Let's Discuss!

[Meg]

Hello!

I've made threads like this before on other forums, and they always go over well. Basically, we pick a starting topic and go from there. There is no set topic here, so we can really let the conversation flow. The only rule here is that keep the discussion on topics with substance. So conversations about our favorite colors are out.

Here, I'll list some random topics and you guys can respond to any or all. Or propose your own topic.

1) Gun violence is a big topic right now. What kind of restrictions are okay to put on gun ownership?
2) There's been some unprofessional treatment of customers in the past few years. The nonsense with Capcom and Ninja Theory as well as the recent debacle with comic book writer Dan Slott are good examples. What do you thinkof all this, and do you think companies have to respect customers even if the majority don't care about company attitude?
3) Action movies have completely taken over the industry, but award shows fail to recognize them and are now suffering because of it. Are action movies like The Avengers good enough to win awards? Do that have enough merit for awards like Best Picture? Should award shows change their standards? Should the shows exist at all?

 

[Romero]

1) I think gun ownership should be a human right. Exceptions for convicted criminals and insane people. All weapons below artillery should be allowed for private ownership, artillery and above (including rockets) should be only for the state.
Artillery is heavy weapons that uses indirect fire. Cannons fire in a flat trajectory and should be accepted for private ownership.

2) Ninja theory? I'll try to pick up what this is about.

 

[Springhosen]

3) Action movies have completely taken over the industry, but award shows fail to recognize them and are now suffering because of it. Are action movies like The Avengers good enough to win awards? Do that have enough merit for awards like Best Picture? Should award shows change their standards? Should the shows exist at all?

I honestly don't think these award shows, movie and music alike, should even exist and I've thought that way for a really long time. Just like lists that cite the best movies and songs/albums of all time, these award shows are nothing but popularity contests and usually only involve mainstream media instead of bringing in everything.

Besides, it's all opinion anyway and who's to say the academy opinion is worth more than anyone elses?

 

[Jay]

2) There's been some unprofessional treatment of customers in the past few years. The nonsense with Capcom and Ninja Theory as well as the recent debacle with comic book writer Dan Slott are good examples. What do you thinkof all this, and do you think companies have to respect customers even if the majority don't care about company attitude?

To a certain degree, yeah. We buy the product that the company sells so some respect should be given to the consumer. But at the same time that company does not owe it. In the case with NT and Capcom they don't know what to do with a certain game series let alone please the fans. Its a long story, but they've been trolling us for awhile now.

I honestly don't think these award shows, movie and music alike, should even exist and I've thought that way for a really long time. Just like lists that cite the best movies and songs/albums of all time, these award shows are nothing but popularity contests and usually only involve mainstream media instead of bringing in everything.

Besides, it's all opinion anyway and who's to say the academy opinion is worth more than anyone elses?

Right.

 

[Meg]

To a certain degree, yeah. We buy the product that the company sells so some respect should be given to the consumer. But at the same time that company does not owe it. In the case with NT and Capcom they don't know what to do with a certain game series let alone please the fans. Its a long story, but they've been trolling us for awhile now.

Right. Because even if the majority don't care about company attitude, you have the small group that does. So by fixing attitude and being more professional, not to mention making better decisions, the small group will be happy. The majority still won't care, but the minority will decide the company is worth supporting and actually support them by buying their products new.

And award shows are silly. XD

 

[La Femme Fatale]

The only time I get interested in award shows is if there's a film or actor I'm particularly interested in being nominated. Like, this year I'm only into it because of Django Unchained and Christoph Waltz, apart from that I couldn't really care.

There's been some unprofessional treatment of customers in the past few years. The nonsense with Capcom and Ninja Theory as well as the recent debacle with comic book writer Dan Slott are good examples. What do you thinkof all this, and do you think companies have to respect customers even if the majority don't care about company attitude?

Companies should respect their customers if they care about their bottom line, and most companies do and thus will try to resolve whatever issues a customer might have. But this whole 'the customer is always right' is the biggest load of horsesh!t on the face of the planet - but perhaps I feel this way because I'm the one out on the frontlines having to deal with customer complaints and I'm tired of people feeling entitled to free things. If you don't like a product, or if you don't like the way you're being treated by a company you are doing business with, the answer is pretty simple; take your hard-earned cash elsewhere.

 

[Meg]

Companies should respect their customers if they care about their bottom line, and most companies do and thus will try to resolve whatever issues a customer might have. But this whole 'the customer is always right' is the biggest load of horsesh!t on the face of the planet - but perhaps I feel this way because I'm the one out on the frontlines having to deal with customer complaints and I'm tired of people feeling entitled to free things. If you don't like a product, or if you don't like the way you're being treated by a company you are doing business with, the answer is pretty simple; take your hard-earned cash elsewhere.

Agreed. I worked in retail for awhile, and oh. my. god. I couldn't tell you the number of times customers would make a fuss over something small just so they could try and get something else cheaper. Or free. AGHHHH! It drives me nuts how much bending over backwards some managers will do to keep terrible customers happy. Don't they realize that certain customers will rip you off as often as you let them? And the more you let them the more they are going to come back and try to do it again? AGHHH!

But on the topic of video game developers. XD

Oh oh oh! What about game journalists? There's been a lot of game journalist sites and magazines who make fun of and spit on its readers. We can talk about that.

 

[Angel]

*referring only to online gaming magazines at this point*

Personally I feel that the term "gaming journalist" is something of an oxymoron. To me, it's not much more than blogging half the time. Sure, there are some who actively pursue and seek out leads, interviews and stories but many so-called journalists are just poaching other people's stories and rewriting them for their own site and then ramming them with personal opinions and "controversy" to pad them out and generate interest.

