A not so small rant about casual gamers and SONY

[sabre2922]

OK here goes:
I have set on the sidelines and read many interesting and intelligent posts and opinions on this great forum. I am under the impression that the majority of ppl here have been playing or collection videogames for as long as I have (over twenty years) and are as passionate and involved in this great, fun hobby of ours as I am.
Therefore I hope that all others here will read this post with an open mind and respond with thier opinions and not go on a flaming rampage respectively.
What once was considered a small geek hobby has truthfully become a billion dollar industry, now shouldnt this be a great thing for gamers everywhere,yes, is it in truth a positive thing NO heres why: Casual gamers have been and are destroying this hobby with mass purchases of games like Superman 64(yes it did actually sell well back in the 32-bit,64-bit days) and ENTER THE MATRIX! While great or even experimental games like Beyond good and evil and Prince of Persia collect dust on the shelves.
So in the end we reap what we sow right? meaning we get more crap games shoved down our throats as all the Sony Brainwashed minions purchase more PS2's to replace the one that they bought only 6 months ago since theres "broke again".
That then leads us to SONY the 2-D hatin company that thinks its $hit dont stink. Xbox and Gamecube owners get just a little more 2-D goodness thanks to Sony's new policies but in the end that same policy is killing any true experimentation that has always kept this hobby an interesting one.
Does anyone think that Viewtiful Joe would be released on the PS2 if it wasnt already a hit on Gamecube?
My message to all here that actually think of videogames as more than a passing phase or a drunken night playing Madden at their buddies house is this: we do have the power to change things for the better, to reclaim our hobby from the uncleansed masses that follow Sony with blind faith.
To buy the great and experimental games and let the crap copy cat games like True crime be the ones to set and collect dust on the shelves.
LATER GAMERS!!!

[Captain Wrong]

Here we go again.

I'd just like someone to tell me which supposedly "pure" gaming era wasn't plagued with a bunch of me-too copycat games. That has ALWAYS been part on this industry from the Atari VCS days on. Yes, there's more of it now because, well, there's just more games period now.

Anyone who thinks that if it wasn't for these meddling mainstream gamers, *insert name of favorite import, genre, 2d game, etc.* would get released instead and we'd see an end to sequels and copycats is just plain fooling themselves. Why do people think that if the market was smaller companies would put out niche titles that won't even sell in a market as big as it is currently?

Fuck it. I'm so done with this. Enjoy flogging the dead horse everyone.

(Note to sabre2922, I'm not meaning any of this personally against you. The "Sony/Mainstream gamers ruined the industry" topic is currently number 3 on my Top 5 topics I'm so sick and tired of seeing. I'm just being crotchety to day, so I'll go take my nap now. )

[gamegirl79]

Well, I have been playing games for close to 20 years myself, and I have a confession to make....

I not only BOUGHT Enter the Matrix, I PRE-ORDERED it.

And if that isn't enough....

I ENJOYED it!! I played the hell out of it!

I know it's not one of the most popular games to come out recently, but I liked it. I can't help it. In fact, I guess I'm guilty of playing other games that seem to bounce right off the shelves into the hands of 'casual' gamers. I like to play Madden every once in awhile just as much as I love searching endlessly for that copy of Jack Bros. for Virtual Boy.

I really don't see all this as a bad thing. The thing to remember is that not all video game players are collectors. While it does make me upset when I see my friends not take care of their PS2 and get mad when they have to buy a 2nd or even 3rd console, I have to keep telling myself that some people just don't take as much pride in video games as I do. That's what separates the collectors from the casual gamers, and what separates DP members from many other video game forum members.

[sabre2922]

No prob Captain everone has a right to their own opinions and I see a lot of good points in your post also
Even though if u really read my post and the message carried thierin it really does say more and complain about more than just copycat games
What really gets me is industry giants like Sony placing more brick walls in front of developers and publishers saying NO 2-D on our system etc but I tried to hit on many points even though most will read and focus only on one specific topic

[Achika]

It's hard to have an open mind about the topic at hand, when the poster of said topic doesn't seem to have an open mind about it himself.

I have said it before, no one person can define a "perfect, great, good, etc." game. What you hold dear, another person might loath. What that person thinks is a great game, you might hate. Some of the "hardcore" collector/gamers here might like that "crappy" title that was only sold to "casual gamers"

[Cmosfm]

I refuse to even comment on this, because I've only been here 4-5 months and I've heard this SAME exact topic brought up, beat to death, and so on and so forth more times than I care to count.

Nothing else to say, really.

[PapaStu]

Does anyone think that Viewtiful Joe would be released on the PS2 if it wasnt already a hit on Gamecube?

Its being pushed to the PS2 BECAUSE it hasnt sold well. Not the other way around. A great game it is, but Capcom has had a horrible time with their "exclusiveness" of titles to the GC. REmake, RE:0, Viewtiful Joe, have all struggled on the system. They took a risk that few others were willing to do. Make Cube Exclusives. I appreciate them for it, I bought them all right after release. But like before with the N64 the really good stuff is Nintendo, and the 3rd parties have stayed away like the plague.

As what came out at the end of that prior thread (the whole sony no 2D thing) Sony is in business to make MONEY. They are trying to show the power of their system in comparison to the GC or XB, and its hard to do with a 2D game. Dont get me wrong i Love those 2D games, but you cant show the gaming power orr innovations of your system, when your SNES or Saturn can do the exact same game, and make it look just as good.

