AzureFlame
Member
My monkey is their friend
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Kotaku: Video game companies are not your friends
- Thread starter iMax
- Start date
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I always knew this, but last gen brought on the biggest feeling of "it matters". You had all kinds of communities coming up, player feedback, and then marketing for the games felt like a warm blanket on a windy evening during the fall.
There's so much fun to be had with buying and playing video games, but no matter what that's where the bond ends. You aren't friends with everyone who knows the exact things as you do nor are you friends with the talented women and men who create the games.
It's not that hard of a concept to understand. I have realized I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on games. That doesn't necessarily mean anything to someone besides myself.
You could basically be without a job and have no money and the industry carries on regardless.
I care about the industry because I enjoy the content, but I'm not taking anything personal ever again. The industry wants money and the people working inside the industry want money.
There's probably games sitting on my shelf with horror stories of people getting fired or something bad happening to them during development. Who knows? I realize this is just another "business is a business is a business" discussion, but with today's access to social networking there's a lot of personal interests put to work. As a consumer and as a fan; I believe we all should keep simple and expect it to be the same as every other billion dollar industry out there.
There's so much fun to be had with buying and playing video games, but no matter what that's where the bond ends. You aren't friends with everyone who knows the exact things as you do nor are you friends with the talented women and men who create the games.
It's not that hard of a concept to understand. I have realized I spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on games. That doesn't necessarily mean anything to someone besides myself.
You could basically be without a job and have no money and the industry carries on regardless.
I care about the industry because I enjoy the content, but I'm not taking anything personal ever again. The industry wants money and the people working inside the industry want money.
There's probably games sitting on my shelf with horror stories of people getting fired or something bad happening to them during development. Who knows? I realize this is just another "business is a business is a business" discussion, but with today's access to social networking there's a lot of personal interests put to work. As a consumer and as a fan; I believe we all should keep simple and expect it to be the same as every other billion dollar industry out there.
GifGafIsTheBestGaf
Member
But GAF though...
Taliban Stan
Member
And with this knowledge, gamers can elevate to at least a 7th grade understanding of life and the world around them.
Version 3.0
Member
See, this part right here it's what's missing in the relationship between many game companies and fans these days.
Well, that, plus on the semi-rare occasion that it does happen, the message being sent and the one received may not be the same.
See: Metroid Prime Federation Force. Or any number of "test" games, particularly back on the Wii.
Finale Fireworker
Member
What's kind of funny about the ketchup analogy is that ketchup is characteristically such a narrow food category because people only buy one ketchup and their loyalty to that brand is usually so unconsciously strong that competing brands (or flavor alternatives) fail.
While Sir Kensington's grew enough to be bought by Unilever this year, it is generally not considered a penetratable market because consumer loyalty is so high. This was a recent topic of conversation because French's launched a ketchup line. It was also a joke on Orange is the New Black. I also work for a specialty food company that cut its ketchup category in half on 2016.
People's commitment to ketchup is something companies all over the world strive to replicate with their goods.
While Sir Kensington's grew enough to be bought by Unilever this year, it is generally not considered a penetratable market because consumer loyalty is so high. This was a recent topic of conversation because French's launched a ketchup line. It was also a joke on Orange is the New Black. I also work for a specialty food company that cut its ketchup category in half on 2016.
People's commitment to ketchup is something companies all over the world strive to replicate with their goods.
Gentleman Jack
Member
Did you just enter this thread to get mad about it and start a fight about recent pieces about horizon/bethesda?
Omnistalgic
Member
Apple isn't my friend, neither is Honda. Nor Sony, Playstation, Nintendo, or Converse, American Eagle, Patriots or Blue Moon. But it's all brands I'm attached to nonetheless.
I can champion what I want.
I can champion what I want.
Finale Fireworker
Member
retardedrockstar
Member
TomatoFAF next Apr 1st?
too accurate
Demoskinos
Member
You're going to take this grudge to the grave aren't you. Lol.
