When you spend as much time in and around real and virtual gaming communities as I do, there are always going to be things that get on your nerves. I used to get really irritated by some of the stuff I read in enthusiast forums. I’m a bit older these days, and my priorities have changed; I’m not going to pretend I have the most complicated of lives, but I do have the occasional issue which demands headspace – certainly over the latest hot take on ResetEra, anyway.
There’s one consistent trait that continues to irritate me about gaming enthusiasts, though: a deep-rooted resistance to change. This dates back as far as I can remember, but I most recall being frustrated by it with the Nintendo Wii; the system’s eventual success was inevitable to anyone who’d watched casual experiences like SingStar and Buzz explode on the PlayStation 2, but it was a laughing stock for the longest time – I didn’t ever really understand why.
I mean, I had my own issues with the motion controlled system, but they were more to do with the product’s overall execution than the underlying idea. I actually still think technology like the PlayStation Move is neat – even now, I’m astounded when I’m able to wave my hands around in 3D space via PlayStation VR – and it’s why I’m hoping Sony introduces an upgraded set of wands for the PlayStation 5. That will depend on whether the company continues its commitment to virtual reality.
But that’s another one, isn’t it? If I got a dollar for every time I read unfounded criticism of PSVR, then I’d be writing this article from the bosom of my own tropical island. I understand we all have different tastes, but I feel there are corners of the gaming community that actively want the technology to fail. Why? I think it comes from a place of fear; there seems to be this unsettling idea among a vocal few that virtual reality could come and take away traditional gaming experiences.
That was never, ever going to be the case, though – it’s an additive option, and one I happen to be fond of. When I think about the people who are most likely to be PlayStation enthusiasts, I picture early adopters: the kind of consumers who have to be on the cutting edge of every technology paradigm, and need the latest gadgets and gizmos – no matter how unnecessary they may be. So where does this fear of change stem from? Why do so many despise things that dare to be different?
My frustration has been rekindled by the discourse surrounding Death Stranding, which has been eye-rolling to say the least. I understand that Hideo Kojima has, for reasons I can’t fully grasp yet, transitioned from a legend of the industry to a parasite in the eyes of some; he has a personality that could rub some the wrong way, and while I don’t fully understand the extent of the loathing I’ve been reading, I understand why some may be critical of his character.
The criticism of his new game from people who haven’t played it has been absurd to me, though. Look, I haven’t touched the title yet, so I still don’t know which side of the Chiral Network I’m going to sit – but I’m undeniably excited by the idea of trying something different. I’m in a privileged position where I can afford to take a punt, but even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be ragging on the release for being different; as someone who often complains the AAA space has gotten stale, I applaud the arrival of a new idea.
Here’s the thing: I’m not saying you need to buy Death Stranding or even like it. Instead I’m simply posing a question: why are so many terrified of it? Every week I see people complain about the UK charts being dominated by franchises like FIFA and Call of Duty; aren’t we all, as a community, eager for something to upset the status quo? Aren’t we tired of the same old mechanics centred on platforming and shooting? Don’t we want the industry to innovate?
Death Stranding may not be that game; PSVR may not be that product. Both deserve criticism, I’m sure, for a multitude of reasons. But in the case of Kojima’s latest, isn’t it ironic that a title designed around the idea of bringing people together is pulling them apart? I don’t know what’s wrong with this community – it longs for change yet rejects anything different. You don’t have to like everything, of course not – I’m just arguing, perhaps, we should all keep a more open mind moving forwards.
Do you share Sammy's frustration with some corners of the gaming community, or are you one of those who's sceptical of new ideas? Reject anything and everything out of the ordinary in the comments section below.
Comments 93
Not one mention of streaming?
But like all things, it’s easier to just poopoo than make the effort to get into something. Like, why spend £300 on PSVR and a bunch of games when I can just convince myself it sucks and save a bunch of money. Everyone’s kind of guilty of that attitude sometimes though.
But yes, considering the games industry is riding near tip of the spear in many respects we aren’t half a bunch of stuck in the past moaners, sometimes.
@kyleforrester87 Yeah, streaming is another great example.
I’d say gamers genuinely don’t appreciate how good we have it these days in a lot of respects. For every loot box and over priced microtransaction there is a developer giving away some pretty awesome free content. And we really take that stuff for granted and focus on the negatives only.
@get2sammyb my issue was with the PR, like i said in another article the official PR was making the game sound like a slog but when some one who had played it explained it properly it became a game i HAD to play
as for other things being blind in one eye makes VR useless to me so i don't see the point in owning one and as for streaming my issue is the fact that through it we as consumers lose ALL our control over the games we play including where and when we can play them and i'm sorry but i think that is a BAD thing and while i think it's great as an option, along side Physical and Digital it shouldn't be the ONLY option which is where publishers are trying to push us with it
@FullbringIchigo I don’t think anyone’s suggesting you should get a PSVR if you’re physically unable to use it though. As for streaming, my problem is people just focus on the negatives and generally totally disregard the positives, because they are basically scared of the unknown. Otherwise I think they’d be just a bit less dismissive of it.
