Is the gaming community to critcal and Hateful

It seems like on forums every game and company is horrible these days. I know the industry is getting annoying with crap like On Disc DLC, always online etc.... but people on the internet are just being overly hateful IMO.

I still enjoy games even with all the flaws in the industry but sadly It seems some "gamers" only complain about everything and think every game is horrible and that is really sad people can not enjoy games anymore

another thing that is sad is people hating on another gamer because they enjoy and play something they do not like. People bashing people for playing or not playing COD is just immature and to be honest it gives the media some fire to make us look like Immature kids with Mental problems

That's why I tend to ignore the haters on this site. You will rarely see me posting in the system wars forum. I rather spend my time playing the games I like rather then fighting with people over the internet why COD is played out or which next gen console is better.

Some people are, some people aren't. All we can really do about it is not be haters ourselves.

Yeah, seems that Gamers have alot of haters amongst them, not entirely sure why.

We get these amazing adventures, facinating Worlds, that borders on art, and yet people tend to only whine and get pissed about small diffrences and thoughts that does not match thier own.

I'd say, yes, when there's no significant change in a game, everyone's hating and when there is change in a game, everyone's hating too.

And I completetly agree with there guys. Ignore the haters. ^^^

So the TC is complaining that people complain too much? Huh. I guess he (or she) is unfamiliar with the saying 'Be the change that you wish to see'.

Its also worth keeping in mind that this is a debate forum, so one shouldn't be shocked and horrified when there are people on both sides of an issue.

Furthermore, complaints serve a purpose because they make companies aware of problems (or create PR problems which convince companies to better handle issues of which they were aware but did little or nothing).

You can never please everybody and to be quite honest, the internet itself is not exactly known for being the best place to get feedback. However i have observed that it is due to the anonymity that the internet provides that let some people let loose (troll) with their remarks, so in a nutshell it is a mix of online culture and a bit of varied opinions. When you look past the nonesense being said, you will find valid critic of the games and companies. For example, would we say that Microsoft did not deserve that much backlash, yes they did, infact they did in every measure, however would i say Adam Orth deserved death threats, not even close so you see opposite ends of the spectrums

Its the internet what did you expect? :D

Also a bit comes from being on all walks of life, in a forum you got the rich, semi-rich, middle class, low class and the poor so we all have different ways of writing and how we speak on forums. Not to mention a lot of age difference and a lot of kids who just doesn't have the same control.

There's being legitimately critical, then there's acting like something you don't like is some kind of civil rights violation. Some people tend to be.. overreactive and judgmental, and judging by the OP's wording, that's closer to the kind of thing he's talking about. Normal debate and reasonable complaints don't make you lose all hope in humanity like some of the stuff you read from people. ;)

Being critical of something you enjoy can be healthy. It can even make things better in some cases. Just ask Microsoft, who is far better after a vociferous outcry. Now some of it was over-the-top, some of it just plain silly, and much of it could easily be boiled down into click-baiting by major publications.

But the real issue, the core of it all, is a problem of definitions. Critique, as a concept, is healthy. Criticism, as an exercise, is meant to be positive and encouraging. But too many people use that as an umbrella to be complete asshats. "I criticize to make you better" is a sound theory, but it takes an understanding of criticism and critique that many of the people who use this term simply do not practice. Critique is meant to be constructive. And meant to foster a relationship between creator and critic and an environment that can see improvements to quality.

But the old adage "This is why we can't have nice things" comes into play. Calling someone a dickbag for writing an opinion piece that disagrees with your views, threatening violence against a developer because they made an incremental change to a number slider, these things are not critique. These things aren't even criticism, they are venomous and toxic and should be handily ignored. It's attention seeking behavior that their parents should have punished and squashed before it got to the point where they thought it was OK to say to another human being. Especially when in regards to a hobby that is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.

So yeah, I have seen a lot of vitriol. And it saddens me.

The gaming community complains about the stuff that doesn't matter (for example, GTA V's story, which I personally enjoyed) while letting the serious issues (such as the declining quality of gameplay in games) go without complaint. It's the reason we can't have nice things.

