Video Game Companies Are Not Your Friends

20 responses to “Video Game Companies Are Not Your Friends”

1. 

   jamesh

   May 8, 2017 at 8:19 pm

   They’re both wrong. Rosella tomato sauce is obviously superior.

   Reply
   1. 

      mrtaco

      May 8, 2017 at 10:14 pm

      Nah man. Heinz’ black label series, from a while back. The tomato sauces were almost more like a salsa, like they were made with actual tomatoes. And there was one variant that was like tomato and olive, and another with chilli. I’m generally not a fan of tomato sauce at all (bbq ftw – though in that same series was a honey mustard barbecue that holyfuckingshitwhydidtheystopmakingitthebastards amazing), but those two were the best I’ve ever had.

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      1. 

         jamesh

         May 8, 2017 at 10:36 pm

         How dare you bad-mouth Rosella! I feel angry on their behalf!

         Reply
2. 

   vaegrand

   May 8, 2017 at 10:02 pm

   Blizzard is a good example of this, they are literally the Nickleback of the video games industry. You make a couple of good games, then coast along on the power of advertising and fanboy word of mouth. You can make really average titles that no one will ever question it and if they do just call it heresy before you let loose the fanboys of war.

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   1. 

      M.W.

      May 8, 2017 at 11:09 pm

      I think they are quite overrated.
      All of their games are borderline generic. Just ‘highly polished (borderline) generic’.
      Though I guess that goes for many other games and developers, maybe I just have a larger bias against Blizzard because they ARE so unusually highly rated.

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      1. 

         vaegrand

         May 9, 2017 at 11:10 am

         I can enjoy them casually, but they aren’t the same level of quality they used to produce. It is all style over substance and unfortunately that means the gameplay is normally very average.

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   2. 

      zombiejesus

      May 9, 2017 at 6:20 am

      Blizzard has its share of fanatics, but you’re projecting your personal opinions on the quality of their games onto their whole supporter base. Just because you find them average doesn’t mean that’s objectively what they are. The simpler possibility is a lot of people really do find Blizzard games excellent and your taste just differs from them. There’s nothing wrong with that, and you don’t come off condescending in the process.

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      1. 

         vaegrand

         May 9, 2017 at 10:16 am

         Or and here me out here, Blizzard has made largely uninspired products for the last 10 years and people just let them get away with it largely because of classic Blizzard.

         Objectively speaking the games only ever have bright baubels that hide fundamental issues with each game. You even sort of touch on this bellow when you replied to Prolix, but are clearly not self aware.

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         1. 

            mucktard

            May 9, 2017 at 10:32 am

            Don’t bother arguing with him, you’ll learn he has an answer or an opposing side to nigh on every comment…

            Reply
            1. 

               zombiejesus

               May 9, 2017 at 2:54 pm

               Imagine that, having something to say about topics that are open for discussion.

         2. 

            zombiejesus

            May 9, 2017 at 2:50 pm

            I understood your argument and I’m not telling you how to feel about Blizzard games, you’re entitled to your opinion. I’m saying that just because you have a particular opinion doesn’t mean it’s the objective truth. That other people disagree with you is perfectly normal, it doesn’t make them tribalist zealots.

            If you want to hate on the games, go for it, I’ll always support your right to dislike them. But labelling anyone who thinks Blizzard games are great as tribalist fanatics isn’t reasonable. I don’t think that’s an unfair thing to say.

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            1. 

               vaegrand

               May 9, 2017 at 2:59 pm

               I am going to assume you are merely missunderstanding what I am trying to say, rather than blindly fanboying; so please just stay with me for a sec.

               I think you believe I am saying that that the games are horrible. They are by no means turds, but I feel like they get a lot of favor.

               Its like the teacher giving a grade of 90 on a paper that is surely just a 60-70. I know it is a little bit awkward for a metaphor in the current climate of 5/10 being classed as bad. It is less like the second coming off jesus and more like your uncle dropping off beers for your 17th birthday.