I don’t want to write off Death Stranding as I obviously haven’t played it myself. However, from what I’ve seen I don’t think it’s for me and don’t want to pay full price for something I may not like. Would love to try and get it on a sale or something and who knows, maybe I’m totally wrong and will have my socks knocked off by it. As of now there’s a couple other games coming out that look like they’d be more my style of game. But yes you are definitely right about the fact that many of us (myself included) demand a change in gaming but reject it when we get it.
@kyleforrester87 like i said i think it's a great option even if my internet isn't good enough to use it and i can see why people would love it, i just don't think it should be the only option which is what it looks like they are pushing towards
This kinda reminds me of when Star Fox Zero was released on the Wii U.
Everyone hated the game for it's use of the gamepad and motion controls for aiming/shooting, but I had a ton of fun with it and got used to it after the first couple levels. That lead to me 100%ing the game.
@FullbringIchigo it’s way to early to say they are pushing us toward a streaming only future. Of course they are trying to put a spotlight on it at the moment so it gains traction, and I think in decades to come it will probably be the main way we play game’s, but it’s got to be at least 10 years before it is on par with current delivery methods.
@get2sammyb my cousin has a PSVR, I've played it, I see the novelty in it, but I will never buy one and I truly hope it isn't the future for gaming because it gives me massive headaches and make me nauseous
However, I don't want to see it fail, I would like to see it go on as it is, sort of a supplemental/alternative approach to gaming
@kyleforrester87 yeah i don't think internet speeds are there yet at least not in a lot of places, in honesty i think a service like PSNow and Game Pass is better than streaming, a subscription service with access to 100's of games that you download (except PS3 games) so you can play them without issue
I'm always one of the first to complain about seeing the same old thing in games, whether its Ubisoft's towers, or these days them sharing mechanics across its games, or those same basic crafting and skill trees in games which would be better off without them, or indeed RDR2's ancient mission structure in what is otherwise a great game.
I also know my own personal opinion has swung one way and then the next regarding this game since the reviews came out. On that day I read through quite a few and kind of decided that it wasn't for me and I think most if not all didn't do a great job of getting across the true experience, whether this is due to avoiding spoilers or little frame of reference due to how differently it plays I dont know. Over the last couple of days I've been watching several videos starting with the Digital Foundry one. It wasn't the fact the game is incredibly good looking that piqued my interest but seeing the world itself and various locations immediately made it a lot more interesting to me. Then some more footage showing how other players can interact with one another through the structures or equipment they have left looked great and hopefully this is something that develops even further as the game gets into everyone's hands. Certainly for me it was a game I needed to both read about and see in action to join the dots and now I will be picking it up as I want something to feel genuinely new to me and this seems to fit the bill
It's this idea from some people who think every game should be "fun" despite it been subjective. It's like "how dare Kojima make a walking simulator" like said before, people should be more open to different kinds of games instead of the same old stuff. Otherwise the industry gets more stagnated.
@kyleforrester87 “I’d say gamers genuinely don’t appreciate how good we have it these days in a lot of respects.”
Wow. Really well said. It’s astoundingly easy to get pulled into the spiral of negativity that finds such a strong voice on the ‘net. We all need to take a step back once in a while and appreciate everything that we have access to these days as gamers. It truly is amazing.
@kyleforrester87 @Shatter I'm definitely guilty of that sometimes or most of the time 😆
I'm going to be more positive from now on and not focus on the negatives (feel free to call me out on it when I revert to type tomorrow afternoon 😉)
I just played Beat Saber an hour ago for the first time and dear God, I'm beyond grateful and appreciative that we get to experience something so unique. I truly think that had most people actually played it, they'd be all over it the way Guitar Hero used to be insanely popular.
I'm with you, Sammy 100%
Unfortunately, blind hate exists everywhere and it tends to stem from ignorance or personal issues that someone has.
I think gamer community is just reflective of the greater world in general, a world of us and them, and people like what they know and fear everything else.
Of course gamers being mostly male and probably way too many incel only makes things worse. 😝
Seriously, the President of the US is promoting "build the wall" at a kids Halloween party. You just can't get more us against them than that.
@Sensechat sounds like you need new friends
There will always be some who are very resistant to change or anything new. Video games is one of those things where it's inevitable that things will move forward for better or worse.
With the amount of remakes and remasters we're getting these days it's clear there's plenty of room for both old and new. No need to be scared folks, the games you know and love aren't going anywhere soon.
I actually preordered Death Stranding after I saw the divisive reviews. There's something incredibly refreshing about a massive budget game so utterly unconcerned with following the status quo.