Very, very, very well said and I wholehearted agree w/ your point of peoples' apparent lack of understanding what it truly means to 'give criticism'. Y'know, my mother (rest her soul...) used to always instil in me 'there's a way you go about talking to people' and how you express yourself to those said people determines how seriously (or non-seriously) that they take what you're saying. She used to always say 'if you talk like you got some sense and be on point w/ explaining why you feel something, then people will respect that and listen' and I totally w/ every fiber of being try to live that every day, especially on this interweb, lol. But sadly, many of these 'young'uns' nowadays don't get that kind of parental teaching.....hell, and damn sure don't get that in school (or they're not freakin' paying attention to it) and it's sad because like you said most people just don't seem to know how to properly utilize basic sensible (and coherent) conversations or disagreements w/o acting like complete dipshits.

And like you stated these are the asshats that always outshine even the most constructive of criticism from legitimately logical gamers, and makes the rest of us look like whiny brats. It's truly appalling sometimes how bad things have gotten.

Yeah, sometimes, people taking gaming way too seriously.

In particular, in the System Wars forum, you have to wonder if some of the more obsessive/hateful people there have an existence outside Gamespot (i.e., a job, a life, etc...).

I certainly hope people in System Wars aren't as serious as they sound.

I'd say they just like to speak up more when they see a problem. Just rolling over and accepting every change that happens would just destroy gaming. In the end it's all just their opinion. By being a nice guy all the time you'll get nowhere. Do you think they think to themselves 'I really don't like this game and have plenty of valid reasons why, but I'll say it's good to make everyone happy'? There's criticism everywhere, it's just that because gaming is a valuable past-time and even the source of a job to many people, being cynical is hard to avoid. Though it's important to be informed of the downsides involved. Say someone had a rant about a game not including an FOV slider on a PC game and how it was causing them a problem because it gave them eyestrain. Is it not important to know things like that when considering a purchase? By the logic of being nice, if the game will put you in pain it must be best to find out AFTER you buy it, have your eyes put in pain and/or throw up, right? Because who wants to hear the complaints about it? And last of all, it's a hobby in which both the games and platforms they're played on cost a lot. It's damned important to know you're not wasting your money on something that's rubbish. Why do you not see all this? Being cynical is astonishingly important if it's necessary.

Everyone wants to hate. I enjoy games. I'm not a critic, and being one seems like a shit life imo.

Gamers are assholes ! Don't doubt that for a second. And it makes me mad when people like RPGs, GRRRRRRR !!!

Too hateful and entitled more like. I swear that gamers are some of the most whiny people on the face of the Earth... They will nitpick something to death. Hell, I'm guilty of it, but I try to be a lot more open minded about things recently. for instance, I don't like CoD but I'm not gonna pretend it's the single worst game series of all time. That's just silly. I may not like what it's done to the industry, but there are still plenty of games that offer the things I want from a game.

That's something a lot of gamers don't seem to get... There is so much variety beyond the mainstream titles that no one should ever be bored. You just need to do some research on your own, rather than only paying attention to what's advertised.

@MathMattS: I'd be willing to bet that most of the A Hole users on SW are just alts of existing members.

@turtlethetaffer: Quite possibly. I hadn't thought of that before.

The people that are actually respectful of other people's opinions and interests are too busy playing the games and going on with their day.

I agree. The worse part is the exaggerate the parts they do not like. I know of one person that hate video game RPG and will go after any on that does like it.

Many times it seem that many remember bad things.

@ wiouds

You basicly just described me ! ;)

I welcome reasonable criticisms because those working in the video game industry do listen and observe them even though they may not personally respond during a discussion or debate. The proof of this can be seen in any media outlet including video game companies acting as their own new source (Xbox.com and the like). Hating the sin and not the sinner is something I live by, so I think any hatred of a video game company and products made by them is too emotional for all the wrong reasons sometimes.

It makes us look horrible in the public eye. Before I used to think the comments section in CNN and Yahoo news were the real ninth circle of commentary hell. Horribly constructed pathological arguments, racist death threats. Conflict is natural to humans not enough people have mastered the art of picking their battles.

