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The console wars have negatively affected everything related to the gaming experience in the industry. The hate generated on social media degrades even the least attached gamer to a company, so much so that developers even suffer the consequences when they see a wave of negativity about their games, sometimes forcing them to rethink movements in order to satisfy these more rooted communities.
What we always think about when we talk about the console wars is that, even as companies seek to attract a new audience, each has a niche market that appreciates them, or even defends them against the less successful movement . These communities, which have developed over time, have forged a feeling of belonging to each company, which motivates them to generate radical opinions that can greatly affect other players’ game feeling.
This article was reflected in the current context of Microsoft and Xbox, where a series of decisions marked a wave of negativity towards the company. In this sense, the climate has become hostile, leaving a feeling of confusion and fear, mainly affecting a video game that, in this context, will be subject to criticism, being considered the “salvation” of Xbox. In this case, Hellblade 2 won’t be judged just on what it achieves as a video game, but also on poor decisions made by third parties.
Opinion-generating social networks, a problem for new games
Every time a video game is about to be released and it excludes a platform, the community gets angry and starts generating negative messages against said game. The examples are numerous and no community escapes this attack , because as we have commented, the feeling of belonging is too strong. Continuing the case of Hellblade 2, its exclusivity with the Xbox console seriously affected other communities, almost as if it were a personal attack. Therefore, when the game releases a teaser or interesting information about its launch, there is most likely a thread attacking the game. This indirectly causes some players to let themselves be affected by negativity, by distancing themselves from the game.
The power of social media has already been demonstrated many times, both positively and negatively. The problem is that, although companies are generally not affected by the horde of comments, the collective sentiment carries a lot of weight. It’s not common for all of us to review a game without trying it, because we get carried away by the popular opinion of our like-minded community. In my case, For example, I was stopped from trying games like Final Fantasy VII Remake due to the high number of reviews it received.but without realizing that I was missing out on a game that I personally loved.
The degree of impact depends on the degree of radicalization of each community. Hatred of the other company means that many users will outright reject a game simply because it comes from one company. This has happened often throughout the industry’s history, but currently the problem is worsening thanks to social media, whose role has facilitated this sense of community.
Returning to the case of Hellblade 2, and being very close to the release date, the criticisms have multiplied in an interesting way. The game seems to have attracted very high expectations, since both the graphics and its gameplay are the subject of constant criticism. Those who watch the match information without being aware of what is happening on social networks, may be affected by alarming titles such as: number of frames, game length, difficulty, graphics, story and of course the current context of Xbox and the closure of some of its studios. All of the above is a dilemma posed by communities, even Xbox One, but it has grown so much that it can be a reason for rejection by some players who have gotten carried away by the negative.
“Collective hysteria”, a common case in the video game industry
Something very similar to mass hysteria is happening within the digital communities of the video game industry. Although it does not come close to the chaos caused by this psychological and social phenomenon, it presents similar patterns that directly affect users and their views on certain topics. Also, I don’t want to compare this to hype or fake news, because even though their reactions are very similar, that’s not exactly what I want to talk about.
This “collective hysteria” is far from being a reaction to fake news or media hype because it is a more irrational phenomenon. When a community gets excited about a game, it’s almost normal. The same thing happens with counterfeits, since it is normal for alterations to be generated by fake news. But in the case I want to talk about it is different, because often it is not fake news, but rather a popular sentiment that affects many players, as if it were a virus , which attacks those who are not protected and allow themselves to be infected. This is also encouraged by the media.
Rejection of a specific game played by a particular community occurs frequently. This feeling is not only a consequence of what we experience, especially as players, but also, in many cases, it is fueled by certain media who prefer to share alarmist or negative stories. Usually, as gamers, we want to view our tastes as valid, as if it’s some kind of superiority to be on the side of better video games. This is where we seek out opinions that validate what we consume, blindly supporting those who tell us what we want to hear. So when a series of journalists reported on the possible “end of Xbox”, various parts of the community took the opportunity to share and broadcast news that, in principle, are rumors.
The above is a clear example of how certain communities negatively affect gaming, as opinions and information spread quickly, creating a devastating rumor about those who are not active in the industry, creating a false imaginary, but with such a degree of credibility that it remains. doubt hangs in the air, as if it were collective hysteria.
Our gaming experience and the impact of negative reviews
Finally, and in conclusion, it is important to point out that it is nothing new that social networks can be very toxic, that the console war has always existed and so on. Today, what has gradually become clear is that as consumers we need to actively distance ourselves from these environments, learn to differentiate a criticism from an attack, and focus on the lived experience.
As best as we can What we can do as gamers is try video games for ourselves, seek out our favorite genres, and create positive communities., which build relationships between players and developers so that video games are not only a means of entertainment, but also a means of social interaction. From the active search for negative opinions that validate our opinions, the only thing that is achieved is to promote a culture of harassment and demolition against what we do not like, affecting other actors who, in a spirit of information, are affected by hatred. and misinformation.
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