Some new ideas can be excellent, but not every new thing will be good. Even good new ideas won't be to everyone's taste.
In the case of Death Stranding, from the trailers and reviews, it doesn't look like something that appeals to me. It's nothing to do with me being closed minded to new ideas.
@sensechat Because PS4 has the largest install base, and with it are the causals who only play those games.
I was a bit surprised by how divided the Death Stranding reviews were, but I still think I'll get it on release day.
Whatever you think about the game or Kojima, I think that Sony deserve praise for funding something original, rather than playing it safe and spending the money on a shinier iteration of something we've played before.
I love my PSVR and always up for trying something new and different, problem is my friends and work colleagues only play the annual stuff so when they ask me what i'm playing i just get the usual retort of "sounds weird". I would try and convince them but i'd be wasting my breath. Great that communities like this exist so my enthusiasm is directed towards people who share it, Have friday off to pretty much dissappear into the mind of kojima, looking forward to it!
@MadAussieBloke i still need to try it in VR must be creepy as hell!
I'm quite open minded so will try anything once. I even tried celery once!
I like this article however please everyone don't confuse these new things with predatory monetary practises. Stuff like psvr, the wii etc all amazing but rinsing money out of gamers for wet farts is simply not on.
@rjejr The only thing worse than the massive percentage of right-wing nutters in the gaming community is how blind the rest of the community is to the size of the problem. Getting called homophobic slurs by random idiots literally every day on games isn’t a coincidence.
" A deep- rooted resistance to change" ? Maybe more like a deep-rooted resistance to what one may not like, want, or ever asked for.
I mean, you did ask who wanted the Switch and turned your nose at it declaring handheld gaming dead....and look how that went. Enthusiast gamers turning their noses up at new ideas.
I’m 62 years old and avid gamer And I love to try new things. I’m willing to give anything a shot. There are a lot of times I read reviews and the reviews are Not good I play the game anyway and I end up liking it. I’m an old guy supposed to be set in his ways but I say bring on new challenges I love it!
Just because something is different doesn't make it free from criticism. Sadly, criticism on things nowadays often gets you labelled as a 'hater' or some such.
@nessisonett "The only thing worse than the massive percentage of right-wing nutters in the gaming community is..."
I was pretty sure that sentence was going to end with "woke SJW libtards like you." Sorry things are so bad for you and thanks for not taking it out on me.
@zeppray that's the spirit!
@zeppray cool 👍👍👍.
Ok someone has to say it so I'm here to say that PSVR it's trash and it's dead don't try to revive something that's only gonna hurt your eyes and give you headaches just accept reality
Guys tomorrow coming PSNOW GAMES be ready friends?
There are these things called the Big Five personality traits, two of which are openness and conscientiousness. People that are high in openness find value in the novelty independently of the quality of the experience itself; those high in conscientiousness are tend to be situationally conservative and goal-oriented. When it comes to games, those people know what they like, have a finite amount of time to pursue their hobbies and want the greatest value for the money. They look at something like Death Stranding and maybe they don't seen novelty, ambition, or vision. Perhaps they see indulgence and incoherence. The point is that neither viewpoint is right or wrong objectively, so shouting down one over the other is rather unfair.
As an aside, tone policing does as much to harm group discourse as any source of polarisation.
Man I can't stand the "hardcore" elitists and gatekeepers talking about casual and core games, and what a game really is.
To me, all a game needs to be is enjoyable. Some kind of fun.
I think it's all to do with people just being bored, and their need to adopt a sort of contrarian mindset to distract them from whatever they need to be distracted from.
Just enjoy what you enjoy and don't be an ***hole.
@carlos82 Interesting you call RDR2's mission structure ancient, I don't know how futuristic you want a game set in 1899 focusing on realism to get friend. There's still a lot I keep discovering and a whole lot to do in the wilderness. I keep saying anybody who plays Rockstar's games just going from main mission to mission looking to wrap it up quickly and unwrap another game impatiently wouldn't enjoy it.
@themcnoisy I would say that there is legitimately an acceptable place in games for microtransactions to exist, even full price games. But then there are people who would consider that to be a predatory tactic by default, without considering the game as a whole.
That’s not to say that certain tactics are not underhand, but really they are really few and far between - it’s really a lot better than some people make out!
@TheArt the mission structure in RDR2 is painfully at odds with it’s otherwise free roaming nature, is the problem. It’s so easy to do something Rockstar doesn’t want you to do and get that mission failed screen. But then look at a temple in BOTW - you can, if inclined, find creative ways to break the game to get to the end of them. No game over screens for stepping outside the developers box. Rockstar really need to get some more of that kind of free form gameplay into the missions themselves. (This is my experience based on playing half the game, it may get better.)
If you thought DS was trash and gave it a 1/10 would you be posting an article questioning why people who never played it are obsessed with getting it day one? Or is it only acceptable to voice positive opinions of a game they haven't played but negative opinions are not acceptable?
