Poll: Does anyone else feel like "Extra Credits" is full of shit?

[Kragg]

A bunch of pretentious idiots yapping about art all the time. They even took Bioware's side on the whole Mass Effect 3 issue. After that there is no redemption for them in my eyes.

Here's a bunch of people who actually think that Bioware made an artistic choice when they made that abomination of an ending. That's how retarded they can be.

1 mistake doesn't invalidate everything something does, it is not like they murdered someone (and you know deus ex had a "choose your ending" machine as well)

ontopic: their stuff is usually a little light on research, but that has the added benefit of wanting me to look into stuff that interests me more. i think they do what the want to do very well, peak peoples interest into this stuff, not be a vault of information

 

[theblindedhunter]

Disagree totally. I've never walked away from one of their videos without being more edified than I was prior, never thought them pretentious or condescending, and personally would ascribe any lack to the fact that they can't really put out all the detail they would like to because they have day jobs.
I think there is a certain amount of leaving the viewer to think about what is going on for themselves, and they have to speak on a certain level if they want to let everyone understand things, which to me explains some of those problems, but "full of shit" is not applicable at all.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Sometimes they can get a bit pushy, but overall, they're pretty awesome;
The show did make me look at game design in a new light.

 

[Signa]

I see what you're saying OP, but they aren't trying to implement changes as much as just illustrate when things went right, and leave it up to the creative people to design their own version of that. I don't know why people keep using the word "pretentious" with them, because all they want is to advance the medium beyond the shallow cashcow it is now. It's a worthy goal, and one I agree with. I certainly didn't start gaming looking for art, but as time has gone on, my favorite games are all works of art in various fashions. "That Scene" in Bioshock is one of the biggest reasons why the I loved the game so much. The combat mechanics are piss-poor at times, and the player's power progression gets stupid after a while, even in hard mode, but "that scene" sets that game apart from just about every other game released this generation. EC wants more of that, that is all.

 

[Dragoon]

Some of their stuff is good but some of it is also pure bullshit. Don't get me wrong I do like them I just don't like all their stuff.

 

[Bostur]

They are usually a good catalyst for some interesting thoughts. I don't always agree with them, hell I mostly disagree with them, but I see that as a quality.

I don't think they are pretentious, there is some substance to what they discuss. And they clearly base their opinions on concrete experience. They have opinions yes, I don't see that as a bad thing.

 

[Supertegwyn]

Yeah, I really do.

They generally seem like assholes really.

This.

I hate them bastards.

 

[not_you]

They're not really doing this because they're trying to make out what the "best game evarr" would be made up of....

alright, well maybe they are... But, all the people who work on it have full-time jobs of their own so them making a game is a bit much to expect...
To be honest, I'm not sure why they continue to break down games/mechanics/theorys/ideals/whatever in such a way, but... I don't know, can't help but feel like I've learnt something after each episode...

It's an interesting concept, but... y'know, maybe some of the things they mention need to be said, and with a support bus large enough to get them to keep going, they must be doing something right.....
right?

 

[Formica Archonis]

I thought they were occasionally full of it, but then I interacted with the writer in the hiatus between the Escapist and Penny Arcade. Didn't take too long before I decided he wasn't just occasionally full of it, he was entirely and insufferably full of himself, and it's hard to watch something when you want to throw a brick at the author. So after the first PA one, I dropped the show entirely.

But I admit I still use his triple-click story as an example of why you use testers outside your coders.

 

[Owlslayer]

I don`t think so. I find their videos fun to watch, and a bit educational.
Don`t really have much else to say about them. Still watch all the stuff they post on youtube.

 

[itsthesheppy]

They'll talk all artsy about games like Loneliness but skimp on the examples and implementations. It just bugs me that if they think they know so much better then why don't they make a flash game themselves? (they were able to raise enough money for surgery or whatever)

They do work in the games/entertainment industry. The writer is a gaming consultant, the artist is a graphic designer and the host works for Pixar. Derp.

I find their commentary insightful and valuable. If you don't, well, that's just, like, your opinion, man.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

So you're saying that you don't like theory or abstraction then? Only practical application? That's fine.

Yes, they sometimes paint in broad strokes, but some of us prefer that sort of "big picture" thinking.

Behind every great scientific breakthrough, there's a theorist with a vivid imagination. Einstein's work wasn't particularly practical, but he got famous for his ability to conceptualize things in ways no one ever had before. Other scientists had to take his ideas and figure out the practical applications themselves.

Extra Credits never claims to have all the right answers. They just say "here's something to think about. Do with it what you will."

Are you saying that extra credits are unrecognised geniuses on a par with the young Einstein?

 

[Mr Pantomime]

Yeah, so many people think Extra Credits is full of Shit.

Not me though, I think theyre alright.

 

[Rack]

They're the only critics I've seen that consistently seem to be able to offer new and relevant insights on issues surrounding game design. Being ALWAYS the voice of optimism can sometimes rankle but I can't deny that they know what they're talking about.

 

[Phasmal]

Nope.
I like them, and they make good points.
Sometimes I feel people dismiss the good points they make just because they said it.

Besides, it's nice to have a bit of optimism.

 

[Dogstile]

I thought they were full of shit, mainly because I got introduced to them while they were going on the games are art episodes and jumping on EA (because that's a challenging thing to do, obviously >.>).

They just seemed really up themselves. Its the way they speak, it doesn't leave any room for discussion. They bring up a couple of points out of hundreds that been brought up, argue against and basically say "and that is why we are right and you are wrong".

I don't think I would have a problem if they didn't speak as if they were talking down to the audience, but they are. I expect this is what lost them so many fans during the games are art phase, because people disagreed with them and noticed that when you're on the other side of the argument, they're dicks about it.

 

[V8 Ninja]

I like Extra Credit's base messages and intentions, but they usually wrap them in a bit of pretension and condescension. Also, I do disagree with them from time-to-time, but I never so strongly disagree that I end up disliking them.

EDIT:

*Snips of snips*

They do work in the games/entertainment industry. The writer is a gaming consultant, the artist is a graphic designer and the host works for Pixar. Derp.

...Wait a second, Daniel Floyd works for PIXAR?!

[checks the Pixar wiki, finds Daniel Floyd]

...HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THIS?!?! I've seen the show for over a year and not once has the mention of him being a member of one of the most successful and well-liked Western animation studios has ever come up!

 

[BloatedGuppy]

They've done some good stuff. I was actually quite enjoying them right up until that astonishingly ill advised gaming addiction segment where James mumbles at the camera for 25 minutes, sharing utterly pointless and zero impact anecdotes about how gaming totally made him miss a movie with friends one night, or something. It has this wildly overdone air of forced gravitas which is completely at odds with the power of the material...you're on pins and needles expecting the guy to tell you he has bodies stacked in his cellar like cordwood, and absolutely nothing happened. I don't know if it was a scripted misfire, or a case of James taking himself entirely too seriously and having zero perspective, or a case of this actually being a meaningful experience for him and he's just mis-reading the impact it will have on others. Like trying to tell someone about a dream you had.

Anyway, yeah. I have a hard time watching them after that. The whole thing is just faintly embarrassing now.

 

[crazyrabbits]

I'll only say this. The one episode I watched (on the ethics of Day-1 DLC) was full of nonsensical talking points and erroneous information. I didn't watch another one afterwards.