Gamer Elitism

[Andara Bledin]

EA doesn't employ psychologists to help make their game's more addictive far as I know. Nor did they merge with the darkest evil in the entire industry: Activision.

Don't bet on that. They do own Pogo and a couple of other casual badge/item collection gaming sites and I'd be shocked if they didn't have the same type of staff for optimal reward return to get people to keep their subscriptions up.

But you're probably totally correct about Kotick.

^-.-^

[SongsOfDragons]

I'm a semi-casual gamer. I'm fussy over my games and I pick and choose which ones I want. I haven't bought a PC game since...Dawn of War: Dark Crusade. My laptop doesn't like the games I want to play (Pharaoh, RCTII, AoE II...) but thankfully I have a small XP non-connected desktop that works lovely. ^^

The *only* games I have for my Wii are all the Mii ones. Wii Sports, Wii Fit, Wii Play, etc. They're the only ones I'm interested in, as I'm using my Wii as a party machine or for me and Housemate to exercise with. And yay Miis and bright colours ^^ I wouldn't want to sit there and play a serious long-term game with it. I just wish they'd release another Mii Wii game. I have been lambasted for this a lot in the past...but frankly, those doing the yelling have plenty to entertain them that isn't going away any time soon, and I have mine

[Gravekeeper]

I don't like Blizzard either - I've never really appreciated anything they've done since (and not including) World of Warcraft. But I think EA is still worse in general - they might release games I enjoy more often than Blizzard does now, but they also just do things that make me want to destroy them with my mind.

EA doesn't employ psychologists to help make their game's more addictive far as I know. Nor did they merge with the darkest evil in the entire industry: Activision.

There is no blacker heart than Kotick.

[Canarr]

Being just a casual gamer, I'm not really following the developments too closely. But, for the sake of curiosity: what's the big evil that Blizzard and EA have committed?

[Jaden]

They can complain about yearly sports releases when 95% of the FPS released in the last 5 years are ltierally completely indistinguishable from each other when placed side by side. >.>

Also for the record, Actiblizzard is the font of all evil. At this point EA is so predictably and blandly evil that whenever they do something its more like "Oh, you!".

I don't like the bland FPSes that keep getting rehashed either. FPSes are probably the genre that piss me off the most right now, just because, as you said, so many of them are interchangeable. Neither FPSes or sports games are really my thing, anyways.

I don't like Blizzard either - I've never really appreciated anything they've done since (and not including) World of Warcraft. But I think EA is still worse in general - they might release games I enjoy more often than Blizzard does now, but they also just do things that make me want to destroy them with my mind.

[Gravekeeper]

EA Sports is a seperate division, more like Diet Evil and to be bluntly honest with the rest of the industry shitting out rehashed ripoff and/or sequel after sequel after sequel its kind of hard to look down on yearly sports game releases.

They can complain about yearly sports releases when 95% of the FPS released in the last 5 years are ltierally completely indistinguishable from each other when placed side by side. >.>

Also for the record, Actiblizzard is the font of all evil. At this point EA is so predictably and blandly evil that whenever they do something its more like "Oh, you!".

[Hyena Dandy]

It's probably mostly due to the fact that releasing one a year is an obvious cash grab. One every two - three years or so would be a bit more reasonable. That way, the ones that actually have important improvements would be the rule rather than the exception.

2010: Quarterbacks get three accuracy stats instead of just one. One for long, medium, and short. Yes, this actually is an important update. Also, interaction between DBs and WRs on the line of scrimmage. That makes a speedy wide receiver a WAY bigger threat than it used to be, as well as making it so that an aggressive cornerback can have much better coverage. In short, cornerbacks pretty much now have a trait worth noting beyond their speed.

2011: Team play online, and blocking. Oh my god the blocking. Blockers now get assignments on who they're going to go for, instead of just sort of running along and waiting for someone to go into their blocking-area. This means that running up the gut is now a viable strategy, instead of something that you can only do when you intend to gain one or two yards.

2012: Update to defensive backs. They now actually have an AI that involves trying to anticipate a pass, rather than just 'be around the receiver' when in zone. Onside kicks can be done as a surprise. Kick-offs are at the 35 (this is an NFL rules change.)