Hockeymac18
Member
Companies are people, too*! And they have friends!**
* thanks, Supreme Court
** other companies, so they can rig the market
* thanks, Supreme Court
** other companies, so they can rig the market
VlaudTheImpaler
tl;dr
Sometimes I imagine GAF as the place that people who own video game company stock come to fight their shadow wars.
BriareosGAF
Member
Have you ever read the Yahoo Finance boards? Lord almighty...
Imp the Dimp
Member
Couldn't care less about particular brands. They could all go bankrupt tomorrow for all I care, there'd always be others to replace them. I'm a consumer and the only thing I care about is me. People who follow video game sales should honestly take a step back and reevaluate their attachment to a brand.
mattwhite924
Member
Car manufacturers was the first one that came to mind for me.Car fanboys can easily be just as bad as the worst video game ones.
jadedm17
Member
GameStop isn't your friend either, teenagers need to relax their attitude and realize the difference between companies doing good and bad practices. They're out to make money not friends.
GameStop hate is ridiculous to me, I find it mostly unfounded.
Example : Shit trade values? Don't trade! It's an option and an easy one at that; Spend a few days to find a buyer to buy packaging to drive to a post office to wait a few days for payment to process if you prefer.
GameStop hate is ridiculous to me, I find it mostly unfounded.
Example : Shit trade values? Don't trade! It's an option and an easy one at that; Spend a few days to find a buyer to buy packaging to drive to a post office to wait a few days for payment to process if you prefer.
They don't seem to enjoy them enough to have any actual power in those companies.
Fail State
Banned
Awww but Yosh is "so charming"!
Ivory Samoan
Gold Member
I was literally just thinking this myself, I consider them familia even.
King Gilga
Member
Yeah, video game companies are not your friends.
TBH I go who I dislike the least these days, because I don't like any of them really. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are all assholes, Valve are dicks too. But I dislike MS the most since Windows 10 inconveniences me all the fucking time every single day, fuck them.
TBH I go who I dislike the least these days, because I don't like any of them really. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft are all assholes, Valve are dicks too. But I dislike MS the most since Windows 10 inconveniences me all the fucking time every single day, fuck them.
ValkyrUser
Member
No shit, Kotaku. I've been sending birthday invites to Phil Spencer for the past three years now and he hasn't shown up even once! #notmyfriend
whalleywhat
Member
It's amusing, but I was recently thinking about how I entirely disregarded negative Outlast 2 reviews because Red Barrels had generated far more trust and good will with me than the gaming press.
Council Pop
Member
What work, though? Sony and Microsoft are just companies who make hardware, and then make deals with publishers in order to get games on said hardware. Often they'll buy or hire developers to make games specifically for them. There's nothing to be a fan of when it comes to Sony or Microsoft. It's like being an obsessive fan of a home stereo brand rather than a fan of a band or record label.
Nintendo is more complicated, as the hardware design and game design is very closely linked, and there seems to be a lot of movement between game developers and leading management roles, most famously with Iwata and Miyamoto. Someone like Phil Spencer at Xbox may have worked in games for many years, but always in management and business focused positions. That's not to say Nintendo are anyone's friend, but I don't think being a fan of Nintnedo's output is any more problematic than being a fan of a band or something. That's not excusing how incredibly annoying Nintendo fanboyism can be, though.
Yeah but the point is that most hardware companies don't actually create any of the things that you really love about video games. Are you really going to 'grow an attachment' to an OS and the various deals they make with publishers and developers? Because that's what it comes down to. Did TV shows cease to exist when the traditional networks lost their grip and Netflix and Amazon Prime started producing their own shows? Of course not. The same goes for games. If Sony and Microsoft fail, those games will move elsewhere.
Jesus christ. It really is true that under capitalism everyone thinks of themselves as billionaires-in-waiting who are only temporarily poor.
Great article and lots on GAF have to realise this. There is nothing to gain by defending companies like they are your best friends and losing the grip of objectivity.
Eventhough they make awesome games Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and all the devs on their own are doing everything to increase their wins and market share.
Shilling for multimillion dollar corporations is one of the cringeworthiest things in gaming
Eventhough they make awesome games Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo and all the devs on their own are doing everything to increase their wins and market share.
