I'm sort of with the Game Overthinker on this one. Out of all the days so few this one has been my favourite in terms of news because there seems to be a lot of fun on display, granted my opinion is based solely on the news articles that the escapist gives me so there's only so informed my pinion can be described as
The Big Picture: E3-mageddon: Crossover
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Well I'm glad that 6 minutes of that episode was devoted entirely to uninteresting character introductions rather than actually talking about anything relevant.
This may be biased because honestly, ever since story came into The Game Overthinker I've just hated it. It seems so forced and Bob may be a decent movie critic but he cannot make the series story driven at all. Then, while I agree with some of the points he was trying to make with the Anti-Thinker because corporate games are sort of in that direction, I also think that just using a strawman was completely lazy. Then having Ivan say "IVAN LIKES INDIE GAMES" over and over almost devalued indie games as a whole. It's like he's using the character to be a stand-in for the 18-25 year old more "hipster" demographic and saying that though they like indie games they don't really understand it (At least that's what I took from it, though I may have been looking too far into it). And I just think that deriding E3 as a whole as a corporate event is kind of dumb, because everyone knows that's what it is. It's a chance for game companies to show off the stuff they have coming down the pipeline to get journalists and consumers excited, as well as let out sales numbers to make stockholders happy.
I dunno, while I like Moviebob he's slowly been grating on me and this episode just seemed wholly like a filler episode to kill time.
This may be biased because honestly, ever since story came into The Game Overthinker I've just hated it. It seems so forced and Bob may be a decent movie critic but he cannot make the series story driven at all. Then, while I agree with some of the points he was trying to make with the Anti-Thinker because corporate games are sort of in that direction, I also think that just using a strawman was completely lazy. Then having Ivan say "IVAN LIKES INDIE GAMES" over and over almost devalued indie games as a whole. It's like he's using the character to be a stand-in for the 18-25 year old more "hipster" demographic and saying that though they like indie games they don't really understand it (At least that's what I took from it, though I may have been looking too far into it). And I just think that deriding E3 as a whole as a corporate event is kind of dumb, because everyone knows that's what it is. It's a chance for game companies to show off the stuff they have coming down the pipeline to get journalists and consumers excited, as well as let out sales numbers to make stockholders happy.
I dunno, while I like Moviebob he's slowly been grating on me and this episode just seemed wholly like a filler episode to kill time.
Just because other people like things that you don't, does not mean you are morally superior to them. And even if it did, it still doesn't give you the right to degrade them is such a way. Call of Duty players are not evil, sexist homophobes, they're just people who happen to like the gameplay. Yes, some of them are the kind of morally reprehensible people nerd culture has made them out to be. But I also know lots of guys who like Call of Duty, and who are perfectly nice people.
Yes, I get that the Anti-Thinker is meant to be parody, but here's the thing. While the exaggerated CoD fan is a sexist asshole, the (maybe) exaggerated Nintendo fan wants more creativity. If you're going to take the South Park approach of making people look like idiots, at least have the decency to make both sides equally idiotic.
It'd be really easy too. For instance, make the retrogamer demand nothing but old-school platformers while dismissing experimental indie stuff because they're not "games". It'd still be in bad taste, but at least it wouldn't be as horribly biased.
Look, I really like your analytical stuff, even if I don't always agree with you. But what you're doing here is taking cheap shots at people who can't fight back. Essentially, you're bullying.
Yes, I get that the Anti-Thinker is meant to be parody, but here's the thing. While the exaggerated CoD fan is a sexist asshole, the (maybe) exaggerated Nintendo fan wants more creativity. If you're going to take the South Park approach of making people look like idiots, at least have the decency to make both sides equally idiotic.
It'd be really easy too. For instance, make the retrogamer demand nothing but old-school platformers while dismissing experimental indie stuff because they're not "games". It'd still be in bad taste, but at least it wouldn't be as horribly biased.
Look, I really like your analytical stuff, even if I don't always agree with you. But what you're doing here is taking cheap shots at people who can't fight back. Essentially, you're bullying.
