Why the Negativity?

[Ishal]

The Escapist forums are great and fellow Escapees are wonderful people

Being great and being negative aren't mutually exclusive.

OT: I get the impression you're talking specifically about the news articles and content creators around here, in which case I wouldn't really be inclined to agree. But ever since Mass Effect 3 released, the forums around here have become more and more hostile, and it seems the most innocent things can turn into massive shit-storms. The cynicism around here when it comes to next-gen consoles, especially from PC gamers -- who stand only to gain things from the game development 'standard' suddenly skyrocketing, hardware-wise -- really burns me up.

Yeah, there are a few big companies in the industry right now making incredibly stupid decisions. There are also a bunch of companies making great decisions. But, well:

The reason being, if someone feels negative towards something, or has a negative experience of something, they will generally make it known.
But if someone has a positive feeling towards something, or has a positive experience of something, they generally won't say anything at all.

Why focus on happy things when we can just ***** some more, right guys?

I'd say you are correct. I was a lurker on this site for about 3 years or so before joining late last year. I was remember when there will be brawl and Doraleus and Asscociates was here. God I miss Doraleus...

But yeah, I was a bit appalled with how this site handled the Mass Effect 3 situation. Every content creator here with the exception of a few (maybe) called us "whiners" and "entitled brats". Now, granted, "retake mass effect" and the better business bureau was a bit ridiculous... but I was disappointed by a lot of the content creators reaction. I won't name names... but we all know who were the most vocal.

Negativity is something that will only continue with the way the industry is going, not to mention the current state of economics. Also, lots of people seem to enjoy snarky sarcasm and its veiled negativity. Also, following some content creator's twitter accounts can be downright toxic... I'm not trying to be cute about saying that either... reading what Total Biscuit tweets makes me want gouge my eyes out to the point where I had to unfollow him. And I think a lot of us remember the implosion MovieBob had when he found out JJ Abrams was handed the reins for the new Star Wars. Fuck, even Graham Stark commented on how toxic is was.

TLDR: negativity isn't bad when its necessary, other times its just pedantic and boring. Also, what you and Topaz said is correct. When i'm positive I'm happy and enjoying myself, I'm not on a forum complaining or raging.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Well, as many have mentioned, most of the biggest firms in the gaming business seem more interested in hatching schemes to get more out of you than anything lately:
-Enhanced emphasis on DLC
-Draconian DRM practices that put the user entirely at the mercy of some system post-purchase
-Stupid talking heads in suits who keep trying to speak for everyone and shame dissent instead of listening to their customers
-Shitty bait-and-switch games with good ol fashion lies to secure sales (SimCity, A:CM)..
-A baffling loss of emphasis on new games, concepts and IP; primarily due to the increasing panic among AAA to secure sales through broader appeal.

But even among all of this, there are still things in gaming I really look forward to.

On my waiting list, I have Starbound, the new Terraria patch, Battleworlds: Kronos, Shadowrun Returns, and half a dozen other smaller titles I am really looking forward to. Of course, nobody is interested in hearing about those; all topics about the forementioned died out since there wasn't much for people to ***** about.

 

[GonzoGamer]

I would rather have honesty in the articles than a site that is paid to only say nice things. There are PLENTY of sites that are paid to say only nice things, the problem with that is when you get the product and it wasn't as nice as they made it out to be, you learn not to trust those sites because they convinced you to buy garbage.

Exactly. Its the same reason I don't watch 24hr news networks.
I'm glad that there's at least one site out there that doesn't have it's nose firmly lodged in the industry's ass.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I think it's understandable to some degree, there have been some very discouraging, maddening trends in the industry lately and that anger carries over into all forums, not just this one. Here's hoping we get lots of great games to smile about this year (we already got a few great titles this year so I'm happy)

 

[badgersprite]

I don't think criticism is the same as negativity. When you say "negativity", that kind of carries the impression that there's just irrational vitriol that people have chosen to feel, and I don't believe that's the case at all. Not on The Escapist, anyway. People are going to have genuine responses to different announcements, and these forums have pretty much always been a place where we can have discussions about games and gaming from radically different viewpoints and opinions without it devolving into abject ranting and raving.

Besides, sometimes it's actually fun and it makes you laugh to make fun of things that you don't like very much, and that's not necessarily a mean-spirited thing. You can make fun of things in an affectionate way and you can crack jokes that point out the flaws in things without any hatred or bile behind it, but I suppose if people joke about something you like you might take it personally.

The Escapist is pretty much the only sizable gaming forum I can tolerate because of its generally positive and thoughtful attitude. Is there going to be negativity sometimes? Sure. But what do you want people to do? Have no opinions on anything?

