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Are We Saying Video Games Can't Have... "Morals" / A Change in Narrative?

Guilty_AI

Member
Science is our religion. And it has produced a lot of death and unhappiness. People say, well look at all the wonderful things we have. And I think to myself, why is 50% of everyone I know on antidepressants and why do countries like Bangladesh score near the top in happiness studies whereas high tech rich nordic countries, UK etc score near bottom? And science has given us so many ways to kill and tortures other humans...

Science is overrated, lol.
An interesting point on that notion is that there are a lot of people who believe in certain explanations just because they sound "scientific".
I remember some craze about the trumpets of jericho, videos that showed sounds being heard in the sky in different parts of the world. Many people started jumping on explanations involving atmospheric changes, global warming, gas explosions to counter any belief that those were the religious signs of the apocalypse.
Turns out the videos were just fake.
 

NickFire

Member
Devs should make whatever they want. And gamers should by whatever they want, and not buy whatever they don't want.

The only honest question on this topic is "should we keep pushing a particular agenda and continue going through the stages of grief after launches, or should we stop pretending that the average person wants anything to do with a particular agenda any more?"
 
Devs should make whatever they want. And gamers should by whatever they want, and not buy whatever they don't want.

The only honest question on this topic is "should we keep pushing a particular agenda and continue going through the stages of grief after launches, or should we stop pretending that the average person wants anything to do with a particular agenda any more?"

I rarely if EVER care for the plot in a game and in a fair share of games, skip the intro, and dialog if possible. The last game I did that with was Remnant: From The Ashes and I feel like I lost nothing from the experience. My main interest in gameplay. Maybe because I grew up playing games where gameplay was the majority of the focus and not on epic cut scenes and dialog (never was a big RPG guy). Anyways, "we" is what exactly? Developers are independent of each other and aren't pushing a universal narrative. There seem to be certain trends that become popular that are pushed by higherups but that has more to do with sales expectations than anything else.
 

NickFire

Member
I rarely if EVER care for the plot in a game and in a fair share of games, skip the intro, and dialog if possible. The last game I did that with was Remnant: From The Ashes and I feel like I lost nothing from the experience. My main interest in gameplay. Maybe because I grew up playing games where gameplay was the majority of the focus and not on epic cut scenes and dialog (never was a big RPG guy). Anyways, "we" is what exactly? Developers are independent of each other and aren't pushing a universal narrative. There seem to be certain trends that become popular that are pushed by higherups but that has more to do with sales expectations than anything else.
I'm merely expressing disdain towards the cycle of allegations and "questions" that follow below expectation launches of (or reactions to) games that include certain trendy themes. It is like clockwork. Game pushes certain themes, game does not meet expectations, and then the pontificators start leveling accusations or "just ask questions" regarding the audience's maturity and morality.
 
I'm merely expressing disdain towards the cycle of allegations and "questions" that follow below expectation launches of (or reactions to) games that include certain trendy themes. It is like clockwork. Game pushes certain themes, game does not meet expectations, and then the pontificators start leveling accusations or "just ask questions" regarding the audience's maturity and morality.

That's how videogames work, though. Same with any media when something new breaks through and then you see the trend of copy cats. Typically it's from the AAA publishers. Guess the last one was battle royale games? It's a double-edged sword where people clamor for a certain mold when it becomes the IT thing and then people get burnt out and the cycle renews with something else. I don't think the aspect of the theme is as important as mechanics in videogames. I don't really recall any game that started a new trend in themes, to be honest.
 
Suikoden 2 conveys messages about war and loyalty better than any war game I've ever seen, and it did it with a botched translation and without talking down to the players at any point in the game. Even when one member of your party if a fucking flying squirrel.
 

zeorhymer

Member
The vast majority of video games are entertainment. Consumers want to be entertained and not be soap boxed, finger wagged into doing something. Some people keep saying that video games and movie industry are very similar. Look how all the "preachy" movies are doing. They're not doing so hot. What makes the average Joe think that video games won't fall into the same category?
 

