Yes. So is this guy. I agree with pretty much everything he says. Do YOU?
Give it a go.
Give it a go.
Am I too Cynical about Video Games?
- Thread starter The Bloody Nine
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Thread: Am I too Cynical about Video Games?
I don't think it's helpful to overthink it or put games on a pedestal. It's entertainment. Play what you enjoy, and don't play what you don't enjoy. We grow and change, and so do our tastes. Things we used to enjoy aren't always great going back, and that's fine. We can also enjoy things we once wouldn't have enjoyed, and that's also fine.
All I can say to go any deeper than that is that as you spend more time with a hobby things are refined. The bar gets higher. Combine that with the common change of having lots of time as a child to having less time as an adult, and it pays to be a little more prudent with your hobby time.
All I can say to go any deeper than that is that as you spend more time with a hobby things are refined. The bar gets higher. Combine that with the common change of having lots of time as a child to having less time as an adult, and it pays to be a little more prudent with your hobby time.
Joe T.
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He's definitely not just an asshole. People like him, and those of us that agree with him, need to speak up rather than keep quiet. Speaking with your wallet isn't enough when they only need to win over a few million sales out of a market with hundreds of millions of potential customers.
synchronicity
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I think a lot of cynicism many people feel towards gaming is a reflection of the cynicism prevalent in gaming itself. (mainstream gaming) We've got companies who clearly don't care about anything other than taking our dollars - not a bit of interest in creating something real or passionate, and so if you keep your focus on the AAA industry, it's easy to get jaded. Personally, I like to play old and new, mainstream and indie, traditional and experimental. I find that when I mix things up, I don't get the weariness that I might otherwise experience if I just looked at the "big releases" that so often are merely cleverly (or not so sometimes) disguised cash grabs.
tldr; I still love gaming so much, but I have a very broad palate, and so I'm not so pigeon-holed into what many might define as "gaming". There's tons of great stuff out there to mitigate AAA-fatigue.
tldr; I still love gaming so much, but I have a very broad palate, and so I'm not so pigeon-holed into what many might define as "gaming". There's tons of great stuff out there to mitigate AAA-fatigue.
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Lately, I've been taking a break from modern AAA gaming and getting into Retro gaming again. The good thing about gaming today is you have options to get away from the bullshit whether that's playing indies/AA games or retro gaming.
I fell in love with Falcom and still am. They never changed their types of games.
Yeah, the "figured out" point is pretty legit and something I've been feeling a lot, too. For better or worse, there are so many game development tools and engines available to developers and most genres has "solved" control schemes defined the available set of interactions with slight variations, that other than story and visuals, a lot of games end up feeling extremely similar.
With that said, there are still really stellar games coming out every year. I just accepted the fact that the industry has changed (and I have, too). I've gotten older and have a family and more responsibilities. It's fine that I'm not constantly looking forward to The Next Big Thing and instead just enjoy a few great new games a year while replaying classics or simply taking breaks in between.
With that said, there are still really stellar games coming out every year. I just accepted the fact that the industry has changed (and I have, too). I've gotten older and have a family and more responsibilities. It's fine that I'm not constantly looking forward to The Next Big Thing and instead just enjoy a few great new games a year while replaying classics or simply taking breaks in between.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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Yes, he is overly cynical and so is the large majority of this forum. Many old games aren't as good as people remember them being. People are older and looking through rose colored glasses.
Take NHL 94, often argued as a sports game classic. "The best in the series" people say. Super beloved title.
Now look at the latest release. NHL 23. Came out this week to many 7/10 reviews citing a lack of innovation between previous titles, microtransactions, etc
But notice how much cleaner the presentation is, how much faster the gameplay is, how smooth the controls are
It's just so much better in every way. The problem is that the things which used to absolutely wow us no longer do. The medium has advanced entirely
A lot of people grew out of games and are too mentally underdeveloped to admit it to themselves
Take NHL 94, often argued as a sports game classic. "The best in the series" people say. Super beloved title.