            2. 

               zombiejesus

               May 9, 2017 at 3:08 pm

               The problem I’m trying to draw attention to is that how a game rates to someone isn’t an objective thing like a test paper. There’s no checklist of things that score a point and things that don’t, it’s all subjective. Personally I’m not that big a fan of The Witcher series, they’d be 7/10 to me while to others they’re 10/10. For you, these Blizzard games are mediocre or ‘occasionally fun’, 6/10, but for others they might be 10/10.

               I don’t think it would be fair for me to say “well all those people who think Witcher’s 10/10 are biased” just because I don’t feel the same way. I don’t think it’s fair for you to say “well all those people who think Blizzard games are 10/10 are biased” just because you don’t feel the same way either. They might be biased, some certainly are, but I think you’re tarring everyone who rates Blizzard games highly with the same brush here.

               Edit: for the record I’m not trying to turn this into an argument either, I just think you’re being unfair to people who genuinely like the games. I’m happy to live and let live on this, I just thought I’d let you know my thoughts on your comment.

            3. 

               mucktard

               May 9, 2017 at 3:28 pm

               What i think you are missing is that your point is as subjective as his. By telling him that his opinion is his own and not the overwhelming majorities, without providing any proof or evidence of this, other than your word and your assumptions – you cant argue your point with validity.

               The metacritic scores support his point, so its not just his view. You seems to be a little upset that its blizzard he has attacked. Would you feel the same way for Sierra or Lucasarts?

               Blizzard have had some awesome big hitters, but have also fallen short in instance.

               I wouldn’t say either are correct nor incorrect, but you are letting personal feeling get in the way of a valid argument

            4. 

               zombiejesus

               May 9, 2017 at 4:25 pm

               Sorry this ended up a bit long, the squashed up comment width at this depth doesn’t help.

               I definitely agree that my own opinions are subjective and individual. It’s my opinion that vaegrand’s comment was unfair to normal people who like Blizzard games, so if I’ve misrepresented that as objective statement then I apologise.

               I tried to be careful not to express an opinion on Blizzard games specifically so my point wouldn’t be tainted by bias. You guys seem to think I’m one of the biased fanboys vaegrand was talking about but I don’t think that’s true. I do quite like Blizzard games, but I wouldn’t personally rate any of them more than an 8/10. They have plenty of flaws that I’d love to see fixed, particularly deck variation viability in Hearthstone (which I do still enjoy despite problems like this). I don’t even really like Starcraft 2 as a game, I played it for its story.

               So while it’s true that you could say I’m a Blizzard supporter who feels this characterisation of Blizzard supporters is unfair, I feel the same way when people call all Apple fans ‘sheeple’ even though I really dislike Apple. Granted I usually don’t call it out in Apple’s case, and that’s probably because of my personal feelings. Maybe I should apply that more evenly. But I’d like to think the core of what I’m trying to say – that having a difference of opinion on how good a game is doesn’t automatically make people haters or fanboys – is a reasonable, considered position to hold.

   3. 

      xxryan

      May 9, 2017 at 9:35 am

      Troll.

      Reply
      1. 

         vaegrand

         May 9, 2017 at 10:11 am

         People that don’t share the same opinions as you are trolls, good to know.

         Reply
3. 

   germinalconsequence

   May 9, 2017 at 1:29 am

   I’ve read before that the phenomena of fanboy-ism isn’t so much about defending a brand as it is defending your own personal choices. If you choose a brand then you feel a sense of loyalty because it’s the choice you made and any criticism of that brand can be seen as a criticism of you and your choice of allegiance. It might also be why a lot of fanboy tirades end up as ad hominem attacks rather than constructive arguments about the pros and cons of a particular brand.

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   1. 

      zombiejesus

      May 9, 2017 at 9:02 am

      I imagine it’s a bit of both. Initially it would be about being defensive of one’s ability to evaluate things well, but over time tribalism starts to set in. Think about Holden v Ford or Microsoft v Apple, these days both have evolved past “I made a good purchase” and into “it’s us versus them and damned if my camp isn’t the better one”.

      Reply
      1. 

         banderdash

         May 9, 2017 at 6:38 pm

         Remember the Cola Wars… I do.

         There was blood on the streets man.
         Fair enough too… those Pepsi people need to be exiled from society.

         Reply