It's hard to have an open mind about the topic at hand, when the poster of said topic doesn't seem to have an open mind about it himself.

I agree completely.

[sabre2922]

I see I touched a nerve, great and I dont consider myself to be a closed minded person especially when it comes to games wich is my fav hobby.
I was completely aware that this would very well be a touchy topic and most likely garner me more foes than friends
I honestly think of everone here as equals especially if anyone takes the time out in thier lives to post and debate on a message board devoted to nothing but videogames they must be a kindred soul but hey im not apologizing for my views Its just the conclusion that I have come to after seeing years of decline in the quality games that are released for all systems but that may be for another thread entirely

[Cmosfm]

I see I touched a nerve, great and I dont consider myself to be a closed minded person especially when it comes to games wich is my fav hobby.
I was completely aware that this would very well be a touchy topic and most likely garner me more foes than friends

The only reason you "touched a nerve" is because everyone tired of talking about and debating a topic thats been shot, beat to beat, spit on, buried alive, zombified, decapitated, reanimated again, and then burned to death only to come back a few days later as a smelly blob of goo.

[sabre2922]

ok CM calm down I guess Im the devil for putting up a post that iritates u so sorry man chill!
and NO I dont think it has been done to death I think u seem to have taken this all very personally so for that I apologize ok? damn

[Cmosfm]

I don't think what I posted was something I need to be told to "calm down" over. I just posted my opinion of this topic, and the many times its been done to death.

If I was ANGRY YOU'D HAVE KNOWN IT!

[SpasticFuctard]

I can define the perfect game in three words:

Tentacles, skirts, soup.


When is Sony going to stop standing between my love of tentacles in soupy skirts and developers for the platform? When!

SF - Ewwwwww.

[sabre2922]

its kooooool

[Achika]

I can define the perfect game in three words:

Tentacles, skirts, soup.


When is Sony going to stop standing between my love of tentacles in soupy skirts and developers for the platform? When!

SF - Ewwwwww.

You buster, have it SO. WRONG.

It should be:

Zombies, skirts, guns.


The last topic was here:

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/view...999&highlight=

IMO, if you had an "open mind" about it, you would be able to see and rationalize it from each different angle. Since you've come to the conclusion that "your way is the right way", that is close minded.

[Flack]

What's worse, buying and playing a generally accepted "bad game", or sitting around online talking about it, not gaming at all?

Peace. Love. Joysticks.

[Garry Silljo]

There will always be bad games and copy cat games. Any game that is successful will be copied to death for the chance at getting the money. If we only buy the good innovative games then rather than beat back the spread of bad games, we will create a whole new breed of bad games that closely resemble the good games we bought.

Bottom line: Buy games that make you happy, let the bad games come and if you dont want them, dont get them. Some one wants to spend $50 on Madden every year while you experience something new, wish them well (and then think whatever you wish about them in the quiet of your head).

[ManekiNeko]

It's hard to have an open mind about the topic at hand, when the poster of said topic doesn't seem to have an open mind about it himself.

And it's just as hard to be open-minded toward a company which regularly rejects games, not on the basis of quality but because they're not pretty or controversial enough. Where's the tolerance and acceptance in that?

I think it really illustrates where the industry is going (straight into the toilet) when a cute, fun game like Goemon gets cancelled while something gory and tasteless like Grand Theft Auto sells millions of copies. Ten years ago, it would have been the other way around.

Sabre is right... a greedy, parasitic corporation like Sony is not good for this industry. They'll drive it straight into the ground for the sake of a quick profit, then abandon video games and the people who play them when they feel they're no longer profitable. Don't think it can't happen. It did twenty years ago, when Warner Communications was calling the shots.

JR

[EndlessChris]

I don't blame Sony, I blame American Culture in general. I look at the Japan top ten and the English top ten for videogames and I see nice fun games like Mario Kart, Onimusha and Pokemon. I look at the American top ten and all I see is Grand Theft Auto, Manhunt, Madden and other mindless violent trash. The reason the video game industry is so lacking in innovation is that anything that isn't ultra violent doesn't sell.

[Queen Of The Felines]

It doesn't just happen in video games. Look at all the great innovative tv shows that get cancelled right away while all that reality show crap keeps on going and going and GOING. Ditto with movies...anything remarkably different than the mainstream usually goes straight into the toilet (with a few rare exceptions, of course). Don't even get me started on books and music.

Either Americans enjoy the crap we're being fed or we're just too apathetic to care.

Long story short, it's not Sony's fault for giving the people what they (supposedly) want.

Kristine

[sabre2922]

Thankx manekineko
and this goes out to GARRY SILLJO what u suggest "keep those thoughts in your head" or whatever u meant is called CENSORSHIP BUDDY meaning to question the establishment or to go against what is popular what you are trying to tell me is that since what I believe doesnt coincide with whats popular to keep my mouth shut and man thats just wrong! but hey I was under the impression that this was a free speech forum but since I made a negative statement about sony ie "whats popular" i guess I should be burned at the stake and keep my mouth shut right? yeah to bad hitler wasnt on this forum im sure he would agree with you garry.
but hey nothing personal man lol :P