Now look at the latest release. NHL 23. Came out this week to many 7/10 reviews citing a lack of innovation between previous titles, microtransactions, etc
But notice how much cleaner the presentation is, how much faster the gameplay is, how smooth the controls are
It's just so much better in every way. The problem is that the things which used to absolutely wow us no longer do. The medium has advanced entirely
A lot of people grew out of games and are too mentally underdeveloped to admit it to themselves
You can never be too cynical. Settling for less harms the industry. There are some bangers out there but those who say the old games weren't as good as what you remember are fooling you.
Sure, one could be accused of looking through rose tinted glasses, but those experiences at those times were better than our experiences today. Sure, gaming has evolved, but it isn't fair to compare today's standards to those of the 90s, in the same way it would be unfair to say that the australopithecus wasn't advanced because they didn't have planes.
Sure, one could be accused of looking through rose tinted glasses, but those experiences at those times were better than our experiences today. Sure, gaming has evolved, but it isn't fair to compare today's standards to those of the 90s, in the same way it would be unfair to say that the australopithecus wasn't advanced because they didn't have planes.
DonDonDonPata
Bridge Burn Man
videogames have already reached the critical mass where you'll never play Everything and see it all, even if you're a hardcore enthusiast. There's simply too many games.
So if "cynical" means "not all that interested in what's coming out lately" that is normal and it will only get worse over time as gaming becomes more prolific and more available on more devices.
So if "cynical" means "not all that interested in what's coming out lately" that is normal and it will only get worse over time as gaming becomes more prolific and more available on more devices.
Chozofication
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Nope. If anything I've been naive the past couple of years and got burned on a few bad releases.
Franchises I thought were untouchable became tainted.
Still not overly cynical. As I've said before I really hated breath of the wild but I'm genuinely hoping the sequel is an awesome game and I think it can be.
The day I just start thinking every single game is going to be crap is when I'm too cynical. I'm still hyped about games.
Do I roll my eyes and bitch constantly? Yeah, but the industry has legitimately fallen off a cliff in terms of risk taking, and passion. It's gotten too big for its own good, unless that good is making money.
Though tbh I've learned to just ignore a lot of
AAA games instead of just bitching about it.
Franchises I thought were untouchable became tainted.
Still not overly cynical. As I've said before I really hated breath of the wild but I'm genuinely hoping the sequel is an awesome game and I think it can be.
The day I just start thinking every single game is going to be crap is when I'm too cynical. I'm still hyped about games.
Do I roll my eyes and bitch constantly? Yeah, but the industry has legitimately fallen off a cliff in terms of risk taking, and passion. It's gotten too big for its own good, unless that good is making money.
Though tbh I've learned to just ignore a lot of
AAA games instead of just bitching about it.
lock2k
Due a Whippin
No, you are not, neither is the guy in the video. I agree with every point he makes. Fuck the AAA industry and anyone who blindly supports it.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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They're not blindly supporting it, they just don't share your qualms
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your going to have to try harder than that to prove the point sports games are simulators of the real thing of course those would get better. Idk fighting games aren't as good as they once were, competitive gaming has become bs, multiplayer games have been dumbed down, and rpgs aren't as good as they once were. You don't grow out of gaming you get disgusted that your being fed trash and you watch other people eat it up like stupid sheep.
Neil Young
Heart of Gold
- Platforms
I'm more fickle than cynical. There are a shit ton of good games out there that can be had for VERY cheap (except Nintendo @#$!). If I don't like something, I just go to the next thing.
The only thing that concerns me with AAA games is the slowwwwww release schedule and the incorporation of "the message" into so many new games. I've recently played Returnal, demon souls, Ratchet and Clank, and Horizon on PS 5 and all of them are really good games (even though I hate Alloy, the gameplay is solid and graphics phenomenal in Horizon).
