Gamers. We do a lot of things: we smash leaderboards, we annihilate the competition and we set records -- but we also complain a lot. This isn’t always a bad thing. We all remember the Sonic movie debacle; people banded together and hated it so much it improved for the better. But this was a movie, not a game.
Games are an art form people will spend sometimes years on trying to create a pure and beautiful masterpiece, while others will churn out the same products year after year in the hopes of recreating the success they once had.
Every single one of us has had a strong opinion one way or another about a game or series, and I’m writing this with a simple message. Cyberpunk 2077 is a beautiful game, and it has been bombed with bad reviews and publicity. Most people haven’t even touched it, and yet they hate it. Yes it has bugs and glitches, but have you ever played a Bethesda game? So because Todd Howard produces the same broken hot mess for the 87th time after 10 years it gets a pass, but a small development team in Poland brings out a new and ambitious project with a rocky start and it’s bad? You do realise they wanted to delay the release in order to make it perfect and beautiful, but it was the same people who complained, who threatened, hacked and even blackmailed them into an unfinished release, right? And what about Grand Theft Auto, with players always hoping for GTA6 to have some news, anything at all? Is Rockstar really going to sink time and money into something when the current title is still pulling in big bank thanks to the loyal players and microtransactions? Call of Duty is another one; people hate on it for not being as good as it used to be, yet buy it every year, still supporting these mistakes until it’s too late. Vanguard is also a fantastic example of this. It is an amazing game, back to how Call of Duty should be, but many people won’t give it a chance due to its predecessors.
A fellow XECO Content Creator, Michael Dunbar even said “ I feel like indie games or games from newer studios are better quality than most triple A titles today because they are more like labors of love rather than cash grabs with deadlines.” And honestly, I couldn’t agree more, but these voices are falling upon deaf ears.
You will go to Facebook and Twitter and complain and moan about what needs to be done and what needs to change, all the while throwing your hard earned cash at these companies and let’s be honest, do you think Rockstar, EA and Treyarch really have your best interest at heart? You are a wallet to them. Not a voice, not a tester or developer. This is why journalism is important. And I mean real journalism; the ones who want the truth spread, not the ones who get a large cheque to praise an unholy pile of turd in the form of data and words. A certain company that uses 3 letters as their name is well-known for spreading false news. One of their so called journalists insulted Forza Horizon 5 for featuring something in a trailer that’s not in the game. Well it is in the game... if you actually play it.
All I’m saying is, if you genuinely like something, be proud of it and support it -- but don’t settle for mediocrity in the hopes they will change their minds. A large multi-million dollar company isn’t going to stop what they’re doing because some random person on Facebook decided to post a status about how they don’t like something. With all due respect, nobody cares. And if you really do want change, stop supporting what they provide. Nobody is forcing you to play an awful game, but a company will only see your money and time as a success, following the tried and true old adage that "if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it." Play the games you love and don’t fall for peer pressure; if your friends don’t like something, you don’t have to hate it too. If your friends do like something, you don’t have to feel forced to as well. People are unique, and even if you’re one of 10 million, you can still form your own opinions. If it’s a negative opinion though, let the company know, not the randomers on the internet who are just seeking advice. What is wrong for you may be right for them. Be kind, be professional, and be respectful.
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