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[NahaNago]

I do think we are a bit too negative at times but enthusiasts do tend to be more critical of games so that would make us look more negative. I would love to see the more positive portions of enthusiasms for games but I also kind of feel like it tends to be for more older games and has been done a million times on forums and youtube videos.

My example of negative and positive enthusiasm for a game would be for elden ring. I think the game looks dated like a ps2 game in hd at times but I absolutely love the enemy design. Most folk, myself included would only harp on how the graphics look terrible and would make a thread on it instead of praising the design of the enemy.

Final Fantasy did go downhill start at FFX lol. FFX is good though and has lots of charm.

 

[kyussman]

The direction gaming is going,turning games into a service just to leech money out of people.....I've no issue with anyone ripping into them.

 

[Umbasaborne]

I think a lot of the negativity seen in forums is older gamers like us lashing out at trends marketed toward a younger crowd of gamers, like GAAS
For example

 

[zokie]

for a game that i love , i often get angry or sad over some rude/negative comments on that reset forum , sometimes even on twitter ( some people are rude and some doesn't think before they type )

my friend told me if that makes you unhappy , just don't read that reset forum/ twitter and block people who is negative on your SNS

That helped and i more happy nowadays

At the end of the day , we just purchase the games that make us happy

 

[Wildebeest]

The future we were promised has been cancelled. The people who are negative are ones who have not yet given up on all of their dreams. To be positive is to get new dreams, or to always look for the "silver lining" on things you don't like and never wanted.

 

[MikeM]

Criticism in games nowadays can be warranted. When games are over-saturated with loot boxes, ship far from complete, or are broken on day 1 and fixed 6 months later, then those criticisms are absolutely warranted.

 

[Vaelka]

Imo I think that people are too easy to hype things up, people are kinda like that Redlettermedia meme.



Even tho people won't admit it, people at large are extremely susceptible to marketing and do buy into it and essentially become companies personal marketing puppets.

 

[Chiggs]

I feel like Gafs new hardline approach to trolling, and baiting has helped eliminate some of the Toxicity around new games, and let them breathe so people can get honest opinions from other people that have actually played them.

It's been a nice change.

Doesn't seem to work for any UbiSoft thread, where shitheads circle 'round and 'round with their hot takes.

 

[Dr. Claus]

Depends on who you ask. However, I think we need to first clarify the differences of “criticism” and “negativity”.

1.) There are a lot of blatant flaws within the industry that threaten to harm future game development and long time, beloved franchises. Blatant Slacktivists, communities like ResetEra and Twitter - these mentally deranged folks are getting into the minds of some publishers and even becoming devs to enact changes for the worse. Promoting of censorship, anti-scientific thoughts, etc.

When it comes to this, I think it is perfectly valid to be critical of the product. This isn’t simple “negativity”, its questioning the end product and future products. They are not one and the same, despite what some folks, usually the ones who support these types of actions, claim. We already have a few in this thread doing that very thing.

2.) Console Warriors and Entitled “fans”. These ones I would argue *are* being overly negative for the sake of simply being negative. Whether its simply because they never grew past the basic tribalism stage to defend their purchase/favorite comany or feel the need to shit on anything that isn’t very narrow in scope to what they grew up with (i.e. Final Fantasy should only ever be Turn-based). Look at nearly any Nintendo, Sony, or Xbox thread and you will see them by the dozen. The ban page is almost entirely filled over the past couple months with these types of people.

 

[Bakkus]

I mean, the older you get, the more games you have played, and the more you play, your standards get higher and higher and you start to grow a dislike for games that feel samey and uninspired.

 

[Tazzu]

Have you ever met a Nintendo fan?

 

[Captain Toad]

People on these boards are WAY too negative. I wonder why half of them are here with how much they seem to hate everything about video games.

 

[Kuranghi]

I think the issue is people think that when you present criticism of something that means you have nothing positive to say about it, there could be a million things you liked but you only mention these ten (10) things you didn't. So unless its just the person being a total disengenuous wanker then you can assume they do still have good things to say about it.

If I notice something then I point it out, I don't go hunting for issues, the thing is though that you notice what you're trained to see for the most part so if you are ignorant of some things you won't notice them. I love critiquing games but I also love just getting immersed, depends on the situation/who I'm with.

Weed helps to turn the old noggin off for me and just take things in, if you get the conditions + dosage just right then you can simulate whats its like to be a normie who knows nothing again and just take everything at face value (within reason).

As I get older I try to stick with what I consider important and not add new things to the list, else you do end up ruining everything for yourself if you are in a perpetual state of analysis/critique.

 

[WitchHunter]

As a gaming enthusiast forum, alongside most of the other internet gaming communities, do you think the general atmosphere and vibe is unjustifiably negative, or do you feel it comes with the territory of being more informed or serious about the hobby than casuals?

I'll use one of my strengths, Final Fantasy, as an example. It seems like after FFX, every entry has initially been hated by the vocal majority of people who are invested enough in gaming to post online about it. I make this distinction, because these games in general sell gangbusters, which I surmise is because of the casual crowd, the parents looking for holiday gifts, the teens who think a game looks cool based on the box art, etc, etc. It seems to take a couple of years for the niche these newer games capture to become organized enough to make any kind of notable presence in online communities.

