Are Gamers idiots, or just hypocrites?

So, this post is gonna be in 2 parts, the first part is going to be talking about the title and something I’ve been watching unfolding over on steam for the past few months. And the second part will talk about the current garbage surrounding GTA V.

So, firstly lets ask the question, are gamers idiots, or just hypocrites? I’m leaning towards the later these days.

Over on steam there’s a game called Takedown: Red Sabre which was originally on Early Access but went ‘Live’ the other day. Unfortunately the game went live with a number of bugs, the extent of these bugs seems to vary with some people playing reasonably well others having problems. Most of the problems seem to be minor annoyances, with one or two being major ‘if’ you hit them.  The AI of the game has it’s issues, but lets be fair there’s no such thing as a perfect AI in games. So while they may not be great, i do tend to overlook the AI unless it’s ridiculously bad. See Cynical Brits PSA about the game for more info on the bugs:

For me the big issue and the above question comes from the gamers response to the game, which frankly makes me scratch my head. Currently, there is a 69 page (and growing) demand for the game to be removed from Steam and for Valve to issue everyone a refund, I have two issues with this:

Firstly: The vast majority of those complaining bought the game when it was on early access. Buying anything on Early Access is like Kickstarting the game, your taking a risk. It could be great or it could be a steaming pile of shite. Demanding a refund over a pile of shite isn’t going to get you anywhere, since it’s one of the risks you take with Early Access. Anyone buying the game after it went ‘Live’ should have used their brain and watched a few reviews. I mean lets face it guys, you don’t buy a new car or PC without taking out for a test run first, and checking reviews.

Secondly: The hypocrisy. I think this is the main one that bugs me TBH. This game launched and was decried, rage fest, petitions, basically a PR nightmare. Now 3 days later people are complaining there’s been no patches or anything. Completely ignoring the fact they’re an Indy dev., so as such probably only have a couple of guys who can do the coding. So yeah, don’t expect them to be on the time scale of say EA or Bioware who can throw 10’s if not 100’s of guys at the coding.

The problem i have is that the only time we see this sort of reaction is with Indy Dev.’s, almost never with AAA dev.’s. A prime example of this were the recent games Company of Heroes 2, and Rome 2: Total War. Both of these games launched severely broken. Rome 2 was so bad that you couldn’t even play the game:

Yet despite this there was no outcry for refunds, it’s removal from Steam or rabid gamers storming the keep with pitch forks.

This is the hypocrisy of gamers, when it comes to Indy dev.’s they get a new arsehole ripped for any little bug. Yet when a AAA dev. does it it’s okay cause it’ll be fixed in a few patches, or by the modding scene. Bethesda are prime examples of this, every game they release is critically broken on release. It takes the modding scene surrounding the game to fix the game. Even the expansions packs are broken when released and need the modding scene to repair. Yet we never here of the fans rising up demanding refunds etc. for them.

what it boils down to is blatant hypocrisy and double standards. It’s perfectly fine for AAA companies, like Bethesda, Bioware, and EA to rip us off with broken games, but god forbid an Indy developer do it.

I’ve no issue with complaining about broken games, in fact i think it’s a gamers duty to make dev.’s aware their games are broken. Yet at the same time it needs to be done equally and fairly, you can’t rip Serellan (the dev. of Takedown) a new one for a broken game, but then ignore the flaws and problems with AAA games. So in answer to the question, Gamers are Hypocrites 😀

Now onto the second part of the post, regarding the controversy surrounding GTAV.

Personally, i think it’s a POC game, and the franchise is the worst thing ever made. however i will defend it’s right to exist to the end!!

The media is as usual kicking up a shit storm over this game, pointing to kids that are playing it and saying it’s Rockstar’s (the Dev.) fault for them growing up to become murderers and rapists de-sensitised to the wrongs of the world. god what a mouthful of garbage.

When the game was classified it was given an 18 rating, it was given it that rating because the content of the game was only suitable for 18 and over, in other words a MATURE (supposedly) audience. They go on about how the game contains torture, sex and gratuitous violence. You know what, they’re right, but again that’s why it was given the 18 rating.

When TV shows such as Breaking Bad, The Wire, Sopranos, Weeds have all of the above, and glorify making and selling drugs, are made they’re classed as ‘gritty’ ‘realist’, ‘satirical’ and a slew of other buzz words. they’re considered perfectly fine and dandy and no one raises any concerns. Yet when those same things are in a video game all hell breaks loose (can you say hypocrisy…..again).

Hell, anyone remember the Goldeneye James bond movie, that has a woman in it who got her self off by torturing people by crushing them between her legs. Apparently that’s perfectly fine, but a normal sex scene (that’s about as stimulating as a boxing day dip) is to evil for people to see.

The problem isn’t with the gaming industry, it does it’s due diligence and rates the games the way they should be. The problem lies in two other areas. Firstly, gaming stores who are only interested in money. They sell the games to anyone and everyone regardless of age. I’ve seen young kids buying 18 rated games without issues.

The other are falls squarely on the shoulders of the parents, and frankly this is where the buck always stops. When i worked in a gaming store i got verbally based by a mother cause i refused to sell her 10 year old kid an 18 rated game. This is the norm these days as parents let the gaming consoles take over their jobs and buy their kids anything they ask to play.

If you buy a 10 year old a copy of an 18 rated game i personally think you should be done for child abuse. It’s time for parents to stop being back seat parents and do the job THEY chose to do by having a kid. If you don’t want to do it then keep your legs crossed, simple as that.

Stop blaming the gaming industry for problems caused by society at large!!