Disrespecting Video Games

I’ve had very little time for blogging lately, and if there was someone out there expecting some kind of regularity, I apologize. I’ve just been really busy lately coordinating The Irregulars, and now that we’re on the topic I’m pleased to say the first episode should be going up Saturday afternoon (EST). 

But this entry isn’t about that. Just because I’ve been buried in organizational work doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about games. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’ve been thinking about them a lot. Particularly I’ve been pondering our relationship, as a consumer-base, with the games we so enjoy. Though we could rattle off the accomplishments of video games in the last decade or so as if they were scripture and treat some titles with what some might call undue reverence, we have no real respect for the games we play.

Though it certainly isn’t the extent of it, our disregard for video games and the systems they implement starts as early as achievement points. Now, I’m not going to say that Microsoft’s achievement system is flawless or that it ever has ever been, but right out of the proverbial gate it seems the XBOX Live community (which, like it or not, we all belong to) found the quickest way to bastardize, manipulate and strip the system of what little meaning it held to begin with via glitches and in-game exploits. Even that relatively minor facet of our hobby couldn’t be left unspoiled. Better yet, we then clamor for Microsoft to save the system they created for us. From ourselves. 

Somebody read that and said, “Well he just listened to this week’s Bombcast.” And while you’re right, that’s not where this thought originated. Actually, it started when I was talking to a friend of mine about MMOs and why they haven’t worked in a big way since Everquest and, naturally, World of Warcraft. 

I can’t say for sure what’s causing the MMO genre to stagnate (I’m not sure anyone can point at just one reason), but I can say that players continue to do there what they have done so well to other genres: hundreds of in-game mods exist, things that might have started with the good intention of expediting the playing process, but that ultimately end up stripping the game play of any significance it had, reducing it to an exercise in minimap usage and left-mouse-clicking. 

Surely there are some that have been playing WoW long enough to remember a time without mods, but I think for most that’s a bygone era only talked about now by a handful of crusty old level 80s between reminiscing about when Naxxramas was still fun (and by extension, when WoW was still fun). It’s gotten to the point in these games that they cannot be played out of the box unless you plan on playing largely by yourself (at which point you’d be better off playing an offline RPG). 

Guilds today (particularly the more “prestigious” raiding guilds) often require you to have a certain number of mods installed before even considering you for membership, and if that isn’t enough to force you into destroying the game for yourself, you’ll eventually cave under the pressure provided by the griefers and elitists who sneer at any that haven’t yet conformed to their style of play. 

As if further proof was needed of our inability to preserve the games we play and love, the outrage around Infinity Ward’s decision to remove dedicated servers from the hotly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 was swiftly followed by a myriad of game-breaking exploits employed by the players. Bafflingly, many were quick to blame developer Infinity Ward, claiming they should have filled the cracks, that the game should have been more airtight, that its networks should have somehow been hermetically sealed from all outside interference. 

A reasonable comparison would be a spoiled child receiving a gift that, while perhaps not everything they asked for, was still enjoyable and to be appreciated; instead, the child proceeds to snap the toy into several different pieces and then demand that the now-indifferent parent pick them up and reassemble them. And let’s not forget the inevitable temper tantrum once the parent refuses, leaving the child with only the broken pieces to play with. 

Someone might have read that last paragraph and said (with an appropriate sense of entitlement), “but game developers aren’t our parents! I paid good money for that game! I should be able to do what I want with it!” and this baffles me, because by that logic if you bought a fully-functional brand new car, your first step would be to drive it off a cliff because you “have a right to,” and any delicious hamburgers purchased had better have pickles on it or it'll be going in the nearest puddle. Maybe it’s time for us, as a consumer-base, to grow up. 

I’ve had very little time for blogging lately, and if there was someone out there expecting some kind of regularity, I apologize. I’ve just been really busy lately coordinating The Irregulars, and now that we’re on the topic I’m pleased to say the first episode should be going up Saturday afternoon (EST). 