I'm sorry, but Death Stranding isn't being panned because it is trying something new, it is getting hate because it sounds boring AF to many people. It sounds and looks like a walking simulator wrapped in a weird package. If DS was a game where you spend 90% plucking nose hairs would you really be defending it as "trying something new?" Of course not because new isn't always good.
The DS defense online is like the 'what is good art' debate where if somebody doesn't like what you like the response is "you just dont 'get it' ". No I get it, I just don't like it.
Look at how many people have a hate on for the Sims games and many never played it but people don't get grief for that. Did people hate sims because it is new compared other games or is it because it simply doesn't look good to them?
So no, it's not because DS is different, it just doesn't look good to many.
The internet has made the human race have more accessibility to moan and complain. There are a lot more negative nancy's out there. They need to be heard. I play COD, but I also play Train Sim World 2020 when I need to have a break. I get smashed by friends for playing it. With the net people have forgotten how to act to others.
Even where I work a lot of days I just hear staff complain about anything. It's unfortunately becoming more pronounced in the world.
I have PSVR for when I like to have a change of gameplay. Also I have preordered Death Stranding, because I feel it's good to have diversity in your gaming.
My thoughts on those with negative thoughts toward PSVR, the majority, not all, can’t afford it, so part of it is jealousy.
Regarding Kojima, he has a very loud fan base that treat him as the greatest ever and it annoys the other side and pushes them to treat any news around him with hostility. I’ve got a friend like that, he wasn’t always that way but got to that point.
@kyleforrester87 I still don't get why some of you have a problem with that MISSION FAILED screen. How's it realistic you stray from the path when you're heading towards an objective with a group. For example you get off your horse in Valentine and cause trouble when you're supposed to be low-key tailing somebody. Both GTAV and RDR2 gives you the option to cancel mission when you step out of line and gives you the freedom to continue misbehaving. I don't get how it's realistic when I beat up some Polemarch in AC Odyssey to half life and then leave the area about a few yards just to return to a full fit Polemarch again. If it's different ways to complete a mission you speak of then I don't know which Rockstar games y'all playing because there are always different ways to complete them without failing.
@TheArt well, if it’s realism you’re after, I don’t get a mission failed pop up when I cock up at work, I just have to sort it out
The reality BOTW is pretty simplistic, they went that route with the gameplay and it allows for more free form organic gameplay. Rockstar have more complicated missions, and as a result they need to shepherd you along a narrower path to completion. It can’t be like real life, at least not easily - too much to account for. But this doesn’t address the drastic change of feeling you get between playing both in and out of a mission. Overall, I just prefer the less handholdy approach, even if that means the game is “simpler“.
Nice opinion piece. I totally agree. One thing I will say though. Go all for it and dare to be a different site. Off with the clickbait or questionable rumours and on with interesting articles that are real traditional journalism.
Bye bye the absurdity of review scores too. Dare to be better than other sites.
That's my thoughts haha
@gumbopudding DS isn't been panned (most reviews have scored it highly).
It's not negative comments that are the problem, it's the dismissive almost angry nature of a lot of those comments. People have literally been on hear saying "how anyone finds a walking simulator fun is beyond me" which comes across as both immature and insulting to those who want to play it.
Plus the negative commenters have a terrible habit of constantly repeating their opinions, it doesn't seem enough for them to say their peace and just move on.
@kyleforrester87 Well anybody caught causing trouble at work and getting fired for it actually gets a MISSION FAILED in reality. 😂😂 The work was the mission and he failed holding the job. Any gang IRL getting busted while robbing a bank is also MISSION FAILED because they're going to prison. And since they're going for realism it has to be Game Over like irl hence the screen. Even with Red Dead, you go to jail and get free. You don't get Mission Failed when you're doing minor things obstructing the objective like when you get out the car, you have Trevor commanding you to get back in and get going so I don't know what the problem is. I haven't played BOTW so I don't know about that but I'm sure I'll appreciate the gameplay and not complain. To me I find nothing wrong with Rockstar's mission structure and so do a lot of reviewers and the lot of folk keeping their games in top 10 since forever.
@TheArt hey, you can still enjoy it for what it is while accepting there is plenty they could do to improve things - and they will with time. It’s the same with BOTW, it is lacking in plenty of areas too.
Mostly the negative aspects in these games are compromises to get the other parts working so well.
