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Sorpano00

Banned
Oct 31, 2018
14
I am a US citizen, I just returned from a vacation in Italy and had the time of my life!! This sounds similar to what I heard over and over again in Europe, "American's (fill in the blank)", whenever someone spoke about America, it was a broad statement. What I think some people fail to realize is, America is a GIGANTIC country, with many different types of people, that have many different opinions and interest. To generalize anything about us as a whole is irresponsible. There is no correct way to talk about us as a whole, but maybe keep in mind that we are a vast diverse country with many different beliefs, interest and opinions.
Nobody is saying every American is the same. But culture is a thing. And in a world where everything is flattened to single-minded mainstream ideas it's good to still have such differences between countries.
 

.exe

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,219
Imagine had an American developer said this about the Japanese or European gamers. No way would there be excuses for them and they'd be ousted immediately.

What, like Phil "Japanese games just suck" Fish? Guy was bullied until he quit most social media / game development. He said a bunch of other silly blunt stuff later, but that quote put a target on him.

He wasn't entirely wrong though. Everyone now recognizes that that era of (mainstream) game dev in Japan was comparatively weak, in part due to the difficult adaptation to new tools/standards. He said it in a harsh way, but people were too precious about their favorite games to see it.
 

MadMod

Member
Dec 4, 2017
2,724
The salt about a game trying something new is next level... I've put 20h into the game and its incredible to me it can be rated anything lower than an 8..Especially with the speed it was made at.
 

Voodoopeople

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,848
Even taking into consideration the scope for misinterpretation and context, it's highly unlikely this is anything but a swipe at US critics. The generalisation that US gamers prefer shooters is an oversimplification that may have within it a kernel of truth. The US does feel more at ease with guns than other cultures and the use of singular, hero-type figures and lauding self-actualisation as a cultural aspirations is widely held. That can often become the focus for the broad appeal-risk averse-high budget-games released there. But that's by no means the entirety of the market there.

But that said, his games consistent poor treatment of women and the wider Japanese gaming treatment of women also speaks to an extremely problematic cultural stance. So it cuts both ways.

The fact is he's always been absolutely terrible at telling stories but has a laser focus on mechanics. Unfortunately for me, he's doubled down on mechanics I absolutely hate.

Long periods of uninterrupted traversal, god damned encumbrance and inventory management. I hate all those so much. But others love it and that's cool.
 
Oct 27, 2017
2,432
The salt about a game trying something new is next level... I've put 20h into the game and its incredible to me it can be rated anything lower than an 8..Especially with the speed it was made at.
Same here. Didn't expect it, but it's definitely top 5 of this generation for me. Also, the more I play the better it gets. Nuts to see all the salt...
 

CortexVortex

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
4,074
Same here. Didn't expect it, but it's definitely top 5 of this generation for me. Also, the more I play the better it gets. Nuts to see all the salt...
Yep, it gets better with each chapter. It is just so addicting to play around with all the tools and think of the perfect way to make a delivery.
 

cheduff

Member
Oct 27, 2017
149
This game is fucking beautiful. I've had so many moments where you just take all of your surroundings in. I'm about 15 hours in, and I hope the game doesnt get worse. Seeing the world come alive by other players is awesome.
 

superseohyun

Member
Mar 23, 2019
86
Cant believe i would say this to a walking simulator but this game is great and weirdly captivating. Sometimes I even thought about it when i was working.
 

MrS

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
4,085
The salt about a game trying something new is next level... I've put 20h into the game and its incredible to me it can be rated anything lower than an 8..Especially with the speed it was made at.
Totally agree with this. I'm 30 hours in and only at chapter 5 - there's just so much fun stuff to do that I'm ignoring the main quest. I'm floored by how quickly they were able to make such a feature complete and deep game that looks astonishing. It's unquestionably my game of the year. Haters gonna hate.
 

Mexen

Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,927
Edit: wrong forum

Edit: Here is the video. I meant to post it in the Famitsu thread

 
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Viale

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,614
I don't know how people fall down. Just hold both triggers.

Dunno how far you are, but that really doesn't work all the time especially if you're scaling mountains or rivers around where there are patches of deep water(not going into deep water just around it). Its pretty easy to fall and not very consistent in those situations.

The salt about a game trying something new is next level... I've put 20h into the game and its incredible to me it can be rated anything lower than an 8..Especially with the speed it was made at.

It's incredible to me that you find it surprising it can be rated lower than an 8. I get that people can really enjoy it. it's an incredibly divisive game with lots of interesting ideas. it's also personally one of the most aggravating games I've played in recent memory with bad combat and stealth sections and trash pacing as far as the main story goes.
 

