Topic: Hot Takes Thread (Gaming and Non-gaming)

Isn't Pokemon the biggest media property in the world? Pokemon is... weird. It might have the biggest fan-base, but for the better part of a decade a large chunk of the online fanbase has been rooting for the games to fail. The Pokemon subreddit went the way of TLOU and became a hate sub for a while, lol.

FS and CDPR definitely have the most fanatical online followings. The idolizing of those companies, and certain figures within those companies, approaches cult-like status. It's nuts.

Zelda's fanbase has grown tremendously since BotW. People get fooled by a few thousand aging millennial Nintendo fans who complain about the changes and think it's controversial, when, in reality, the open world change is what vaulted Zelda into the mainstream gamer consciousness in a big way. Games went from selling 5 - 10 million copies lifetime, sometimes across multiple platforms and generations, to the last two selling 20 - 30 million on one platform (I know BotW is technically on Wii U, but it only sold 1 million out of its estimated 30+ million units on there). TotK would have easily clutched GotY if BG3 hadn't blown everyone away like it did. Online communities are probably more split, as most of those will have an outsized presence of forementioned aging grumpy Nintendo fans who wanted the games to be variations on the OoT formula forever, but the overall fanbase is vastly bigger overall now.

Mario doesn't really have a bunch of fanatical fans. It's just ultra-mainstream and beloved. Although it's possible it's the most recognizable of the biggest gaming franchises. Literally, who doesn't know Mario? Everyone knows Mario. He's the Mickey Mouse of gaming.

@Th3solution I’m yet to properly play Bioshock… I did try it back in the 360 days but I didn’t really give it the time it deserves. I’m right back into immersive-sims though atm, so am pretty excited to give the series a proper go this time. I have a feeling that I might well be joining that particular fandom.

@Th3solution I was much the same, and just thought it was a popular game that kids play. Then Pokemon GO happened and you get people who never in a million years you would think be into this type of thing, running around like a mad person trying to find the the next Pokestop, or whatever you did.

I found the whole storm around The Last Of Us Part 2 very confusing. People where acting like it was a long standing series and they had grown up with the characters over many many games. Not one game released twice at that point.

@colonelkilgore As a fan of narratively driven games, BioShock is a great one. The gameplay isn’t necessarily the attraction for me, but I absolutely enjoy the story and integrated philosophical elements that Levine wove into the games. I’m not a Levine zealot, but I appreciate what he’s done with it.

@JohnnyShoulder Yes, my thoughts too. I don’t know if TLoU is a big enough franchise to warrant its own fandom, but I think of the really vocal crowd as being maybe just Naughty Dog fans. There’s definitely a group of fans that clamor to celebrate (or complain about) anything they put out.

Halloween III: Season of The Witch is an amazing movie and the only reason people hate it is because it has nothing to do with Michael Myers.

My hot take for Halloween is the only good one in the franchise is the second one. I appreciate the original for like its importance to the horror genre etc, but that original movie doesn't hold up at all. All the other sequels are awful too, but Halloween II genuinely rules.

@LordGlarc Historically, I think that's 100% accurate. For better or for worse, by Halloween II, the identity of the brand was synonymous with Michael Myers.

@Pizzamorg That IS a wild take. Halloween II isn't terrible, but it's really just sort of a generic slasher: good in comparison to 5 - 7, which are unwatchable garbage, but the original is so elegantly constructed. Almost a perfect little movie.