Depending on the 'sin' I'm fine with hating the sins and the sinner :).

No it doesn't. The anonymity of the internet brings out assholes and nutjobs on pretty much any subject (even breakfast cereal). Nice try though.

What I really enjoy about the gaming community is that they judge games they haven't played by taking other peoples arguments and using it as their own. A lot of people hate COD and have never played it before, yet they go on youtube and talk like they have all these points of criticism which weren't theirs in the first place:

"THIS GAME LACKS CREATIVITY AND UNIQUE BOSS STRUCTURE!"

"THIS GAME LACKS GOOD GAME MECHANICS!"

"THIS GAME HAS LAZY DEVELOPERS WHO CASH IN MONEY AND DON'T GIVE A SHIT ABOUT THE FANS"

"THIS COMPANY DOESN'T LISTEN TO THE FANS"

"WHY CHANGE WHAT ISN'T BROKEN??"

When arguments like this come up, especially when they try using words like "Structure" or "Mechanics", it's like "Hey man... Do you even know what you're talking about?". Some people won't like how some games are done but damn, blaming developers and people you never met who might not even had to be of blame is damn stupid. Rushed dates, the people these developers answer to, the fans even are the people who all can affect a video game.

All it really is though my friend is this... Gamers and just people in general don't know what they want. It's only when something is new and has no ties of the past that they'll love it. Once you try to change or improve it though, they turn on you. It needs to be exactly like it's predecessor or it is not good. For how long were Final Fantasy games exactly the same before they switched it up at X where the supposed "downfall" of Square came to be? The Resident Evil games?

COD and a few other war games have been almost exactly the same for generations, that's why they are so successful and that's why people who don't fit into the war game scene hate it.

Welcome to the internet, TC. It's nothing new for lots of hate to be voiced on the internet. It just seems like the gaming community is overly critical and hateful because those are the people you hear from most of time; they tend to be the loudest group and therefore the most noticeable. People also seem to talk more about things they don't like instead of things they like.

Is the community too hateful? Yes. Is the community too critical? Hell no.

the industry has been at the root of a LOT of ethically questionable business practices over the last five years or so, and the community has ever right to cry foul about it. From hack-job DLC, to DRM disasters like Sim City and Diablo 3, to blatantly releasing unfinished games. Companies NEED to be held accountable for such actions, and the only way that happens is when they get publicly criticized.

However, the community is HORRIBLE and focusing such criticisms. It seems many are incapable of levering legitimate complaints without throwing out derogatory and all too often violent threats along with it. It also seems many within the community become enraged over small and pointless issues that they create in their own head, while totally ignoring the very real problems that plague the industry and directly effect them.

Like some have said before I think this is an internet trait, not solely a gamer trait. Also, it seems the media in general (and this might reflect on society) is more about short and catchy statements than balanced and long arguments. Plus, it seems that having a clear opinion (in whatever form) on every subject is valued more than expressing reservation on subjects one knows little about. In the media (focused on viewer/user ratings) there's something to be said for this of course, but for a reasonable discussion these tendencies might lead to opinions that are less thought through and less considerate. These tendencies might also discourage more considerate people to post their opinions. More balanced comments are often lenghty and since most people can't be bothered to read lengthy comments, why would you put in the effort to write them?

As for being too critical (and I emphasise 'too', not the critical part, because there's nothing wrong with that) I think that could be the result of how gamers relate to their games. Games often demand a lot of investment and active participation (and this can be associated not just with single games, but also with being a gamer), so the experience can be much more personal and intense (in comparison with for example books and films). The disappointment that results from a game not rewarding that investment can therefore be much stronger and might lead to a more passionate critique of the game's flaws. The potentially strong relationship (based on involvement) between a gamer and a game might make gamers feel more entitled to demand change and it might also make them feel more confident about their arguments, since the experience was much more involved and intense. This confidence might be the reason why so many commenters present their findings as fact, because it can sometimes be hard to imagine how something that felt so extremely flawed or amazing can ever be considered otherwise by someone else...