This article is so spot on lol. I cannot stand people that wont 'pick up the sticks' if it isnt in line with the collective of what we perceive 'playing video games' to be. Dunno how many naysayers have been over and lost their ish playin some Tetris VR or Astro Bot. Less resistance with Wii motion stuff on my end but even that to a lesser extent. But the amount of people that wont even give VR a chance is kinda sad. The next 'gen' of gaming will truly be like that episode of black mirror. Hopefully we leave it at playing the games though😬😝😂
@get2sammyb i think streaming doesnt belong in the same instance. Unless it proves to be a true 1:1 experience. We are talking about playing a game a differnt way. Not how we receieve the data to play the same old stuff. I buy my VR. I buy my motion controls. I buy physical versions of things i cam hold in my hand and resell or discard. Streaming is just a totally different can of beans
Good read. Gamers, unfortunately and ironically, are literally the worst part of gaming lol
@nessisonett lol. I assure you. Both sides are using slurs. What a narrow mind.
I think the issue with Death Stranding is that there was so much hype and people weren't expecting a walking simulater.
Kojima uses his games as an expression of his thoughts and feelings. Death stranding in my eyes is more than a game its a message. If you dont get it u will most likely never get it. Your right on the head of the issue. One of the things i love about sony gamers for the most part is they are open minded. Sony knows this and why the let kojima loose. They know their fans will give hus story a chance.
@BENDsli Same here. I had a PSVR, and put hours into it. I was dedicated for at least a couple of months. I finally got tired of only being able to play half an hour at a time because I would get sickly feeling. I wrote something about this in another article, and someone said it wasn't the PSVR, it was me. I needed to better train myself to use it. It's bulls***, and its part of the f***ing problem right there. You cant have a gadget go mainstream when it makes people physically sick unless they better train themselves to use it (if that even was a solution for everyone). I still think they can reduce the feeling by upping the resolution and fps...even though that dude disagreed... But still, VR in general has a problem if people cant just pick up and play. I want it to succeed. I loved some of the moments that I had. Unfortunately, I can't shake the memory of buyers remorse from an expensive piece of hardware that made me sick to my stomach. I was at least able to sell it at the time for 250, so I got some of it back.
Language please! - Quintumply
Great opinion post! I for one believe the gaming community is evolving and is full of positive people. Eg. Clash of clans is a game still growing strong and has over 500million downloads. What? But serious gamers use to mock mobile gaming (I sadly was one of the mockers - sad face - but have repented!) and instead it's a growing industry full of unique experiences. Nearly everyone has a mobile phone nowadays so maybe that unites instead of creating divisions. With the opposition to PSVR, Stadia, etc I think maybe the cause is a mental disease called fanboyism. It's a protective mechanism controlled by fear so that you protect your favourite company, developer, etc by cursing the other parties. It's typical of politics where one group of followers want to win and to do so they create lies, false facts which stir up their side and tarnish the other group. As a youthful gamer, I use to be a fanboy at college and spout negativity about other tech opposed but that's because media and trolls use to target my choice of game consoles and games. I was baited and like a moth to a flame eagerly enter the absurd fanboy arena. Like many gamers on pushsquare I've also matured and realised, learnt to ignore trolls and toxic media, instead focus on enjoying every minute playing games cos they're mega fun! I pray and hope the gaming community becomes a force of goodness, where early adopters can be praised for taking the initial expense of trying out new things and gaming social heroes, journalists, etc. can test out new gadgets and ideas and highlight the pros and cons without any political hate agenda. For the gamers.
I wholly agree, there's nothing more irritating than seeing people saying we need more innovation or modern games suck, etc, and yet they're the first to cry foul when new type of games comes, like wii motion control or death stranding. Sure not everybody have to like new type of games like death stranding, but attacking the games and it's author (kojima) because the game is different is super weird. I want more AAA games like this, weird and full of innovations, not just becomes live services or open world full of mtx.
Also that's forum is a dumpster fire, nearly all the people there is fanboys. It's worse than neogaf, which is an accomplishment itself.
@Nyne11Tyme So when was the last time you heard somebody on COD call their teammate an insult aimed at ‘the other side’? This is exactly what I mean, it’s written off when there’s a clear problem among gamers that needs to be rooted out. You’d think in a post-Gamergate world that the community would be more self-aware.
Honestly this is a really interesting write-up and it asks some great questions. Bringing up the Wii was a great comparison too, as I remember lots of people supposedly in the "hardcore" crowd completely dismissing the console, calling it a "toy" and so on. I've been gaming since I was 4 years old I'm now in my 30s and I haven't stopped. I don't know if that's considered "hardcore" or not, but I personally had a lot of fun with the Wii and some of my favorite games have been on the Wii. Of course, liking the Wii was a fast way to quickly get written off as "casual", regardless of your background in gaming. I actually still play the Wii even today and I'm still discovering really neat games on it.
I also really enjoy The Sims games, even though I'm also skilled enough to play and beat games like Contra, Ghosts n Goblins, etc.. but simply liking The Sims would be enough to be written off as casual. Gamers have a tendency to gatekeep for reasons I don't understand, and being part of both the retro and modern gaming community, I see a lot of it from both sides.
