Modern Gamers don't want games to look like Video games

[Schreck157]

Video games are a staple of nerd culture, right? I think we can all agree on this. And since video games have been transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry, I think we can all assume that "nerd" culture is finally starting to become the norm right? Well I think I've found a reason as to why it's not.
Truth is, the modern person (using the broadest of possible definitions here) still doesn't like/appreciate nerd culture.
"But since video games/comic movies/ etc. are taking over pop culture, doesn't that mean it is winning over the majority of people?" you might hear someone say.
Yes, but more importantly, no! You see, the average audience only like things that are associated with nerd culture when it's being dressed up as something profoundly less nerdy. Let me provide an example.
A lot of people play video games now, and I'll use FPSs as an example. IT seems that all modern First Person Shooters are become less story line driven, more multiplayer focused, less intellectually stimulating and more brown! Well wait a second, nerds love a good story, especially a well told one, we usually are socially awkward and some of us loathe the idea of forced interactions with other people (online matchmaking), and we love visually stimulating screens; why do you think WoW is such a huge nerd hit? Fantasy story elements, interacting with other people is purely optional ( unless on a PvP server ) and BRIGHT F*CKING COLORS!
"The average" gamers don't embrace nerd culture, they reject it. They're trying to take something exclusively nerdy and strip away all the things we love in our media and dumb it down so that it's more accessible to more idiotic normal people to come and join and scream in my ear while playing CoD!!
Ok, that was a bit of a tangent, but it does reveal a disturbing pattern. Take comic books. The movies based off of them have been making money like crazy and have become very popular and dominating in the movie landscape. But compared to the actual comic books on which they're based, they're simple, blander, and even kinda dumb. As MovieBob is so quick to tell us "COMICS ARE WEEEEEEEIRD!" and it's their weirdness that nerd latched onto, and in fact, created. Multi-layered complex story lines, dense and weaving continuities, bright colorful outfits. Hell yeah nerds love comics.
Is this what nerds have to look forward to? Is everything we hold dear and consider corner stones of our culture eventually just going to be taken away from us and dumbed down for a broader more "normal" audience?

 

[lacktheknack]

Well, WoW still exists...

Anyways, I don't feel that nerd culture NEEDS to take the world by storm any more than, say, Goth culture does. If it fits a niche, then let it stay there.

 

[theevilsanta]

I disagree with a lot of what you said. Also, why can't the non nerd mainstream enjoy video games? We'll always be here, and the creators among us will keep creating for us. Contrary to popular belief - the world isn't ending.

 

[AquaAscension]

So on a bit of a tangent: mass media does this to everything, not just "nerd culture" as you put it. Music is an (arguable) example. Mainstream music is pretty dumbed down in the sense of chord progression, key change, rhythm, but it's the simple stuff that's accessible to just about everyone. So the real question is why? The answer is money. You make something that appeals to only a relatively small niche/minority, and it may catch on and create some very passionate fanboy/girls, but generally only in that small portion. Other opportuni... entrepeneurs catch wind of this success (and these are the people who make money, mind you), and they turn it into something mass marketable, i.e. dumbed down so as to appeal to the common man. The truth, the sad truth, is that one could actually take the time to make these very complex and intricate stores more mass friendly, but as we all know, time is money. It's easier to make a mass product that's not that great in which also not much is invested than it is to make something heavily invested with time/money and take a chance for it to fail. This is really the reason for all the sameyness in games these days. People see that FP Shoot people in the face made money, so they start making FP Shoot people in the face AND have the face explode in confetti and tits (again attempting to appeal to the demographic they've researched). It's a process of artistic vs. investment. I guess.

So, to answer your question: yes. And no. Most everything intended for Joe and Jane Normal will likely be dumbed down, but that doesn't mean we won't have our fair share of Scott Pilgrims or Limbos or... Minecrafts... I guess... but once those start making money, you'll see a bunch more lego based gameplay just around the corner.

 

[Chibz]

Just putting it out there, but I don't know where you're from. Or how long you've been gaming (It matters) but...

Most nerds where I live don't care THAT much about storyline in games. Most the games of my childhood, when gaming was at its "nerdiest" was almost exclusively about GAMEplay. Plots were excuse plots at best.

Storyline heavy games are a (relatively) recent development.

Lastly, I'm one of the most "nerdy" people I know and I don't enjoy games having intrusive storylines. (As in: Stories that get in the way of the GAMEplay). If I want a deep story with interesting characters I'll (usually) read a book or watch a TV show/movie. I primarily play a game for the interactive part.

Wait. I think you've gotten it exactly backward. WoW isn't a "nerd hit". It's the anti-thesis of nerd-dom. The polar opposite. Everything about it...

You know what, this is a waste of my time. And yours. As you were...

