Fans Overreact to SEGA Employee's Statement. Again

[psikeout]

I'm just gonna throw something out there, even if it kinda makes me look a little bad in the process.

See, the classic elitism might not be entirely as bad as it looks. I'm sure some people are taking this seriously and genuinely being elitist, and making this into srrs bznss, but some of us in those comments sections are just trolls at heart, and enjoy the opportunity to tease the younger Sonic fans and say things for the sole purpose of riling them up. I know it's awful, I know it's trolling, and... I know I've been a part of it, personally.

I don't have a mighty, powerful affection for the classic games anymore, honestly. I recently replayed the old Genesis titles from Sonic 1 to S&K, and I was left feeling kind of drained. My nostalgia lenses were far pinker than I thought, and the games weren't as great as I remembered, even though I still enjoyed playing them again (to some degree). That being said, I think I'm just not as much of a Sonic fan anymore. However, when news of Needlemouse came around, and its apparent "classic" orientation was revealed, it made me grin like a cheshire cat. Why?

Sonic was originally for kids. Sonic is still for kids. However, the kids it was originally for have grown up some, but still want more Sonic games like they used to enjoy when they were kids. Unfortunately, virtually all recent Sonic games have continually steered away from what we remember, and "new" kids have taken to liking the new direction. Now that the "old kids" are finally prepped to receive something that feels like it's made for them, it's almost as if there's an Old Person Riot, wherein we grab our oxygen tanks and Hoverounds, bust out of the Old Folks Home, take to the streets, and start throwing our dentures through shop windows and swinging our canes and walkers at the youngsters who have been indirectly responsible for our neglect.

In other words, at least some of the abrasive, "elitist" comments are just there for kicks and giggles, and apparently, they've hit the mark.

Take that, y'brats. Hyeh, hyeh.

tl;dr moral of the story: Some "elitists" are actually just trolls, so you're better off not feeding them.

[Ekaje]

You know what I love? How in that SEGA forum thread, from the pages I read, the people not bashing the guy who made

the comment were completely ignored.

Oh, and BTW, here's some of the

reaction on Gamespot/FAQS:

EDIT: Humongous pointless barrage of quotes deleted.

Edited January 21, 2010 by insertnamehere

[Blacklightning]

"sonic fans all act like children anyway so i don't see why the actual age matters :I"

Out of all the quotes I've seen so far, this somehow seems the most appropriate.

[Stasis]

OK, I'll go find another franchise composed mainly of high speed platformers where the player character regularly turns into a ball. Oh wait...

Yeah, Sonic games may be the only high speed platformers available, but when was the last time these elitists were happy with the way these elements were executed - 1994? That's years of pointless game bashing . Surely after that amount of time they would choose to find another franchise that they could enjoy, rather than continuously put down a franchise that no longer satisfies them.

[Badnik Zero]

~ quotes quotes quotes quotes quotes ~

This is what I mean by outside the SSMB. I remember creating a topic last year when the Sega Europe people said the Sonic games weren't going to get good scores because they were targeting a young audience. I think that's an problem if they meant it the way it came off. But we weren't killing each other like these guys. Sure we had different ideas, but we manage to relate them without all the nerd rage. Most of the time at least. I'm thinking maybe the solution is to kill all children. Another solution is to wait and see what the new Sonic will be. The '90s had a Sonic style and the '00s had a Sonic style, and I'm thinking the franchise will make another evolution this decade, hopefully to reconcile the two. Or maybe we'll get a new group of fans that likes to fight as much as we do. Fun!

Edited January 21, 2010 by Cupcake Hedgehog

[KittyNakajima]

Yeah, Sonic games may be the only high speed platformers available, but when was the last time these elitists were happy with the way these elements were executed - 1994? That's years of pointless game bashing . Surely after that amount of time they would choose to find another franchise that they could enjoy, rather than continuously put down a franchise that no longer satisfies them.

^THIS. Maybe I wasn't fully awake when I was posting yesterday, but that pretty much sums up how I feel about folks that gripe on about the franchise to the point of being perpetually disheartened with its current state.

To me, this breaks down to being a consumer and standing behind a product that you once liked but doesn't live up to your standards. Like how some people prefer Coke to Pepsi, or vice versa, or just opt out of all of that for the diet versions.... Or buying a food item that you loved since you were younger like Mac and Cheese, and you slowly get annoyed when they change things around like the type of pasta, powdered cheese vs. already made liquid cheese, etc. You buy it because you have nostalgic memories of enjoying the way it used to be yet still show up unhappy with the current quality.