That is not even close to what Mr. Chipman said. He very specifically and explicitly said he is talking about misogynists, racists, and xenophobes. If what you actually heard is that you are a bad person for being white and male, then that is a matter to take up with your conscience, not to falsely attribute to someone else.Scrumpmonkey said:
In my opinion, you hit the nail on the head here. It seems most people disliked the video for it's style, but for those taking issue with the Anti-Thinker, it does seem a little bit like a bit of a backlash because of the possible reflection to their own mindset. But I could be wrong.JimB said:
Personally, I enjoyed the video, and as someone who has never heard of this side of Bob's work before (probably why I'm more accepting of the concept, to those who already have an opinion formed) I found it interesting.
I'm sure this is great for the people who appreciate whatever this video is referencing, but I didn't make it to the prediction section. I found the attempt at comedy and the references to things I haven't seen to be painfully unfunny, and tapped out pretty fast. It certainly didn't make me curious.
"I'm a white male in my early thirties living in the suburbs with copious disposable income and, not by accident, very few actual life responsibilities. And my primary interests in entertainment are aggressively violent mono-dimensional simulations of retrograde masculine power fantasies for me to seize upon as an outlet for my reflexive hatred of those different than me and deeply ingrained misogyny, and to provide catharsis for my fears of change, paralyzing sexual insecurity, and looming dread that I am adrift and without purpose in an evolving post-patriarchal society that may well have no genuine use for the likes of me.
So basically, the video game industry very rarely lets *me* down!"
God I love this. It's one of my favorite quotes now.
Is anti-thinker a straw-man? Yes. But it's not like straw-men have no legitimate uses. In this case it's an incredibly effective way of describing a lot of what's wrong with the video game industry right now, and what it's describing is a very real phenomenon. And it doesn't mean that if you like Call of Duty or Halo that you're a misogynistic racist dullard man-child, so everyone just chill out.
So basically, the video game industry very rarely lets *me* down!"
God I love this. It's one of my favorite quotes now.
Is anti-thinker a straw-man? Yes. But it's not like straw-men have no legitimate uses. In this case it's an incredibly effective way of describing a lot of what's wrong with the video game industry right now, and what it's describing is a very real phenomenon. And it doesn't mean that if you like Call of Duty or Halo that you're a misogynistic racist dullard man-child, so everyone just chill out.
This was the worst video I've ever seen on the site.
Poorly shot, annoying, weird, bad quality video, visually unappealing, intellectually bad, and poorly paced felt like I was watching something from 2008. Also it had no overall message or any type of succinct commentary or point to make, It was just not very good.
Poorly shot, annoying, weird, bad quality video, visually unappealing, intellectually bad, and poorly paced felt like I was watching something from 2008. Also it had no overall message or any type of succinct commentary or point to make, It was just not very good.
I really enjoyed the change of pace here.
It took me about a minute to see where the Game Overthinker stuff was coming from conceptually but once I got the idea it was pretty funny to watch, moreso when given context with appearance actual MovieBob.
It took me about a minute to see where the Game Overthinker stuff was coming from conceptually but once I got the idea it was pretty funny to watch, moreso when given context with appearance actual MovieBob.
I couldn't watch even a quarter of the way through. Please, never let anything like this happen again. I want to like The Big Picture, but if I have to wonder if stuff like this is gonna happen in it, I'll find another source for that kind of thing -just like I replaced your Escape to the Movies with Jeremy Jahns.
Okay that got boring really fast.
Is this video any good? If so give me a timestamp where it stops being annoying. If not then Imma gonna go rewatch the Palutena reveal trailer.
Is this video any good? If so give me a timestamp where it stops being annoying. If not then Imma gonna go rewatch the Palutena reveal trailer.
Bob and his multiple personalities. Also Retro-Thinker pretty much nailed why I don't pay attention to E3. It's a bunch of smoke and mirrors, hot air and promises. Also style of substance etc. etc.
I am really, really disappointed that a movie critic would accept such god-awful production values and put them to air. Critic videos always face a certain level of scrutiny. But holy shitballs, that was atrocious. Buy a freaking soft box light and even a cheap clip mic. I have a couple of spares lying around I would gladly post they are that cheap. Maybe upgrade from vhs or dv. It's like finding out that this food critic you respect eats pot noodles for dinner. This is not about technical ability. It is just sheer laziness. The content was lost on me completely due to the horrible washed out 'lighting' that a first year film student would not accept and echoy sound that is inexcusable.