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Apart from disagreeing with most of your initial assumptions (FPS were never "story-driven" in the first place, ESPECIALLY not when they were pure nerd-fuel, there are several AAA titles that are decisivly "nerdy" and/or story heavy and/or complex etc.), I simply disagree with your observation.
You REALLY believe the video game industry provides us with LESS weird shit than they did a couple of years ago ? That video games of days past were "smarter" than what we have today ?
As someone who has been gaming for a good 15 years, I can say with conviction that is simply not true.

 

[MrGalactus]

Some games are not nerd culture, and most gamers are not members of the nerd culture, Like CoD and it's multiplayer participants. They're super wicked awesome people, bro.
The nerds of the gaming culture are the kind of people that go on internet forums to talk about the impact games have on society and the direction of industry as a medium.
Err...

 

[Omikron009]

Interacting with others is optional in WoW? Isn't the fact that it's massively multiplayer the whole point? Also, if I want an intellectually stimulating game with a deep story, I don't play shooters. FPS games are designed to keep your adrenaline flowing with fast paced action (generally), and most people have trouble focusing on intense gameplay and deep story at the same time. That's why RPGs generally have a slower pace than shooters, and story-focused shooters (like Half Life 2) don't keep the action constant to increase immersion and allow for exposition and such.

 

[AndrewF022]

I think you were playing WoW the wrong way if you consider the socializing side of it to be optional, playing that game as if it were a single player game would be a waste of what made that game great.

Also as mentioned before the whole story aspect being on full display is a new thing for gaming, and that is one of the things which makes it appeal to a broader spectrum of players, a decade ago almost all story telling was done visually, a sort of mis en scene for games if you will.

plus as a nerd I can say that I love multiplayer, and particularly shooters, so saying that they're dumbed down for the sake of others is probably not entirely true, I mean Counter Strike was made what 10 years ago and its probably one of the most basic shooters I've ever played, and probably the best despite that.

 

[beniki]

Yup, Quake was a technicolour single player story based game, with a thought provoking plot. Now look at Halo. Look at those drab primary coloured enemies.

I get where you're coming from though. It's not in the trends you think you're seeing, it's just the corprotisation of the video games industry. We used to have some anti-social nerds lurking in their caves mashing out code all day. Now we have some suit wearing business guys hovering over their shoulders muttering about release dates as they sit in relatively nice and well lit offices.

It's not a bad thing, it just means that our inherent weirdness is restrained a bit more.

And nerd culture will never be considered the norm. That's kind of the point

 

[aPod]

Just putting it out there, but I don't know where you're from. Or how long you've been gaming (It matters) but...

Most nerds where I live don't care THAT much about storyline in games. Most the games of my childhood, when gaming was at its "nerdiest" was almost exclusively about GAMEplay. Plots were excuse plots at best.

Storyline heavy games are a (relatively) recent development.

Lastly, I'm one of the most "nerdy" people I know and I don't enjoy games having intrusive storylines. (As in: Stories that get in the way of the GAMEplay). If I want a deep story with interesting characters I'll (usually) read a book or watch a TV show/movie. I primarily play a game for the interactive part.

Wait. I think you've gotten it exactly backward. WoW isn't a "nerd hit". It's the anti-thesis of nerd-dom. The polar opposite. Everything about it...

You know what, this is a waste of my time. And yours. As you were...

You said it was a waist of my time but I like what you've said here.

It just goes to show how difficult it is to find agreement even within a subculture. Although, nerdom is hardly subculture anymore, seems like the "cool kids" are beginning to enjoy just how awesome the stuff people say is nerdy is.

 

[Casual Shinji]

You know why comic-based movies tend to be blander than the actual comic? Because what works as a drawing doesn't automatically work in live-action. Wolverine looks great in comicbook form, but translate it into live-action and he'll look like a freaking moron in his yellow spandex.

And as for the dense and weaving continuities; you can keep 'm.

Yes, things get oversimplified for the mass market, but what the hell kind of a world do you think we're living in? Movies need to make their money back quickly these days or else they're considerd a failure. The only way to do that is to make it as easily-accessible and un-confrontational as possible. Why do you think Avatar was such a big hit?

 

[bader0]

Some games are not nerd culture, and most gamers are not members of the nerd culture, Like CoD and it's multiplayer participants. They're super wicked awesome people, bro.
The nerds of the gaming culture are the kind of people that go on internet forums to talk about the impact games have on society and the direction of industry as a medium.
Err...

and what is wrong with being a nerd, what is so wrong with being inherently nerdy i am nerdy and yet i socialize very well i have many friends and do things with said friends all the time. just because i like videogames and reading books doesn't make me a social outcast or a bad person. I think the reason this stereotype has come about is that some nerdy people simply don't interact with people and use the excuse "its because im a nerd no-one wants to talk to me" when the truth is you have to make an effort. also some people i know are think that everyone is going to want to talk about you're games if someone is not interested in playing videogames why would you bring it up in conversation?

 

[xPixelatedx]

...First Person Shooters are become less story line driven, ...

I hope I don't crash while driving home tonight pondering that sentence.

I am also loving the contradictions.