I'll nit pick and see the faults, but I have a VERY long leash for glitches and other things that this guy or someone like Angry Joe might complain and go nutsabout. As long as the game isn't broken and is playable, I'm ok. What will make me drop gaming are the progressive woke parasites that have ruined cinema and most of tv.
The only thing that concerns me with AAA games is the slowwwwww release schedule and the incorporation of "the message" into so many new games. I've recently played Returnal, demon souls, Ratchet and Clank, and Horizon on PS 5 and all of them are really good games (even though I hate Alloy, the gameplay is solid and graphics phenomenal in Horizon).
I'll nit pick and see the faults, but I have a VERY long leash for glitches and other things that this guy or someone like Angry Joe might complain and go nutsabout. As long as the game isn't broken and is playable, I'm ok. What will make me drop gaming are the progressive woke parasites that have ruined cinema and most of tv.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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lock2k
Due a Whippin
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I mean you just proved my point tekken 7 is dumbed down from its predescessors and may I ask what the hostility is for? Are your feeling hurt that I don't like fanny packs?
OuterSpace
Member
In terms of the industry and it's practices, you should be very cynical. The issues with the games are a by-product of all that shit and it's not going to get better.
I agree 100%. The spark, for lack of a better word, is not there anymore. And it started quite a while back. The last great console generation was the PS3/X360 era. After that (or even during it), it was pretty much downhill. Some games peaked later, like racers and fighting games, but right now, almost everything is in a valley of mediocrity in large budget titles. I was hoping that games like Mirror's Edge, which were quite innovative, would change the direction things were going. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, with such games joining the mediocrity rather than changing things.
It has come so far that honestly, I barely keep up with gaming anymore. Instead, I focus on gaming projects in the blockchain space to make money by investing in their tokens... So yeah.
It has come so far that honestly, I barely keep up with gaming anymore. Instead, I focus on gaming projects in the blockchain space to make money by investing in their tokens... So yeah.
lock2k
Due a Whippin
I think the spark is still present in smaller projects. For example, Kanjozoku Game is a relatively new doujin (japanese indie) game that I absolutely adore. It's a racing game for PC's that is really simple and has that JDM car selection and feel from the early 2000's. It doesn't have a shit ton of content but the customization and races are really fun to me. No bullshit, no voice acting, no woke shit and no shitty fat girls with shaved pink hair in it, just the bliss of modding and accelerating a car with decent arcadey graphics and also a cool online mode to boot.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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No hostility, I'm just having fun.
Don't feel like arguing further. I enjoy gaming quite a lot in its current form. That makes me an outlier around here. So be it. I'm used to it.
I'd have been obsessed with games like Fortnite or a service like GamePass as a kid. As an adult, I still love em.
Fwiw, I really enjoy Tekken 3. I still think anyone who prefers it over 7 (or even 5 or 6) is a weirdo though. Rage arts didn't break the game or anything. They're easy to block or side step and take advantage of
If I was a kid I would've saw all these $@**$ ass modern games and wondered where all the tits and cool characters were.
QuantumZebra
It’s just basic anatomy
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Absolutely this.
Gatekeeping and shitting on games because they're not your thing is the most basic shit ever.
I disagree with P2W and Gacha games but I still play Diablo Immortal, CoD Mobile, Overwatch 2, WoW, etc... same as I disagree with Chinese labor practices but own a bunch of shit made there. You take the good with the bad unless the bad outweighs the good (for you).
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lol don't worry about it feel free to enjoy what you want. I enjoy playing all kinds of games as well not a big deal. I didn't play a whole lot of 3 outside of training mode though and from what I can see of the footage of the glitches and stuff people found it looks like a unbalanced mess including infinite combos. i have heard people say tag 2 is real good though idk I've played more virtua fighter than tekken.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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Tag 2 has way too many characters for its own good, the hardest part of Tekken is learning other characters' tells and shit and man TTT2 is just too much for my peanut brain
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I got the same issue with the multiple character games there's one too many characters to learn only one of those I've been able to play is kof98. I could see it being very hard to learn one character in tekken.