It's when those same folks who preferred the old recipe of mac and cheese (i.e. elitists) start whining during a meal where new consumers (modern fans, neutral, etc.) might actively enjoy the current recipe more than them that gets me annoyed. Yes, we've heard you don't like it this way, and that's fine. But it's what's being served and it'd help if you could ease on back and make the most out of it with some courtesy for the host. (i.e. SEGA)

I think I got more into that than I expected. But I pray you get my point. I also think AAUK's point about being nice wasn't so much about just being nice, but more open minded. I figure that there have to be some elitists who quit being fans of the series when the games didn't play like they wanted, but there are those who are still here, whining about the good old days. There still has to be something that they like about the series if they keep lingering, albeit in a gloomy sense. Maybe if they laid off the perpetual whine and tried to find the good in some of the newer titles, we'd have more harmony. But that's probably wistful thinking.

Kind of like the hope for world peace. ;;

Edited January 21, 2010 by KittyNakajima

[Djawed]

The "real" bashing started after sonic adventure 2

[Machenstein]

One thing I am sick of in particular is how some people attack the Sonic fanbase as if we are this singular entity that is devoted to making everyone miserable. The reality is that we are just people who care about the Sonic franchise. If any other fanbase had went through what we have went through, they would react the exact same way. What do you think would happen if Charles Martinet was replaced by Snoop Dogg as the voice of Mario? What do you think would happen if Mario was redesigned to look more "edgy" and realistic? What do you think would happen if Nintendo made a game where Yoshi used guns and shot up people in drab suburban cities? There would be a giant shitstorm. Mario fans wouldn't be open to these changes, they would be downright pissed. Why then should Sonic fans be expected to be calm about changes that have proven to be very detrimental to the series? It doesn't change the fact that people make fun of us for our negative responses when our responses are pretty much warranted. None of this would have happened if Sonic Team would have just taken one small break from their experimental phase instead of going with it nonstop for an entire decade.

This, of course, does not excuse the way younger Sonic fans have been treated, but that also doesn't mean you should attack the rest of the fanbase just because of a select few screwballs. When every Sonic game is getting a 4/10 from every review site, you can expect us to be disgruntled. Zelda fans got pissed just because Gamespot gave Twilight Princess an 8/10, so why then are we obligated to tolerate 4/10 from every review site? Doesn't that sound unfair to any of you? It has nothing to do with classic verses modern because classic Sonic has starred in bad games too. No, it has to do with respect.

Older Sonic fans need to respect that there are games that younger Sonic fans can enjoy. Younger fans need to respect that older fans love the classic games for reasons besides nostalgia. Sega needs to respect their consumers enough to treat their products with more care and consideration. And if people really want the Sonic fanbase to stop acting like pricks, then stop blaming us for everything bad that happens. This means no more hate articles or video rants about how bad we are. Okay, just stop it. Or ignore this post and stir up crap just because you can.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Maruyama

[Saint Nathan]

You know what I like about what AAUK said? He separated classic fans from the elitists in the very start of his post, and then people got mad at him for bashing the elitists and calling Sonic a children's franchise.

Because it never was, Sonic 2 was the most adult game of it's time.

[Dummy Bear]

You know what I like about what AAUK said? He separated classic fans from the elitists in the very start of his post, and then people got mad at him for bashing the elitists and calling Sonic a children's franchise.

Because it never was, Sonic 2 was the most adult game of it's time.

Really? I thought that was Contra.

I'm just thankful I'm more open minded and laid back than most fans, but this kind of crap doesn't happen in just the Sonic fanbase. It happens EVERYWHERE.

[Tombi]

You know what I like about what AAUK said? He separated classic fans from the elitists in the very start of his post, and then people got mad at him for bashing the elitists and calling Sonic a children's franchise.

Because it never was, Sonic 2 was the most adult game of it's time.

Being somewhat late to the party, this just makes people look like complete idiots. How clear did AAUK have to be exactly? Even when you take the precautions it seems the more confrontational fans just have sensors that automatically pick-up when the words "classic", "children" and "elitist" are used in regards to a Mega Drive Sonic game - no matter how you phrase it. I suppose TSSZ's little spin on the story may have helped, but how much can one website actually influence things?

This sort of thing seems to happen a few times every year, in fact - but usually the misconstrued quote is a bit more vague and open to interpretation, you can't really say the same this time. I'll just say good on AAUK for sharing his opinion, and I do agree.

Older Sonic fans need to respect that there are games that younger Sonic fans can enjoy. Younger fans need to respect that older fans love the classic games for reasons besides nostalgia. Sega needs to respect their consumers enough to treat their products with more care and consideration. And if people really want the Sonic fanbase to stop acting like pricks, then stop blaming us for everything bad that happens. This means no more hate articles or video rants about how bad we are. Okay, just stop it. Or ignore this post and stir up crap just because you can.

It's a shame, because I pretty much agree completely - but the "internet hate machine" doesn't really go by that sort of logic. We basically get that sort of shit because the more "hateable" members of the fanbase have a way of making themselves the most apparent. And let's be honest, there's just nothing fun about "normal" people, so the select few screwballs get all the attention and sadly it's human nature to pigeonhole the rest of the fanbase in with them. As mentioned above, there are a multitude of examples outside the Sonic scene, but at the end of the day it's not changing anytime soon - even if the games do get a lot better with time; whilst overall reception to the games will be better - the more obnoxious fans will still be there making life hard. About the only likely way to tame it would be for us Sonic fans to stop turning into pricks when faced with a bit of blame, but once again that relies less on the everyday Sonic fans and more on the ones people are actually paying attention to.