Yup, Quake was a technicolour single player story based game, with a thought provoking plot. Now look at Halo. Look at those drab primary coloured enemies.

I love sarcasm, it's like the nectar of the gods.

I think what he meant was they are becoming less single player driven and yes, that's true. Even the top selling FPS's of today have campaigns that were 'called in'. Oh, they are pretty, but they are short, like a few hours long if you go straight through. Developers are putting all their hopes on it being enjoyed solely for the multiplayer, which is lazy developing in my opinion.

 

[bader0]

Video games are a staple of nerd culture, right? I think we can all agree on this. And since video games have been transformed into a multi-billion dollar industry, I think we can all assume that "nerd" culture is finally starting to become the norm right? Well I think I've found a reason as to why it's not.
Truth is, the modern person (using the broadest of possible definitions here) still doesn't like/appreciate nerd culture.
"But since video games/comic movies/ etc. are taking over pop culture, doesn't that mean it is winning over the majority of people?" you might hear someone say.
Yes, but more importantly, no! You see, the average audience only like things that are associated with nerd culture when it's being dressed up as something profoundly less nerdy. Let me provide an example.
A lot of people play video games now, and I'll use FPSs as an example. IT seems that all modern First Person Shooters are become less story line driven, more multiplayer focused, less intellectually stimulating and more brown! Well wait a second, nerds love a good story, especially a well told one, we usually are socially awkward and some of us loathe the idea of forced interactions with other people (online matchmaking), and we love visually stimulating screens; why do you think WoW is such a huge nerd hit? Fantasy story elements, interacting with other people is purely optional ( unless on a PvP server ) and BRIGHT F*CKING COLORS!
"The average" gamers don't embrace nerd culture, they reject it. They're trying to take something exclusively nerdy and strip away all the things we love in our media and dumb it down so that it's more accessible to more idiotic normal people to come and join and scream in my ear while playing CoD!!
Ok, that was a bit of a tangent, but it does reveal a disturbing pattern. Take comic books. The movies based off of them have been making money like crazy and have become very popular and dominating in the movie landscape. But compared to the actual comic books on which they're based, they're simple, blander, and even kinda dumb. As MovieBob is so quick to tell us "COMICS ARE WEEEEEEEIRD!" and it's their weirdness that nerd latched onto, and in fact, created. Multi-layered complex story lines, dense and weaving continuities, bright colorful outfits. Hell yeah nerds love comics.
Is this what nerds have to look forward to? Is everything we hold dear and consider corner stones of our culture eventually just going to be taken away from us and dumbed down for a broader more "normal" audience?

If nerds really care about storyline, why the fuck is WoW so popular and an epitome of nerd culture, when it has no fucking story. You decry the popularity of online multiplayer FPSs as for the dumb kids, but WoW is smart? how so?

wow has no storyline???? really?. wow has the longest most refined storyline of any game ever made they actually made a book about it. also it has a rich in depth theory crafting aspect im not arguing that wow is better than cod but by all means it certainly requires a higher level of intellect

 

[xPixelatedx]

Your tangent kind of went all over the place, but I got the idea of what you were saying in the title. It is really sad when a recent movie 'Scott Pilgrim' feels more like a video game then actual video games. Everyone is just trying to make interactive CGI these days, I think they forgot the art style of what made this genre of entertainment appealing in the first place.

Thankfully not everyone has forgotten.

Let us hope more games like this come out in the future. Hopefully we will see sprite based games return to consoles as well.

 

[RevRaptor]

Wait what? since when have video games belonged to nerds and as for fps games becoming less story driven WTF. Yea because Wolfenstein 3d and doom were known for rivalling the works of Shakespeare. I'm a gamer from way back, when being a gamer was a thing an identity and I have never been a nerd. I think it's a good thing that games are so accepted.

 

[MrGalactus]

Some games are not nerd culture, and most gamers are not members of the nerd culture, Like CoD and it's multiplayer participants. They're super wicked awesome people, bro.
The nerds of the gaming culture are the kind of people that go on internet forums to talk about the impact games have on society and the direction of industry as a medium.
Err...

and what is wrong with being a nerd, what is so wrong with being inherently nerdy i am nerdy and yet i socialize very well i have many friends and do things with said friends all the time. just because i like videogames and reading books doesn't make me a social outcast or a bad person. I think the reason this stereotype has come about is that some nerdy people simply don't interact with people and use the excuse "its because im a nerd no-one wants to talk to me" when the truth is you have to make an effort. also some people i know are think that everyone is going to want to talk about you're games if someone is not interested in playing videogames why would you bring it up in conversation?

Oh, nothing is wrong with nerdy-ness! I am just the same way, I was just saying that I don't think that Gamer is synonymous with outcast/nerd/whatever anymore. It is very much a social norm. And then there are people who love the medium like you, me, and our fellow escapists, who would be considered the gamer nerds because of our enthusiasm for the subject. Everything has it's own nerd following!