On that note, I see a lot of immature gamers on other sites bash old school games that I'm fairly sure they've never even played based purely on the fact they're from a certain era of gaming. The most commonly mocked apparently being the Atari 2600. I don't know where all the hate for the Atari 2600 came from but I still love me some Space Invaders, Space Jockey, etc.
Someone above mentioned that it may stem from people who stick to the games they know best and I think that could be true. I don't know what type of gamer criteria I fall into but I enjoy nothing more than trying new games I've played before. For this reason I'm a big fan of import games because they tend to be the most interesting or unusual. With the NES being my favorite console, I tend to be the most willing to explore new ventures on that console, some great discoveries I've made being games like Panic Restaurant, Power Blade 1 and 2, Ufouria, Cocoron, etc. Of course, you have a lot of people who will turn their noses up at games like that and I can't count how many times now I've brought up a neat game I've discovered, only to have someone dismiss it with "I'll just stick to Mario 3/Zelda/Mega Man/Castlevania. For example I mentioned how Holy Diver is a great little Castlevania-like import and my suggestion was shot down immediately with "I'll just stick to Castlevania 3". There's a real lack of open mindedness in gaming for sure.
In the case of Death Stranding, people forget that Kojima was once met with skepticism before with the Metal gear franchise. He suggested a game where you avoid conflict rather than engage in it and people thought he was crazy. Guess what, Metal Gear became a massive franchise. I'm not saying this will be the case with Death Stranding, but I think it's important to keep an open mind and give the game a chance. I didn't think I would like Journey when it was recommended to me, but I kinda liked it. It was different and unique. Since then I've played other unique experiences like Flower and I'm looking forward to Bee Simulator coming out soon. I could see myself playing Death Stranding at some point as well and maybe enjoying it, maybe not. It'll be interesting to see how people react once the game is actually in the hands of gamers.
Sorry for the long post, I just had a lot to say.
This seems to be a confused opinion piece to be honest @get2sammyb -on one hand you say its fine to criticise and the subjects you touch upon have valid criticisms as you note but in the same paragraph you say people should cut the criticism out and embrace change.
Its a bit of a confused and muddled piece all things said. Not all change is good. Not all new ideas are good either. I think some of the push back to Death Stranding has been simply due to reviewers saying that for large portions of the game its boring, that and that the reviews are otherwise gushing leave people commenting that it sounds rubbish and "Kojima strikes again" to those who dont like his games.
Rather unfair judgement to make until they've played it ill give you that but with the confusing reviews and confusing info released in the years and months before release then its a little more easier to see why the community might be in a funny place.
What I think would help with these kind of moments is to move away from a scoring system for reviews. Put the plus and minus points along with a body of text and maybe even give it a stamp of essential for the very best game but otherwise let people decide themselves.
The one thing I will agree on is that Hideo Kojima does have a bit of a marmite persona in the gaming community, some see him as a genius, others see him as an attention hog who takes all credit for his titles when he has a hugely talented team behind him doing most of the leg work.
Personally I enjoy his work and its often thought provoking even though the storytelling might sometimes be a little muddled.
The first time I felt like a purist idiot was when the Wii came out. I rejected the motion controls as stupid. I still feel this way even now. Just couldn’t jive with it
Great article! I very much agree with the sentiment.
The defensive backlash and foolish close-mindedness that permeates around is very disconcerting. Ah well... people are free to be ignorant, I suppose.
@get2sammyb Sometimes it is not the change that puts people off, it is the price tag that follows with it. For example, Death Stranding does not sound like my type of game as the review here made it sound like delivery boy simulator with one of the pros being the management system of equipment. For me, being a delivery boy for a lot of the game sounds terrible; I have yet to complete RDR2 due to how long it takes get places. And as for equipment management, again the review compares it to RE4 & personally, it was the weakest part of that game (apart from guiding Ashley around everywhere, that is!)
That said, if and when the price tag drops & I see more gameplay footage, I will no doubt pick it up. It was the same for PSVR, it was a lot of money to try something different. I experienced at an expo and did not understand why it was so good but I did later find out that the damn assistant did not set me up correctly! Again, I caved a year later when a bundle came up that was too good to miss and I am glad I did.
As streaming, @kyleforrester87, I don't understand it to be honest. Why would I want to watch someone play a game that I can go out and purchase myself? To me it is utter madness but I get that some people love it. I see streamers leaving Twitch to go to Mixer and I ask, who are they? 🤣
@solocapers totally agree with you here. The review score did not match the words in the body. It was a case of, yes the game is boring at parts (reads on how FF13 was), but.... this is Kojima so we will let him off. I said before, the reviewer gives the final score as they are the only one who has played the game but when the text and score don't match, it really gets to me as some will just read the conclusion and score.
Really interesting read. Couldn't agree more. I get that everyone has different tastes but people really can be there own worst enemy sometime. Wanting new and exciting ideas then dismissing them.
I feel like gamers should be at the forefront of interest in innovative ideas but it just isn't the case for many.
