Why must we be so cynical and sarcastic?

If you're paying any attention to E3 this year, it's hard not to notice the intense negativity surrounding almost everything at the show. While I'll readily admit, not everything I've seen has been an A+, I don't really get all the hatred people are showing. Last night, I was watching the Sony Press conference, and all anybody said in the chat was "boring" or "this looks fucking dumb". I have no problem with people not liking things, but I think if you take a step back you realize just how amazing these games are. I mean when I told my brother who doesn't really follow games that new Halo, Dance Central, and Forza games were coming out, he was super excited even though he played all the previous games in those series

So I guess my question is, why can't we approach games with the same enthusiasm? Why must a game always be on the cutting edge and incredibly unique to make us happy? We don't go into movies with those expectations. I saw The Avengers and thought it was awesome, even though it was just another super hero movie. E3 is full of awesome games this year, why can't we appreciate them?

Ever heard of the vocal minority?

People on a video game site, want to prove that they know better than other people, about, you know, VIDEO GAMES. That means pissing on everything that isn't cutting edge. It's like a wine taster pouring something he doesn't like down the drain.

@RadioFlyer said:

I mean when I told my brother who doesn't really follow games that new Halo, Dance Central, and Forza games were coming out, he was super excited even though he played all the previous games in those series

I do follow games, and I don't really give a shit about any of those. That is why I am so cynical and sarcastic.

The majority of people who will buy/not buy don't post/talk about it. And people who are happy/positive are less likely to let people know it than people who are dissatisfied or just want to be snarky.

We expect more from the medium, so we get disappointed when the majority of what was shown is samey sequels.

Personally I'm cynical when a developer throws flashy shit in my face to cover the rehashed, recycled gameplay that consists of scripted events and restricted player freedom. Psuedo-freedom.  
Like Far Cry 3. And Crysis 3. And Mass Effect 3. And Future Soldier.
 
When a game actually breaks ground and gives me a satisfying experience where I, THE PLAYER, take control and create the magic, not WATCH the magic happen, then we're getting somewhere.  
Like (seemingly) Watch Dogs. And Assassin's Creed 3. And (seemingly) Hitman: Blood Money. And Max Payne 3. And Human Revolution. and Planetside 2.
 

You're allowing games to get away with 2002 gameplay by focusing on how they look (graphically and coolness-wise) and focusing on the lore and story. 
Scripted games, graphics-based games, rehashed multiplayer games, monologue-based games, I'll always make fun of those.

Out of civic responsability.

My vocal minority is, unfortunately, ALL CYNICAL ASSHOLES and it's hurt my enjoyment of the show.

I'm going to be cynical here and say that my main disappointment is that most of the games looked like something I'd done one too many times this generation. It's not that it's bad, it's just that I've done it too much.

To cite an example, Call of Duty 4 is a fantastic game in my opinion and I uphold it as one of the best shooters I've ever played. From that point onward, the series has been a constant downward slope because it's just that game over and over again. World at War gets a bit of a pass but then falls into the issue of being another fucking WW2 shooter. E3, to me, seems like this pattern only spread across almost the entire AAA games industry.

And, on a different note, I want to express my annoyance at set pieces that don't let me do anything. Yes, I see that your game engine makes explosions look marginally better than the last guy's, but since I didn't plan, implement, and/or in some manner cause the explosion, I don't give a flying fuck.

@TobbRobb said:

People on a video game site, want to prove that they know better than other people, about, you know, VIDEO GAMES. That means pissing on everything that isn't cutting edge. It's like a wine taster pouring something he doesn't like down the drain.

I disagree that it's limited to only video game sites and I also disagree that it's simply that people want to demonstrate they have more knowledge about the medium. Didn't Jeff Gerstmann sound cynical concerning Watch Dogs in one of the E3 podcasts?

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

We expect more from the medium, so we get disappointed when the majority of what was shown is samey sequels.

Disappointment is one thing, but it seems that a lot of people are taking it to another level. I don't know, I could be completely off, but I almost get the feeling that there's this sense of entitlement among gaming enthusiasts. Like they feel that since they've supported console or developer X, then they need to be given the absolute best thing possible. Sorry If that doesn't make sense haha

If you're impressed with ms and Nintendo press conferences then you have no standards. I don't want halo 324342342342. See the company's love people like you cause they know you'll eat whatever they shit out. It's about being an individual and having your own standards.

It's all I know.

@RadioFlyer: I don't think people are overly cynical. Your argument falls apart with reactions to Watch Dogs and The Last of Us. People can clearly still be excited about games. AC3 and the new Hitman demo also back this up. and even Far Cry 3 stirred discussion.

