SwSh Why is the reception for Sword and Shield so polarizing?

[Esserise]

You know what I mean beyond just opinions

I genuinely do not. So it's opinions and... what, facts?

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

You know what I mean beyond just opinions

Whatever a player writes about their experience is an opinion (with facts mixed in), whatever be the topic, so I don’t get what d’you mean by beyond opinions?

 

[Matthew Clerkin]

Whatever a player writes about their experience is an opinion (with facts mixed in), whatever be the topic, so I don’t get what d’you mean by beyond opinions?

Opinions 2: Electrike Boogaloo.

 

[Knightwolf09]

A ting like they know about specs, inner game mechanics, graphical tech, management, animation. Everybody acts likes they're expert in the fields and they know what's objectively good, even though they're probably just regular gamers chilling at home just spouting what THEY consider good

 

[Karamazov]

The issue today is many people have very high expectations, and are violently entitled. If a game, or even a film or TV series adds something these fans don't like, then they'll find an excuse, any excuse, to bash the writers/developers, their families, other fans, or just random people over it.

Getting real sick of people telling me I'm entitled for wanting better, or at least the bare minimum of what we already had. The fact of the matter is that Game Freak has stripped tons of valuable (and arguably, essential) content while demanding more money for less content.

And frankly, we SHOULD have high expectations. Having high expectations isn't bad. Having unrealistic expectations, I get. But having high expectations isn't bad. We're on a much more powerful system. They've had years of experience making good games. (And also the 3DS games.) They had plenty of opportunity to take in fan feedback over the years. They said this game was made for older fans in mind. Other franchises are evolving and getting better. As it stands, we can't even expect the games to match the quality of their older games, despite having all the opportunity to make them better.

So in this case, Game Freak may face being shut down (or worse burnt down) because of the backlash, and SwSh to be the final game of the franchise,

Yeah, I'm sure everyone at Nintendo crying on their piles of money. They're so hurt that they're willing to end their incredibly profitable game series and shut down a company, even though Pokemon games could be literal dog turds and still sell gangbusters.

provided Nintendo doesn't hand over development rights to another studio.

Can they even shut down GF? I thought they only had a stake in their Pokemon stuff. Though if they can shut them down, I doubt they'd be willing to close the company down after this snafu, rather than simply helping them improve.

I wouldn't be upset if GF loses Pokemon, though. Even when the games were good, they've always been slow to modernize and catch up with the rest of the industry. They're clearly unprepared or unequipped to handle a game series that desperately needs to grow and expand. If Nintendo can give Pokemon the resources and attention it needs, we as consumers win. And it's not like they couldn't carry over the old artists, designers, developers, etc.

Especially since it's hard to tell if someone's criticism is legit, or rage based.

I mean, not really. Most people can tell if criticism is legit or not by listening. Even if the criticism is delivered angrily, you should be able to understand what they want by listening to their words, and not just focusing on the delivery. That's how things work in the adult world - you can't just block your ears and tune out the things you don't like.

Yes, I'm against the (small minority of) people who are taking things too far. But GF is a big business that has to appease its audience, not a single person with a soft heart.

 

[Norzan]

A ting like they know about specs, inner game mechanics, graphical tech, management, animation. Everybody acts likes they're expert in the fields and they know what's objectively good, even though they're probably just regular gamers chilling at home just spouting what THEY consider good

When other games in the same system look much better and have better animations compared to a game that devs said they were cutting pokemon for better graphics and better animations and yet hardly improved those (not denying some animations look great though), i don't think you need to be a tech wizard to know that the game looks underwhelming from a graphical standpoint. Specially when the game is locked to 30 FPS and it has somehow FPS drops and slowdown.

I mean, this argument can be applied to anything. You think some food is bad? Well, are you 5 michelin stars chef? No? Then you don't get to criticize the food because you have no culinary expertise.

