consumer" that many are claiming to be? What if we are just self-righteous assholes who need something to ***** about? Agree? Dissagree? Kind of agree? Please let us know. And, please, keep it civil.

Disagree. If someone pays money for something that turns out to be unsatisfactory than it is their right to complain, boycott, petition, report, or anything else they see fit to do. They paid their two bits but they didn't get a diving show.

The only reason this seems strange to people is because consumers have spent decades rolling over and taking it in the ass from companies. A lot of gamers still do it a lot of the time as well, despite being perhaps the single most vocal group of consumers out there. Now sure, sometimes consumers will gripe about things that are legitimately stupid and unjustified. But you know what? I'll take a group of vocal consumers who occasionally take a stand on the wrong issue over those who never take a stand at all.

 

[SmokingBomber465]

those stupid lousy whiny homophobic entitled brats, how dare they ask for their moneys worth, they should be grateful people even make games for them. *cashes another check*

Sarcasm is the tool of the inarticulate.

 

[juyunseen]

One of the big problems lies in the fact that the vast majority of gamers are Internet dwellers, and us Internet people love love love love loooooooove conflict.
I am completely sick of all the bitching though. There's a reason I'm usually only on tumblr nowadays.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Not quite sure what yes and no mean in that poll, so no, it's not you, and yes, it does seem that way.

I remember first really discovering the internet around 2000/2001 when there were four hotly debated topics. XBox, Halo, Metal Gear Solid 2, Final Fantasy X.

And do you know what I remember about that time? Overwhelming optimism. Halo was going to revolutionise shooters, the XBox was going to be a great alternative for people who didn't like Playstations and a welcome addition for those who liked gaming in general. Of course Metal Gear Solid 2 was going to be incredible, why wouldn't it be? And Final Fantasy X? Forget about it, genre-redefining and the best game of the year.

Nowadays, the buildup is a load of threads entitled 'Why Skyrim will be a disappointment and make you question everything you've ever loved.' 'Why Mass Effect 2 will definitely fail and will rape your unborn children.' 'Fallout: NV just goes to show why gaming is ruined and why you've started cutting yourself again.'

Where did all that optimism go? I have a theory. Nowadays the majority of gaming websites and the majority of people posting on them are younger, around the 13-18 range instead of the 20+ range. With that comes the 'I'm super-cool because I don't believe anything can be very good, and even though I secrely wish that the world was awesome, I'm going to make people believe that I'm a jaded cynic because, uh, puppies I guess.'

And gaming websites are indulging this farce. Back in the day we had these things called magazines printed on a wonderment called paper and they were positive to good games, nowadays we have websites that engage in just as much mud-slinging as the disaffected teens. I'm not going to blame internet culture and anonymity, I'm not going to say that the mainstreaming of gaming has led to more whining chucklenuts on both sides (casuals complaining that their games don't end the way they want, hardcores complaining that there are too many happy endings) I'll just say that in general, the gaming community feels much nastier than it did when I was younger.

I remember vividly the first time I saw someone post a negative comment about Metal Gear Solid 2 on a forum. the response was 'if you can't say something nice don't say nothing at all. Maybe the game wasn't the best ever but there's no reason to act so angry about it.' Would you ever see that comment on the Escapist about Mass Effect 3?