But this entry isn’t about that. Just because I’ve been buried in organizational work doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about games. In fact, I’d go so far as to say I’ve been thinking about them a lot. Particularly I’ve been pondering our relationship, as a consumer-base, with the games we so enjoy. Though we could rattle off the accomplishments of video games in the last decade or so as if they were scripture and treat some titles with what some might call undue reverence, we have no real respect for the games we play.

Though it certainly isn’t the extent of it, our disregard for video games and the systems they implement starts as early as achievement points. Now, I’m not going to say that Microsoft’s achievement system is flawless or that it ever has ever been, but right out of the proverbial gate it seems the XBOX Live community (which, like it or not, we all belong to) found the quickest way to bastardize, manipulate and strip the system of what little meaning it held to begin with via glitches and in-game exploits. Even that relatively minor facet of our hobby couldn’t be left unspoiled. Better yet, we then clamor for Microsoft to save the system they created for us. From ourselves. 

Somebody read that and said, “Well he just listened to this week’s Bombcast.” And while you’re right, that’s not where this thought originated. Actually, it started when I was talking to a friend of mine about MMOs and why they haven’t worked in a big way since Everquest and, naturally, World of Warcraft. 

I can’t say for sure what’s causing the MMO genre to stagnate (I’m not sure anyone can point at just one reason), but I can say that players continue to do there what they have done so well to other genres: hundreds of in-game mods exist, things that might have started with the good intention of expediting the playing process, but that ultimately end up stripping the game play of any significance it had, reducing it to an exercise in minimap usage and left-mouse-clicking. 

Surely there are some that have been playing WoW long enough to remember a time without mods, but I think for most that’s a bygone era only talked about now by a handful of crusty old level 80s between reminiscing about when Naxxramas was still fun (and by extension, when WoW was still fun). It’s gotten to the point in these games that they cannot be played out of the box unless you plan on playing largely by yourself (at which point you’d be better off playing an offline RPG). 

Guilds today (particularly the more “prestigious” raiding guilds) often require you to have a certain number of mods installed before even considering you for membership, and if that isn’t enough to force you into destroying the game for yourself, you’ll eventually cave under the pressure provided by the griefers and elitists who sneer at any that haven’t yet conformed to their style of play. 

As if further proof was needed of our inability to preserve the games we play and love, the outrage around Infinity Ward’s decision to remove dedicated servers from the hotly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 was swiftly followed by a myriad of game-breaking exploits employed by the players. Bafflingly, many were quick to blame developer Infinity Ward, claiming they should have filled the cracks, that the game should have been more airtight, that its networks should have somehow been hermetically sealed from all outside interference. 

A reasonable comparison would be a spoiled child receiving a gift that, while perhaps not everything they asked for, was still enjoyable and to be appreciated; instead, the child proceeds to snap the toy into several different pieces and then demand that the now-indifferent parent pick them up and reassemble them. And let’s not forget the inevitable temper tantrum once the parent refuses, leaving the child with only the broken pieces to play with. 

Someone might have read that last paragraph and said (with an appropriate sense of entitlement), “but game developers aren’t our parents! I paid good money for that game! I should be able to do what I want with it!” and this baffles me, because by that logic if you bought a fully-functional brand new car, your first step would be to drive it off a cliff because you “have a right to,” and any delicious hamburgers purchased had better have pickles on it or it'll be going in the nearest puddle. Maybe it’s time for us, as a consumer-base, to grow up. 

Bahahaha, drive a car off a cliff.... Yeah I agree to an extent; I don't think it's reasonable for users to get all huffy whenever there's a flaw in a game; Obviously when the game breaks during normal use, that's unacceptable, but there's no way a designer can foresee every single way the game can be used and debug it accordingly. Maybe I just don't know enough and it really is the developers laziness, but the user should take some responsibility themselves.

Though we could rattle off the accomplishments of video games in the last decade or so as if they were scripture and treat some titles with what some might call undue reverence, we have no real respect for the games we play.