Same can be said for lots of newer entries in old/storied franchises. It seems like the games that get more widely accepted are the ones that have either a. Never been done before, or b. Hit on some kind of nostalgia that resonates with people. I think this is a large part of the reason developers have started trending toward remakes/remasters.

So, I ask (with no real horse in the race, either way) if gaming communities/this community is defaulting to a negative stance on too many issues. Have we become so enamored with the product that we fail to enjoy it, that the magic is gone? Or are we holding developers up to a standard in their craft? If we were of the same level of intelligence and experience, set back 20 years, would we drilling Ocarina of Time and Final Fantasy VII as lackluster entries? I think it's an interesting enough conversation to have.

In general worst are ppl who learned the whole fucking lore of a game universe, know it by heart and when they see that a monster has purple hair follices, while according to lore they should have brown, they rant incessantly. These people must be sent to a Moon labour camp because their behaviour stifles innovation. Fuck I think even franchise owners don't know after a while what the fuck is going on in their universe... And to be honest I also forget after a while wtf was happening, so when I play X game's sequel I don't know fuck about lore, I want to be stimulated. Also, when I see 45 minute videos about purple arsehair follices I just want to leave the planet.

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

cant stop
wont stop

feeling sexy

 

[Fbh]

I think some of it comes with the territory.
Enthusiasts tend to be more critical and demanding than regular audiences.


Give a regular person a decent cup of coffee and they'll be like "nice".
Give a coffee "enthusiast" a decent cup of coffee and they'll tell you it's not actually good or decent, as they are used to a singe origins Nicaraguan Arabica coffee harvested at 80.000 feet by a blind 89 years old virgin and then roasted by a dude that puts at last $200 worth of oils and other products on his beard every single day, they then proceed to pee on the beans at exactly 3:48AM and let them rest for 3 hours and 27 minutes because it enhances the flavor, then they grind it and pass it through a special set of strainer to get only the specific size they want which yields around 50grams of usable ground coffee for every kg of whole beans

 

[22•22]

I think some of it comes with the territory.
Enthusiasts tend to be more critical and demanding than regular audiences.


Give a regular person a decent cup of coffee and they'll be like "nice".
Give a coffee "enthusiast" a decent cup of coffee and they'll tell you it's not actually good or decent, as they are used to a singe origins Nicaraguan Arabica coffee harvested at 80.000 feet by a blind 89 years old virgin and then roasted by a dude that puts at last $200 worth of oils and other products on his beard every single day, they then proceed to pee on the beans at exactly 3:48AM and let them rest for 3 hours and 27 minutes because it enhances the flavor, then they grind it and pass it through a special set of strainer to get only the specific size they want which yields around 50grams of usable ground coffee for every kg of whole beans

 

[Herr Edgy]

You ain't an enthusiast if you are a negative nancy.

It's contradicting, ain't it

 

[Umbasaborne]

In a similar vein, why are we immediatley “snarky” about everything on social media? Im not so pessimistic and dismissive in real life. But my first response to stuff on twitter or gaf is usually “sarcastic remark, fuck that and fuck you”

 

[The_Mike]

Enthusiasts aren't playing games.

They are busy whining on the forums.

Welome to neogaf, enjoy your stay.

 

[Kssio_Aug]

Yes, I consider the gaming community (any of it, not just Gaf) to be quite negative. And not rarely quite toxic to one another as well, sadly.

I mean... at the end of the day, when I think about it, it's just games! You either appreciate what's being offered or not, and then move on with your life. Or at least it should be that way. But we are always discussing so much drama...

Enthusiasts aren't playing games.

They are busy whining on the forums.

Welome to neogaf, enjoy your stay.

I have been in many different gaming communities and, in that regard, they're overall all the same.

 

[Little Chicken]

Sometimes the negativity on here can be too much. I remember being that negative in the past as well, so it puts me off a bit, but it's easy enough to scroll past and not engage with it.

 

[The_Mike]

Yes, I consider the gaming community (any of it, not just Gaf) to be quite negative. And not rarely quite toxic to one another as well, sadly.

I mean... at the end of the day, when I think about it, it's just games! You either appreciate what's being offered or not, and then move on with your life. Or at least it should be that way. But we are always discussing so much drama...


I have been in many different gaming communities and, in that regard, they're overall all the same.

Yeah, I know. Was kind of a joke, though it does often fit gaming forums.

But that's because we grumble on the forums while those who have fun are playing games instead.

 

[DGrayson]

The fact is there is so much choice now that you have to be a bit critical because there is not enough time to play all the games anyways.

When I am critical I understand that I am sometimes critical of a game that might be enjoyable for someone else. I dont think that my opinions are the objective be all end all for everyone.

So if you are reasonable about it, then I think it is ok to be a bit critical.

 

[synchronicity]

I don't understand negativity in general - gaming or otherwise. If you don't like something, why give it attention? Focus on what brings you joy. In terms of gaming, if I don't like a game or practice, I don't engage with it. I avoid the thing I don't enjoy and give my time/attention to what brings me happiness.

I'm not saying I've never made a complaint, but I find life to be much better as I focus on the good stuff (as I see it).