Personally I find I have to talk friends into content rather than share in the hype. Myself I love new and exciting games and tech. What can ya do.
@TheArt the mission structure is often too restrictive and has to play out exactly how Rockstar had planned it and I frequently failed missions as I wasn't staring at the map to see the exact way I was meant to travel. One mission asks you to rob a coach by taking it to a secluded spot, but it has to be the yellow spot they have selected for you for no good reason. Then the bank robbery in Valentine, where you have to stand in the bank shooting until the game tells you to go to your horse at the top of the street, so naturally I escaped by going down the quiet street at the top, mission failed as I was meant to ride back down in front of the bank for some reason and in front of all the police to escape the town in that direction despite both paths paths taking me the same way. I'm not saying it's a bad game and actually I've just started playing it again but these moments stick out, particularly in those moments where it really isn't necessary and a little more freedom could help elevate it further
@ZeD I meant streaming your own games, I.e PS Now
@rjejr i hadnt heard about this halloween party build a wall thing...😔
Yeah I don’t get the have your cake and eat it philosophy of many gamers. A game comes out that is a new IP, does things differently and does not follow the most unpopular industry monetary trends and people seem to tag on it. Personally I am not sure this is the game for me but glad it is out there. I mean shouldn’t we celebrate a new IP with no strings attached in an autumn that brought us Ghost Recon Break Wind and so on?
@carlos82 Hmph. So many years playing R* games I've never felt it's restrictive in any form especially with all the freedom they give you outside missions. Maybe I just like to play games the way they're meant to be played.
I’m looking forward to the completely different direction of Death Stranding. I’m willing to give games a go, but I’m sure I’ll like this due to the slower pace of it.
I’m also someone that loved RDR2, due to the slower pace of it but also read on the same site that Sammy mentioned about the dreadful controls.
Different strokes and all that...
Negativity is sometimes use to cope with the fact you can not obtain something. I dislike it so my finances are not the reason I do not own or even want to own X product. Others live in a very small personal reality or a black and white one with zero middle ground.
Digital vs Physical is a pet peeve with me. I buy Physical first on all AAA games. Still I own more digital games than Physical because of Plus and digital sales.
Death Stranding is understandably a questionable game its They have been so vague for so long. I had no problem preordered the game.
Streaming, I feel there is a middle ground for streaming also. It's the belief the everything is 100% or nothing that's the true problem.
PSVR is the real deal and the best bang for your buck on PlayStation. Again its not a 100% or nothing deal. It will improve in quality and price over time. Gaming has a diverse set of hardware and software to feel the needs of people that are diverse in taste.
@rjejr
I understand your comment as in the press often accuses the gaming community for being a reflection of the internet unrelated to gaming.. that's nothing to do with gaming.
What's recent is the internet way of communicating, social media, random contradictory press ... the world (humanity) is he same. Technology allowed for more manipulation and exploiting populist themes, misleading information etc etc
However arent you doing the same thing you denounce I.e. us vs them?
Right wings? Male? Incels?.... that's no better man. Trying to shame people on any side is just crass
Also I dislike Trump like most of the world but not every thing in the world is about american politics. Actually most of the world dont care about american politics. Just get rid of that clown is all we ask
I agree there gamers on console are unwilling to embrace change. Look at how people feel about all digital consoles. People need to be more forward thinking and stop living in the past.
My only issu with PSVR apart from being unconvinced it will work for me. Is the bloody mess of wires. I see the set up and it just upsets my inner karma.
Q. Here’s the thing: I’m not saying you need to buy Death Stranding or even like it. Instead I’m simply posing a question: why are so many terrified of it?
A. I don't know anyone who is terrified of it. However, I do know many people who think that it's just another video game, and that it's no big deal.
@nessisonett very true. It just sounded like you were insinuating that only one side acts like a fool. When in all really everyone is very capable. I mean you are never getting rid of immaturity (and there is some innocence in that) at a grade school level. People need to be able to weed through the kids talkin ish on each other and the real vitriol. I feel like they are all being lumped together.
@Nyne11Tyme I get you. I think the main issue is that the venom seeps its way down to the kids. Obviously kids aren’t completely responsible for the crap they spout if the parents are at ‘certain rallies’ and filling their children’s heads with nonsense. Honestly, the main difference between the toxic behaviour on both sides is that towards the more... conservative side the insults are usually ideological such as calling them Nazis or the like. Whereas, there’s a smorgasbord of personal insults to choose from coming from the other side.
@nessisonett yeah i remember a few weeks ago i was playing Overwatch and one guy on the team was getting pissed at the rest of us because we were doing better than he was so he started calling us all names and he said to me
"Why don't you go **** your boyfriend ***
to which i answered
"I can't because your dads busy looking after you
he was not very happy
@JJ2 Yup, I'm doing the same "us vs them" thing but pointing out there is an us and them thing isn't the same as actively going after the them. There is always going to be an us and them thing, barring an alien invasion to unite us in the doomsday hour, but the difference is vs or and.