NickFire

Member
That's how videogames work, though. Same with any media when something new breaks through and then you see the trend of copy cats. Typically it's from the AAA publishers. Guess the last one was battle royale games? It's a double-edged sword where people clamor for a certain mold when it becomes the IT thing and then people get burnt out and the cycle renews with something else. I don't think the aspect of the theme is as important as mechanics in videogames. I don't really recall any game that started a new trend in themes, to be honest.
Your premise is fatally flawed unless we are discussing two different things.

Battle royale games are not comparable to the rejected themes that cause devs (and the few fans of sais rejected themes) to criticize their audience. Battle royale was (and is) an actual IT thing. The rejected themes never were. The indoctrinated might have claimed it, but the sales numbers and gestapo tactics (mass bannings of people who criticize the themes online) to preserve the narrative that people cared about them tell another story. These themes aren't copied because of sales trends. These themes are copied because those who push them act like a cult.
 

stickkidsam

Member
Make whatever ya want and I'll buy whatever I want.

It's ridiculous to say games can't push beliefs or impart lesson; that's often a part of creations. I may not like them, but that only matters as far as my wallet goes and shouldn't be any reason to prevent others making their own shit. That said, if you hijack a good series with your politics you can bet your ass people will notice.
 
Your premise is fatally flawed unless we are discussing two different things.

Battle royale games are not comparable to the rejected themes that cause devs (and the few fans of sais rejected themes) to criticize their audience. Battle royale was (and is) an actual IT thing. The rejected themes never were. The indoctrinated might have claimed it, but the sales numbers and gestapo tactics (mass bannings of people who criticize the themes online) to preserve the narrative that people cared about them tell another story. These themes aren't copied because of sales trends. These themes are copied because those who push them act like a cult.

What are you talking about? What themes are we even talking about here? I'm so confused.
 

NickFire

Member
What are you talking about? What themes are we even talking about here? I'm so confused.
I suspected we might be talking about different things. I am referring to the themes that would be popular on Twitter's safety council, which are often rejected by consumers (to one degree or another), which typically result in people accusing the consumers of being immature, sexist, or whatever new term they made up that month to reinforce their believed moral superiority. I assumed some game was recently rejected in youtube comment sections or in sales numbers to prompt this thread because it never stops even though it never wins.
 
I suspected we might be talking about different things. I am referring to the themes that would be popular on Twitter's safety council, which are often rejected by consumers (to one degree or another), which typically result in people accusing the consumers of being immature, sexist, or whatever new term they made up that month to reinforce their believed moral superiority. I assumed some game was recently rejected in youtube comment sections or in sales numbers to prompt this thread because it never stops even though it never wins.

People buy the games they want to buy. Anyone can make any type of game they wish with any themes. What is the issue?
 
You see this in RPGs a lot nowadays. Gay romance, choosing 'the right' choice in political situations or hamfisting narratives in that you have to agree with.

In a Modern day RPG, you can role play as anyone the devs want you to.
 

.Pennywise

Banned
I like how everyone acts like we're talking about The Last of Us Part 2 but no one names it directly, like there's fear of some retaliation.

Developers and their games can be whatever they want, they're entitled to it.

Gamers can have their opinion about this games, because they're entitled to it.

That's what I believe. No one should be forced to like or dislike, push or go against something. As long as no one is hurting any third party.

My opinion as a gamer is that it's ok to make your game with any "moral, political, etc" thingy you want, as long as you're not doing it "for the sake of it and or just because" (i.e. "pushing an agenda"). So don't expect me to be cool with it.
 

NickFire

Member
People buy the games they want to buy. Anyone can make any type of game they wish with any themes. What is the issue?
I have no issue with that. I only take issue with the accusations or "just asking questions" (ie: accusations) against the audience that follows when certain themes are rejected. When I see those claims or "questions", I criticize them back.
 
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