We are worse than comic book fans, movie fans, sports fans (except maybe soccer).
It is important to remember that they (the game creators) are the ones who's vision is being spun into reality, and we (99% of the players) are the ones stuck in dead-end jobs who use games as an escape.
We have no call to piss on their vision.
I think that these devs are saints. They put up with our crap. We're the worst fans in existence. NFL players and coaches don't have to deal with their fans shit, and as such, the fans give them very little shit.
For example. Even a 'crappy' NFL player will stay on his team because the coaches and owners see something valuable in him, no matter what their fans say. Nintendo, on the other hand, gave an exclusive pre-screening of Smash Brothers Brawl to an elite group of fans. They took the fans suggestions, and implemented them. Then the fans turned around an shat on the game en masse, not a month after it was released.
That little preview probably set back fan-company relations quite a bit. A few years ago, we would get stuffed-to-bursting with game information. Now companies, and Nintendo especially, are utterly tight-lipped about their products.
This nonsense with Sonic just proves the point. Nintendo gave us nothing to go on with Zelda, we still have nothing, and there is no fan outcry. Even though the game has stagnated utterly since it went 3D. SEGA gave us teaser after teaser, and finally gave us a big morsel to 'nom' on, and we throw it away.
We are the worst fanbase... ever.
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Regardless of income levels, we have every right to piss on their vision. They put a product out there and we have a right to buy/not buy and also to critique that product. It;s no different than buying a TV and reading various consumer reviews before making a purchase.
Regarding Nintendo (and also Sony and MS), yes, we used to get quite a bit of information directly from them because there weren't a lot of other information resources available so there were entire magazines that were nothing more than "sales" and "information". Now there is the internet and information is so very easily leaked. We actually get more information now... though not all of it is officially confirmed.
We're not the worst fanbase ever... but yes, we're a passionate fan base. When fans pay the high prices we do for games nowadays we have high expectations. There's nothing wrong with telling a company why their product was a success... or a massive failure. Granted, the feedback they see is only the "vocal" feedback... which should generally not be regarded as representative of the whole... but still, at least it's something.
Stopped reading there.
You obviously know nothing about "Soccer" if you think it's an horrible fanbase.
It's the worlds most popular sport by a mile, and the majority of it's fans are truly passionate about their teams.
Nothing, other than family, means more than "Soccer" (Hint: It's Football) to a real fan.
If you're going to say Hooligans as your example of football fans, then you should know that it's easy for a minority to make the majority look bad.
Like xbox fanboys.
~
vApathyv was right.
Twilight fans are worst, followed by You, then Apple fans.
Progress is made this way. Innovation occurs this way. Constant competition breeds diversity. This industry is what it is today because its consumers absolutely demand evolution. Adding here, subtracting there, keeping this the same while changing that, the whole process of creating a game is fluid, not rigid. It's a process that doesn't even stop at one game, one franchise, or even one company. It continues well past that, permeating the entire industry, with games decades old still having major effects on what gets produced today. Companies that do not learn to adapt and please the consumer fail.
Is it fair? Not really. Is it reality? You bet.
Fans can be fickle, demanding, irrational, and difficult to satisfy. They can also be fiercely loyal, dependable, and vital to a franchise or a company's success. Many are a mix of Column A and Column B. It isn't as simple as just looking at one or two incidents of fans being irrational or demanding, as you listed. Those moments must be weighed against the millions of game consumers and fans who hold tight to franchises, who pick up every game in a series, who rant and rave about how incredible this company is, or basically serve as living advertising for their favorite games.
Also I want that cupcake more than anyone's ever wanted anything.
Of course not all videogame fans are jerks, but there is an extremely vocal minority of self-proclaimed "gamers" who seem to spend most of their time talking about how shitty videogames are. My guess is that they do this because it makes them feel good about themselves.
The more they are called out on this behavior, the less they feel good about doing it. The less they feel good about doing it, the less they'll do it?
Probably not, but one can hope.
With the exception of Apple fans, who will buy anything shiny and made by Apple, and claim it to be the best thing since inodes.
I really hope Link doesn't start talking english or something just because the fans demanded, or even worse, gets arbitrary violence because the fans demanded it. I think Link's yelling is the most fitting voice you could get for him.
Seriously they are such elitist snobs.
@Aurain Good point. It is a mistake to confuse fans with hooligans. Not sure how to fix my post in light of that information.
@Elsa I got a bit off topic with my post when I talked about jobs. My heart does go out to game company employees who slave away, and that was part of the motivation behind my angry, angry post.
@Jonathan Holmes Thanks for the FAP.
@Blindfire Hrm... you said everything that I wanted to say, and said it better. Thanks for the insightful comment.
@all
Looking back on this post a few days later, I'm amazed that I haven't gotten flamed at all. Thank you, everyone, for giving me a place to vent.
I'll try to make my next post with more intelligence and less vitriol.