Why People Hate Hipster Games

Cheat Code Central's Austin Wood writes: "Admit it, you know exactly what this article’s title is talking about, as stereotypical as it is. No matter the moniker, be it artsy, ethereal, or my personal favorite, “hipster gaming,” we all know what’s being referred to. Developers like Team Ico kick-started this sort of genre (or at least got it more attention) in the PlayStation 2 days with ICO and Shadow of the Colossus, both of which are widely known as brilliant games. However, there is also a sizeable portion of players and reviewers who called the games repetitive and disinteresting. Despite this, simple, ambiance-heavy games have remained popular in our current generation thanks to new IPs like Journey, flOw, and the fabled Last Guardian, as well as through the flourishing indie market. This makes one wonder what these games actually have to offer."

[profgerbik]

What? I know I hate the term Hipster Games.. independent and hipster are two totally different things.

[FriedGoat]

I don't know. I read half of it and stopped. Hipster gaming is a stupid term. What I think he means is why can't braindead action gamers appreciate the beauty and simplicity of games like Journey? etc etc...

[profgerbik]

I understood that still just really random calling independent games, Hipster Games.. Article could have made much more sense if it was just written differently, just comes off wrong.

Even more confusing he talks about how he likes these games but then he agrees with the people he is writing the article about.. That can't pull themselves away from action games..

See I thought the same as you did but the more you read, the more confusing it is but since you stopped half way you probably did yourself a service because it isn't worth reading.

I guess it was just a insult in general to the indie games out there.. I have no idea.

[knowyourstuff]

Dumb article, doesn't know how to create a coherent thought or come to a point, and he even starts arguing with himself contradicting his original preface. I take it he failed every essay in school.

[Tapewurm]

LOL if there was such a genre I can certainly say that Shadow of the Colossus and ICO should not EVER be mentioned in the same breath with the word "Hipster"....the writer of this article is probably sitting in his chair wearing white framed glasses with a man-scarf while sipping "Hipster Tea"... stupid Hipster article from a stupid Hipster site.

[CBaoth]

Indie and hipster are different; and the author hates artsy gaming. What he intended we may not know but what we do know is what he actually wrote:

"And here we have an answer to our initial question. As fun and puzzling as these games can be, they truly don’t have much to them. Artistic control and quality control are bound to knock heads at some point, and not everyone will be happy when the former wins out. I’m certainly not calling the games bad; I’m just admitting that the players crying “lazy, boring, and shallow” have a perfectly valid point.

He just lumped Indie devs in with the piece so he wouldn't be harassed by Sony fans for slamming Team Ico and Thatgamecompany.

[Shadow Flare]

I really hate the term hipster. Such a stupid term. If I'm right, "hipster" is being something that you're not. Like dressing like a cowboy even though you're Chinese.

Well what the hell's a hipster game? All games involve being something you're not! I want to play as fighter pilot or a racecar driver, I don't want to play someone that has to work in an office all day

I remember the day I bought Shadow of the Colossus. I picked it up in Game, and the guy at the counter said to me "eh I've played this". I said what did you think? He said "it's really boring, all you do is ride around and fight bosses"

Ass hat.

If he's too shallow to get into that game, his loss. It's one of the most unique gaming experiences I've ever had, it was amazing. These people who have no gaming experience outside of call of duty and FIFA have no opinion worth sharing about games in my opinion

[TheEnigma313]

What's a hipster game?

[KiRBY3000]

its a game with a moustache.

[xabmol]

...a funny hat, and a fix gear bike.

[Hydralysk]

And a fedora, that's essential.

[robinisme]

My god, probably the most ridiculous article I've read in ages

[Ippiki Okami]

You must be new here. We get one here every week! XD

[kurac]

Ah, the beauty of freedom of speech, when any fool can write anything publicly.

[Cam977]

If this article speaks of "hipster" games then WHY on earth is the image of SOTC?

[DigitalRaptor]

.
Firstly, how can a "game" be hipster? A fanbase can be called hipster by clinging onto a game for social recognition, like with ACTUAL hipsters.

Secondly, the games are puzzle/action/adventure/fantas y games you jackass, not realistic shooters and not "artsy fartsy" for the sake of following trends. That's the complete opposite. I could call CoD games "hipster games" and it would make more sense because most people play it to fit in with their social circles and keep up with what is cool (as well as having fun of course - it's a byproduct).

It's obvious that this fool (with poor writing structure and lack of an understanding of the subtext behind both games) is a new school gamer. Just because you don't understand a game, doesn't make us hipster mate!

And this guy actually questions what indie games have to offer... o_O
When one facepalm just isn't enough: http://www.youtube.com/watc...

I guess going back to play Sonic and Streets of Rage on my Mega Drive makes me hipster... lol

[-Gespenst-]

It's annoying how ubiquitous the idea of the hipster has become. People need to realise that not everything artsy = hipster. Hipsters are all surface and have nothing interesting to say. The best artists create works of great depth and complexity and have an enormous amount to say.

Hipsters are all about pretense and surface. It's insecurity and social desperation. It's a pandemic and it reflects badly on actually sincere and intelligent people, renders them indeterminate from the common, culturally spoonfed hipster.

As far as I know, there are no "hipster" games. Most of the games people might consider as such are in fact extremely enduring and powerful games. The only exception I'd make is Bastion, which is a good (if slightly easy) game, but it occasionally thinks it's really smart when it's not. The narrator is the worst thing about that game, so cringy and incongruous, also the music with vocals feels pretty hippie / hipsterish. Still, it's a fun game with a pretty awesome visual style.