Something Positive

I've noticed an alarming and downright nasty trend forming in the gaming community.  It seems like you're only a respected member of the community if you pretty much hate everything.  To a greater degree, what I'm noticing is that for some reason it's now generally acceptable to be relatively negative and glass-half-empty about everything.

I wonder why?  Is it because the generation now entering the working, corporate world is too self-entitled to enjoy a game for what it is?  I'm not sure.  I remember when I was a teenager playing games, I would read reviews back then as well.  What I noticed was that I generally always enjoyed games that were reviewed 80% and higher.  Anything below that, I probably wouldn't like them.  These days, I'm enjoying games rated 70%.  Even 60%.

What happened?  Is it me?

Read the first sentence of every paragraph of PC Gamer's Fear 3 review.  It's all negative, even though they gave the game a respectable 74% rating.  Yahtzee from The Escapist has made it his calling to be negative about every single game he reviews.  (Though, I will admit that he does it mostly tongue-in-cheek and is rarely GENUINELY negative unless he really, really didn't like the game.)  And don't even get me started on TotalBiscuit.  The amount of bashing he's been doing lately is hardly above the level of a typical internet troll.  He actually started an argument on a Star Wars TOR thread the other day and called someone pathetic.

I suppose it just bewilders me when I see so much hate and negativity floating around a community that is based upon an activity that solely exists for one purpose:  to have fun.  Where'd the fun go?  Better yet:  Why so serious?

There are a few things that I think are to blame.  First and foremost is that I think this whole revolution of professional gaming is a double-edged sword.  It's great that there are professional gaming tournaments.  I love watching them, and I love seeing people that are really, really good at certain games.  But I think it's having an adverse effect on the community as a whole.  Suddenly, everyone thinks they're a pro.  And suddenly, they're bashing anyone who isn't.

I'm certainly not suggesting that every game that's released should be viewed with rose-tinted glasses and given glowing reviews.  Obviously a game critic is called a critic for a reason.  It just seems to me that these days, it's sort of obvious that people are really trying very, very hard to come up with SOMETHING to be negative about.

From the Fear 3 review:  "Wandering through darkened hallways with a buddy, with constant achievement popups high-fiving your eyeballs every time you pick up a dozen ammo packs, it's hard to get into the mood for horror."

Really?  You're complaining that the game's achievements are making the game not scary?  Not sure if serious.

TB recently bashed EA's pricing scheme for TOR.  I don't like EA either.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I need a word stronger than HATE to define my feelings for them.  But I didn't even blink when I bought the game.  It was priced the same as every other mainstream game on the market.  So in all honesty, all I see from TB is some angry person ranting about a game that isn't even released yet.

It's almost as if these people feel empowered when they fuel the internet flame wars.  And we all know what men with power desire.

To end this post with something positive, here are the games that have come out within the past couple of months that I would highly recommend to anyone:

Fear 3
Alice:  Madness Returns
Red Faction:  Armageddon