Blog
Haters: A Rant
Why Are They Attracted to Games?
by Sean
Okay, before I get going on this, I just want to set the record straight: This is not directed at anyone specifically. This isn't about individual personalities, it is about a group of people. A trend. A disposition, if you will. A particular trait that has been popping up more and more. Again, this is not about you (singular) it is about us (plural). And, before someone points it out, yes, I am as guilty of this as anyone. Okay, with that out of the way, here goes...
Why do gamers whine so much?
That might seem like an unfair question. Like I'm making a sweeping generalization, and maybe I am. But if you look really closely at any of the millions of forums, blogs, or groups dedicated to the discussion of gaming, the overwhelming majority of the comments and articles you come across are made by, for lack of a better term, haters.
"What do you mean they dropped the PS3 price?!?!"
We whine when game release dates get pushed back. We grouse about the price of games. We bitch that the games are too short/too buggy/too easy. We moan about the supposed abusive treatment we get from developers, publishers, retailers, and just about anyone else even tangentially involved in gaming.
And our whining is not good-natured. We are not attempting to gain any resolution when we complain. We don't offer solutions; we can't. Since we don't make the games ourselves, we can't actually affect any outcomes. The truth of the matter is that we can be right mean bastards when we want to be. And that part I get: by and large, we tend to be an intelligent, well-read and well-spoken demographic.
The real question is: why the hell are we so miserable?
Although most games ship with a couple of faults, for the most part, this is a golden era for video games. Graphics have never been as good (and keep getting better), there has never been such diversity, not only in the games that can be played, but also in the systems we can play them on. Today is the greatest day to be a gamer, until tomorrow comes along. But to look at the way we talk, you'd think the sky was falling.
So I put it to all of you: what is our problem? Why are we reduced to petulant children at even slightest rumor attached to gaming? Why do we think we're entitled to something more than what we get?
Is this what the world sees when they see gamers?
Again, since I am a gamer, I have no solutions. I could sit here and tell you all to suck it up, to quit your bitching and to enjoy the ride. But we all know that it would be useless. You're going to do what you're going to do. In fact, I have already prepared myself for the inevitable backlash that's coming. You will attempt to tell me that I'm the one who's wrong, that we are being abused, that the games aren't that great, and blah blah blah.
But remember as you ready your flames to this post: you will be proving my point.
Comments
I'll tell you, I think the reason is the price. If I spend $60+ on something, it better be good. More over, it better live up to what it says on the box. For instance, I've been doing plenty of bitching and moaning about Guitar Hero 3 lately. That is mostly because it cost $100! I'd bitch and moan if my iPod said it could do something and it didn't work, so I'll complain about a game just the same. It's not like a movie where, if it's shitty, you're only out $10. The worst part is, you can't take the game back if it's crappy or a feature is busted. So now, unlike an iPod, you're stuck with it. Unless you want to trade it in to EB or some shit and only get 30% back. I mean, if I could go get a full refund for GH3 and pick up Assassin's Creed I probably would. But I can't, so all I can do is sit on their forums and bitch about it.
omggggg. games r xpensive. wtf is that all about. n how come they don't make any more maniac mansion games? wtf x 2.
LOLZ "why do gamers whine so much?" LOL
dude, this isn't an unfair question...i've wondered this myself.
I personally rant less then most about games. I choose to be optimistic about what I enjoy rather then breaking it down into a acid filled deconstruction. I'll only point out glaring faults when a game doesn't live up to what it says to be. I'm more likely to gripe about a shoddy movie then a game. Experiences through games are a lot about perception & expectations. People need to drop their expectations when playing a game for the 1st time & enjoy it as much as possible. If the experience doesn't live up to your personal preferences, then explain why within a civil perspective. We can learn that wisdom is what we learn from our experiences, not what we can extort from them in our misery. This should be applied to gaming through & through.
as much as i love to hate (and i do), i'd like to think of myself as more of a bitter and jaded gamer than a whiney gamer. i believe my prerogative is the result of certain games (like halo 3, in my opinion) that have been hyped to death and, as a result, have been issued a pair of very large shoes that are nearly impossible to fill.
I think part of the problem is that some of the "biggest" games out there get so over hyped that they just tends to be a giant let-down for some. A perfect example would be Kingdom Hearts 2. That particular game was announced nearly two years before it even came out and was being hyped before any game-play footage was even seen. While I personally still loved the game, I've seen mass amounts of people who said it was a total let-down.
Of course, it all depends on the gamer as well. Personally, if there is something I don't like in gaming, I just tend to ignore it. I have too much college work to pay that much attention in the first place.
We complain probably because the games are so exspensive. I know thats why I do. Nothing worse then saving up 65 bucks and then feeling like you wasted it. But such is life, and Im too stupid to change it, hah.