Why is Skyrim popular?

[Jailbird408]

I love Skyward Sword. (It may seem weird that the first paragraph of a thread has no apparent connection with its title, but bear with me.) It's beautiful, well-written and solid, and really pushes the Wii's hardware to its limit. It is a game that everyone deserves to get, and a game that would turn any graphics junkie or motion-control naysayers into followers of the Nintendo way.
It would, but for some reason, everyone seems to be ignoring it in favor of a completely different game.
Now I have not played this particular game yet, but from what I've heard about it, I'm not sure I want to. A sub-standard if not retarded script, bugs and glitches in every corner of the game, a completely broken and lazy PS3 port and gameplay mechanics that have been outclassed by so many games before it add up to a game that doesn't deserve the memetic status it holds.
I'm not saying it's bad. I'm saying its place in the hearts of everyone here... confuses me.
Which brings me to my question: How did this all start? What were people looking forward to in Skyrim, why did they even care about it, and why is "Arrow to the Knee" of all the lines in the game quoted and twisted like it's an untruthful cake?
tl;dr: Why is Skyrim popular?

 

[Sean Hollyman]

Because people enjoy it, duh.

 

[Zhukov]

Umm... wait a second...

"Skyward Sword is so awesome!"
"Why do people like Skyrim?"

What exactly do these two things have to do with one another? Because I can't help but get the impression that you're sulky about the fact that people (or at least the people here) are talking about Skyrim instead of Zelda.

 

[Jailbird408]

Umm... wait a second...

"Skyward Sword is so awesome!"
"Why do people like Skyrim?"

What exactly do these two things have to do with one another? Because I can't help but get the impression that you're sulky about the fact that people (or at least the people here) are talking about Skyrim instead of Zelda.

You're correct. I am upset that people are talking about Skyrim over Zelda. Having played Skyward Sword, though, I believe that Skyrim would have to be PERFECT to better it to such a degree that it drowns it out. Considering the points I made in the original post, though, it is not perfect, and can't deserve more than SLIGHTLY more PR than Skyward Sword.

 

[Zhukov]

Umm... wait a second...

"Skyward Sword is so awesome!"
"Why do people like Skyrim?"

What exactly do these two things have to do with one another? Because I can't help but get the impression that you're sulky about the fact that people (or at least the people here) are talking about Skyrim instead of Zelda.

You're correct. I am upset that people are talking about Skyrim over Zelda. Having played Skyward Sword, though, I believe that Skyrim would have to be PERFECT to better it to such a degree that it drowns it out. Considering the points I made in the original post, though, it is not perfect, and can't deserve more than SLIGHTLY more PR than Skyward Sword.

Well then... all I can really say is, "Get over it."

Complaining about people discussing a game you don't like over one you do won't change anything and just makes you look like a bit of a fanboy. Admitting you haven't even played Skyrim doesn't help. You're not in any position to pass judgement.

If you want to discuss Skyward Sword this probably isn't the ideal place. For some reason the Escapist forums tend to focus more on RPGs. I'm sure there are loads of Nintendo-centric forums out there with nary a mention of Skyrim, you might want to try one of those.

Oh, and for the record, I found Skyward Sword's writing to be childish at best, it's visuals unremarkable and crippled by the Wii's puny hardware and it's gameplay hobbled by the usual motion control issues. I don't really like Skyrim but I can still see why folks would rather be talking about it.

 

[Jailbird408]

Umm... wait a second...

"Skyward Sword is so awesome!"
"Why do people like Skyrim?"

What exactly do these two things have to do with one another? Because I can't help but get the impression that you're sulky about the fact that people (or at least the people here) are talking about Skyrim instead of Zelda.

You're correct. I am upset that people are talking about Skyrim over Zelda. Having played Skyward Sword, though, I believe that Skyrim would have to be PERFECT to better it to such a degree that it drowns it out. Considering the points I made in the original post, though, it is not perfect, and can't deserve more than SLIGHTLY more PR than Skyward Sword.

Well then... all I can really say is, "Get over it."

Complaining about people discussing a game you don't like over one you do won't change anything and just makes you look like a bit of a fanboy. Admitting you haven't even played Skyrim doesn't help. You're not in any position to pass judgement.

If you want to discuss Skyward Sword this probably isn't the ideal place. For some reason the Escapist forums tend to focus more on RPGs. I'm sure there are loads of Nintendo-centric forums out there with nary a mention of Skyrim, you might want to try one of those.

Oh, and for the record, I found Skyward Sword's writing to be childish at best, it's visuals unremarkable and crippled by the Wii's puny hardware and it's gameplay hobbled by the usual motion control issues. I don't really like Skyrim but I can still see why folks would rather be talking about it.

I AM a fanboy. If you're trying to use that term as an insult it's not working.
I'm not slandering your opinion, but I'm not adopting it either.
And I get the feeling that partaking in this argument isn't getting me any closer to finding out the answer, so I'm bowing out.

 

[Dandark]

Im sorry but I gotta do it.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/5148-The-Legend-of-Zelda-Skyward-Sword

That Skyward Sword that will turn naysayers into fans?

