Gaming Journalists Make No Damn Sense

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Buyetyen

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There isn't an existential crisis for media, except for the comic book industry, which will go belly-up very, very soon. That is something I am pretty sad about.
Could you define "soon?" Like what are we talking here, couple of years, a decade?
 

Houseman

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Comics and how "Progressive" they are, coinciding with the industry circling the drain might have some interesting parallels worth considering. Is progressivism a cause or an effect? Are they dying because the "dudebro" audience has dried up, or because they stopped pandering to the "dudebro" audience?

I don't know much about it, because I never got into the comics industry except when something stupid like "Safespace" and "Snowflake" and "Experimental internet gas" pops up and I laugh at it.
 
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Iron

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Could you define "soon?" Like what are we talking here, couple of years, a decade?
A couple of years or less. I don't like to be a doomsayer but this is pretty grim for Marvel and DC. Despite the profitability of the Marvel movies, the comic division is hemorrhaging money and would probably slim down or shut down. DC comics is about to get kicked out the door and probably cannibalized (like how Spiderman was sold off to Sony by Marvel, before Disney bought them). This situation is amplified because of Covid - comic books are now sold almost exclusively digitally. The scope of sales is very small compared to five years ago, and the comic book novelty shops will not survive (since the big publishers will invest more into digital comics). It's a negative feedback loop at this point. Too late.

 

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That it pissed you and several people off so much this thread dragged on to page 40. You refuse to acknowledge my grievances, deny any wrongdoing from 'your side' and place the blame entirely on me. It's very tiresome.

edit: My first response in this thread was that I confirmed I also thought "go woke get broke" exists because of Gillette. Then because of my opinion I started to get bombarded with accusations and counter-arguments as if I'm speaking heresy.
I mean, it's a bad take because Gillette still isn't broke? Any change in a 'woke' product being economically viable may have far more to do with the Quarterings of the world making money off drama than actual quality. Also the cherry picking about certain flops of 'woke' movies and not accepting successes. How about taking quotes that have been apologised for and holding that against people. This one is not necessarily you but being against Woke seems far more concerned with determining which places women and minorities are allowed. Im just not into segregating society like that. And, for some, reason havent realised that woke not earning money would kill itself economically and thus is no concern

I generally see you as a fair person but talking about 'woke and media' makes you decidedly not fair. The person talking here in this thread doesnt match whats in other threads

Maybe it's got nothing to do with heresy? Maybe you're just wrong. Like, funny you bring up heresy here and not in most other threads? I wonder if there's something there...

Lastly, everyone heard your grievances. I just think it's a bad take. If by 'acknowledge' you just want me to agree with what your opinion is and I'm just not going to do that.
 

Iron

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https://www.theatlantic.com/enterta...e-real-reasons-for-marvel-comics-woes/527127/

Interesting op-ed in the Atlantic last year that takes a scalpel to the comics industry's business practices. It does not paint a flattering picture.
If you want a good graphic novel, Transmetropolitan is incredible gritty sci-fi.
I mean, it's a bad take because Gillette still isn't broke? Any change in a 'woke' product being economically viable may have far more to do with the Quarterings of the world making money off drama than actual quality. Also the cherry picking about certain flops of 'woke' movies and not accepting successes. How about taking quotes that have been apologised for and holding that against people. This one is not necessarily you but being against Woke seems far more concerned with determining which places women and minorities are allowed. Im just not into segregating society like that. And, for some, reason havent realised that woke not earning money would kill itself economically and thus is no concern

I generally see you as a fair person but talking about 'woke and media' makes you decidedly not fair. The person talking here in this thread doesnt match whats in other threads

Maybe it's got nothing to do with heresy? Maybe you're just wrong. Like, funny you bring up heresy here and not in most other threads? I wonder if there's something there...

Lastly, everyone heard your grievances. I just think it's a bad take. If by 'acknowledge' you just want me to agree with what your opinion is and I'm just not going to do that.
It would kill itself economically, which is a concern of mine because some of these things are stuff I already like. I don't like how they de-aged Constantine, and made him into a demigod. I don't like how they rebooted Charlie's Angels. I think it's a pretty natural response. They take stuff that can work and be enjoyable but turn it into a Trojan horse! It's all so tiresome

edit: BTW what was with this whole spiel about me wanting to burn shit?
 
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Houseman

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And, for some, reason havent realised that woke not earning money would kill itself economically and thus is no concern
If it happens, it's not going to happen overnight, we can agree on that, right? It's going to be a gradual process of alienating more and more people and losing more and more money until someone decides to finally pull the plug.
 
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Iron

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If it happens, it's not going to happen overnight, we can agree on that, right? It's going to be a gradual process of alienating more and more people and losing more and more money until someone decides to finally pull the plug.
Houseman, how could you say that when people are making quirky and specialized games?
 

Houseman

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Houseman, how could you say that when people are making quirky and specialized games?
I know, I'm ashamed. The few people that played Dream Daddy are enough to carry a AAA franchise like Uncharted or Mass Effect, and I'm a fool for not recognizing that.
 
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Iron

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I know, I'm ashamed. The few people that played Dream Daddy are enough to carry a AAA franchise like Uncharted or Mass Effect, and I'm a fool for not recognizing that.
Didn't you know that if you don't buy these games then you're a bigot? Do you really want me to report you to the peace and reconciliation committee?!?
 
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Phoenixmgs

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That doesn't contradict the fact that melee is a major part of all the games.



So are standard goons trained in martial arts, yes or no?

Because you're saying that Drake is not a proficient fighter, which you need in order to make your argument work.
So if Drake isn't a proficient fighter, all the other soldiers he fights must be less proficient than Drake.
But that's an internal contradiction, because "soldier" implies training.

