So, a hot story right now is how WarZ's description lied, how features listed on Steam are not included in the game (yet), how it's basically a paid beta, how Steam is now pulling the game off the store. Etcetera.
I can't help but laugh.
Allow me to start off by saying this: the outrage is justified. WarZ IS a huge joke. The developers totally dropped the ball by misleading their fans, and now they are paying the price.
But I still can't help but laugh.
Remember a big-name open world game from a little while back that promised greatly improved combat and animations? It promised a more polished (less glitchy) product. Remember how a lot of gamers got burned on that game? That game is Skyrim. But when Skyrim came out, upset fans were labelled as "haters" while the big videogame journalists high-fived one another and handed it Game of the Year awards. Yeah, despite the fact that the game was borderline broken on all three platforms, despite the fact that it's STILL borderline broken on the PS3, despite the fact that Bethesda failed to deliver on many of its promised improvements and added features. But of course, we can't talk ill of Skyrim. That would be unjustified. We'd just be "haters", right?
Remember a big-name sci-fi adventure from a little while back that promised to make your choices matter? It promised that each player's outcome would be greatly affected by each player's choices from previous games as well. Remember the "choose your explosion color" ending? That game is Mass Effect 3. But when ME3 came out, upset fans were labelled as "haters" while countless journalists rushed to defend the game's so-called artistic vision and - shock and awe - hand it Game of the Year awards. Yeah, despite the fact that the game was a straight-up shooter with barely any of the RPG elements that fans had been asking Bioware to bring back. Despite the completely lame and short and generic ending that Bioware ended up "fixing" with a Director's Cut after several months of fan outcry. But once again, it would be rather hater-ish to hate on ME3, wouldn't it?
I could go on with countless examples of big-name, big-publisher games getting a free pass for these issues. Halo 4's "free maps" debacle. The numerous botches in Dragon Age II (and it still won GotY from some outlets. Haha!). Skyward Sword's "improved" combat and overworld and everything else ended up being incredibly mediocre. Max Payne 3's unplayable status on PC. The countless online server issues with Diablo III. Resident Evil 6...okay, that game got pretty slammed. And of course, the BIG ONE: ever notice how all year long gamers and game journalists complain about how the series is "just the same thing" and yet when launch time comes around everyone plays it and everyone gives it 9/10 and 10/10 scores? Yeah, way to be consistent, gamers. These are just a few examples. I'm sure you could think of many more.
But WarZ gets slammed for doing the same thing. I can't help but laugh. It's funny because we are so brainwashed by advertising and hype that we rush to the defense of these games, but when a smaller, ambitious, no-name dev screws the pooch, we ALL jump on the bandwagon, shake our fists, and demand it be fixed. I'd certainly be proud of my fellow gamers if we did this for EVERY game, not just the ones that are easy to pick on. But instead, we're too afraid to pick apart the "sacred cow" games. You know, the ones backed by millions of dollars of advertisement and its own Mountain Dew flavor? And let me say it again: I'm not defending WarZ. The game sucks, and it's a crying shame the devs deceived their fans like this. However, I'd like to see just a tiny bit of this same passion (and outrage) toward the AAA, massive-budget games that come out every year.
Our beloved game journalist watchdogs aren't doing us any favors. Y'know, the people who get paid to go to the conventions we could only dream of going to? Y'know, the people who get paid to preview games for us and let us know how development is coming along? Y'know, the people who get paid to review games and warn us of unforseen issues with a game (and also point us in the direction of underhyped gems). These journalists are all so willing and eager to jump on the bandwagon and rag on WarZ, but where are these journalists in regards to...oh, I don't know...Skyrim's current status on the PS3? When did they attempt to call out Microsoft for the "free map" crap they pulled? Were these game journalists playing the same Mass Effect 3 that I did when they claimed it concluded the series in the most brilliant way possible? I wonder, but NOW they sure are rushing to our defense to make sure we don't buy that evil, deceptive game called WarZ, aren't they?
Gamers, we've shown that we can demand improvement when it comes to WarZ. When will we demand the same from Activision, Nintendo, Sony, EA, Ubisoft, Rockstar, etc.?
Paul writes: There's no doubt that ArcRunner is a fun blast.
Review - FRONT MISSION 2: Remake is a game worth checking out if you like the genre. For rarity alone, it has to be worth a try.
A trailblazer for online gaming, some players are still holding a candle for Dreamcast.
such a shame, its my fav console by far. it was way better than ps1, problem was ps2 was due to come out, a year or so later, and many just waited for that, especially after the flop that was the Saturn,. (even though it way okay, it didn't sell well,).
ps1 did sell well, a lot of those fans waited for ps2. thus, the downfall of Dreamcast,,
I bought a DreamPi to play both Dreamcast and Saturn online! So far I'm only played with two people online with Saturn, and I need to spend more time with the Dreamcast community in order to play with them. I miss ChuChu Rocket online, good times!
"It's funny because we are so brainwashed by advertising and hype that we rush to the defense of these games"
If there is anything I hate the most out of this whole WarZ debacle it is this and honestly it's becoming an incredibly annoying here on N4G as well. People rushing out to defend a game they have not even played previous versions, copies, inspirations of, just for the sake of playing online warrior. Or at all for that matter
It's reasons like this why the industry is going down. We let publishers abuse us by releasing games that looked also it had no quality control what so ever and people just consume anything to look nice to developers while those with legitimate complaint automatically get shoved aside as being haters.
Journalist are the worst to be honest. Instead of doing their job, they are doing the developers job by marketing their game for them just at the exchange of a goddamn beta key and fight their battles. Instead of the developers reassuring us that their games will be good by showing us gameplay, giving us details on somethings and answering our question, we get a 2 page article from Random Joe from zBlogger after getting a beta key or being invited to the developers offices, on why fanboys need to stfu and stop being haters, this is the best game ever. Then you get WarZ.
To be honest. I'm glad this debacle happen. Everyone who bought the game with the reason being, "You are just a hater this game is better than DayZ" and defended it religiously absolutely deserves this. And if it means this company shutting down and disappearing, then by all means.
Great blog by the way + Approved.
Hypocrisy?
ME3 definitely had MORE controversy than WarZ, so......no.
It's not like EA would ever recall it, unlike Steam and WarZ.
Diablo 3 didn't LIE about how it was going to work, Skyrim got plenty of flack for it's Ps3 version (and despite some quest bugs and flying horses...the PC version at least was playable), and Skyward Sword "being mediocre" isn't anywhere near the same as a game with a giant boring world hyped up with lies.
These "examples" of yours DO NOT compare (other than ME3, though to a lesser extent).
One of the main reasons WarZ is getting so much shit over the games you mention is down to the responses to the critics by the game developers.
All the guys you mention above at least acknowledge that people have a right to be pissed off whereas the WarZ devs have insulted people, censored ALL critiscism on the games forums, and basically tried to cover things to keep on selling their game - its some of the shittiest customer service i have ever seen.
I hope the game dissapears up its own arse but my concern is that it will taint the perception of the game it is trying to immitate.
People are hating on DayZ since the devs are unloyal and are dicks, they banned people who wanted a refund, they mislead people into buying paid betas, and basically screwing the fanbase.
The devs get what they deserve IMO.
skyrim wasnt broken on all platforms, i had it on PC from the start and it was fine. no broken anything, just the usualy hiccups any software has but far from broken