"Elitism" and taste

[AppleQueso]

I am only elitist towards the sports/gta gamer haha.

You know who I am talking about. Everybody has a friend or acquaintance they know that has all six or seven different sports games and at least one GTA. And then nothing else.

I've always kind of felt sorry for them, repeatedly tossing down $60 for a game that's not even going to be worth $10 next year.

[flamepanther]

I am only elitist towards the sports/gta gamer haha.

You know who I am talking about. Everybody has a friend or acquaintance they know that has all six or seven different sports games and at least one GTA. And then nothing else.

Nah, they usually have at least one FPS game too. That group is Sony's core target audience right there.

[alienjesus]

I am only elitist towards the sports/gta gamer haha.

You know who I am talking about. Everybody has a friend or acquaintance they know that has all six or seven different sports games and at least one GTA. And then nothing else.

Nah, they usually have at least one FPS game too. That group is Sony's core target audience right there.

It's probably Microsoft's too, although i'm pretty sure 360 owners generally have a LOT more than one FPS...

[flamepanther]

It's probably Microsoft's too, although i'm pretty sure 360 owners generally have a LOT more than one FPS...

That was definitely the case on the first XBOX. I don't know a lot of people like that who have a 360 though, so I couldn't say from experience.

I think most of us here are probably guilty of feeling either that the rest of us are "real gamers" or at least that we have better taste in games than this straw man "jock gamer" stereotype. The question is, do we simply believe we have better taste, or do we also think that somehow entitles us to be treated differently? That's the difference between discerning taste and elitism.

[irixith]

I am only elitist towards the sports/gta gamer haha.

You know who I am talking about. Everybody has a friend or acquaintance they know that has all six or seven different sports games and at least one GTA. And then nothing else.

I've always kind of felt sorry for them, repeatedly tossing down $60 for a game that's not even going to be worth $10 next year.

Interesting point of view .. but I don't think this thread is about value, or better, "perceived" value of titles. Maybe you should start a new topic.

[BogusMeatFactory]

Elitism is an amazingly horrifying concern for me in the gaming and geek culture. As an aging gamer of the ripe old age of 27, I have lived my entire life as gamer, move-watcher and all around follower of the world of pop culture. Only recently, through my job, have I become a critic of these mediums as well.

The key difference between elitism and taste is how you react to people who enjoy the games you consider bad. For instance, I have a dislike for most movies within the horror genre for movies. I find most to be uninteresting, mindless gore-fests that simply waste my time, BUT, I see people out there that enjoy those same movies. I understand who those people are and when reviewing or talking about similar titles, I can then understand who this is for, lay down the basis of my tastes and as to why I personally didn't like it, while still mentioning the others who enjoy it.

Gaming shouldn't be about good or bad, but of the measurements of fun. My wife has a desperate love of Zelda games, which are considered great games, but she also has a love of a game for the Dreamcast called, "Pen Pen Tri-icelon," which I consider a very bad game. Does she have fun while playing it? Yes. Should I look down on her for it? No! The same should be for everyone else out there.

The same goes for the sports genre. Those who have an extensive history playing videogames tend to look down on the sports genre and why? Sure, most times it is simply a roster update with a sixty dollar price tag, but, there is a world of people who simply want that, and want to control that team and push them into their own fantasy sports world. They are entitled to it and I praise them for enjoying it.

If we are going to be on-line critics of videogames, we should then at least take into consideration the audience around us. We should be accepting of all people and stop putting reasons and restrictions to those around us. The negative elitist behavior is the type of behavior we have been trying to avoid all our lives as part of the geek culture so why do so many try and embrace it?

[flamepanther]

Good post, BMF! We should also distinguish between "It's bad because I don't like it" and "It's bad because it is poorly made." Both are totally different ideas that are often confused, but one carries a lot more weight and validity than the other.