As a society, I understand the need to occasionally enjoy other people’s misfortunes! It’s the basis of many reality TV shows — and what entertains us in general. Schadenfreude isn’t anything new, after all. However, when it comes to our entertainment, I don’t think a medium receives as many major moments of “pleasure from suffering” as video games.
For example, the “anchor” up there: Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. That game was sentenced to the gallows long before it came out. A good chunk of the criticisms against it were warranted! The story had many unfortunate nonsensical elements, the enemy variety was lacking, and the weapons lacked that oomph. If games fail to meet certain standards — especially considering that they aren’t exactly cheap — of course it should be discussed and highlighted!
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But, there’s a really unnecessary section of that feedback loop where people delight in the downfall of a big-budget game. On its face, I totally understand the angle of “Haha, this corporate-directed game failed, proving that fueling creativity always means more than chasing money!” However, that’s not quite the energy we bring to the table, is it?
video games are more than their pockets
Developers often take the blame for issues within a game. “Fans” find them on social media and subsequently harass them. “What made you think that game was a good idea? You didn’t know we wouldn’t like that? Are you stupid? You spent all those years making this trash? Good luck finding a new industry, idiot!” Those are the “nice” comments!
I want you to envision that you’ve been passionately working on something you care about for the first year or so. Self-funded, you’re running out of money, and bills need to be paid. But, the bones of your project are great! If only you could find the right backer, you could achieve your dreams! So, after months of pitching, refining, rejections, and self-doubt, you get a bite! You’re now backed by a company with deeper pockets willing to give you everything you need to finish your project!
A few months in, you get a phone call. “Hey, that original idea you had? Yeah, we noticed that this new trend is making people in your field some money, so change your project to match that!” You realize you can’t say “no.” You signed a contract — you have a deal. If you back out, they keep the project and transform it anyway with you having nothing to show for it. So, you persist. The company asks for more changes. You oblige! You must. Suddenly, after a whirlwind of a development process, the project’s available for everyone to enjoy! …And rather than excitement and praise, you receive anger, derision, and soon, all anyone can talk about is how wrong you were for thinking your passions were worth pursuing in the first place.
“maybe this isn’t for you”
It didn’t matter that you were desperate when you initially made the deal with the company to fund your game. It didn’t matter that your original vision was going to be everything you promised players and so much more. Rather, you’re the fool. You should’ve known better. You should’ve been better. After all, only untalented people fail, right?
When it comes to video games, it’d be nice if more players took a more empathetic approach to an ill-received game. Heck, I partly regret publishing that Kingdom Hearts 3 article for that reason. Sure, I concretely dislike the game. But in a fraught space where creativity already has a hard time breaking through, I could’ve spent that energy boosting something worthwhile rather than kicking something of a dead horse. Remember, games come from a place of good intentions (hopefully). I’m not saying never talk about a game’s shortcomings! Just be more mindful about it, yeah?