But if they are trained in martial arts, then how can Drake beat them? The answer must be because Drake is actually better trained than they are.
So if Drake is so well-trained enough to rack up the body count that he has, why couldn't he beat Nadine, not even 2v1?

Either way, your logic leads to a contradiction.
Melee is not a major part of the game. It's more involved than melee of say COD but less than the melee of Metal Gear Solid (which is also mainly a shooter).
That doesn't contradict the fact that melee is a major part of all the games.



So are standard goons trained in martial arts, yes or no?

Because you're saying that Drake is not a proficient fighter, which you need in order to make your argument work.
So if Drake isn't a proficient fighter, all the other soldiers he fights must be less proficient than Drake.
But that's an internal contradiction, because "soldier" implies training.

But if they are trained in martial arts, then how can Drake beat them? The answer must be because Drake is actually better trained than they are.
So if Drake is so well-trained enough to rack up the body count that he has, why couldn't he beat Nadine, not even 2v1?

Either way, your logic leads to a contradiction.
Melee isn't a major part of the games...

Probably not, or they just took martial arts like 101. It's kinda why they're given guns. Everybody in the Army isn't some hand-to-hand expert and I very much doubt the standard goon training is anywhere near that of Army training. Does the average gang banger have equal or better skills than someone in the Army or even a cop? A gang banger is the combat skill level we're looking at with regards to goons in an action movie.

Video game body count and action movie body count (like a Bond movie, an Indiana Jones, a Die Hard, even John Wick, etc.) are 2 completely different things. Games have higher body counts cuz they're games.
 
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CriticalGaming

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A couple of years or less. I don't like to be a doomsayer but this is pretty grim for Marvel and DC. Despite the profitability of the Marvel movies, the comic division is hemorrhaging money and would probably slim down or shut down. DC comics is about to get kicked out the door and probably cannibalized (like how Spiderman was sold off to Sony by Marvel, before Disney bought them). This situation is amplified because of Covid - comic books are now sold almost exclusively digitally. The scope of sales is very small compared to five years ago, and the comic book novelty shops will not survive (since the big publishers will invest more into digital comics). It's a negative feedback loop at this point. Too late.

My local comic book store had all but given up selling comic books entirely because there was no money in it. They instead became a store for tabletop gaming like Magic the Gathering, DnD, warhammer and such, because if they had tried to stick to comics, they'd have been out of business for sure through this Covid thing. People are not buying comics anymore, at least nowhere in the way they used too.

I don't know if that's because of the forced culture shift with how these comic book companies are trying to shift their naratives. Thor became a woman, Wolverine was killed off and replaced by X-23 (aka Girlverine), many of the beloved female heroes got different costumes that were noticably less sexy and bodyhugging.

And instead of being excited for the latest issue of Uncanny X-Men. Nobody seems to know if X-men comics are still even happening.

People can preach all they want about how them sexy super hero lady outfits was sexist and promoted bad body images and whatever other bullshit you want. But the fact is, the moment that stuff started going away, people stopped buying the books. When you try to shame someone for liking something the way it is, you will not convince the person to stop liking it by changing it, you will only lose customers.

Remember New Coke? It fucking sucked. That's why Coke is called Coka-Cola Classic.
 

Buyetyen

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People can preach all they want about how them sexy super hero lady outfits was sexist and promoted bad body images and whatever other bullshit you want. But the fact is, the moment that stuff started going away, people stopped buying the books. When you try to shame someone for liking something the way it is, you will not convince the person to stop liking it by changing it, you will only lose customers.
You didn't read the link I posted, huh?
 

Buyetyen

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Maybe he didn't agree?
I tend to assume most people don't read citations unless they actually engage with the content of it. A little snobby maybe, but it turns out to be right more often than you may think.
 

Houseman

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Melee is not a major part of the game.
Do you have any evidence for that statement?
The last boss of Uncharted 3 and 4 are melee fights.
The last boss of Uncharted 1 is you running up, unarmed, to a guy with a gun and beating him unconscious in a QTE.

In every game there are trophies like "Kill 20 Enemies with Brutal Combo" and "Kill 10 Enemies in a Row with a Single Punch After Weakening Them with Gunfire"

You run out of ammo in Uncharted games, and melee is one of the ways you get more
It's a major part of the game. I'd even say that it's impossible to beat any of the games without any use of melee (some speed-run/challenge type has probably done it though)

Probably not, or they just took martial arts like 101
Do you think Martial Arts 101 puts you at a level higher or a level lower than "a good bar-room brawler"?
 
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CriticalGaming

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You didn't read the link I posted, huh?
Maybe he didn't agree?
I don't agree.

Sure there are some merits to that article but I can't help but notice that it focuses heavily on Marvel's problems and only sort of includes other publications like DC and Image.

And while there is likely some truth to the fact that the push for alternate art covers probably turned customer's away. It doesn't justify the decline to nearly nothing against the rise of the change in style for these books. In fact the article heavily tries to ignore the fact that Marvel has actively tried to change their whole series baseline in the past 5-10 years, with the deaths of popular characters like Wolverine and then doubling down on the female replacements.

Like Joel in TLOU2, you can't shit on a character that people love. Only to force feed some other bullshit down people's throats. Nobody likes that shit. Nobody wants that shit.

Nobody who loves a character goes, "OH yes! Please disrespect and discard my favorite character! Please I want less of the thing I love."

i just feel like the article is only skimming the truth of the decline, and mostly just tries to misdirect blame. When I was in college I had a whole gaggle of comic book friends who went to the shop every Wednesday to pick up the latest releases. Then their favorite characters started to die off and they didn't have any interest in a new universe or retelling of shit they already knew except with more cases of "being woman is hard".
 
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