The problem is lack of new ideas. Blops 2 is hilariously stale, Splinter Cell: Black Ops-list was a joke, people aren't begging for another GoW, and Halo 4 was decent looking.

It was a really middle-of-the-road experience. Which is a shame, because the money and the talent in this industry could've come up with a great show. But, iterative>new in sales in today's market.

Here's to next year.

I think most people find games that they like in the mix, but there was a lot of extra non-game crap and really bad presentations at all of the conferences. Do you want people who don't want another Halo to pretend like they do? Or do you think the "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" thing applies. Haha.

because shit isn't free and you have to work to buy it.

Dammit! I didn't realize I lost my standards!

It was probably around the same time I started making mobile games.

@FluxWaveZ: I'm generalizing like a madman because I'm lazy. No, it's not the only reason, no it's not only gamesites that do it.

I'm just saying though, if someone is gonna complain on a gamingforum about lacluster E3 games. Then he is probably one step over the average gameplayer.

And really, most people who complain about minor stuff are just crying for attention. In the grand scheme of things, these complaints doesn't really matter.

I'm pretty stoked for the future games that mostly weren't shown at any of the Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo conferences

I'd rather have the conferences suck ass than the games suck ass. So far, many of the games show promise.

TL:DR fuck all coverage unless it's Deadly Premonition Director's Cut

@ManlyBeast said:

If you're impressed with ms and Nintendo press conferences then you have no standards. I don't want halo 324342342342. See the company's love people like you cause they know you'll eat whatever they shit out. It's about being an individual and having your own standards.

I think saying Microsoft and 343 are "shitting" Halo 4 out is a tad extremist. I mean the game looks pretty good, it has the promise of an interesting story and cool weapons, and it even is gonna try something new with multiplayer. My question for you would be what impressed you? I mean I haven't exactly seen anything that is genre redefining by any means.

@RadioFlyer said:

@ImmortalSaiyan said:

We expect more from the medium, so we get disappointed when the majority of what was shown is samey sequels.

Disappointment is one thing, but it seems that a lot of people are taking it to another level. I don't know, I could be completely off, but I almost get the feeling that there's this sense of entitlement among gaming enthusiasts. Like they feel that since they've supported console or developer X, then they need to be given the absolute best thing possible. Sorry If that doesn't make sense haha

If I spend money on something and I am disappointed with it then I am entitled to bitch.

If I spend money on the first part of a series and am promised a second and third helping and I don't like the changes being made to those subsequent helpings, then I am entitled to express my disappointment.

Who...Cares? It's opinions.

@believer258: This sums it up perfectly. It is the end of a generation, and gamers are fatigued.

Don't slap a fucking happy meal down on the table and expect me to send compliments to the chef.  Games that looked good got praised, games that looked shitty or bland (which was most of them) got judged accordingly.
 
I feel sorry for you if you need to be unquestionably enthusiastic about everything put in front of you in order to enjoy your hobby.  Have higher standards and you might find that you end up enjoying it more.  It's better to be in the critical, vocal minority than in the majority that just doesn't care and will accept whatever they're given. We're consumers and customers, not cheerleaders for the industry.  I ain't gonna pretend that 8 Uncharted games is an appealing proposition just so that you can feel good about buying 8 Uncharted games next year.

The reason why anyone is cynical and sarcastic is because they're mortally scared of sounding stupid. Anyone who approaches anything with automatic dismissal or salty humor would, at worst, be called snobs, but never stupid.

The reason why anyone is cynical and sarcastic is because they're mortally scared of sounding stupid. Anyone who approaches anything with automatic dismissal or salty humor would, at worst, be called snobs, but never stupid.

when all the companies shove a bunch of sequels and dumb social media garbage down our throats, how do you expect us to react

Honestly, its hard not to be a little cynical when all thats shown is stuff that holds little to no interest to their specific tastes. I came to terms with E3 a long time ago that its something thats not meant for me.

Personally, the only video games I've been looking forward to for the past year were KOF 13, Xenoblade Chronicles, Rhythm Heaven Fever, and... I guess DS stuff. And I can't remember when Return to Dreamland came out, so that too. And for the upcoming future, there's The Last Story, and then... who knows? Maybe something interesting will pop out at me, but there's a total of jack and shit for the foreseeable future if you don't like shooting dudes in the face, sometimes in first person, sometimes in third from behind a chest-high wall or around a corner.

