Sunday, June 29, 2014

"The graphics are underwhelming. I'm disappointed!"

YouTube user michael jones posted a comment on this video:
FarCry4 World Gameplay Premiere (E3 2014 footage)
expressing his disappointment with the graphics. A lot of dissenting voices then reacted. This is a common pattern that is seen when people object to the object of others' desires.  Here is my comment that I posted as an observation:


Here's the secret. "Graphics" are subjective features that will differ among each player. You cannot be wrong in your own assessment that the graphics are underwhelming to you personally.


Far Cry 3 Graphics Comparison (Source: Kotaku)


When others object to your objection, they are combatting the encroachment of your opinion onto their experience of not only the game but also the hype, which feeds into their enjoyment of the game. So in a way, it's personal for them to defend their own hype around the game, as they anticipate its greatness, and prepare to give it their full attention and benefit of doubt. They want to enjoy the game even if it means overtly or subliminally lowering their own standards and expectations.

While they may be smart enough to objectively realize that the jump in graphics from the last installment of the game to this one is not a big leap, their aim is not to be objective in their approach to this piece of culture, but to be highly subjective to the point of injecting their own desire of wanting-something-to-be-good into it.
Your disparaging remarks about its "impressiveness" may not seem like it has anything to do with hopeful eyed audiences, but in fact, everything people see and experience shapes and molds a type of reality (subjective reality). For example, if a lot more commenters chime in and cover this comment page with "UGLY", "Graphics suck", "Disappointing, doesn't look great", etc. it will dampen the excitement that the hopeful people hold out for the game. You may dismiss this silly effect, but it does have negative effects upon these people and their time with the game when and before it arrives. Obviously, they would rather prefer comments that echo their own thoughts, thereby amplifying the subjective effect and result of the game seeming even better, even more fun, even more pretty, even more worth waiting for.

If someone agrees with you about the underwhelming nature of the game, they will like your comment because it reflects how they feel about it and both of you will have something in common, a perspective and a sense of aesthetics and qualifiers of quality. Of course, the naysayers may also experience their own frustration if they feel that their opinion, of the graphics sucking, is in the minority. If you feel like you're the only one disappointed with the graphics of a game while everyone else seems like they're cluelessly enjoying it, you may feel like you're surrounded by blind idiots.



Far Cry 3 (Source: VentureBeat)

Far Cry 4 (Source: Ubisoft)


















But of course, the truth is
that this is a game that is being showed before it has been released, on youtube, and at a time where expectations are high for the surprises this next generation of power and innovation has in store for us in the immediate present and future.


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