Fan Negativity: A Harsh But Necessary Evil For the Game Industry

Fan negativity may have played a part in the retirement of BioWare's founding doctors, but is a necessary evil for games and the game industry to grow.

[Godmars290]

And no one notices how complaints have risen this gen when we've gotten less content, DLC, DRM and devs insisting they haven't made mistakes? Hide behind "artistic integrity"?

Again beating on the dead horse that is ME3, they all but slap you in the face with the fact that Sheppard is experiencing some kind of mental influence - from the very beginning of the game! - and yet ignore the indoctrination theory.

[nofallouthero]

im sad they left but if it is true then i cant see it being any ones fault but theirs really

[prototypeknuckles]

well maybe if
1-devs didnt completly change franchises into something they arent(re6,DmC,keep in mind i like change but when its completly different and has no sul of what it once was then its not even the same frnchise anymore)
2-lock content out on a $60 game you paid for just so it can be DLC.
3-always on DRM
4-slap the original fans in the face to cater to casuals that dont give a fuck about the franchise in the first place(Cod, DMC,NG,)
5-almost every game this generation being shorter just to add multiplayer
6-a majority of games are either 3rd or first person shooters with a generic white guy with a shaved head or dark hair

[Anon1974]

None of that warrants the harassment, hate and death threats that these people and their families endure to provide us a product for our entertainment. Of course fans are entitled to their opinions, but what we've seen displayed this gen from "fans" of videogames is flat out illegal behaviour in most countries and isn't acceptable under any circumstances.

[Mainsqueeze]

Seriously lol none of those warrants the type of hate they got. Games are supposed to be a fun hobby. The devs at Bioware worked tirelessly for years on those games,that were still in fact very fun and entertaining, even if they missed the mark on a few things. But a bunch of self entitled people that take video games way to seriously said some pretty shi**y and uncalled for things. Sorry but i would of quit too if a bunch of no life's that i work day in and day out to please just didn't know how to appreciate or even act remotely civil about. There is a big difference between being disappointed in the ending of a game and giving constructive criticism to acting like Bioware burned down your house and then ranting on the internet acting like your going to murder them.

[googergieger]

I'll reply to both of the "not bioware drones" in this one reply. The people that defended Bioware blindly for whatever reason, both critics and "fans" alike were far more hateful and insulting to the people that disliked the game, than the other way around. A small minority of the large majority that hated the game, might have been hateful but that is the equivalent of hating all of one religion because a few extremist do something catastrophic. It is ignorant and close minded to do something like that.

Many people including myself were rather civil when it came to disliking the game. We sold the game back and voiced our displeasure for it. We gave real insight and valid reasons as to why the game as a whole, especially the ending was lacking.

What we got in return was Bioware ignoring all the valid criticisms and politicizing the whole ordeal. "Critics" not taking a serious look at themselves and the process, but instead turning on fans that had valid reasons for turning against them and the game.

We aren't/weren't entitled. We aren't/weren't cry babies. We aren't/weren't ungrateful.

We gave praise when it was deserved and we gave criticism when it was deserved. Instead of being grown up and admitting or at the very least promising to do better next time, they all(Critics/Bioware)decided to bite the hand that feeds them.

Oh well. I, like a lot of other gamers, who don't champion mediocre products as 10/10 masterpieces simply because of special effects and following a tired formula after two games of finding a way to bring it in a new fashion and a great advertising campaign behind it, will not let Bioware make this entire thing something that it is not.

This isn't about closure. This isn't about speculation. This isn't about entitlement. This isn't about art. This isn't about integrity.

This is about ten pounds of mediocre in a five pound bag. This is about the fact that if you don't ask for better in this world, you won't get better. This is about majority of the people not liking this game, being smart enough to move onto other games and simply telling Bioware, we won't get your next product if we feel you put such a mediocre effort into it. And Bioware being grown up enough to realize such a thing is possible.

Because the problem with watering things down and making them as inoffensive, generic, and accessible as possible is...there is a whole lot more competition that has it down to a science and is up front about being generic fluff. And the "fans" that stuck by you because they like said fluff, have no loyalty or discriminatory tastes to their name.

[Bimkoblerutso]

I think as far as the artistic side of these games is concerned, there are perhaps some times that people go overboard....but from a consumer perspective, these devs and publishers deserve everything they get, shy of death threats of course. The stuff they've been doing is despicable and they need to know that people are pissed off.

[vortis]

I agree with all the posts here above me. You guys said it right.

The thing that bothered me the most was game journos siding with publishers just to keep their perks. I mean, us gamers are the ones footing bills in the long run and are the ones that keep the industry afloat, trying to shove crap down our throats but ask us for money is hypocritical and anti-consumerist.

I'm glad that fans have mounted enough outcry to form some kind of change, and yes the whining and moaning and crying is absolutely necessary. I hate how some franchises have become sterilized for casual gamers or how creativity and actual FUN has taken a backseat for pre-scripted Hollywood explosions and slow-motion (seriously if I see one more Hollywood slow-mo explosion...)

It would be nice if we could just get back to gaming. No more AAA sized budgets for mediocre and piss-poor games, no more $100 million dollar marketing campaigns for games that aren't even about playing games. It'd just be nice to get back to devs making projects for fun and gamers buying those products because they are fun.

[CrimsonMask]

I would recommend the witcher 2 as that is a game that meets that criteria. I also suggest metro 2033. heavy rain. Alan wake. there are more that I support but as gamers we all complain but the majority don't support shit.

[TongkatAli]

Capcom gets plenty and it doesn't change anything. I honestly think its a waste to be negative, just say no and move on. Your wallet speaks louder then any negative criticism.

[nihonlight]

Good sound advice.

[TopDudeMan]

Same with any product. If you're not happy with it, then you just don't buy it. At least gamers give feedback, and the companies know what they're doing wrong.

[nihonlight]

I still get disagrees when I bring up how halfassed Bethesda did on the ps3 version of skyrim.
B b but it has a big world.... so what if it performs like s#!t and quests break.
Hell they can't and won't even try to fix it or get dlc out.
But people will defend them and they will never learn or improve.

[deletingthis34675334]

Beats me how Bethesda got "Studio of the Year" awards when they cannot make a stable game, and the modding community for the PC version are fixing the game themselves.

[vortis]

Yeah I was disappointed Bethesda and Skyrim got all those awards with all those glitches. That wasn't fair to other studios who did amazing work on games that actually launched without being broke.

[ShaunCameron]

The only people defending Bethesda and Skyrim are probably the ones who bought the 360 version. The version that didn't have the defects.