A place where people can't discuss things from their own perspective if it's "too negative" doesn't sound like a fun place at all.

 

[Strazdas]

Has anyone noticed recently that this site has become very negative? I started coming here to get reviews and insight from users on games and other entertainment, plus a sense of gaming community. I found Yahtzee to be funny and got some value from his reviews even though he found lots of "bad stuff" with the games he plays, that was always his niche.

Lately almost every one of these "articles" about gaming seem so biased and unfavorable. From the Nintendo to Xbox and PlayStation, which you would think would be a good bit of the bread and butter for this site. They can't seem to do much right, can they? I am not saying they are rainbows and glitter, but I can't read an article from here anymore without a snide comment. And then the users just jump on board. Misinformation is stated once, never corrected and just goes on. No one reads anyone's posts and just keeps going and going.

Thank goodness for some of the original content/features and things like Miracle of Sound and Lisa Foiles, otherwise I might not even come here anymore. And they may not care, but I assume they want to make money and I want them to stick around, even as a fellow North Carolinian). I don't expect this to be unbiased regurgitated news, but we are in an age of awesome, I am excited to be playing in it.

This is the itnernet. and on the internet any community that is old enough becomes angry grumpy and not newbie-friendly. the comminuty grows with achother, gets used to eachother, but newer people are never even given the time.

as far as hate towards the companies, well, thats because all the companies that 5 years ago we coudl be proud of loving has done so much crap in those 5 years people actually want them to crash and burn. When people are choosign to buy a console based on a fact that it does nto require an internet connection, you know, something that should be the default state of console to begin with and not a possitive factor, you have to think just how bad the competition has to be.

Also, humasn just have a tendency to *****. Lets say you go on acation and get to a hotel.
sitaution a: the hotel was great. you spend your holyday, come back happy and continue on with your life.
situation b: the hote was awful. you sure as hell going tow rite as many bad reviews about it as you can.
result: only bad experiences are the ones told. and while this is not strictly true, we can clearly see it is quite a tendency.

It probably happened some time after they banned user Vault101. She always was there to cheer us up with her bad grammar and dumb ideas we liked.

Oh, yes, all the insults she threw at us were so amusing....

 

[Edguy]

I know that there's a lot to complain about in the industry about now, but I have to agree that especially Jim is getting tiresomely negative.

 

[Angie7F]

i think it is because we have to be so happy and civil on FB.
This is like the only place to output and be negative without all your friends thinking you are crazy.

 

[manic_depressive13]

Hold on hold on, I'm on the other line with the best buy help desk they keep telling me to unplug my sandwich and plug it back in doesn't seem to be working. They ask if I've tried holding down the restart button, IDK don't think i'm getting anywhere, now the lights not coming back on?

Well have fun yelling across the escapist about your problems with M$/Sony/ or Nintendo they'll prolly be by soon to deal with your problems. Also gotta love how you've interpreted, "(Not with an aggressive tone)" to mean groveling. Because I mean hey its not like an email or letter is being read by a human being right, mines-well insult their mother, dog, Sandwich/modem combo (excluding meatballs of course) can't just state your opinion/stance in a well articulated response to the companies policy, make sure they can see your tone and maturity all in one combo.
Keep the outrage dial at 11 gamers those companies are bound to take you serious any day now.

Hahaha, the only one who has their rage dial turned up is you. The OP is talking about about negativity on the site. Negativity for me translates to pessimism, not anger. Despite this you've written yourself a letter in your head in which I apparently insult someone's parents and pets. Then you have the nerve in that barely coherent rant to lecture me about maturity.

I have articulated the issues I have with recent industry practices. I'm not going to write a letters, or start screaming, or do any of the ridiculous things you've imagined me doing, because there's no point in that. I am simply not going to purchase anything more until the industry remembers who's beholden to whom.

 

[Guffe]

snip

Well at the moment that might be it, but the thing is we're at a stage when there will be major announcments of 2 big consoles and everything they do "wrong" according to the audience will create discussion, mainly negative ones.
As it comes to reading others comments... well I usually read 1 or 2 pages but I won't go as far as read page 3,4 and 5 in a 7 page thread. Sometimes I jump over page 2,3 and 4 and read 5 and 6 because then I also get the quoted ones and the whole discussions but that depends.
The negativity you feel I believe is just another moment, at the moment people aren't happy with the XboxOne reveal and the new console war will keep people bashing the other consoles since they prefer one of the 3. When this is over people will be more happy again until there happens something shit that creates discussion, it's just the way things are.