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Thread: Mainstream gamers friend or foe?

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    Bell (Level 8) sabre2922's Avatar
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    Default Mainstream gamers friend or foe?

    I have a friend that is THE definition of mainstream gaming.

    -the only games he talks about are Gears of War and Halo and of course sports games AND he thinks Tony Hawks project 8 is "like the best skating game ever"

    He is 21 years old and started out on Genesis,N64 and Playstation.

    The thing that bothers me is that I was playing RE4 on PS2 and tried to show him the cool extras and was telling him about the Wii edition that would have the better graphics with the PS2 extras the new controls etc.
    anyway he looks at the game for about 5 seconds and says oh that game is too slow for me and adds THE WII IS FOR KIDS and that it has "no good games because Xbox has Halo and Gears of War " I could go on but im sure my point is clear.

    Now the only system he plays is his Xbox360 and mostly guitar hero 2 ALL THE TIME.

    Dont get me wrong Im not trying to come across an the elite gamer type or anything like that I was just curious as too how many fellow DPers also had friends or relatives like this?

    You know the ones that cant see past the Maddens/GTAs/Halos and thinks that everything else "sucks".

    Do mainstream gamers get on your nerves ? or do you just ignore them? do you bother trying to show them that there are many more fun and innovatibe games out there that they might enjoy and think outside of the box? or is it better to leave them in their little boxes safe and sound?
    Last edited by sabre2922; 05-17-2007 at 02:25 AM.

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    Some douche Richter Belmount's Avatar
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    I despise them , not the fact im considered elite or above them. But game design has become so centered around mainstream gamers , that less traditional games are being made.

    My example of a traditional game is dragon warrior 8, which seems to be centered around hardcore or everyday gamers .

    A nontraditional game is splinter cell double agent which seems to be centered around mainstream gamers.
    Last edited by Richter Belmount; 05-17-2007 at 12:41 AM.
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    Apple (Level 5) p_b's Avatar
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    I know some people like your friend, and sometimes I'd just like to punch their faces for sheer stupidity. But then again, it's the mainstream which keeps the market so big, and a bigger market is better for us all. I'd rather have them rant about Halo and Fifa 12468 than not buying and playing games at all...

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    Pac-Man (Level 10) Snapple's Avatar
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    Your friend isn't a mainstream gamer. He's just an idiot.

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    Doesn't really bother me. I have friends like that and I get them to download demos for games like boom boom rocket and viva pinata. I am converting them slowly.

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    Bell (Level 8) sabre2922's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snapple View Post
    Your friend isn't a mainstream gamer. He's just an idiot.
    hmmm i must regretfully agree

    whats worse is that we are renting a house so im stuck listening to guitar hero 2 70% of the time.

    most of my friends wont even look at ICO or Shadow of the Colossus when I try to show them something different and I think more interesting than Madden 2000008.

    Its just painful to be a real gamer sometimes hardcore/retro or whatever.
    oh yea I dont care how that comes across I apologize for nothing.


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    When I was in high school I knew a guy alot like your friend. I was reading a game mag before shop class started and he started talking games with me. Didn't take me long to realize his tastes were rather superficial (mainstream) after hearing Madden uttered for the 10th time in two minutes. My current digs, at the time, was Virtua Fighter so I wanted to talk about fighting games but, wasn't sure how to make a segway into it. Then an epiphany... Mortal Kombat. So we talked MK for a bit (he played and liked it) then I asked him if he tried any of the new 3D fighting games. Turns out he had not. From this short conversation I knew he didn't have a Saturn (killed my VF buzz) but, I knew he owned a Playstation (Madden, Tomb Raider etc.) so I suggested he try Tekken. Later on, he became a Tekken nut. Even organized a tournament once.

    It's all in the approach I guess. The two factors being how they are being approached and how receptive they are to it. As long as your not snobbish about it and they are not complete numbskulls you should be able to find some common ground. After all, we didn't start out life as gamers did we?
    Last edited by Icarus Moonsight; 05-17-2007 at 08:30 AM.


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    Peach (Level 3) Hawksmoor's Avatar
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    I used to absolutely loathe mainstream gamers, most often when I was in a store and had to listen to one yammer on and on about some overhyped, crappy game or simply spout off utterly false nonsense.

    However, as p_b pointed out, gaming's transition from niche hobby to mainstream entertainment option has ensured the medium's longterm survival. Ultimately, that's in the best interest of all gamers.

    It's unfortunate that these people and their narrowminded notions of what good games are largely dictate what new games are made, but given the amount of time, money, and other resources developers and publishers have to invest these days it's understandable that they're wary to take risks and would prefer to adhere to some prior tried and true formula.

    Also, I think the same really holds true for all forms of media and entertainment. 99% of books, tv shows, and movies are garbage IMHO, and games are no different. I think a lot of us are fortunate insofar as we can distinguish between the quality and the crap and invest our time and money accordingly.
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    Kirby (Level 13) Push Upstairs's Avatar
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    There are extremes at both ends of the spectrum:

    Mainstream "Madden" fans

    Ultra hard-core "elite gamers"

    Neither one is any more tolerable than the other, but I tend to ignore both.

    I'm not going to argue why there are better games than "Madden '08" and I'm not going to waste energy justifying playing "Burnout 3" to some "Elite of elite" gamer.

