Why Do People Defend Terrible Games?

Pretty much all gamers have an example of it in their own lives. Try to picture this—you buy a game that looks really cool on the shelf, go home, and realize that it’s actually not as awesome as you initially thought. When I was younger, this usually meant getting an N64 or GameCube game based on recognizing a character or knowing a license (THQ!), and I was burned a few times on some games I expected to be a lot better than they turned out to be.

[Snookies12]

Because games are art, and everyone's tastes are different. Just because a majority of people didn't like a game, doesn't mean it can't be good to someone else. How about letting people have their own opinions without trying to tell them that they're wrong because they like something they shouldn't.

[Pope_Kaz_Hirai_II]

I always defended dead island for the co op and people always blasted me for it.

[GamingAngelGabriel]

Dead Island in particular seems to have people on both extremes. Either you love it or you hate it.

[guitarded77]

@ Pope_Kaz_Hirai_II

With which account, because you created this one 62 days ago?

On topic: I enjoy some crappy/mediocre games, but I would never argue a technical mess. If a game is technically broken, their defense is not legitimate.

[Ezz2013]

there is not one game that every one would agree it's good or bad
you will always find people who love games that other people find it bad and the other way around

like they say
"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

[darthv72]

those who would see fit to call good games bad. Its just personal taste.

Not all games a re good and not all games are bad but we can all agree to disagree. There are some games which many proclaim is the best thing since sliced bread and I feel differently.

There are games many feel suck hard and I feel differently. But i am not one to chastise another person for their opinion on something because we are human and are not designed to agree on everything.

[SilentNegotiator]

Oh yeah, because Dead Island got SUUUUCH bad reception.
/s

People defend objectively terrible games like DNF because they have awful taste.

[Blaze929]

another man's trash is another man's treasure. simply as that. Some will be pleased with just having fun with a game while some will bash a game till the earth's end.

[MysticStrummer]

"How about letting people have their own opinions without trying to tell them that they're wrong because they like something they shouldn't."

We can't do that in a society where people are pressured, either directly or indirectly, to conform or be an outcast to one extent or another. We've created a sick system and the symptoms can be seen all over the place.

[admiralvic]

I always thought it was the blessing of negative hype. Basically, similar to how hype can over shoot expectations, negative hype lowers your expectations and you can focus on the more redeeming parts. This is a HUGE reason why you see critically poor titles get some defenders well after release.

[suzanne3n]

as Mark said I'm alarmed that a stay at home mom able to get paid $5944 in one month on the computer. have you seen this web site http://qr.net/kh4s

[dedicatedtogamers]

Two reasons:

1) Some of the people who got hyped, swore the game would be 10/10 material, shelled out $60 on a brand-new game and then found out it sucks don't want to openly admit that they're stupid for betting on the wrong horse

2) Because "terrible" is subjective, just like "amazing". Personally, I think Bioshock Infinite is average. A lot of people think it's "amazing". Who is right? Both of us, and neither of us. It's just an opinion.

[Panthers]

I had the same feeling as well. The gameplay is pretty average. But the story is getting better and better. I havent beaten it yet but still. At first I was wondering where all of the praise was coming from, but now Im starting to see it. Its all about the story with that game.

And for me, story is whats most important.

[GamingAngelGabriel]

If you read my piece, you'll see that I actually mention that it's good to find the fun in everything, but that if we push companies to produce better products, we'll all be better off.

[Roccetarius]

A lot of people buying games are just looking at the fun aspect. Not a whole lot of them will tear the game apart, which is what the more informed gamers will do.

It's the sad reality.

[MysticStrummer]

Except better is subjective, just like fun.

[Donnieboi]

Two words: Blind fanboyisms

[rezzah]

It is perception.

While fanboys do exists (well the meaning given to these people), not everything opposing an opinion is fanboyism.

[Neonridr]

To each their own. No matter how bad a game is, for every 1000 gamers that hate it, there will always be a handful that love it. Crazy or unbalanced as they may be.. ;)

[josephayal]

Why not? I love halo and mag

[Reverent]

How are either of those games terrible in any way?

[WeAreLegion]

Many people dislike MAG, oddly enough. They are usually people who haven't played it, but I'm sure there are people who actually don't enjoy the game. I can't imagine why. I love it!

[sprinterboy]

Because some games which gamers think are shit were actually good, I enjoyed haze, DNF and prison break more than I did Skyrim mess of a game, even preferred those games mentioned over repetitive farcry 2, gta4 and bad story written with pretty graphics like crysis 2 or 3. Just my opinion though

[Jek_Porkins]

Terrible is just subjective, I doubt two people have the same exact taste in games, and sometimes I've found quite a bit of fun in a game that critics hated, same with movies that get panned.

[Sketchy_Galore]

There are three kinds of defense you see regularly when it comes to poor games (or at least, three that come to my mind).