Shilling for multimillion dollar corporations is one of the cringeworthiest things in gaming
theindieboy
Member
Got to love the comments and all the definitions of chips, not sure the US understand crisps are cold snack chips/fries are hot in UK, well worth reading though some really in depth discussion on the topic.
Council Pop
Member
Right, I'm sorry, I know Kotaku are divisive, but there is no gaming media outlet which is less likely to "regurgitate corporate propaganda" than them. Their whole raison d'être is that they're anti-spin, and totally against acting as PR for games companies. I mean, they talk about this and write articles about it all the time.
PSFan
Member
Actually, water is not wet. Water makes things wet. The definition of wet is moistened, covered or soaked with water. So water itself is not wet.
obviously, this is true... business serves one goal-profit for shareholders. Anything that comes from that is a means to or a happy accident from that goal.
I imagine most companies are Ubisoft or EA just more opaque and tactful and/or have better products. Small devs are for the love of the game more often but at a point, things change. Don;t pre order, just enjoy what you enjoy and brand tribalism is for the foolish.
I imagine most companies are Ubisoft or EA just more opaque and tactful and/or have better products. Small devs are for the love of the game more often but at a point, things change. Don;t pre order, just enjoy what you enjoy and brand tribalism is for the foolish.
I find that, even though the article rings true, the idea that video game companies are not your friends is one that's rarely used for any purpose other than stifling discussion.
How many times have you read, heard, or seen, the words "x fanboys are the worst" and any of its many, many different guises? For a good example see the latest Jimquisition thread; there are at least the same amount of "Nintendo fanboys are the worst" and "They just care about 7/10 for Zelda lol" posts as there are hot-takes hating on the video or person for no reason whatsoever. What good does pointing something like that out, whether true or not, do to any discussion? All it does is make it clear that you don't want a discussion, but we're on the internet, people discuss things and, for the most part, you're going to get people with strong opinions on both sides of the argument. If you don't believe that a certain person can be debated with in a reasonable matter, don't debate them instead of belittling those who might be considered "fans" of a certain product as irrational and incapable of reason. The Ketchup analogy seems to imply that, if you aren't being paid, there's no point in internet discussions (there isn't inherently, but you know what I mean).
Essentially, the idea of the "fanboy" is, to me, an altogether dehumanising idea that's generally used to "win" discussions by putting down the other side automatically. After all, nobody could possibly like Mass Effect: Andromeda unless they were a Bioware fanboy, nobody could possibly prefer Uncharted to *insert game here* unless they were a Sony fanboy, etc. If every counter-argument to your personal opinion is just a "fanboy defense" then you're doing the exact same thing as the people you put yourself above.
How many times have you read, heard, or seen, the words "x fanboys are the worst" and any of its many, many different guises? For a good example see the latest Jimquisition thread; there are at least the same amount of "Nintendo fanboys are the worst" and "They just care about 7/10 for Zelda lol" posts as there are hot-takes hating on the video or person for no reason whatsoever. What good does pointing something like that out, whether true or not, do to any discussion? All it does is make it clear that you don't want a discussion, but we're on the internet, people discuss things and, for the most part, you're going to get people with strong opinions on both sides of the argument. If you don't believe that a certain person can be debated with in a reasonable matter, don't debate them instead of belittling those who might be considered "fans" of a certain product as irrational and incapable of reason. The Ketchup analogy seems to imply that, if you aren't being paid, there's no point in internet discussions (there isn't inherently, but you know what I mean).
Essentially, the idea of the "fanboy" is, to me, an altogether dehumanising idea that's generally used to "win" discussions by putting down the other side automatically. After all, nobody could possibly like Mass Effect: Andromeda unless they were a Bioware fanboy, nobody could possibly prefer Uncharted to *insert game here* unless they were a Sony fanboy, etc. If every counter-argument to your personal opinion is just a "fanboy defense" then you're doing the exact same thing as the people you put yourself above.
Pancakes R Us
Member
Kotaku pays for GAF Platinum. This means it gets a thread every two days, guaranteed.