@CarnageHeart: It happens. I will not criticize you for that.

Also, this week's Reality Check might give you some answers... ;-)

Oh definitely. I'm not like that though.

^This...that's why there are mostly haters out there because those that see beyond what's bad in the game are busy playing it and enjoying it in their own way. Only a few gamers out there that give respect, they are overshadowed but those haters.

To some extent i agree but the thing is publishers n devs have become more interested in changing settings like adding snow n keeping the same gameplay mechanics ! rather than giving out sth new ,criticizing kinda makes sense in such situations ...rational criticism can help the industry 2 be prospersous....

The only thing that matters to me when i'm in a community is having respect for everyones opinion even though i find it so lame ,as long as u show respect for different opinions you're good to go ...

I tend to stay away from certain threads at system wars all u get are people arguing which console is better I'd rather spend my time ignoring those kind of people.

There is a vocal minority that are loud and vile. Most gamers enjoy games and that's mostly it. Sure you can dislike something, but being angry about something you should enjoy is something i can't understand

To be honest I'm sick of reading that GS was sh*t since its assimilation to GB standards. Ok, we were all somewhat negatively surprised (including the staff itself, I guess) yet after more than a month I think those not willing to adapt are free to leave--but without too much noise. What I can't stand is the leavers returning just to see us stayers suffer with sort of voyeuristic delight...

It seems that way because people love to notice negative comments while ignoring positive ones. The game industry gets tons of praise from both developers and reviewers and gamers. It also gets a good amount of negativity and hatred, but not an exceedingly large amount. But negative comments is what people tend to focus on, they want to look for bad things so to those kinds of people that's all they see because they block out the positive.

There was a news paper in phoenix Arizona that did nothing but print positive news, they were bankrupt in like a year. Why? Because people don't want positive, they want negative. That's why you hear people constantly talk about negative things and then complain about it, because they hunt and search for negative things and focus on them.

So no gaming isn't negative in the majority, you just want to find it is all.

Remember the internet is a great way to express yourself unlike in real life. It is not that people are hateful, its just simply that people have the option to thrust all their anger into one place. The same thing is with a lot of other things, just look at political, religious, or even movie forums.

Is it annoying? A bit, especially when some complain and moan about every little thing. But its to be expected, you just have to live with it.

I imagined something like:
Person 1: I hate this cookie! This cookie has raisins in it. I hate raisins, I hate this cookie.
Person 2: **** you, this cookie is great! You are too stupid to like this cookie.
Person 1: Are you ****ing retarded? That's a ****ty cookie, only normal people would know.
Person 2: You're retarded blah blah blah...

Then there's just a bunch of people enjoying raisin cookies and other people enjoying chocolate chip cookies. >.<

It was actually pretty bad this week because the only way around this is to excluded people not to ruin other peoples experience who are not immature kids.

Publishers will shit all over you every opportunity they get and the gaming media is something of a joke. Being incredibly cynical and hateful is a useful tool for concerned citizens and something that should be cherished.

Yeah pretty much, it's more them talking one cookie is better than the other and the raisins on it are way better. That's pretty much the discussion in a nutshell. It's stupid. Now it's fine to criticize something, but just being angry and vile all the time is stupid

Yes, that's right. Although sometimes I enjoy those people arguing in the comment section on youtube videos. Hahaha! :P For every response or come back they stray away further and further from the topic of their argument.

I fell victim to that minority, I just commented (since that's the comment section so I put my comment in it about the video) and then I got raged upon. I didn't bother to reply though. It ended then and there. XD

i try never to rage, because that's going to get you banned

Not sure where you're looking but with the case of recent AAA games, such as COD and BF, there have been lots of game breaking bugs where the games have been released too early before they were ready to be released and things have been overlooked. But to an extent, I agree with you; a lot of people are just kind of like "screw big corporations for messing up these games" however as I mentioned before, there is some truth to it. There are still a ton of indie companies and decent companies (such as Paradox Interactive, Subset games) that care about their consumers, releasing free DLC and good games.

@The_Last_Ride: Yeah me too. I try my best not to.