[Saint Nathan]

Really? I thought that was Contra.

Pff. That shits got nothin' on mah Classic Sonic who is totally not for kidz. yo.

[Stasis]

Pff. That shits got nothin' on mah Classic Sonic who is totally not for kidz. yo.

Classic Sonic's now top-shelf material.

[psikeout]

Yeah, Sonic games may be the only high speed platformers available, but when was the last time these elitists were happy with the way these elements were executed - 1994? That's years of pointless game bashing . Surely after that amount of time they would choose to find another franchise that they could enjoy, rather than continuously put down a franchise that no longer satisfies them.

But then Needlemouse wouldn't be happening. (Whether that's a good or bad thing, we'll have to wait and see.)

[Phos]

Yeah, Sonic games may be the only high speed platformers available, but when was the last time these elitists were happy with the way these elements were executed - 1994? That's years of pointless game bashing . Surely after that amount of time they would choose to find another franchise that they could enjoy, rather than continuously put down a franchise that no longer satisfies them.

Sonic Adventure came frustratingly close. And I actually didn't do anything related to Sonic for several years, pretty much all of high school. Finally playing Sonic 3 & Knuckles the whole way through brought me back.

[Remy]

Yeah, Sonic games may be the only high speed platformers available, but when was the last time these elitists were happy with the way these elements were executed - 1994? That's years of pointless game bashing . Surely after that amount of time they would choose to find another franchise that they could enjoy, rather than continuously put down a franchise that no longer satisfies them.

Like Phos said, SA was pretty damn close. It's only after every other game got progressively worse that retroactively people have started hating modern sonic as a whole.

And just because were taking a realistic stance on these sub par games doesn't mean we have to gtfo of your community, we'll post where we like thank you very much.

[DaBatGuy]

It's shit like this that makes me distance myself from the fandom. Nowadays I just pop in to see what the general consensus on the latest games are then attempt to leave without getting dragged into a whirling vortex of hate, bitching, and drama.

[SuperStingray]

And just because were taking a realistic stance on these sub par games doesn't mean we have to gtfo of your community, we'll post where we like thank you very much.

We don't have anything against any group of fans or their opinions, we're just asking the ones who are acting like douchebags to stop.

[Remy]

Whilst being douchebags about it, surely you see the cycle here?

[gato]

Whilst being douchebags about it, surely you see the cycle here?

Of course, but if that people stoped being douchebags the other people wouldn't have to be douchebags either, and then the "douchebagery cycle" ® would be destroyed =)

[Sean]

Or they could just like, kinda ignore them and not give them the attention they don't deserve.

I also don't think that that solution would work, considering the small (if any) amount of these so-called elitists on SSMB, yet people continue to yap about them and all.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

I also don't think that that solution would work, considering the small (if any) amount of these so-called elitists on SSMB, yet people continue to yap about them and all.

In a sense, this game has brought out the worst in every fan around here.

[Meow]

It's shit like this that makes me distance myself from the fandom. Nowadays I just pop in to see what the general consensus on the latest games are then attempt to leave without getting dragged into a whirling vortex of hate, bitching, and drama.

YES. I totally agree dude. I think I'm beginning to distance myself from this fandom as well because it is so dumb. All kinds of crap over a video game series. Yeah I like it but ...fuck, its not the only thing in life like so many people make it out to be haha.

[Light]

In a sense, this game has brought out the worst in every fan around here.

I wouldn't say everyone. I'm sure there are still some people here who just want to have a discussion without having to throw labels like "elitist" and "classic fan" around (personally I'll still like the character whether his games are good or not). I believe the discussions will be more positive once more information is released too. Hopefully

Edited January 22, 2010 by Light

[Pelly <3's U]

I also don't think that that solution would work, considering the small (if any) amount of these so-called elitists on SSMB, yet people continue to yap about them and all.

The sad part is that any incidences of drama/old school vs new school/elitist attitudes are completely eclipsed by the complaining about how much drama/elitists/crazy 90's vs 00's wars the fandom has. I'm not denying there are some people that fit into these categories (examples being the very starting of this topic) but honestly people..........you don't have to let yourself be baited and dragged down by every incident.

I mean, I can name very few people here who I think are just completely biased and 100% unable to have any reason, or people who are just /so/ caught up in either new school or old school sonic that they don't care about anything other then that, yet everywhere I turn I see people complaining about how horrible and unreasonable the fan base is. I know the great majority of you guys/gals are completely capable of maturely discussing things like project needlemouse without bringing all the other shit into it..........................so don't supply the fire with fuel and leave those people who will never be happy with anything to have their own pity party, alone.