Though it certainly isn’t the extent of it, our disregard for video games and the systems they implement starts as early as achievement points. Now, I’m not going to say that Microsoft’s achievement system is flawless or that it ever has ever been, but right out of the proverbial gate it seems the XBOX Live community (which, like it or not, we all belong to) found the quickest way to bastardize, manipulate and strip the system of what little meaning it held to begin with via glitches and in-game exploits. Even that relatively minor facet of our hobby couldn’t be left unspoiled. Better yet, we then clamor for Microsoft to save the system they created for us. From ourselves. 

Somebody read that and said, “Well he just listened to this week’s Bombcast.” And while you’re right, that’s not where this thought originated. Actually, it started when I was talking to a friend of mine about MMOs and why they haven’t worked in a big way since Everquest and, naturally, World of Warcraft. 

I can’t say for sure what’s causing the MMO genre to stagnate (I’m not sure anyone can point at just one reason), but I can say that players continue to do there what they have done so well to other genres: hundreds of in-game mods exist, things that might have started with the good intention of expediting the playing process, but that ultimately end up stripping the game play of any significance it had, reducing it to an exercise in minimap usage and left-mouse-clicking. 

Surely there are some that have been playing WoW long enough to remember a time without mods, but I think for most that’s a bygone era only talked about now by a handful of crusty old level 80s between reminiscing about when Naxxramas was still fun (and by extension, when WoW was still fun). It’s gotten to the point in these games that they cannot be played out of the box unless you plan on playing largely by yourself (at which point you’d be better off playing an offline RPG). 

Guilds today (particularly the more “prestigious” raiding guilds) often require you to have a certain number of mods installed before even considering you for membership, and if that isn’t enough to force you into destroying the game for yourself, you’ll eventually cave under the pressure provided by the griefers and elitists who sneer at any that haven’t yet conformed to their style of play.

As if further proof was needed of our inability to preserve the games we play and love, the outrage around Infinity Ward’s decision to remove dedicated servers from the hotly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 was swiftly followed by a myriad of game-breaking exploits employed by the players. Bafflingly, many were quick to blame developer Infinity Ward, claiming they should have filled the cracks, that the game should have been more airtight, that its networks should have somehow been hermetically sealed from all outside interference.

A reasonable comparison would be a spoiled child receiving a gift that, while perhaps not everything they asked for, was still enjoyable and to be appreciated; instead, the child proceeds to snap the toy into several different pieces and then demand that the now-indifferent parent pick them up and reassemble them. And let’s not forget the inevitable temper tantrum once the parent refuses, leaving the child with only the broken pieces to play with. 

A reasonable comparison would be a spoiled child receiving a gift that, while perhaps not everything they asked for, was still enjoyable and to be appreciated; instead, the child proceeds to snap the toy into several different pieces and then demand that the now-indifferent parent pick them up and reassemble them. And let’s not forget the inevitable temper tantrum once the parent refuses, leaving the child with only the broken pieces to play with. 

Someone might have read that last paragraph and said (with an appropriate sense of entitlement), “but game developers aren’t our parents! I paid good money for that game! I should be able to do what I want with it!” and this baffles me, because by that logic if you bought a fully-functional brand new car, your first step would be to drive it off a cliff because you “have a right to,” and any delicious hamburgers purchased had better have pickles on it or it'll be going in the nearest puddle. Maybe it’s time for us, as a consumer-base, to grow up. 

Thanks for reading, End_Boss.  P.S. If you actually read all that, you are a gentleman (or gentle lady) and a scholar. "

 If irony was made of strawberries we'd all be drinking a lot of smoothies right now. 
You know why people bitched about dedicated servers? One of the biggest reasons (not the only one) was precisely shit like cheating. If MW2 had dedicated servers the host of a server could instantly kick a cheater out and ban him from said server. Community could be regulated by the community. In MW2 it can't be. If dedicated servers were freely available it wouldn't really matter if the game had exploits because people using them could be insta banned and they would not impact the flow of the game.
Infinity Ward reaps what is sew.    

I agree with you in regards to the points, but I still don't care because I don't care about points. As far as the MMO stuff is concerned I don't know bcause I have never played an MMO to date.