As for Trump, he's just a spotlight, and I disagree with you there, I think the whole world sees that spotlight, probably better than the US does.
@ellsworth004 Well it seemed to be legit, though I did find out about it on Twitter so it's just as likely to be untrue. Did seem to tie in to Sammy's woes.
@FullbringIchigo Hahahaha, these ones always act the most offended as if they can dish it out but can’t take it themselves. It’s a shame there isn’t global chat on Overwatch, on CSGO if the other team spouts nonsense I’ll just gloat saying “You just got beat by a fa**ot”. Of course, the massive amount of Russian players on CSGO probably adds to that being the go-to insult.
you have brought the kids out that come here because they want to belittle the other side so they can feel good with their Switch or Xbox.
look how many idiots have turned up not all gamers are mature adults some are immature kids look at some of the comments.
@nessisonett i found that if someone is insulting you online in a game then the best bet is to play into it
as another example being a brit you get a lot of comments about it from american players and people saying things like "God save the Queen" or asking if i have Tea and Biscuits and i normally just start putting a really posh British accent on and calling for a butler
it normally makes them stop it because it's not funny to them anymore because it showed it wasn't bothering me
you know the old saying Stick and Stones
@rjejr
There doesn't have to be a us vs them haha
Strange way of thinking.
Unless there's a war in which your caught and have no choice.. I don't know
Live and let live is more my thing
Edit
About Trump I was saying it's not internal politics that the world is concerned with. It's about irresponsible leaders.
Well for what I have seen on these pages recently, most of the criticism comes from the fact that people watching gameplay and reading some reviews did not fell super excited about Death Stranding. I did not see many "Kojima = bulls***". As we read your reviews to understand if a game could be or could not be for our taste, I think you should accept that people may be not enthusiast about games. So move on.
I don't care if people are negative about the things i happen to like. I am a big ABBA fan, so i know what i'm talking about!
I will always and forever resist the idea that microtransactions are ok in games.
Really like the direction of this article.
@DigiTM is pretty solid on what he said. Lots has to do with society and it's issues.
You gotta look at the bigger picture here, the points you raise about negativity is not exclusive to gamers. It's something that stems from certain issues from society in general. While I don't necessarily intend to talk about politics I still have to talk about it a bit to explain my point.
These days there's a good amount of issues going on. The way governments runs policies and how the media plays a large role in how they portray news. Lots of policies aren't designed to make the population happy but are designed to divide instead. Look at how politics are run, you got the left or the right, and some in the middle. There you already see there's nothing cohesive going on. And I'm not saying one is right or wrong, of course I got my opinions but want this to stay unbiased. The way politics are done flows down to the population which will pick sides based on what they prefer and may even defend it against people with different opinions about their preferred party. The point is the divisive nature of it all.
The media plays a large role in this as well. News isn't released objectively. It often tries to force you to a certain direction, indirectly. This influences decision making among the population as well. Certain layers of the population responds differently which in turn creates divided opinions.
Also, the internet and social media makes people more individualistic. It's easier to find people with common interests and shared opinions to spend more time with. It also causes people to be more focused on their devices instead of having a talk with people at a busstop, or anywhere else outside. You see people focused on their phones everywhere. It all fits into the divide category. Being more individualistic is a result of less contact with people in your environment, neighbors or people at the busstop etc. People are naturally social beings and the twisted contact via social media creates a false feeling of actual contact.
These are certain examples of why society isn't focused on being tolerant. It's all little things that creates a big issue. One thing isn't necessarily bad, but all together it is. This is what
@get2sammyb feels, it's just not something that is to blame on the gaming community or the gamers but it's because of how society is these days. We drifted off from being tolerant and respectful to one another and instead are individualistic and more focused on our own opinions and feel they're more important.
In closing, we, as a society, have a lot of ground to cover to get us somewhere more pleasant again. Seems a lot of people have to discover the real issue at hand to be able to 'fix' it and make the world a better place for all of us.
I'm open to change when I like the change. I don't like VR. I don't find wearing those silly goggles to be an immersive experience, or even comfortable. Call me in 50 years when we have real VR like something we see today in science fiction.
I also really dislike streaming. No matter how much one tries to talk it up, there is very little I like about the idea. I still own my copy of Mario 64 and can pop it in and enjoy it. Will I be able to keep streaming my games 20 years from now? No, or if I want to, I have to keep paying for the service, indefinitely. And that assumes games stay on the service.
On the other hand, I really enjoyed the Wii and I gave the Wii U a chance. And the Switch is my all time favorite gaming machine.
I also loved the integration of online functions into gaming. The shift to dual analogue sticks from d-pads, etc...
Make a change I like, and there ya go.
@Grim-Tuesday Well said (wrote).
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