 

[Knightwolf09]

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

 

[Esserise]

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

These two things aren't actually mutually exclusive

You can appreciate what's good about something the way it is while also being critical and wanting it to be better

 

[Norzan]

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

This is how things don't improve. Specially when you know the company is capable of so much more and it's, this has been stated several times here, the biggest media franchise in the world.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

A ting like they know about specs, inner game mechanics, graphical tech, management, animation. Everybody acts likes they're expert in the fields and they know what's objectively good, even though they're probably just regular gamers chilling at home just spouting what THEY consider good

That’s a case by case basis you can’t generalise on. For all you know you’re talking to someone doing an animation course. In the end, it’s still their opinion and in this era google exists: you can easily debunk if something someone’s talking about is innacurate.

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

Like the other user said, we can look at the good while looking at the critical aspects as well. It’s not one or the other. Just gushing over the games with suppressed criticism sends the message to GameFreak that we’re satisfied with the games irrespective of the flaws (which some of us aren’t) and that just opens a gateway to further cut content.

People are reviewing and expressing their opinions because this time the games come with a huge investment than before, not to mention the various online add one like NSO and home to access even the fundamental features. People wish to dump $360+ with an educated decision, where they’re not forced to ignore aspects important for them which the game botched up and they’re forced to find something they like. And they’re free to voice their concerns to others so they can make valid and informed opinions based on the information as well.

What you’re saying would be more valid if GameFreak were distributing free Switches, copies of the game and subscriptions. We must remember that in the end we’re the consumer, we pay for the product and if it’s not up to our liking, we should make our concerns heard so the next product can be something the majority of the fan base can enjoy.

 

[Knightwolf09]

These two things aren't actually mutually exclusive

You can appreciate what's good about something the way it is while also being critical and wanting it to be better

But what does focusing a complaining about what's there do for you? It makes you upset, negative, and forget about what you Ben liked about something to begin with. It's more a negative effect than anything and makes it harder to go through with things in life

 

[Karamazov]

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

Yeah, I agree. Like that time I spent months in near-poverty and had to live on one jar of peanut butter for a week, because we couldn't afford both food AND rent, none of it mattered because I still had this really cool shirt of cats flying in outer space.

You can still focus on the positives, but the negative stuff still needs to be addressed. It won't go away just because there are good things.

But what does focusing a complaining about what's there do for you? It makes you upset, negative, and forget about what you Ben liked about something to begin with. It's more a negative effect than anything and makes it harder to go through with things in life

In an ideal world, complaining would lead to Nintendo listening to us and improving in the future. Our complaints could also serve as warnings, telling outsiders about what they can expect if they choose to fall into this franchise. We complain because we care.

Also, it's super health (and fun) to vent about things that frustrate you. I've had more fun watching this hype season trainwreck than I've had playing all of Gen VII.

 

[PkmnTrainerV]

But what does focusing a complaining about what's there do for you? It makes you upset, negative, and forget about what you Ben liked about something to begin with. It's more a negative effect than anything and makes it harder to go through with things in life

Making our concerns heard is better for the franchise that we love. If we don’t say anything, it sends the message that we’re satisfied with the product and that paves the way for further cuts in the content. Constructive criticism allows for a better game in the future.

 

[Knightwolf09]

Yeah, I agree. Like that time I spent months in near-poverty and had to live on one jar of peanut butter for a week, because we couldn't afford both food AND rent, none of it mattered because I still had this really cool shirt of cats flying in outer space.

You can still focus on the positives, but the negative stuff still needs to be addressed. It won't go away just because there are good things.

But don't you feel a bit better about the negatives not overflowing your constant thought? Able to power through through tough times instead of staying in one place depressed and angry?

Making our concerns heard is better for the franchise that we love. If we don’t say anything, it sends the message that we’re satisfied with the product and that paves the way for further cuts in the content. Constructive criticism allows for a better game in the future.

How is constant split arguments over nitpicks for any kind of good?

 

[Poke Dragon]

I don't hate the game, I just hate Game Freak's excuses when they didn't even do any of the stuff they told us they would do. Plus, the criticism actually helps the game because it lets the developer know what they did wrong.

