Dumb it down...

[SageRuffin]

First, have some Lupe Fiasco. :3


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Whoa, hang on. Hear me out, please. Now, anyway... I used have a massive problem with this term until someone recently informed what exactly people meant by the term. originally, I thought it was a thinly-veiled insult towards console players such as myself; I mean look at the term itself: "dumbed down". To the average person, this could be interpreted that the game was made "for dummies", which is more than a little insulting, of course.

Then someone kindly informed (and I mean no sarcasm in that statement) that when folks say "dumbed down", they don't mean "made for idiots", but instead that features were needlessly removed.

I finally understood, but I don't think too many others do as well. Ergo, I'm suggesting we think of a new term, one that doesn't carry such negative implications. My mind's at a blank at the moment, so I'm eager to know what you all may come up with.

 

[Netrigan]

It's more of an insult directed toward how companies treat the mainstream. Console gamers have tended to be more mainstream than PC gamers (MMOs and Facebook games aside), so the tendency is to simplify things so they can easily grasp it.

Sometimes this is downright insulting. Other times it leads to legitimate gameplay choices. Recharging shields gets accused of "dumbing down" first person shooters (because Quake apparently holds the intellectual high ground), when it's a very distinct game play element. Do a lot of games throw it in to appeal to the mainstream? Yup, but there's quite a lot of damn good games that use it to very good effect.

I always find it funny when this gets directed at fairly ambitious games. Bioshock is quite deep for a shooter, yet because it's not as complex as System Show (its spiritual predecessor) it often gets the label. Fallout 3 and New Vegas get it a lot. Deus Ex 2 gets it (and deservedly so) even though there aren't a lot of shooters that achieve its level of complexity.

 

[Vault101]

I would say that everything removed in ME2 added nothing to the game...

but I really shouldnt go there as this has been argued to hell and back

 

[Vault101]

It's more of an insult directed toward how companies treat the mainstream. Console gamers have tended to be more mainstream than PC gamers (MMOs and Facebook games aside), so the tendency is to simplify things so they can easily grasp it.

Sometimes this is downright insulting. Other times it leads to legitimate gameplay choices. Recharging shields gets accused of "dumbing down" first person shooters (because Quake apparently holds the intellectual high ground), when it's a very distinct game play element. Do a lot of games throw it in to appeal to the mainstream? Yup, but there's quite a lot of damn good games that use it to very good effect.

I always find it funny when this gets directed at fairly ambitious games. Bioshock is quite deep for a shooter, yet because it's not as complex as System Show (its spiritual predecessor) it often gets the label. Fallout 3 and New Vegas get it a lot. Deus Ex 2 gets it (and deservedly so) even though there aren't a lot of shooters that achieve its level of complexity.

I can imagine when fallout 4 comes out there will probably be screams of "dumbed down", depending on what it was like

I mean other than the ability to physically shoot/stab your oponants fallout has all that other RPG stuff

I mean I guess some haters dont like it because it isnt turn based...well screw turnbased comabt Id rather watch paint dry for fun

 

[More Fun To Compute]

I don't think that we should dumb down the term dumb down. It already has a lot of euphemisms that make it sound like something pleasant and desirable. If you don't like it then you call it dumbing down and expect people to work out what you mean by yourself. If you are a PR person then you find 100 different words to explain why you think that it is just marvellous with a different word in every sentence.

 

[BreakfastMan]

How about "simplification"? Everyone understands what it means, and it get the point across without sounding like a thinly veiled insult at those who like the game in question.

 

[Lightning Delight]

I don't like the term "dumbed down" because of all the negative connotation it is associated with. And really, not all of us console players are too dumb to grasp the complexities of a PC game. I don't really think they need to dumb games down for us.

As for a new term.... I dunno. Simplified? Streamlined? Those are OK, I guess.

 

[jpoon]

Call it "removing complexities...for the dumbshits.".

 

[More Fun To Compute]

It's supposed to have negative connotations. It has nuance and shit.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I would say that everything removed in ME2 added nothing to the game...

but I really shouldnt go there as this has been argued to hell and back

I've mixed feelings on the removal of powers and stuff, but I think the removal of the gigantic aiming reticules was a good thing. kinda sucks when you can't hit shit for the first half of the game.

 

[Irridium]

I would say that everything removed in ME2 added nothing to the game...

but I really shouldnt go there as this has been argued to hell and back

I've mixed feelings on the removal of powers and stuff, but I think the removal of the gigantic aiming reticules was a good thing. kinda sucks when you can't hit shit for the first half of the game.

I just wish firefights took place in more interesting places instead of corridors. I mean yeah, ME1 was also heavily corridored, but the environments were open, and looked HUGE, which helped alleviate it.

Copy/pasted Merc bases notwithstanding.

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

how about calling it decay?

 

[Danceofmasks]

How about calling it developers assuming their customers are idiots?

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I just wish firefights took place in more interesting places instead of corridors. I mean yeah, ME1 was also heavily corridored, but the environments were open, and looked HUGE, which helped alleviate it.

Copy/pasted Merc bases notwithstanding.

I was reading XBOX 360 world this week and there was an interview all about ME3. apparently the battle areas are much bigger and wider in ME3, with less 'obvious' placing of cover, which I think means the levels will look more natural and not be so contrived and Gears-esque.

Let's hope so anyway, and let's hope they make the Citadel gigantic again too.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Call it "removing complexities...for the dumbshits.".

Way to completely miss the entire point of the OP.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Call it "removing complexities...for the dumbshits.".

Way to completely miss the entire point of the OP.

Just a thought, but if you are a dumbshit then you should have a sense of humour about being a dumbshit or risk not being able to advance to anything higher.

BTW: All apologies, but this post is not dumbed down.

Even a 'dumbshit' can tell you that sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet.

 

[SageRuffin]

Call it "removing complexities...for the dumbshits.".

Way to completely miss the entire point of the OP.

Just a thought, but if you are a dumbshit then you should have a sense of humour about being a dumbshit or risk not being able to advance to anything higher.

BTW: All apologies, but this post is not dumbed down.

Even a 'dumbshit' can tell you that sarcasm doesn't translate well over the internet.

Ladies, gentlemen, and everything in between, please. This isn't the place for all that.

 

[Zhukov]

Eh, depends.

There's a difference between "dumbing down" and "trimming extraneous bullshit".

And no, I am not going to give examples. I have no desire to be stomped on by various flavours of video game fanatic.

 

[Netrigan]

Eh, depends.

There's a difference between "dumbing down" and "trimming extraneous bullshit".

And no, I am not going to give examples. I have no desire to be stomped on by various flavours of video game fanatic.

A wise man. One man's dumbing down is another man's streamlining.

Mass Effect seems to cause the widest rift. RPG fans seem to hate the removal of the more complex bits, thinking that's the most interesting part of the game play. Action gamers tend to welcome the changes because it makes a better shooter. The balance between these two game styles is pretty wide.

 

[superdelux]

COD has been tremendously dumbed down, did you know the first COD had missions where you DIDN'T CARRY A GUN. Play Black Ops and ask your self if it has any thing close to that.