Why I'm entitled to be entitled

[FeloniousMonk]

Particularly irritating to me is the readiness of some to condemn criticism as 'entitlement'.

For clarity, I'll be using the Oxford dictionary's definition of 'entitlement', which is as follows.

Definition of entitlement
noun

the fact of having a right to something: "full entitlement to fees and maintenance should be offered", "you should be fully aware of your legal entitlements"
the amount to which a person has a right: annual leave entitlement

Given that paying customers are in fact by legal definition entitled, I think it's time people start using the term in its proper context.

By the very fact of purchasing a game, I am entitled to its contents. That includes an entitlement to the game as described and depicted in promotional material.

If I don't get what is promised to me in the near-sacred bond that is the cornerstone of capitalist civilization, the bond between customer and provider, it is my duty to warn others of this fact.

It seems PC gamers are expected to be venture investors in new games, being egged on to support games regardless of whether they merit such support, this is evident in the recent case of Dark Souls for PC. Seemingly prevalent is the attitude that we should simultaneously;

a.) Support the product by buying it (whether or not we like it, in the hopes of a better future product.)
b.) Refrain from the criticism that is a right of investors and shareholders.

If we don't do both, we are automatically branded as entitled, elitist jerks. I wonder how many thousands of times those words, in that order, have been used to demonize and marginalize PC gamers with legitimate concerns.

So yep, I'm entitled as they come, and I'm proud of it.

 

[Squidbulb]

You're just arguing semantics here, I'm not entirely sure what you're complaining about.
However, from my experience the "you're acting too entitled" argument usually turns up when a gamer finds that the game they bought isn't exactly like they wanted it to be.
Also, when has this argument been specifically used against PC gamers? From my experience it's mostly used against unreasonable twits.

 

[FeloniousMonk]

You're just arguing semantics here, I'm not entirely sure what you're complaining about.
However, from my experience the "you're acting too entitled" argument usually turns up when a gamer finds that the game they bought isn't exactly like they wanted it to be.
Also, when has this argument been specifically used against PC gamers? From my experience it's mostly used against unreasonable twits.

I would contend that when people want something to be no more or less than the advertised product, that criticism is warranted when their expectation is violated.

If, for example, I buy a game, implicit in the transaction is that I'm happy with the advertised product. The game should conform to the promotional image of said game.

For example, see oblivion's supposed radiant AI system, or skyrim's "dynamic economy" and the ability to sabotage economies. If changes to the product occur, they should be noted. If a studio can't fully develop feature x or feature y, there should be pre-release notes where they explicitly say so.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

You're just arguing semantics here, I'm not entirely sure what you're complaining about.

However, from my experience the "you're acting too entitled" argument usually turns up when a gamer finds that the game they bought isn't exactly like they wanted it to be.

Also, when has this argument been specifically used against PC gamers? From my experience it's mostly used against unreasonable twits.

Actually "you're acting entitled" usually turns up in response to every criticism of anything, everywhere. This is the most flagrant and exhausting abuse of a word since we put an embargo on the use of the term "the information superhighway".

 

[FalloutJack]

-LOGIC!-

Listen, Felonious. You're approaching this wrong. This is a gaming community. We don't HAVE any logic.

Okay okay, in all seriousness the problem isn't definition or your actual rights that people are at odds with. The truth is they just use the damn term improperly. The word they MEAN to use is 'greedy' or 'selfish' or 'whiney'. Entitlement has subtley been used as a slang term for this line of thinking, as though people are overstepping some invisible line in the sand. I'm gonna say, personally, that this is bullshit. The customer is always right! And me? I'm a customer.