• You've already said you've been playing WoW since Naxx was still in its first incarnation, so it isn't like you're a new hand at this.
• You've already accepted that you are an exception from the average user base by visiting an enthusiast forum and by knowing that there was a debate about MW2's lack of dedicated servers at all.

"Am I still a gentleman and a Scholar?"

I think this is a very bleak view of games. You seem to be stating things done or thought by a small portion of a games audience(maybe the top 5%) and applying it to the other 95%. Sure, some people cheat the achievement point system, use mods in WoW, glitch in FPS games, etc. but the vast majority of people don't, and just enjoy games for what they are. I'd be willing to be that most of the users of the previously mentioned things don't even know how to do the things you describe.

Also, I'm not sure what you are getting at about respecting a video game. These aren't pieces of art, or films. They're games. The same way people make up house rules in Uno or Monopoly, people have fun in different ways with their games. Sometimes those people are assholes, and cheating in multiplayer games is their idea of fun, but that's just a really annoying minority.

Hurray, I'm a gentleman and a scholar.
 
Though I don't really have an opinion on the matter, since I haven't played WoW since before the Burning Crusade and haven't been playing much MW2 online. That, and I've been awake since roughly 10pm yesterday (4:22pm right now) and am a bit tired.

Having been in a guild with some pretty amazing modders back in Classic (don't quote me on it but I'm pretty sure they went on to help with CTmod [not that that means anything to most people]), there were mods all the way since the infancy of MC. Once people got a feel for the fights and how to implement timing into mods, there were announcement mods and timers to make life easier. For the most part, the only time that didn't involve mods for WoW was the initial grind from 1 to 60 right after the release. 
 
But even then, anyone at any level who followed the WoW video scene would see, for example, pvping rogues with crazy GUIs or cooldown timers and ask "where can I get those mods?!". There weren't big hubs for downloading mods like Curse, so it was mostly word of mouth at that point (gods, I don't even remember where they were hosted... maybe Curse WAS around way back then... they've been my go-to for as long as I can remember besides for the guild-made mods that were hosted on our forums). But yeah, mods have been an integral part of WoW from the getgo and I think part of what made it so successful. 
 
Hell, some mods were too powerful in the early stages of WoW, with there being some pretty crazy healing helper ones that would auto target the raid members who needed healing most and cancel your cast if someone else was casting a heal etc. Decursive was one of the most widely known and used such mods (you could basically just spam your cleanse / abolish poison / dispel /etc button and it would automatically target afflicted raid members for you, one after the other). Countless players had that (and/or similar mods) by the time AQ40 (let alone Naxx) was released, and there was a pretty big sob-fest when one of the patches promised to nerf such mods.
 
Ahh memories.
 
Sorry I'm focusing on a small part of your post -- it got me into a waxing nostalgic mood.

My opinion is that if I pay to play a game, I am paying to play the game as it was advertised. If it doesn't do what it says on the tin then i'm not only going to stop playing it - i'm going to stop supporting that developer. If a game isn't fair then what incentive is there to play? I agree that a lot of developers think their responsibility stops at the release date. I think with an online community as committed as that of MW2 or WoW it would be in the developers best interest to ensure a consistent experience for their players. I do not feel I am being unreasonable with this expectation. They have my money.
 
Valves lack of support for the original Left 4 Dead is the reason why I didn't buy Left 4 Dead 2 on 360. Vote with your dollars dude. Even if they are only Canadian Dollars...

Im not  a gentleman (or gentle lady) and a scholar. 

 supposing that the community had been given the servers it so pined for, do you really think it would have used them to ban cheaters and stop unfair modding? I don't. I think that maybe that relatively small group mentioned earlier in this post would, but the majority of the servers would indubitably be set up for mods, kill-farming, prestige glitching and achievement manipulation. 

For me, games are nothing more than a form of entertainment, and I like to be entertained quite often. If I choose to shit on an entertainment purchase, I'll spew diarrhea all over it and not think twice about it. If the shit was good, it just smells better.