And I don't expect E3 to start catering to me unless the next Kirby game sells COD numbers, which will probably be a cold day in hell. The attention is going to go towards the stuff that sells, and if you don't like it then convince about a million and a half people to back up your 60$ purchase otherwise your opinion doesn't mean a damn thing. That probably came off as a little bit too mean, and I'm not trying to be, but I don't know of a more congenial way to put it.

@RadioFlyer said:

If you're paying any attention to E3 this year, it's hard not to notice the intense negativity surrounding almost everything at the show. While I'll readily admit, not everything I've seen has been an A+, I don't really get all the hatred people are showing. Last night, I was watching the Sony Press conference, and all anybody said in the chat was "boring" or "this looks fucking dumb". I have no problem with people not liking things, but I think if you take a step back you realize just how amazing these games are. I mean when I told my brother who doesn't really follow games that new Halo, Dance Central, and Forza games were coming out, he was super excited even though he played all the previous games in those series

So I guess my question is, why can't we approach games with the same enthusiasm? Why must a game always be on the cutting edge and incredibly unique to make us happy? We don't go into movies with those expectations. I saw The Avengers and thought it was awesome, even though it was just another super hero movie. E3 is full of awesome games this year, why can't we appreciate them?

Because we are jaded, we are whores to the video game, if all you had was peanut butter and jelly and you knew what fine dining could be then you would be pretty condescending too when your wife/gf/Mom/chef ( i know i just stereo typed the whole female species ) made peanut butter again for the 18 bazillionth time. thats why the internet is so angry, we see one or two good games, and wonder why cant we cant have something new every night.

At least thats why Im Angry.

Yeah I agree i'm getting sick of all this jaded bullshit.

I wish the people were actually funny. I get it, you changed the name Tomb Raider to Tomb Raider: Uncharted, el oh el that is so zany.

The Internet.

@jacksmedulla said:

@RadioFlyer said:

I mean when I told my brother who doesn't really follow games that new Halo, Dance Central, and Forza games were coming out, he was super excited even though he played all the previous games in those series

I do follow games, and I don't really give a shit about any of those. That is why I am so cynical and sarcastic.

This, there is a serious lack of creativity in AAA games right now and it's concerning that only watchdogs and far cry 3 were innovative.

@Jimbo said:

Don't slap a fucking happy meal down on the table and expect me to send compliments to the chef. Games that looked good got praised, games that looked shitty or bland (which was most of them) got judged accordingly. I feel sorry for you if you need to be unquestionably enthusiastic about everything put in front of you in order to enjoy your hobby. Have higher standards and you might find that you end up enjoying it more. It's better to be in the critical, vocal minority than in the majority that just doesn't care and will accept whatever they're given. We're consumers and customers, not cheerleaders for the industry. I ain't gonna pretend that 8 Uncharted games is an appealing proposition just so that you can feel good about buying 8 Uncharted games next year.

That sums up how i feel. It may sound harsh but its the truth. When people put a bowl of shit in front you and expect to gobble it up at least have the decency to tell those people to fuck off, and do better next time.

People are becoming increasingly attuned to the smell of bullshit in the industry. Anyone who actively follows games has been watching this ever increasing trend of making more of the same. Even the series are starting to blur together to the point where the all seem like different skinned versions of the same game, I mean half of EA's show case was "the game where you shoot the man".

Give me something fresh and original and free from phony marketing spin PR bullshit and I will praise you for it. Show me flashier version of the same old tripe you've been peddling for 10 years and of course I will groan in disappointment.

@Jimbo said:

@Christoffer said:

The reason why anyone is cynical and sarcastic is because they're mortally scared of sounding stupid. Anyone who approaches anything with automatic dismissal or salty humor would, at worst, be called snobs, but never stupid.

That's very cynical of you. And stupid.

Dammit. I was combing this thread for the perfect place to inject a concise and snarky remark, but you beat me to it. You cynical idiot.

Just because you complain that Halo 4 is ANOTHER Halo game doesn't meant you're not going to buy it. My cynical attitude is that E3 has lost a lot of flair - look at Ubisoft, it was exciting because they unveiled a game no one has heard about before. I think that was my most welcome moment of the whole show - seeing something and not knowing anything about it (the fact that it looked pretty good also helped)

@pornstorestiffi said:

@Jimbo said:

Don't slap a fucking happy meal down on the table and expect me to send compliments to the chef. Games that looked good got praised, games that looked shitty or bland (which was most of them) got judged accordingly. I feel sorry for you if you need to be unquestionably enthusiastic about everything put in front of you in order to enjoy your hobby. Have higher standards and you might find that you end up enjoying it more. It's better to be in the critical, vocal minority than in the majority that just doesn't care and will accept whatever they're given. We're consumers and customers, not cheerleaders for the industry. I ain't gonna pretend that 8 Uncharted games is an appealing proposition just so that you can feel good about buying 8 Uncharted games next year.

