Gaming Miscommunication - The Misleading, Vocal Minority

It's incredibly frustrating when the vocal minority manages to sway a gaming company into a bad decision. The fact of the matter is the stupidest people are always the loudest. Unable to get their point across legitimately through logic and reason, they simply scream the same message louder. The problem here is that game developers tend to foolishly hang onto every word and suffer because of it. Here are a few prime examples of gaming miscommunication and the blunders that followed. Fortunately a few of these have happy endings. Unfortunately, most don't. Prepare to hear what the ignorant vocal minority say, what we get because of them, what we really want, and what the end result has been. That's right... once again, Gamers Are Ruining Gaming.

1. Sega & Sonic The Hedgehog

Sega's beloved mascot, Sonic, has charmed audiences since the Genesis days. He's known for being the fastest hero in the world as well as his carefree nature and attitude.

What Developers Hear?

"Sonic sucks! That last Sonic game was the worst piece of garbage I've ever played in my life! The only way to save Sonic from the graveyard is to kill off his friends and make the entire game about nothing but his speed! Plus it should be in HD."

What We Got?

The abomination that was Sonic '06 for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. A broken game of terrible controls, decent character interactions, and frustrating gameplay. Later we would be stuck with Sonic Unleashed- a game that focused far too much on running as fast as possible as opposed to actually playing. The werehog will not be mentioned- the less said of those levels the better.

What We Actually Want?

Sonic Adventure 3 would be a nice start. Beyond that it would be nice to see Sonic's closest friends playing a role in the game. Something that isn't essentially a single player racing game and is instead a great platformer like Sonic Adventure 1 and 2- as well as the classic Sonic titles. Bring the exploration and variety back into the Sonic series, Sega.

The Result?

On the positive side, Sonic Colors! And, of course, Sonic in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. On the negative side, people are clamoring for Sonic's death.

2. Motion Controls

A highly innovative method of gameplay pioneered and popularized by Nintendo and its ground-breaking Wii console.

What Developers Hear?

"I hate waggle! Waggle should only be in mini-game collections! All games should either only have motion controls or none at all- one extreme or the other. I don't care if it is what sells, I don't want them in my games! Unless they're in HD..."

What We Got?

The blatant Wii knock-off that is Move . Later we were cursed by Kinect . Yuck.

What We Actually Want?

Three main things: understanding, variety, and choice. Motion controls are a lot of fun when they make sense. Why map jumping to a nunchuk shake when there are plenty of buttons for that? If a game can actually benefit from it, by all means, include it. Don't shoehorn it in just to claim you're being creative. If you aren't sure, include traditional controls as an alternative. Put simply, give us fun motion controls and the choice of whether or not to use them. There's a reason Nintendo let us keep our GC controllers and gave us the Classic Controller Pro.

The Result?

The Nintendo Wii is still as fun as ever. Almost a hundred million buyers can't be wrong. Though 3^rd parties love to point the finger at the gamers when their mediocre products don't sell. The Gaming Paradox at work.

3. RPGs

What Developers Hear?

"We want RPGs! But only if there's no focus on the story, reading, or turn-based gameplay. We want to get stronger as we farm the weakest enemies to eliminate skill entirely from the equation. We want bigger, more ridiculous weapons and bosses that require little more than button-mashing to defeat. If you could somehow work guns and a first-person-perspective in there, that'd be great too. Just let us create our own person, there's no need for character development or clever writing. No strategy or tactics- we'll take action commands. Make sure you make the graphics as mind-blowing as possible while you're at it. Also, RPGs are too long! I want to be able to Platinum it in one Gamefly rental! Seriously, HD."

What We Got?

Hybrids like Borderlands, Fallout 3, and Mass Effect that appeal to FPS fans but not RPG lovers. Numerous games are stripping away and dumbing down RPG elements in games like Fable 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. While the genre is pitifully underrepresented, RPG elements have spread to numerous other genres which then try to pass themselves off as such. Let's not get started on how terrible Square Enix has been this generation. With failures like Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIV, Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscovery, and Nier, is it any wonder they're little more than a joke at this point?

What We Actually Want?

