Stop Being A Video Game Snob, It's Not Cool
In an era where there is more diversity among gamers than ever, why are there people still whining about the same old stuff?
I have mentioned previously, and will likely continue to mention until I die, that I am an avid video game player. Ever since I was a young girl I have found an incredible means of escaping into games, similar to the escape I find in books, except when it comes to games there is an element of power that exists and it really fulfills my God-complex.
Games can be online or offline, a story-driven narrative or an action-packed thrill ride, they can have cute chibi characters or badass monsters. When it comes to games, nothing is really off the table.
Something that I have enjoyed with the more mainstream popularization of games is the fact that there is a game out there for just about everyone. Whether it's your grandma playing "Candy Crush" or your little cousin playing "Skyrim," at this point, we're pretty much all gamers. I'm sure many would be surprised to discover that nearly 50% of gamers are women (shocking, I know.)
So with all of this diversity in types of gamers, which game developers are certainly aware of, must bring a diversity in games, right? I mean, it only makes sense! Regardless of this information presented before you, there are still a bunch of pimply faced jerk-offs and video game journalists who can't help but complain about games that they don't like, even when they aren't geared toward them.
I guess there is some feeling of ownership over the industry by what I'll refer to as the O.G. gamer. The O.G. gamer, who grew up in the golden age of home consoles (PS2, Original Xbox, N64, etc.), seems to have a real serious issue with accepting that sometimes new games come out where they aren't the target audience. Their retort?: "This game is trash and ruins the series."
Okay, guys, I'm going to need you to relax.
I'll use Bethesda's newest title in the "Fallout" franchise, "Fallout: 76," as an example. The game itself runs almost identically to Bethesda's 2015 blockbuster title, "Fallout 4," except for the fact that it's all online and focused on collaborative gameplay. Awesome right? Not according to the trolls of Reddit. Basically, everyone is pissed that Bethesda had the audacity to release a slightly different type of game. If you happen to find any logic here, please let me know.
Personally, I am a HUGE "Fallout" fan and to be totally honest, Bethesda could release a literal flaming bag of dog shit and I would be first in line to pre-order it. I also happen to be a big fan of online gaming and love grouping up with my friends to play a game. Sounds like I'm the perfect audience for the "Fallout: 76," right? Exactly! I'm sorry trolls, but maybe they made this one is for gamers like me, not snobs like you.
Could you imagine if every time a new romantic comedy came out in theaters, a bunch of people who only like action movies came out and complained and called the production company garbage and said they didn't care about the fans of the other types of movies they create? That would be fucking crazy right? Right.
So why are we doing literally the exact same thing with video games? Why can't a developer come out with a different game for one type of audience without pissing people off?
I say, stop the trolling and just be glad that games are on the main-stage in the entertainment world. We've fought for decades to be accepted and to have people stop thinking we all live in our mom's basement and eat Doritos all day, and I'm sorry ligmaballs69, but you're not helping the cause. If you don't like a game, don't play it. There are literally thousands more for you to play. Just let us enjoy what you don't.
