Why do many core gamers love mainstream games/movies but disparage mainstream music?

[Shynobee]

I think it goes back to this particular Publisher's Note

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/publishers-note/7536-Publisher-Note-What-Grade-is-Your-Content-Comprehension

This article describes the concept of media "reading" levels. Mainstream movies and games have relatively high-ish comprehension level, while mainstream music is on the low end.

Since the Escapist community has generally high levels all around, we see mainstream music as bland.

 

[Fraught]

Mainstream music is some shit pop music where the artist is usually visually appealing to his or her listeners.

Mainstream games are games that have big budgets, and advertise themselves a lot. Doesn't make them bad.

Same thing with movies.

 

[Eldritch Warlord]

Well it's not that I like popular music as a rule. It's just that I'd rather listen to something with a variety of melodies and instruments.

 

[Plank of Wood]

A metaphorical slap for you. Lady GaGa is the best mainstream artist to emerge in recent years. Mainly because it is a) quite good music and b) she actually writes it, so it comes from her, rather than a bored songwriter writing it for the biggest check.

Fun fact: She used to be a bored songwriter writing it for the biggest check. But at least she is the best of the mainstream artists, even though I hate the mainstream you have to give her credit. I mean, she's no Roger Waters but then again no-one ever will be.

However, I still see a white flash of rage whenever someone I don't know on the bus decides that the thing that someone wearing a Dire Straits T-Shirt wants to hear the most is P-P-POKERFACE!

 

[the Dept of Science]

I think there is an idea of budget as well. A talented band working on a relatively small budget can produce an amazing peice of music. Whereas no matter how talented the games people are, they will not be able to produce something like GTA or Fallout without a budget of several million and a large production team. While indie games can be good and a large budget does not necessarily equal a good game, its very difficult for them to produce anything more much more substantial than quality browser game.
Similar with movies.

Also, mainstream music isn't necessarily bad. Sturgeons law. There is a lot of bad mainstream music, but there is a lot of bad metal, indie, electronica etc. Its wrong to dismiss all of it.

 

[Sethzard]

I wouldn't say that those little kids represent gamers as a whole. Though all of these things are subjective.

 

[Daipire]

Because music isn't gaming or movies.

Music is meant to be entirely artistic, whereas movies about story and action, games about new experiences (sometimes...). Music is meant to be deep, 'from the heart', it's hard to do that if you're forced to churn out several albums under a contract.

 

[bob-2000]

Because mainsteam games and movies are often (not always) mainsteam for a reason.
The same does not go for music.

 

[Ickorus]

Because the big developers mostly still realise that Gamers are picky and the games they create must still be top quality to pass the average gamers inspection but the big label record companys can pretty much spew out whatever shit they like and pay the music channels to play X song 100 times a day until people start thinking 'Hey, it looks like that song is popular so i better buy it so im popular too'.

Im not saying Gamers don't do this too but there are a lot more Gamers that actually do a bit of research before buying.

My favourites:

Movie - Ravenous
Game - Tie between S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Half-Life, and Hidden: Source
Band - Long Distance Calling (Loud), Mar (Calming), and Explosions In The Sky/This Will Destroy You (General listening)

By the way, i have heard some top-notch mainstream music before, unfortunately i notice it tends to be the earlier albums that are best.

 

[Assassin Xaero]

Mainstream games I dislike/don't care for:
Halo
Battlefield series
Gears of War
MW2
TF2
Sport games (minus Tony Hawk/Skate series')

I liked Jericho, Tony Hawk games after THPS2, AoE3, FEAR 2, and a lot of other games people trash constantly.

With movies, I actually liked the newer Star Wars trilogy more. Never seen Fight Club, The Hangover, [any] Star Trek, never cared for Lord of the Rings (books or movies).

With music, Green Day... Dookie I can listen to, and I used to listen to Linkin Park back in elementary school. I've always hated pop music and mostly all nu metal (minus Dry Kill Logic).

Why is a game or a movie not as subjective as music? What's the difference? All of this stuff is culturally codified and standardized and then consumed for subjective qualification.

Why will Walmart sell popular games/movies that are rated M/R, but they won't even sell Avenged Sevenfold or Lamb of God without censoring it?

 

[Varun Garuda Maharaj]

Because mainstream music sucks,and mainstream games pwn big time

And mainstream games work well with underground music

 

[OneBig Man]

Who said I don't like mainstream music and who said I like mainstream games? I want to see the source of your information.

 

[rokkolpo]

can we please be excused from not liking mainstream music.

 

[spartan231490]

It's because music is a heated topic, and "pop music" is more varied than many other genres. You get musicions like lady Gaga who are closer to just screeming meaningless garbage for lyrics with decent rythum and beat. And then you get Daughtry or taylor swift who focus on lyrics almost as much as say country music.

 

[spartan231490]

Least, thats my opinion.

 

[caveman665]

Because main stream music sucks balls

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

Why was your gamertag MILEY CYRUS???

 

[Plank of Wood]

Why was your gamertag MILEY CYRUS???

Wait a second! Yeah!

This should be the real focus of the thread.

 

[DividedUnity]

I am unaffected by mainstream pressure. I like what I like and say fuck off to the rest.

Basically this maybe a little less abrupt though. I like what I like I dont care if it's popular or not

 

[Whispering Death]

Because videogame companies create high quality products
Because hollywood creates high quality products
Because the RIAA creates low quality products. Then they use an oligopoly to control music distributiton and prevent anything that they don't own from getting on the radio or in stores. Then they use a legal taskforce to sue grandmothers for millions of dollars for downloading 12 songs.