 

[1-up]

If you haven't played it, it's hard to explain. It's a beautiful game (mostly) that scratches the exploration itch. The setting is fairly unique and the mechanics work (although if they added a little more "oomph" to a hit, I'd probably have lost my job and gained 50 lbs 'cause I'd never stop playing).

Really though, it probably boils down to Bethesda's massive marketing campaign. They WANTED to grab every player they could and they paid dearly for the advertising for it. Nintendo pretty much relied on "It's a new Zelda, it'll market itself" regarding marketing.

It is kind of funny though - I got both Zelda and Skyrim pretty much the same week (A conveniently located birthday this year). Played 50+ hours of Skyrim while Zelda is maybe 7 or 8. Nothing really wrong with Skyward Sword, but between work, wife, kids, and chores you need to prioritize gametime. Skyrim is usually what I'm in the mood for.

 

[galdon2004]

Skyward sword is for the Wii while Skyrim is for the computer, XBOX, and PS3 perhaps?

The gigantic modding community from older Elder Scrolls games having a new game to play with perhaps?

Being able to shout at someone and make them fly off a cliff perhaps?

Its a Bethesda game, the bugs, glitches, and imbalances were to be expected, because they rarely polish up their games. I submit to you though, can you in skyward sword download a mod to turn crabs into Dr. Zoidberg?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od-b82jxj4E

 

[Derek_the_Dodo]

I love Skyrim. (It may seem weird that the first paragraph of this post has no apparent connection with skyward sword, but bear with me.) It's beautiful, well-written and solid, and really pushes the hardware to its limit. It is a game that everyone deserves to get, and a game that would turn any low graphics junkie or motion-control whore into followers of the Bethesda way.
It would, but for some reason, you seems to be ignoring it in favor of a completely different game.
Now I have not played this particular game yet, but from what I've heard about it, I'm not sure I want to. A sub-standard if not retarded rehash, with repetitiveness in every corner of the game, a completely broken and lazy attempt at motion controls and gameplay mechanics that have been outclassed by so many games before it add up to a game that doesn't deserve the memetic status it holds.
I'm not saying it's bad. I'm saying its place in the heart of you... confuses me.
Which brings me to my question: How did this all start? What were you looking forward to in Skyward sword, why do you even care about it, and why is "It's dangerous to go alone! take this" of all the lines in the game series quoted and twisted like it's an untruthful cake?
tl;dr: Why is Skyward sword popular in your OPINION?

 

[JesterRaiin]

Why is Skyrim popular?

I don't know how about the rest of people but i was paid 20$s by Bethesda to come here and scream how much i love Skyrim.

I LOVE SKYRIM VERY MUCH !

 

[Neverhoodian]

Now I have not played this particular game yet, but from what I've heard about it, I'm not sure I want to. A sub-standard if not retarded script, bugs and glitches in every corner of the game, a completely broken and lazy PS3 port and gameplay mechanics that have been outclassed by so many games before it add up to a game that doesn't deserve the memetic status it holds.
I'm not saying it's bad. I'm saying its place in the hearts of everyone here... confuses me.

Question: have you played an Elder Scrolls game before? If not, then I don't think you should be so quick to pass judgement on it. It also seems like you're cherry-picking all the criticisms about the game to bolster your argument while ignoring the praise.

The Elder Scrolls series are so beloved because they're essentially the ultimate fantasy "sand box" game. After creating a character from one of ten races and literally thousands of potential stat builds and playing through a short tutorial, the game tosses you out into the world and basically says "okay, go do whatever you want. Have fun!" While some may find this open ended aspect disjointed and unfocused, many find the unbridled freedom exhilarating. Want to explore that mountain cave for the heck of it? Sure. Want to hunt game? Absolutely. Want to slaughter a village? You can (though don't expect the guards to just stand idly by while you do it).

Add a rich tapestry of background lore and you really feel like you're interacting in a fully realized world. Yes there may be some bugs and glitches along the way. Yes some elements of gameplay can be clunky at times. However, most view such drawbacks as a small price to pay since few other games are so ambitious in scope (and fewer still manage to pull it off).

 

[Joseph McConnell]

One of the main draws for me with Skyrim is that you are not forced into a linear storyline. Skyrim is a massive game that gives you many many choices on how to go about playing it. The play area is huge and the graphics are astounding. There is a ton of things to explore, and to me, Skyrim has a really high replay value. According to Jimquisition - the story doesn't end with the completion of the main quest, you can continue with unlimited side quests that are generated by various NPCs, which pretty much makes the game perpetual. See the video here:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/jimquisition/5014-How-Skyrim-Proves-The-Industry-Wrong

In other words, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this title.

 

[Rack]

Skyrim isn't perfect but it's wide and deep and broad. There's just an enormous amount to DO in it. It's been a really long time since there was a game you could so readily explore and ignore major plot threads without the game feeling thin as a result. No matter how much you may like Zelda it's going to be an experience that runs out much more quickly. Of course it doesn't help that Skyward Sword is far from a perfect Zelda, if it was the equivalent of Mario Galaxy it could at least grab a decent chunk of attention but really it's solid but unspectacular, a few people love it, but it's lacking in too many key areas for universal acclaim.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

You don't get why people love Skyrim, and I don't get why they like Zelda. Oh, how diverse is this world.