ZeroNr

Member
Oct 20, 2019
240
It's incredible to me that you find it surprising it can be rated lower than an 8. I get that people can really enjoy it. it's an incredibly divisive game with lots of interesting ideas. it's also personally one of the most aggravating games I've played in recent memory with bad combat and stealth sections and trash pacing as far as the main story goes.
I dont agree that the combat and stealth are bad. They are fine. And if people can forgive rdr2 shit combat and controls i cant see why its a big deal with this game. At least with Death Strading you can aproach situation in multiple ways and its responsive. And i also have no problem with the pacing. Its a long game, no need to rush it. Its my GOTY right now and one of the best games of this generations, and i think a lot of people think the same. Cutscenes, graphics, transversal mechanics and the "strand" system are almost unmatched.
 

Viale

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,614
I dont agree that the combat and stealth are bad. They are fine. And if people can forgive rdr2 shit combat and controls i cant see why its a big deal with this game. At least with Death Strading you can aproach situation in multiple ways and its responsive. And i also have no problem with the pacing. Its a long game, no need to rush it. Its my GOTY right now and one of the best games of this generations, and i think a lot of people think the same. Cutscenes, graphics, transversal mechanics and the "strand" system are almost unmatched.

As far as quality of the individual parts of the game go, we'll need to probably just agree to disagree. I find the BT sections and the Mule sections such an annoyance to play through that I wish the game was just delivering packages(and i dont even find the delivering packages or traversal 10/10 personally with how annoying some paths like going up steep mountains are)

A game like this was always going to be divisive though. It's a game about delivering packages with a story you'll either love or find eye roll worthy. Like I understand how people could give it a 10/10 or a 3/10 very easily.
 

Skade

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,851
Knowing the struggles the french video games press has to keep afloat theses years, i'd never take their reviews as a good indication on how a game is taken in France. They can't really take the risk to piss off publishers with bad reviews of big titles.

As for the reception of actual french players, from what i've seen, it's quite mixed. Some love it, some hate it, and some think it's simply an ok game.

And anyway, Kojima should not try to say that the press of a country represent the opinion of it's players. Cause it's not.
 

squilliedee

Member
Jan 4, 2019
104
Nobody is saying every American is the same. But culture is a thing. And in a world where everything is flattened to single-minded mainstream ideas it's good to still have such differences between countries.


I understand that he is not saying we are all the same. What I am saying is, in a country with 300+ million people, there is probably a large number of people that do understand what he is trying to do. It may seem that we are all obsessed with guns and shooting, but there are just as many people that are in to the arts etc. I understand cultural differences and that is what makes the world great, Im just saying there are a lot of different cultures within the US.
 

takoyaki

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,677
He said pretty much the exact same thing as the "bad" translation.
Yes, but the clickbait headline of this thread is still incorrect. The original Italian article and the English article linked in the OP were both corrected yesterday and the title of this thread should really have been changed as well.

There's a difference between saying Death Stranding "flies above" FPS games as was originally reported and him saying DS is "like a different game" that's not aimed at FPS fans. The rest of the quotes seem similarly pretentious though and Kojima comes off as making excuses for some low scores, I'm not gonna argue about that.
 

Yossarian

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
13,264
I understand that he is not saying we are all the same. What I am saying is, in a country with 300+ million people, there is probably a large number of people that do understand what he is trying to do. It may seem that we are all obsessed with guns and shooting, but there are just as many people that are in to the arts etc. I understand cultural differences and that is what makes the world great, Im just saying there are a lot of different cultures within the US.

Well, he kind of did qualify his statement with "a certain type of critic and some of the public", so (lame excuses aside) he's certainly doesn't seem like he's tarring all Americans with the same brush.
 

Jangowuzhere

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
1,505
Dunno how far you are, but that really doesn't work all the time especially if you're scaling mountains or rivers around where there are patches of deep water(not going into deep water just around it). Its pretty easy to fall and not very consistent in those situations.

Holding the triggers works pretty much 95% of the time. The other 5% when it doesn't work is when you're not managing stamina properly. That's when you will end up falling down.

He said pretty much the exact same thing as the "bad" translation.
Not at all
 

spman2099

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,891
What, like Phil "Japanese games just suck" Fish? Guy was bullied until he quit most social media / game development. He said a bunch of other silly blunt stuff later, but that quote put a target on him.

He wasn't entirely wrong though. Everyone now recognizes that that era of (mainstream) game dev in Japan was comparatively weak, in part due to the difficult adaptation to new tools/standards. He said it in a harsh way, but people were too precious about their favorite games to see it.

Phil Fish is an abrasive person. I know he rubbed me the wrong way a number of times. That being said, despite being prickly and blunt, he never said anything genuinely awful. He didn't promote racism (despite what some would have you believe). He was just (and probably still is) abrasive. For that, people pursued him viciously online. Honestly, I think he deserved better. Also, he is a great game designer.

Meanwhile, Kojima clearly believes he is above everyone else. That has been obvious for a long time now. Moreover, he is overtly sexist. What response does he get? A cult-like following and slavish praise.

The world is unjust.

Edit: wrong forum

Edit: Here is the video. I meant to post it in the Famitsu thread



It is super interesting that Alanah works for the same company that those Fallout 4 doofuses worked for. It is amazing to see how much integrity she brings to the table. Alanah is one of the good ones.
 