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teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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Yeah it's why, rage arts aside, I'm not really sure what you meant by T7 being dumbed down. Move lists are still huge and the gameplay is just as intricate as ever.
Game is insanely balanced and varied thanks to consistent patches and season passes over the years.
I mean look how many damn characters there are:
It's an absolute beast of a game you could spend years with and still have much to learn
Neil Young
Heart of Gold
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I was thinking about how many games in each genre came out during this time. Even racing games, you had The Burnout games, Blur, Split Second, Horizon. So much variety and new ideas. Now, like Hollywood, they want the sure thing blockbuster. We'll get them here and there, but gone are the days of Viva Pinata or Condemned Criminal Origins type games being made by a big company.
I love gaming and I'm pissed I don't have more time to play. I have several games on my radar that I am super hyped for and I'm taking a break from gaming until they come out.
I find it odd people are so cynical about games. There is so many cool things now that I wish I had when growing up. I mean the fact kids can get scholarships for gaming is insane and something I would have thought impossible if I asked my younger self.
The worst thing is that I've been involved with gaming so long it's really hard to be surprised now a days but when it happens it's truly memorable.
I find it odd people are so cynical about games. There is so many cool things now that I wish I had when growing up. I mean the fact kids can get scholarships for gaming is insane and something I would have thought impossible if I asked my younger self.
The worst thing is that I've been involved with gaming so long it's really hard to be surprised now a days but when it happens it's truly memorable.
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NHL 94 is sooooo much better than any modern hockey game. *Ive said this before*
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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Sturgeon's Law: Ninety Percent of Everything Is Crap
Most games, films, TV shows or Books are BS. It's a rule that is pretty constant. If people derive satisfaction from X game, that's ultimately on them. I might have reasons to think it's terrible, but if people derive pleasure from it that is their choice.
From my perspective, I'll happily explain what aspects I like or dislike about a title but ultimately it's just my opinion when all is said and done. For instance, I'm not opposed to linear movie games, but truthfully I don't think they are really playing to the unique strengths of gaming as a storytelling medium, and I'm kind of agog that many people happily herald them as GOAT when they're generally just very polished movies delivered via treadmill, devoid of little if any player agency. Still, ultimately if people enjoy them though, more power to them.
If my cart of Pokemon Yellow was still saving properly I would be playing that at the moment. Some games are just built to be fun and others are just made to suck MTX money out of people desperate to enjoy slightly higher res graphics while still playing essentially the same game from the 360 days.
I don't know if the NHL series has gone down the soulless annual release craze but a lot of AAA games and studios are just pumping out the same things over and over, all the while sucking the games dry of features and only providing slight visual improvements to compensate.
Why are they remastering and remaking so many old games?
Here's one thing that I hate about today's games. They have too much handholding. In the past, you would be thrown in the game and have to figure things out.
Now, they have to guide you even on how to press a button.
Take Pokémon as an example.
Early 2000s: You're thrown in there and you have to wander around and figure out everything, with some minor guides in the middle.
Now: Here's how you do this here's how you do that here's where you need to go, go back here, go back there.
It's mind numbing. Games didn't use to belittle the intelligence of players, but now they do.
And as mentioned in the video, everything is monetized.
The vast majority of game are absolute shit and only a few games released every year are must play games. Same goes for movies as well and I assume most other media.
When it comes to single player AAA games for the past few years at least, like it or not, half of those games or even more were also made by Sony.
When it comes to single player AAA games for the past few years at least, like it or not, half of those games or even more were also made by Sony.
teezzy
Let me have my wanks
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lock2k
Due a Whippin
This.
I hate when games treat me like I'm retarded. If the tutorial overstays its welcome, I usually quit and never get back. Fuck this kind of shit.