Some polished, traditional RPGs with good stories. Give us decent voice actors, an interesting storyline, and some likeable characters. We don't care if it's turn-based or real-time, as long as it is a well-done game that doesn't come across as a lazy cash-in. We all love side quests, co-op, and replay value. The RPG genre is supposed to be the one that clocks over a hundred hours per playthrough- not a weekend's worth of content.

The Result?

Each home console has their RPG gems, but none have assumed the 'go-to' system for fans of the genre. The Nintendo DS has been the only game console this generation to truly support the RPG genre.

4. Playstation 3

The least successful of the three current home consoles. While unable to match the success of the Nintendo Wii or, to a lesser extent, the Xbox 360- it still commands a very passionate following. Hurt mostly by overpricing, missing backwards compatibility, and a lack of exclusives and 3^rd party support.

What Developers Hear?

"2008 is the year the PS3! Okay, 2009 is the year the PS3! 2010 is the real year of the PS3! Wait, wait! 2011 is the year of the PS3! We will only buy it if the graphics melt our screens and eyes with their brilliance! Who cares about exclusives? Also, where's Kingdom Hearts 3? Please make sure its HD!"

What We Got?

Multiplatform games that look worse than the Xbox 360 version, despite the PS3 hardware being superior. Also a slew of short, overhyped games that focus their budget almost exclusively on the game's visuals.

What We Actually Want?

To have access to the massive PS2 software library. We'd also appreciate some games that take advantage of the advanced hardware in ways other than the graphics. Where are the massive open-worlds, ground-breaking new genres, and epic experiences promised to us?

The Result?

The Playstation 3 struggles as little more than a more expensive Xbox 360. This is mostly caused by too similar a library of games between the two and too heavy a reliance on sequels. Fortunately top-notch free online play and the occasional gem like Disgaea 3, Warhawk, or Yakuza 3 make it worth owning.

5. Nintendo Wii

The home console market leader and most successful system ever launched by Nintendo- aside from the Nintendo DS. Originally codenamed the revolution- it is loved for its combinations of traditional and motion controls, classic and modern gaming, and 1^st party exclusives.

What Developers Hear?

"We want amazing graphics and no gimmicks! We want games as close to HD as we can get and as few motion controls as possible! Who cares about split-screen? We want online play! We don't want sequels- we want original titles!"

What We Got?

Second-rate spin-offs with nice visuals but compromised features because of them- namely length, gameplay, and story. Games like Spyborgs and Metroid: Other M prove how out of touch developers are with the Wii audience. Mostly we get a lot of mediocre on-rail shooters (Ghost Recon, Dead Space, Resident Evil), terrible ports (Dead Rising, The Sims 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2), and exclusives that later turn out not to be exclusives (NBA Jam, The Grinder, TMNT: Smash Up, No More Heroes).

What We Actually Want?

There are two main reasons gamers buy a Wii. One, they prefer gameplay over graphics. Two, they like motion controls. 3^rd Party developers need to realize this and start releasing games that focus on gameplay, length, and fun over visuals. We'd appreciate online play and split-screen, as we enjoy both. If the game itself is fun, polished, and has replay value- we'll buy it.

The Result?

3^rd Party support has improved drastically in the last few years on the Wii. With games like Monster Hunter Tri, Samurai Warriors 3, Tatsunoko Vs Capcom, Harvest Moon: Animal Parade, Red Steel 2, Goldeneye 007, Sonic Colors, Epic Mickey, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Just Dance 2, and Conduit 2- you can tell they're learning.

6. Xbox 360

The middle competitor in the home console market. Shoehorned between the much more successful Wii and more powerful PS3. Plagued by hardware problems, failed exclusives, and a narrow-minded audience.

What Developers Hear?

"We want shooters." Followed by profanity and racism.

What We Got?

Shooters. Whenever something other than a shooter gets released on the 360, it either finds moderate success or, much more often, bombs entirely. The most notorious of failures are RPGs. With too many to list, let me just say that the Xbox 360 audience is vehemently anti-RPG and anti-reading.

What We Actually Want?

Shooters, apparently. I personally would love some variety, but I'm in the minority this time. The fact is that in this case, the most vocal group is the majority. And, on the Xbox 360, the majority just want lots and lots of shooters. Just give them a headset and a gun- they'll throw money at that.

The Result?

Lots and lots of shooters.