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Oct 27, 2017
2,165
I definitely think it's true that western audiences are very negative whenever a game is centered around experiencing something rather than game mechanics and instant gratification. For me, a game like Death Stranding is a way to be in my own head, to just reflect either on my own life or the journey I'm making in game. Finding the perfect place for a ladder or scaling down the side of a mountain with a rope and delivering a package that you found far away completely unscathed is just so satisfying. It delivers something I don't get to experience in a game often enough. This is coming from someone who was very down on this game but something about it kept calling to me and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

So you won't get big flashy lights, instant satisfaction or an overly populated world to keep you busy, but what lies there is something that feels fun, wacky and personal.

It reminds me of the original Dead Rising in a way. It's just instead of fighting off psychos, navigating waves of zombies and delivering survivors to safe rooms, you are navigating rough terrain, delivering packages and overcoming the psychos/paranormal elements. What Dead Rising has in personality and fun of the mall setting, Death Stranding has a unique rainy beautiful atmosphere. They also both share humor in a similar with both being serious on the nose but Frank running around in underwear and Sam looking like a transformer covered in ridiculous amounts of cargo. Even time is constantly on your tail in both games with timefall constantly pushing you to get rid of your cargo sooner than later unless you risk losing it all. It's good stuff.

With that said, the story is bad. Kojima is probably the worst part of this game. In a game that capitalizes so much on how much a journey can make a person feel depth and weight of the world their in, the second Kojima starts telling his story, all that disappears and you are reminded that the person who created this game also created Quiet. 😒
 

Ploid 6.0

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,440
Cohh Carnage's final thoughts on the game. Feels that the difficult, annoying, lonesome start was intentional to make you really enjoy the rest of the game. "In the mid and endgame I was Cohh the constructor, and I was having a great time. And there were times I would go out of my way just to do something because I knew it would help other players, and that's an awesome feeling in a single player game."

"The game is filled with little things that make traversing the land very difficult, but as more players take the same paths, then not only do those obstacles clear out but defined paths start putting themselves into the game world. This is the game play way of telling the player it gets easier and better together "
 
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Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
Cohh Carnage's final thoughts on the game. Feels that the difficult, annoying, lonesome start was intentional to make you really enjoy the rest of the game. "By the end I was Cohh the constructor."

"The game is filled with little things that make traversing the land very difficult, but as more players take the same paths, then not only do those obstacles clear out but defined paths start putting themselves into the game world. This is the game play way of telling the player it gets easier and better together "

Fair take but I definitely disagree that it takes nearly a dozen hours to become fun. Game was cool right from the start.

I don't think the Wire got good reviews indicating that it was boring though.
yea it did. The Wire was a very slow burn early on.
 

Ploid 6.0

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,440
Fair take but I definitely disagree that it takes nearly a dozen hours to become fun. Game was cool right from the start.

yea it did. The Wire was a very slow burn early on.
I feel streamers have a difficult situation entertaining the viewers when they play games, and the start may frustrate them if they try to rush. Then they wonder if it's a game they want to continue streaming without knowing that the gameplay changes a lot in the future. "This is the game, we walk from A to B it seems." After a certain point, "I was wrong that was totally not the game, check out this road we built, and this one person put this here and oh look at this I can do this now, etc. etc."
 

Le Dude

Member
May 16, 2018
4,709
USA
Phil Fish is an abrasive person. I know he rubbed me the wrong way a number of times. That being said, despite being prickly and blunt, he never said anything genuinely awful. He didn't promote racism (despite what some would have you believe). He was just (and probably still is) abrasive. For that, people pursued him viciously online. Honestly, I think he deserved better. Also, he is a great game designer.

Meanwhile, Kojima clearly believes he is above everyone else. That has been obvious for a long time now. Moreover, he is overtly sexist. What response does he get? A cult-like following and slavish praise.

I think it's about time the cult of personality surrounding Kojima was taken down a notch, and I'm glad to see people calling him out on the dumb stuff he does and says now. However Phil Fish literally said he wishes gaming was a house so he could burn it down everyone in it. He clearly had some issues. Maybe he deserved better, but he really needed to change some things about himself first.
 
Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
I feel streamers have a difficult situation entertaining the viewers when they play games, and the start may frustrate them if they try to rush. Then they wonder if it's a game they want to continue streaming without knowing that the gameplay changes a lot in the future. "This is the game, we walk from A to B it seems." After a certain point, "I was wrong that was totally not the game, check out this road we built, and this one person put this here and oh look at this I can do this now, etc. etc."
True.
 

Le Dude

Member
May 16, 2018
4,709
USA
But is he wrong though?

Is that even a question? It doesn't matter if there's a portion of gamers that are a cesspool. Even if the entirety of gaming was a cesspool it would be highly inappropriate to say you wish you could put everyone in a house and burn it down. You don't just say you wish you could kill everyone who isn't perfect or who you disagree with. It's just not something a healthy minded person should feel the need to think privately, much less say publicly for everyone to hear.