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Some of the topics on the board got me thinking on this one again, so meh, I shall post my thoughts. Rejoice, all ye loyal readers.
Or something.
Incidentally, Miros totally ruined my master plan to be the only person in the 5 most recent blogs. THANKS A LOT MIROS.
Anyhoo.
It's kinda weird to me to see people's reactions to games prior to, during, and post-launch. I've noticed that there are a lot of people who hype themselves up enormously, I'm talkin' full-on-Jonestown-Koolaid here, over a new game. They play it religiously, defend its faults to anyone who complains about them, drag their friends into it...
And then.
Something happens. I'm not entirely sure what it is, though I have my guesses. But regardless, that individual goes from being a fan of the game, to hating it, functionally overnight.
This puzzles me.
It's similar to the point I made a while back about "sour grapes". I don't understand it.
It's this sudden, apparently spontaneous revelation that they actually hate something that they loved up until about, oh, two days ago.
I have to attribute it to one of a relatively limited number of factors, possibly working in concert.
On the one hand, they were lying to themselves over how good the game was because they wanted to like it so badly. They'd become so emotionally invested in the game that they refuse to see its flaws until they literally cannot ignore them any longer.
On the other hand, they were simply enamored of one aspect of the game, and refused to listen to people who were exploring other aspects of the game and have a good grasp of its flaws in the grander scheme of things. Once they actually get past that single activity (leveling up to the cap, for example) and game begins to fall flat, their feelings change abruptly.
On the gripping hand, they're trying to recapture some sense of wonder that they experienced in a previous game and turn on their new obsession once it fails to materialize. This one I've noticed rather frequently; people playing a game that is technically superior to the game that they loved, but they just can't get into it, because that sense just isn't there.
Alternately, of course, it's just an extension of the earlier "sour grapes" principle: They quit playing the game, so it must suck. There is no middle ground, no "hey, it could be good if they improve aspects a,b, & c", or "if we give it time it'll get finished and then will have the options I'm looking for", it's just "I quit, the game therefor sucks. Period."
It's a big thing with MMOs that I've noticed, and it's part of the problem I see with bad launches. That attitude "I quit, it sucks" seems to be common the point of being nearly ubiquitous, and it's just murder on a game going through growing pains.
Of course, one of the other things that's just murder on a game going through growing pains are fanboys who refuse to acknowledge its flaws, but that's a tale for another day.
Or something.
Incidentally, Miros totally ruined my master plan to be the only person in the 5 most recent blogs. THANKS A LOT MIROS.
Anyhoo.
It's kinda weird to me to see people's reactions to games prior to, during, and post-launch. I've noticed that there are a lot of people who hype themselves up enormously, I'm talkin' full-on-Jonestown-Koolaid here, over a new game. They play it religiously, defend its faults to anyone who complains about them, drag their friends into it...
And then.
Something happens. I'm not entirely sure what it is, though I have my guesses. But regardless, that individual goes from being a fan of the game, to hating it, functionally overnight.
This puzzles me.
It's similar to the point I made a while back about "sour grapes". I don't understand it.
It's this sudden, apparently spontaneous revelation that they actually hate something that they loved up until about, oh, two days ago.
I have to attribute it to one of a relatively limited number of factors, possibly working in concert.
On the one hand, they were lying to themselves over how good the game was because they wanted to like it so badly. They'd become so emotionally invested in the game that they refuse to see its flaws until they literally cannot ignore them any longer.
On the other hand, they were simply enamored of one aspect of the game, and refused to listen to people who were exploring other aspects of the game and have a good grasp of its flaws in the grander scheme of things. Once they actually get past that single activity (leveling up to the cap, for example) and game begins to fall flat, their feelings change abruptly.
On the gripping hand, they're trying to recapture some sense of wonder that they experienced in a previous game and turn on their new obsession once it fails to materialize. This one I've noticed rather frequently; people playing a game that is technically superior to the game that they loved, but they just can't get into it, because that sense just isn't there.
Alternately, of course, it's just an extension of the earlier "sour grapes" principle: They quit playing the game, so it must suck. There is no middle ground, no "hey, it could be good if they improve aspects a,b, & c", or "if we give it time it'll get finished and then will have the options I'm looking for", it's just "I quit, the game therefor sucks. Period."
It's a big thing with MMOs that I've noticed, and it's part of the problem I see with bad launches. That attitude "I quit, it sucks" seems to be common the point of being nearly ubiquitous, and it's just murder on a game going through growing pains.
Of course, one of the other things that's just murder on a game going through growing pains are fanboys who refuse to acknowledge its flaws, but that's a tale for another day.
