Why are things automaticly bad once they are popular?

[koops]

From my experience, once a game or movie becomes popular with "regular people" others who consider themselves as better than the general public instantly consider it akin to the antichrist. For example, popular series such as Halo and Modern Warfare are among the most frequently bashed games on sites such as the escapist. I for one think that this cultural phenomenon occurs because of an anti conformist attitude that runs deep within the hardcore gaming niche. It all comes down to certain individuals not wanting to accept anything mainstream in my opinion.

My question is: what do you guys think?

 

[Macheteswordgun]

Don't watch yhatzze do you? He explains it all

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Have you seen things that are popular?

-The Dark Knight
-Avatar
-Half-Life
-Halo
-MW2
-Kings of Leon

All crap.

/sarcasm

OT: In all seriousness, I think it is mostly because people think it is cool? Idk really...

 

[delet]

Halo and Modern Warfare are (sometimes) bashed for relevant reasons, but yes, it's mostly because they're popular to hate. When something becomes popular to hate, more people start hating it so they can seem part of the 'cool' crowd. That's why so many people hate on Halo, Modern Warfare, Twilight, Macs, PSPgo's, Zunes, iPods, Flat Screen TVs, 3D, motion controls, etc, etc.

Sometimes, people are justified in the reasons they bring up as to why they hate something, but it doesn't change that so many topics are 'cool' to hate and so many people hate on them to feel 'cool.'

 

[koops]

Don't watch yhatzze do you? He explains it all

Which one does he talk about that? I'm pretty sure I've seen them all.

 

[Soushi]

IT is just the 'in' thing right now. Sure there will always be people who dont like certain things,but, like i said, it is just what is cool these days. It is sad, but the 'alternative' has become the new 'mainstream"
Oh well, it isn't that is mind people not likeing Avatar, I mind people trying to convcince me not to like it.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

For me it might have something to do with the tards who talk about how Halo is the best game on the PS3, or how Infinity Ward is their favorite developer because World at War was such a good game...

I could care less if games/gaming gets more popular, but I am irked by the exponential spread of ignorance that usually goes with it.

 

[tmujir955]

Halo and Modern Warfare are (sometimes) bashed for relevant reasons, but yes, it's mostly because they're popular to hate. When something becomes popular to hate, more people start hating it so they can seem part of the 'cool' crowd. That's why so many people hate on Halo, Modern Warfare, Twilight, Macs, PSPgo's, Zunes, iPods, Flat Screen TVs, 3D, motion controls, etc, etc.

Sometimes, people are justified in the reasons they bring up as to why they hate something, but it doesn't change that so many topics are 'cool' to hate and so many people hate on them to feel 'cool.'

Pretty much nailed it. Although some things have legitmate reasons for disliking, popular thathings are usually popular because they are good.

Or because Will Smith is in it.

*cue generic metal*

 

[RatRace123]

Not all things that are popular are bad, it's just that for some strange reason, things that are bad tend to become popular.

 

[Jodah]

Because often popular does not equal good. Just because a lot of people like something doesn't mean its not crap. A lot of people like Hitler but I would still smack him with a large mackerel if I had met him.

 

[Cody211282]

Because people need something to complain about.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

I don't bash Halo, in fact I like Halo a lot. I just got off a game of it actually, Modern Warfare 2 is probably more well appreciated by my brother, but I'm just not that big a fan of it. I'd like to think that on the Escapist, MW2 and Halo are accepted as average shooters. While popular, they aren't anything special.

As for why popular things = hate, different tastes is the best answer. There are 7 Billion peopleon this planet, it's not logical to expect them all to like what you like and some tend to have a bit more of a radical view against those games.

 

[LaBambaMan]

There's plenty of popular things out there that are good, but there also happens to be plenty of popular things out there that are boring piles of mediocre crap that people simply love because it's new and shiny.

 

[Giest4life]

It doesn't. Something popular =/= something bad. There was time when I once killed my intellectual conscious and believed things just so I could be "different." And that I think is the key, people want to separate themselves from the crow, and this is what leads them to blindly trash anything that achieves popularity.

 

[Kanodin0]

It's really quite simple. The vast majority of people have terrible tastes. Therefore a minority of people have great tastes. It then follows that to be popular something must appeal to those terrible tastes. Therefore popularity is a handy inverse scale for quality.

I know I live my life by that scale, and thus everything I like is something you've never heard of. That's all well and good for entertainment, but my big problem is that this system clearly shows that democracy is the worst idea in the world. If it were up to me we would still have a vote, the winner would then be thrown out of even being considered for office while a coven of intellectuals choose the actual winner. I'm sure a majority of you will find these ideas repulsive, and that's why I'm right.

(I am being facetious, have to post that or someone will take the above seriously).

 

[venatus]

1)people like thinking there hipper and free thinkers by blindly raging against what's mainstream.

2)there will always be people that dislike something that is otherwise mainstream even though they do often fall into the mainstream in other ways. a personal example here I hate halo (though I don't participate in immature halo bashing) but love anything by bioware like mass effect.

 

[Fragrance of Mtn Dew]

You know I think it doesn't really have much to do with the fact that it is liked so much as who is doing the liking. For instance, MW2 since you mentioned it. I have no problem with it. It's not my kind of game so I don't play it but if I were in to that sort of thing I'm sure I'd enjoy it. However ever since it came out many of my coworkers have obsessed over it and apparently play it every moment they're not sleeping or at work because they often choose to stand around and talk about how awesome it is and compare kills and brag about getting nukes and whatnot. (which as their manager REALLY ticks me off) And as if that weren't bad enough, then they pester me constantly to by it and get on live so I can join their clan. This is the sort of fannaticism that I simply cannot stand and it sort of makes me despise everything the game stands for. So I can sort of see where haters come from.

 

[delet]

Halo and Modern Warfare are (sometimes) bashed for relevant reasons, but yes, it's mostly because they're popular to hate. When something becomes popular to hate, more people start hating it so they can seem part of the 'cool' crowd. That's why so many people hate on Halo, Modern Warfare, Twilight, Macs, PSPgo's, Zunes, iPods, Flat Screen TVs, 3D, motion controls, etc, etc.

Sometimes, people are justified in the reasons they bring up as to why they hate something, but it doesn't change that so many topics are 'cool' to hate and so many people hate on them to feel 'cool.'

Pretty much nailed it. Although some things have legitmate reasons for disliking, popular thathings are usually popular because they are good.

Or because Will Smith is in it.

*cue generic metal*

Yes, sometimes things are popular are well known for a reason. That's what I found out when I watched Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is now my favorite anime ever, and same thing with Cowboy Bebop more recently.

Just the same, many things are considered bad for a reason, like Halo 3 just copypastaing the same general format of the previous two games. "Oh look, the Flood is back in the middle of the game. Again."

But things like the PSPgo, I absolutely love mine. So many people hate it for no real reason 'cept that it's become popular to hate. It's damned convenient and works perfectly for everything I want it to do.

 

[crimsonshrouds]

The only thing i bash is twilight and i believe i have good reasons for doing so. I would like to write a book someday and whats popular in the world? A book that is terribly written, who makes vampires look like sparkly faires and werewolves are suddenly models.

When i hear Twitards say how great it is it makes my blood boil.

 

[godofallu]

You have to remember that a lot of gamers on this website are known only as gamers, so when they go online and people like me stomp them they can't take that.

If the only thing in life they are good at is videogames, and the jock from their school kicks their ass in Halo what does that make them? Who cares because Halo is crap... right?

I'm a Business Major, and popular means success in my world. If a game sells well than it has succeeded. If the majority of people enjoyed it then it was a success.