That sums up how i feel. It may sound harsh but its the truth. When people put a bowl of shit in front you and expect to gobble it up at least have the decency to tell those people to fuck off, and do better next time.

Why must everything be so extreme? Why is everything shit to you guys? If Uncharted 3 (not 8......again with the extremes) is shit, then what is good? What does a game have to do in order to impress you?

all 3 needed to show more awesome games and a whole lot less social/apps/mediacenter gimmick BS.  E3 should be about the games.

Because we aren't part of some hive mind and have varying tastes. Some of us also don't know how to properly manage our disappointment.

@RadioFlyer:

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nounRhetoric.1.obviousandintentionalexaggeration.

2.anextravagantstatementorfigureofspeechnotintendedtobetakenliterally,as“towaitaneternity.”

I have high standards in games because I value my time more than ever these days, I'm just not interested in the endless onslaught of third person shooters. (or first)

So that's why! It doesn't help that these conferences really are extremely lame and pandering to the wrong crowd, they should be appealing to the audience and people watching E3, not the casual gamers and parents that aren't even aware E3 happens every year.

I really don't care if somebody hates something that I like. We're all entitled to our opinions. But I just can't stand the assholes that try to tell you why you're stupid for liking something they hate. They're the worst.

@Korwin said:

Even the series are starting to blur together to the point where the all seem like different skinned versions of the same game, I mean half of EA's show case was "the game where you shoot the man".

Yeah, I was only glaceing at the EA press conference and I honestly could not tell the difference between Battlefield 3 and Metal of Honor.

@RadioFlyer: Yeah, this has been a very negative, cynical year. It's bothering me, too. I'm glad someone else feels this way.

Have you ever considered that aside from a handful of things that have shown well, most of the stuff at this year's E3 is simply just fucking boring or lame?

It's not a matter of people complaining for no good reason. For some, sure that probably is it, but not for me. I love video games and I want them to keep impressing me and bringing me new things. Don't expect me to clap for the 4th version of something if it's only a minor evolution of the previous three iterations. Don't expect me to get excited about holding a controller up to my tv. Gimmicks and rehashes are a part of any industry, but they don't need to be the central theme, and if they are, I'm not going to feign enthusiasm.

@RadioFlyer said:

So I guess my question is, why can't we approach games with the same enthusiasm? Why must a game always be on the cutting edge and incredibly unique to make us happy? We don't go into movies with those expectations. I saw The Avengers and thought it was awesome, even though it was just another super hero movie. E3 is full of awesome games this year, why can't we appreciate them?

It's a symptom of the internet really. We all get extremely hyperbolic so often that you quickly run out of superlatives for how good or bad something is. Everything has to be either amazing or awful, there is no middle ground. Part of it is because we just share our instant opinion, rather than taking it all in, letting it sit for a moment, thinking on it & then going "yeah, I didn't really enjoy that part, but this one was more interesting."

I mean I was on the Giant Bomb chat for each press conference except Sony & boy was that on show there. Every single conference had at least one person declaring that conference the worst conference in E3 history. Part of is that's kind of fun to write stream of conciousness, just your very first impression, & it's also a lot easier to write in extremes. It's hard to talk about something that leaves you indifferent, or moderately interested to see more but more out of curiosity than excitement.

Part of it is also...man, sequel mania. I think at this point a vocal minority are really getting ground down by a lack of new IPs doing new things & that makes them even more irritated, & then you Nintendo continuing to go after the "casual" market, which E3 is assuredly not aimed at.

I'm absolutely as guilty of most of this as the next man, as I sat in the chat making "witty" remark about the lack of games & Internet Explorer during the Microsoft conference, & I pissed & moaned about Halo & Black Ops & Splinter Cell despite the fact that the last game from any of those series I owned was Call of Duty 2. It's not aimed at me, so why would it bother me that these things exist? Because I'm a moany git possibly. But also because with current tech as it is it's far too easy to share your instant reaction with a large audience.

whoever thinks there shitting out halo games is deluding themselves the game engine look gorgeous. when was the last time call duty even looked remotely better. plus a new enemy and new guns and new mp.

id say that right there isn't the same old game. Mario does the same thing every generation yet you usually don't hear people b******** about that.

@forkboy: Extremely well said.