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    Key (Level 9) Fuyukaze's Avatar
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    I know people like that and am even related to people like that. The thing is, people aproach gaming in different ways. There's always the people that are only interested in the most popular games. There's also people that are interested in niche titles like Animal Crossing, Harvest Moon, and Tetris, and only those titles. Do I think that makes them hard core gamers? No! Do I think that makes them any less a gamer? Not realy. I figure if you play games, reguardless of genre enough to become hooked to the point you keep coming back to it, your a gamer.

    That said, I think your friend's an idiot, but that's more a personal opinion then anything. If he likes fast paced games, maybe you should introduce him to more action related games like God of War or such. Maybe even some racing games are in order? Either he'll come around to seeing the finer points of gaming, or he'll grow out of it.

    Either way, continue playing what "you" want as you should disreguard what others say you should be playing. If you allow the opinions of others to control your interests in titles you play, I'd say that defines a mainstream gamer.
    Last edited by Fuyukaze; 05-17-2007 at 05:09 AM.

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    ServBot (Level 11) Kejoriv's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Push Upstairs View Post
    There are extremes at both ends of the spectrum:

    Mainstream "Madden" fans

    Ultra hard-core "elite gamers"

    Neither one is any more tolerable than the other, but I tend to ignore both.

    I'm not going to argue why there are better games than "Madden '08" and I'm not going to waste energy justifying playing "Burnout 3" to some "Elite of elite" gamer.

    Well said. Agreed.

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    Key (Level 9) Nebagram's Avatar
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    I know a couple of people like that, and in general, I'm more on the side of 'pity' than 'despise'. I always try to identify one 'obscure' game on their chosen system to try to convert them. Case in point: my mate has a PSP he uses mainly for Madden and UMD movies. Hmm- whilst Loco Roco might be a step too far (he doesn't even own a GTA title for it), this is the same guy I frequently had some pretty heavy-duty Dreamcast sessions with back in '00/'01. Easy solution: Power Stone Collection. Broaden the horizons a little in ways he'll be able to cope with. Then chuck in some Lumines for good measure.

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    Great Puma (Level 12) heybtbm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sabre2922 View Post
    I have a friend

    He is 21 years old
    ...didn't really have to read the rest of the post.
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    Cherry (Level 1) Gabriel's Avatar
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    It's really no different from people who play nothing but Zelda and "niche game that no one in the world really gives a damn about #386" and then they bitch about Halo and Madden.

    I'm one of those people who says Halo isn't a very good game, and I'd rather play just about anything than any post 1993 football game. But something to keep in mind is how the "hardcore" gamers are just as bad. The non-mainstream probably likes even more games that are just plain crappy.

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    Everyone enjoys things in their own way. I wouldn't consider them friend nor foe, but as a peer.

    We all enjoy games, and the advances made by the '-core' segment to expose the rich innovation of the hobby to those less inclined to seek it out on their own helps broaden horizons. Some will get it, some won't. But as long as they're having fun, all is good in my eyes.

    I may poke fun at them, much like others do, but can guarantee you that they're doing the same to us. Even trade.

    Quote Originally Posted by Fuyukaze
    Either way, continue playing what "you" want as you should disreguard what others say you should be playing. If you allow the opinions of others to control your interests in titles you play, I'd say that defines a mainstream gamer.
    Absolutely.
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    Kirby (Level 13) Griking's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by p_b View Post
    But then again, it's the mainstream which keeps the market so big, and a bigger market is better for us all.
    I can't say I agree with that. Mainstream gamers is what keeps the industry pigeonholed. Honestly I routinely found more games that I enjoyed playing back when the Apple II was big and developers basically designed games they liked and didn't have to worry about selling millions of copies to break even.

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    my friends are either into whatever games are good, or not into games at all. ALL of my friends, however, play Samurai Shodown 2 and Metal Slug 2 cuz I got the MVS in the basement for when we have drunk nights. Then they'll play whatever has moving colors to stare at. But really I only have a couple friends who are really into games, and those ones play both mainstream and non-mainstream games....whatever they think is fun.

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    Yes, I have friends whose taste in games differs from mine.

    Do I think they're idiots for not sharing my opinions?

    Nope. That would make *me* an idiot, no matter how much I might protest and say "I'm not being elitest, but ..."
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    Strawberry (Level 2) Wolfrider31's Avatar
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    This is my theory; I think most of us who've been gaming forever (I picked up my first controller at the age of 3 or 4) had to put up with the "games are for nerds" phase of the industry. Seeing jocks now eating up the hobby we were taunted for being involved in and getting no slack because of it can be really irritating.

    But, I have to ask, is the conventional wisdom that casual gamers kill creativity (like mainstream moviegoers do) actually true? Consider the Final Fantasy series. We got three of them. Out of six. Thanks to the mainstream success of the PS a FF that doesn't come to our shores is an absurd notion. And what about games like WarioWare, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, Trauma Center, Cooking Mama, Harvest Moon, every RPG ever made, MMOs. Yes, some of these games weren't commercially successful, but explosion in growth of the industry attributable to the mainstream gamer has allowed companies to do things a little more daring, even if it means giving up commercial success.

    I mean, I still hate thick-necked frat f*cks who have Halo/Kegger parties in their dorm rooms while playing earth shaking rap music and wearing long gold chains, but they may not be stifling the industry as much as we assume.
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    Strawberry (Level 2) Wolfrider31's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by heybtbm View Post
    ...didn't really have to read the rest of the post.
    Hey, I'm 21 years old. :P
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