2013: As listed. Career mode that makes SENSE. DBs and Wide Receivers now need to be expecting the ball to be passed to them to catch it. Pass trajectories are now involved. You will be able to PLACE a pass, not just decide where it's going to be in relation to your receiver. This is what separates great QBs from simply good ones, the ability to control their trajectory. Also, a PHYSICS ENGINE, getting rid of immersion breaking suction-tackles once and for all (If I had a penny each time I had a guy float off the ground, I'd be a millionaire)

The last four games have been WILDLY different. I have owned all four of them. From that, I can tell from gameplay which one I'm playing. Each one of these has been a very different game, and has had VERY significant improvements.

EA may be evil, yeah, but they have also provided a quality game, and each time, they have provided a game that has given me a good REASON to buy a new one.

Seriously. Each year I've promised my friend Natty "This year I'm not getting a new Madden." With the caveat if I DO, I have to ask him first.

Each year I give him a brief overview of the improvements. He has reluctantly admitted that yes, that sounds different enough to be worth buying.

If you don't follow football, maybe Madden doesn't seem different each year, I could understand that. If you're a more casual fan of football, or don't like the sport, you might not see them. I'm not trying to pull a "I'm better than you" thing. I'm not some super-game-genius. I can't tell much of a difference between Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Skyrim.

I'm not going to say Skyrim is just Oblivion with tweaked magic and a new story, though, even though that's how it feels to me.

[Nekojin]

There's an image macro running around that I can't find at the moment that runs something along the following lines:

"If they're better than you, they have no life. If they're worse than you, they're worthless n00bs."

Gaming elitism at its finest, right?

[Jaden]

It's probably mostly due to the fact that releasing one a year is an obvious cash grab. One every two - three years or so would be a bit more reasonable. That way, the ones that actually have important improvements would be the rule rather than the exception. Also, for Madden, it's general bitterness towards EA, since they're the most evil company in the history of ever. But they own Bioware, and occasionally publish some really good games, so I keep buying their games even though I hate them

Anyways, you're allowed to enjoy whatever you want to enjoy, and I certainly won't look down on you for it. Don't let anybody else do the same

Somewhat off-topic, but reading this made me yearn for employment even more than I already was - I haven't been able to afford a gaming fix in, well, a really long time. Except for the odd sale at GOG or Steam, I've pretty much just had to content myself with games I already own. I want Skyrim and Max Payne 3, damn it!

[Andara Bledin]

The funny thing is that by most definitions, I fit the "hard core" crowd... except that I think most people who self-identify as hard core are elitist twats.

But I'm also a heavy casual gamer, too.

So I get crap from both sides, for being part of the other side despite not really belonging to either.

^-.-^

[AdminAssistant]

There is some bitterness about 'casual gamers' because of the pisspoor E3 conference which almost entirely neglected 'serious' gamers in favor of families. Some also have an ethical problem with the sheer number of crappy $1/free games for smart phones and Facebook.

[Hyena Dandy]

I am excited for the new NCAA and Madden games. VERY excited. There are a host of improvements that I've wanted for quite some time.

Including (in NCAA)

"Live" Updates throughout your game
Kick returning in Road to Glory
Better coach AI in RTG
A whole f*cking new game mode

and (in Madden)

Career mode updated so that you don't necessarily start
The ability to get fired (in fact, the ability to get fired and not have anyone want to pick you up, i.e. LOSE)
A physics engine

And in both of them, there's MAJOR improvements in passing, they got rid of the defensive backs being mind readers, and you can actually do things like toss over linebacker's, place the ball better, etc. etc. etc.

And I expressed my excitement at these updates. And as usual, I was told that the new Madden/NCAA games are going to be a waist of money because they're 'just a roster update.'

UGH! I can't tell you how sick I am of that. These games DO improve from year to year. If you can't tell that, that's not my problem, it's really not. But I've played the demo. The new NCAA is a significantly superior experience. And unless something crazy happens, the new Madden will be at least as good.

I REALLY hate it when people say it's "Just a roster update." Or that sports gamers aren't "Real gamers."

I'm sure that Andycorn has similar comments where casual gamers are told they're not "Real" gamers. I don't play casual games much, but I've seen that ridiculousness too. >_<