A critic of movies must be regarded as above the average filmgoer in terms of appreciation of the craft. You don't need to be Roger Deakins. But when a guy whos reviews you take about 10 minutes out of the week to watch produces something so painfully and obviously bad. You really need to question your bookmarks. I am shocked that you could look at that and say "That is the composition and lighting I need" and then be critical about the way any film was put together. I am being hard about this because someone fucking has to be. If I turned in a video like that I would be fired and I have never proclaimed myself an expert on anything.
Next time use a clip mic or even use your mic that you use for your VO. Get a cheap video light and put some butcher's grease paper on it to diffuse it and soften it. Put a reflector or tin foil on the coffee table in front of you to fill out your face. Pick a backdrop that either has something in it properly in frame or nothing at all. use only natural light for the background until you get a proper kit. Take down the posters or feature them in shot. Not one or the other. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing half a poster with the light shining off it. Think about composition and what it tells us. (Why does the douchebag, macho gamer still have a NES?)
Get a new camera or use an iphone 4s and up if you are stuck. The 4s can take a clip mic to record sound. This may sound silly but get some matte make up for your face to cover the sheen. Ask for help on that one. I keep some in my kit bag and use it exclusively for guys to get rid of that sheen. This is the bare minimum you need to look good on camera. Jim Sterling took a lot of shit in the early days and now his pieces to camera look better and better because he takes this advice onboard. You and your audience deserve better than this.
A critic of movies must be regarded as above the average filmgoer in terms of appreciation of the craft. You don't need to be Roger Deakins. But when a guy whos reviews you take about 10 minutes out of the week to watch produces something so painfully and obviously bad. You really need to question your bookmarks. I am shocked that you could look at that and say "That is the composition and lighting I need" and then be critical about the way any film was put together. I am being hard about this because someone fucking has to be. If I turned in a video like that I would be fired and I have never proclaimed myself an expert on anything.
Next time use a clip mic or even use your mic that you use for your VO. Get a cheap video light and put some butcher's grease paper on it to diffuse it and soften it. Put a reflector or tin foil on the coffee table in front of you to fill out your face. Pick a backdrop that either has something in it properly in frame or nothing at all. use only natural light for the background until you get a proper kit. Take down the posters or feature them in shot. Not one or the other. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing half a poster with the light shining off it. Think about composition and what it tells us. (Why does the douchebag, macho gamer still have a NES?)
Get a new camera or use an iphone 4s and up if you are stuck. The 4s can take a clip mic to record sound. This may sound silly but get some matte make up for your face to cover the sheen. Ask for help on that one. I keep some in my kit bag and use it exclusively for guys to get rid of that sheen. This is the bare minimum you need to look good on camera. Jim Sterling took a lot of shit in the early days and now his pieces to camera look better and better because he takes this advice onboard. You and your audience deserve better than this.
Wow, a lot of people on this site are just getting their first glimpse of the game overthinker I see. Ya, It can be a little painful to watch outside the discussions, but I guess you have to view it more as a hobby than anything approaching professional. Bob may have been better off keeping it off this sight though, it'll probably scare more people away than it attracts.
Agreed, that goes for ALL internet reviewers. I DON'T CARE about you telling a story to liven up a review, I WANT THE DAMN REVIEW!Souplex said:
I... kind of knew who everyone was when the episode started...? I haven't watched GO since Bob joined the Escapist, though, since that's about the time he started the storyline... And it was so disjointed and awkward to me, I found a bit of joy in noticing precisely where Bob merged the two videos together for his spots on the couch... And that's really the only thing I enjoyed in the video.
While I will admit that the "gaming community"(use the phrase loosely) and the gaming industry does have a large number of bad habits, I don't think making a character rattle off what amounts to a checklist of them is the best way to go about handling the issues. With Jim at least he's willing to tackle issues separately and in detail rather than trying to stack them like Lincoln Logs to take out "In one fell swoop" only to land on his face and have the stack fall on top of him. It just comes across as a strawman since you are oversimplifying the issue for the sake of brevity. As for the Game Overthinker, I'm in the group that, whilst liking the discussions, tend to skip the skits since you don't execute them very well IMO.