The first is when people want a game to be great so much that they don't even want to entertain the thought that it might not live up to the hype. An example from my own life would be the time I was watching a livestream of Duke Nukem forever before it's release and the chat box was flooded with talk about how it looks amazing, I casually mentioned that while I wanted to like it I just wasn't seeing anything special and got spammed with 'Gtfo troll'. Or to throw myself under the bus, way back in the day I have to admit to getting a little butthurt about some of the poor reviews the first Assassin's creed was getting before I played it myself. It's a weird subconscious thing we all have to some extent where we think as long as we don't entertain a thought for more than a second or two it won't be true.

The second is when people don't want to admit, even to themselves that they were suckered. I'm pretty careful when buying games but I used to do this all the time with music. You'd buy a terrible album and sit around listening with friends saying, 'it's......pretty good. Quite different to their last album but I...I like it'.

The third is when people find something in an objectively poorly made game that just hits their personal taste just right. For me this would be the first Kane and Lynch game which I will always admit was objectively pretty terribly made but I just loved it's style. On the other hand, Kane and Lynch 2.... Yech, there's a time I got suckered and didn't even bother trying to pretend I didn't.

[GamingAngelGabriel]

This. 100000x this.

[MilkMan]

I like your comment.
Question: Based on what you said about why folks would defend a bad game.
What then constitutes a good game? In your opinion.

[Sketchy_Galore]

Thanks for the compliment. I already headed a little into rant country with that last comment so I will try and keep my answer as succinct as possible but it's pretty much impossible to explain how I would define a 'good' game without going off on a crazy rant. You have been warned.

First of all I think 'good' and 'bad' are a little too simplistic to properly rate games but then I'm not one of those people who thinks its all completely relative and that everything is as 'good' as everything else when personal taste is taken out of it.
I think there are games that are objectively more well made than other games. Crysis 3 is an objectively more well crafted game than Mirror's edge. It controls better, it runs smoother, it has higher quality graphics. This is all assumed on my part because I never actually played Crysis 3 but if I'm wrong just replace Crysis 3 with some other well crafted but generic game. The point is that this is not a matter of opinion. There are games that can objectively be shown to be more well crafted than others. Uncharted 2 is objectively a more well crafted game than Deadly premonition.

Now, I would argue that Mirror's edge is an objectively better game overall than Crysis 3 because it is objectively more creative and takes more risks. I don't think this is just a matter of opinion. I think it's an objective fact that a game like Mirror's edge is much more original and creative than a game like Crysis 3. I would argue that this makes it a more important game. I doubt I could say Mirrors edge is 'good' and Crysis 3 is 'bad' but I could say that if for some reason 90% of all the games in existence had to be destroyed and we had to decide which ones to save, Mirror's edge deserves to be on that list somewhere above Crysis 3.

I'm suggesting that creativity and originality is more important in gaming but of course there are cases of super creative original games that are just so poorly crafted they are less enjoyable than well made generic games and cases of games that don't exactly reinvent the wheel but are so well crafted and have just enough little dashes of creativity that they become very important 'good' games (Uncharted 2 would be a good example of this I think).

It's been scientifically demonstrated that experiencing more diverse and original art is better for a human being's mental development. This is why I think imaginative, creative games are objectively more important than generic games. They're just better for you, same way eating an apple is objectively better for you than eating cardboard. Of course nobody is going to play games that are poorly made just because it might make them smarter or more culturally aware in the long run. This is why we should judge games on both how creative they are and how well crafted they are. I believe it's a fact that creativity is almost twice as important as craft but both are important to some degree. Phew, okay I'll stop there before I use up all the letters in the Universe but there ya go. I did warn you it was gonna be a crazy rant.

[MilkMan]

Thanks for the response. So would you say a game like Brutal Legend was creative and original and deserves the accolades you mentioned?

I liked the game myself and as I read your reply I immediately thought about this game.

Stripping any bias towards it. I mention it to you.
Or do you feel it does not qualify?

[IGW_Fobia]

Two words:

Cognitive dissonance - psychological conflict resulting from incongruous beliefs and attitudes held simultaneously

They believe the game is great. The world tells them it is horrible. They are confused so they can do one of two things; agree with the world, or keep their own opinion of the game.
Normally the latter is more prone to happen when a person spends their own money on a game, so they are more likely to make themselves feel better about their purchase and will say the game is great, or try to defend it.

[MysticStrummer]

One word:

Opinion

[WeAreLegion]

Pretty sure cognitive dissonance is just one way an opinion is formed.

[Tyre]

Exactly @MysticStrummer. Just an Opinion by an individual that is as valid as any. If a person honestly likes a game without being influenced beforehand, he/she genuinely likes the game. Tastes differ and the general opinion about the game really doesn't matter. It is personal and a lot of games have been a mixed bag in scores and opinions. This cognitive dissonance crap (mentioned IGW_Fobia) has nothing to do with anything, except being a cheap trick for brainwashed drones to use to substitute one believe for another.

[nintendoland]

it's just an opinion. Most people think scribblenauts unlimited is great but in my opinion it's utter garbage. This one youtuber thinks Sonic Chronicles is the worst game ever but I think that game is great.