 

[Esserise]

But what does focusing a complaining about what's there do for you? It makes you upset, negative, and forget about what you Ben liked about something to begin with. It's more a negative effect than anything and makes it harder to go through with things in life

I mean, not really? If all you focus on is negativity, then yeah, you'll poison yourself... but that's not what I said one should do. Me hating certain things about, say, SM doesn't actually make me forget about the things I liked. I can manage both at a time. And voicing the things that you didn't like about something is the only chance there is of possibly being heard so that those criticisms can be taken under advisement. If someone brings you burnt toast every morning, sure, you can just focus on the butter and jam and tell yourself it's not so bad, or you could say to whoever's making it, "Hey, maybe don't cook it so long please?" and then potentially end up with better food.

Sitting and pretending that something doesn't bother you even though it does isn't any healthier than focusing entirely on negatives, either. Critical thinking is the kidney of the mind. You can't just let grievances and disappointments fester inside you; they need to be processed and then expressed. It's not just a good idea intellectually but also emotionally.

 

[Norzan]

I've had more fun watching this hype season trainwreck than I've had playing all of Gen VII.

I'm definitely guilty of this. Didn't cared much for Gen 7 as a whole (i liked several things about it before you say i'm all negative), but the pre-release of Gen 8 has been somewhat entertaining. It's been kind of surreal seeing Gamefreak, and i'll add Bethesda for that matter, being criticized by a lot of people, when they have been for literally decades some of the most beloved game companies.

I don't hate Sword and Shield myself as well because there are changes and new stuff that legitimately look cool. But there's so much that could have been better, which is depressing more than rage-inducing.

 

[Battista]

Do I hate it? No. Far from it. I pre-ordered it, I will play it and I will enjoy it. Is it perfect? Far from it. Does it deserve constructive criticism in the hope of improvement in the future? Yes, definitely. Especially graphics-wise and in terms of difficulty.

I really appreciate this balanced perspective on things. Regardless of the current situation, I really hope Game Freak takes the criticism and does something about it in the future. It could be this gen with a patch, or it could mean Gen 9 has a full National Dex and is absolutely incredible.

 

[Karamazov]

But what does focusing a complaining about what's there do for you? It makes you upset, negative, and forget about what you Ben liked about something to begin with. It's more a negative effect than anything and makes it harder to go through with things in life

Esserise hit the nail on the head as always, so I'll just add my two cents.

Let me spin this question back around to you. I'm genuinely asking - not to pick on you or call you out or anything, you seem like a good-hearted guy. Why are you posting and defending Sword & Shield? You've said it before how you hate these debates and how much they upset you. Is it not out of love the franchise? Are you not motivated by the love you have for Pokemon, and a want to see it succeed and be the best it can be?

I complain because I care. I complain because it's good to get things off my chest. I complain because complaining with friends is fun. I complain because I can have intellectual discussions with people who disagree with me. I complain because that's something people need to do sometimes. I complain because in an ideal world, it would lead to Nintendo listening to me and improving in the future.

 

[TechSkylander1518]

The issue today is many people have very high expectations, and are violently entitled.

This can devolve into fandom heresy, leading to fatal cyberbullying towards developers or more positive fans. In worst case scenarios, fan backlash might cause franchise (or even genre) to end, either because the developers fear for their lives, or because of protests from overzealous parents who thinks the franchise corrupts people.

So in this case, Game Freak may face being shut down (or worse burnt down) because of the backlash,

...Bruh.

You really think that "complaints on the internet" is going to lead to a terrorist attack?

If you're accusing others of being arsonists and suicide baiters who will destroy franchises just because you think they talk too much on the internet, you're being way more toxic than anyone complaining about the dex cut.

Take note, literally anything in life can be better than what it is. So instead of focusing on what it CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.

Why not take this direction yourself? Instead of focusing on what fandom response CAN be, focus more on what you like about it as it is.