You Do Not Own The Games You Buy.

Gamer Entitlement is the concept that Gamers “own” wholeheartedly the games they purchase. Apparently no one reads EULAs anymore! When you buy a game, you buy the privilege of playing the game. Imagine walking to a car dealer and buying your car license along with the car, however it’s only for that car, only you can drive it to set destinations, you have to pay for fuel, and some car companies will force you to pay for upgrades too! It’s a different medium we game in, it’s really nothing like the car industry, or any “practical” industry similar to the automobile. It’s a film you can play, a piece of artwork you have to discover and put together, music you play to the tone of your life – it’s almost unfathomable the complexity of emotion, thought, and activity that has to be put on the table, for you to pick up the controller.

The main issue with Gamer Entitlement, in a nutshell, was Mass Effect 3′s ending. Everybody with 2 pennies and half a pound of brain decided it was their basic human right to have an ending they wanted. There are a few decisions throughout the series that should’ve had significantly more weight, I do agree.

***MASS EFFECT SERIES SPOILERS***

The choices between council members, saving/not saving the council, Rachni, Genophage, Ash/Kayden, and Survivors of the Collector Base,. They all should’ve had a bit more consequence down the line.

In a way, the developers are only human, and they did shake hands with EA a very long time ago. They will always be pressed to meet deadlines, and put a limit on how much to put in the game. Entirely unlike Fez, but let’s no go there (just yet). I’m not about to enter into the Indoctrination Theory discussion here, other people with far more evidence and attention to detail have done so. An Indotheorist (cool huh?) would say I am Indoctrination, but the endings, while simple and pragmatically identical, had enormous implications. The things left unsaid carried such a fantastic depth I could not but help and sit in awe and wonder where it all goes from here. I love “loose ends” and endings that aren’t clear cut, I am left arguing, discussing, loving, thinking, pacing and panicking over all of the possibilities!

*** NO MORE SPOILERS ***

At the end of the day, it is the Dev Team’s game. They make what they want to make, and they then wait for others to enjoy their pride and joy. This is much more of an Independent game studio attitude, but I’m quite firm in the belief, that’s how BioWare operates. However, with EA on top of them, they don’t have that freedom anymore. The ending did feel VERY rushed, and noticeably out of place. It may just simply have been a time constraint, something EA is very known for.

Moving on from ME, there is a twist to gamers being assholes about it. There is also Developer Entitlement. It sounds like finger pointing here, but bear (hah) with me. Jonathon Blow (Braid) in a scene about a quarter of the way through, started talking about post-release and his experience through that period. I could not help but laugh at this guy, I couldn’t believe was he was saying! He stated that It was “demoralizing” and “heartbreaking” when Braid received insanely positive reviews. He went on to say that all of those reviews were surface reviews, never realizing the emotion, intricacy, and personality of Blow that went into Braid. He was looking for gamers to understand Braid, through that, him. Creating a connection between the supplier and “demander. ” Blow capped it off by saying “They failed to see the most important thing.”

This is a bit far, in my opinion. It’s bordering on “You have to enjoy the game how I tell you to enjoy it, and if you don’t. I’m going to be upset, and angry, and never make games again.” It’s nearly childish! I personally don’t believe the Gaming Industry is mature enough for our equivalent of Art Films. Sure there are always exceptions, but the majority just aren’t. People want thing like Rock of Ages, Magicka, Rochard, simple, fun, straight to the point. Don’t misunderstand me, however. As a fiction writer by heart, and a scientist by trade, that deep understanding, analysis, and personality are what I really adore about indie games – but to be “heartbroken” when people don’t see that is a bit pompous. You cannot expect every gamer to see it, or enjoy it. Especially when you have amazing game play mechanics! Being upset that people are missing out is one thing, being seriously depressed as people aren’t emotionally connecting it – is on another level all together.

This brings me to my final point. As coined by Philip K. Fish “Army of Assholes on the internet”. Fox News said that 4Chan is an “Internet Hate Machine”. To be most accurate, an amalgamation of the two is required. The Internet is a Hate Machine, run by an Army of Assholes. No one is safe, no one can run from it. You will always have “Haters.” In the same movie, Fish opened himself up and explained his story on the other side of Fez. After missing a few release deadlines, and going dark, the hate being to pour in. “FINISH THE GOD DAMN GAME” sums it all up, really. Even personal attacks, the whole lot. I mean, it’s the internet. This is Gamer Entitlement at it’s worst. Sure, when you post a deadline and don’t meet it, it’s your fault. It’s not ours? is it? However, how we choose to handle it. is. I don’t personally think all gamers are assholes, but everyone on the internet has that capacity. We are anonymous, our voice actually appears to carry weight in this medium, we are heard, felt, agreed with or cast down. It’s a unique environment for the average Joe. Throw in a semi-false sense of entitlement – it’s just the perfect formula for producing hate spewing machines.

We are entitled to enjoy the game how we want.

They are entitled to make the game they want.

Why can’t we be friends?

>Let me just clarify here, in a previous post I did mention if you were upset about the game email the publisher/developer and get on their case. I hope you took that away, in a mature and responsible fashion. I wish to think you emailed them to say “I wasn’t happy with the Day 1 DLC. Without purchasing i. I feel as if the game I bought is incomplete. If it is a marketing ploy it sought only to divide, and detracted from the experience. If there are late additions, delay the DLC and broaden it, creating expansion packs for us. More content to enjoy!” So on, constructively criticize their games, don’t just send hate mail. That doesn’t get anywhere! Do you think Fez would be out faster if people posted “I can code, what can I do to help?”