On the internet, there seems to be less accountability for what is written by others along with an "anything goes" type of attitude. This in turn appears to give a big green light to anyone with a basic grasp of the English language to call themselves a journalist and then spout anything they want in order to make content and link bait for other people on the internet to make use of. It doesn't even matter if what they are saying is nonsense, offensive or just downright evil - so long as it gets the traffic, no one really cares. Sure, there is a slight degree of "oh, ok - perhaps I shouldn't have said that" from time to time but only if the backlash from the rest of the community or fanbase is large enough. Just look in the comments section of almost everything that Jim Sterling writes and you'll see exactly what I mean.

Anonymity adds to the freedom of being able to say whatever you want and call it "news" or "journalism". I'm sure there are those who have successfully sued internet writers for saying defamatory things but I'll bet that it's still less than if that person wrote for a non-virtual paper or magazine. For some reason, the internet brings out the masochist in people and they will continue to read articles that offend them, post about how offended they are in the comments section and then continue to fight with others instead of just switching off the computer and walking away.

I think there are some out there *coughBrennaHilliercough* who like to troll and flame just to generate some controversy and get noticed - and then watch the inevitable internet car crash that follows from the safety of their lounge. There's very little respect shown to the readership of these e-zines and sites - opinion is shoved down throats as "fact" and there is little to no objectivity shown. There is certainly very little professionalism in how they handle the reactions of people too - often you will see the writer and a disgruntled reader hurling insults at one another like it's a playground. There is no way that would be permitted if it was a proper publication.

I think the standard has definitely been lowered a great deal with the creation of gaming journalism online. And those who read and respond in kind are not exactly helping the situation either.

 

[Meg]

Well said, Ms. Angel!

I'd also like to add this: game journalists looove to side with the developers. Like the Mass Effect 3 ending controversy. So many game journalists laughed at all the people who were protesting the ending and called them crybabies. Even though it is true that EA false advertised the game by saying it was going to have more than a few endings. And then it only had three.

I can understand why game site would side with the developers since 90% of their advertising is for games and they have to keep the developers happen so they continue to advertise. But it's still ridiculous. It's basically a cycle of: get advertisements, write bad articles and reviews, laugh at gamers, make companies happy, get more advertisers, repeat. What is even the point then?

 

[Romero]

Companies should respect their customers if they care about their bottom line, and most companies do and thus will try to resolve whatever issues a customer might have. But this whole 'the customer is always right' is the biggest load of horsesh!t on the face of the planet

Agreed. I worked in retail for awhile, and oh. my. god. I couldn't tell you the number of times customers would make a fuss over something small just so they could try and get something else cheaper. Or free. AGHHHH! It drives me nuts how much bending over backwards some managers will do to keep terrible customers happy.

"The customer is always right" is a saying that is being abused all the time because customers take its meaning literally. And actually, customers are wrong more often than they are right. They misunderstand because they can't read.


I have a story here, told by someone who works at a gas station. Please excuse my poor translation, I don't know what words an English sales staff would use. Originally the language used was very professional, until the customer got too nasty.

I scan the goods and ask politely if he wants something else? Now I realize that the customer is talking in the cell phone as he is not responding, just shaking his head as a "no". He hands me his debit card, and I ask if he wants to withdraw cash. The man sends me an angry look and says "a moment" in the phone. He takes the phone away from his ear, leans forward over the counter and asks: "Do you mind shutting up? Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
I canceled the sale and told him to get the fu*k out of here.

As far as I know, the person was not reprimanded for being rude with a customer. Some customers should absolutely take their business elsewhere.

 

[LordGolbez]

.

As far as I know, the person was not reprimanded for being rude with a customer. Some customers should absolutely take their business elsewhere.

I would love to say this to a customer. People can get really nasty, but I can't get nasty back.

 

[La Femme Fatale]

Meh, I don't think I've ever read an article by a gaming journalist - but for me it's all the same thing. I don't subscribe to any sort of magazines anymore, but if I did and I saw them rag on their consumer base, I'd be out - no questions asked. Same with video game developers. But I think alot of gamers associate Capcom (or any other company for that matter) treating them poorly with Capcom not meeting whatever expectations they might have. If you despise Capcom so much because they aren't making the kind of games you want to play, then stop buying their products and go play some golf or something.

I don't know what's going on with Devil May Cry so I can't comment on that. I can only make judgements on the kind of behaviour I see.

 

[Meg]

>.>
<.<

Anyone else? New topic? Anyone?

 

[svp]

what do u guys think about technology being used by young kids for entertainment? I do like some apps and I do think kids can learn from them, but I think the world will loose ideas in the future if all the adults in 2050 keep staring at screens....just sayin, us 90s' kids are the last hope for our generation! at least we got outside more. end of rant

 

[Hoady]

what do u guys think about technology being used by young kids for entertainment? I do like some apps and I do think kids can learn from them, but I think the world will loose ideas in the future if all the adults in 2050 keep staring at screens....just sayin, us 90s' kids are the last hope for our generation! at least we got outside more. end of rant

Well if we are talking the hardcore, overuse of technology then it has certainly shaped or dumbed down kids which i think has created a new arrange of 'disorders'. Mainly things like isolation, social phobias and just dumbing down of life due to lack of experience. You can tell when a kid has had too much exposure. At the same time though, they do have the ability to search anything they want. In that sense, younger ones definitely might be becoming more socially concious through open information.

I think abuse of it though is due to the monetary system and culture. Having a marketer shoving his agenda down your throat every step you take, is testament to keeping you online for things that have no relevance to a childs wellbeing. If we appropiately merged technology and nature together then we could probably rid that problem radically quick.

I don't believe information will disappear, infact the internet it self seems to be some almost living evolving entity like ourselves. Just imagine, all the information that would be stored say 100 years from now. Its crazy knowing that millions of peoples lives are stored in this humungous digital library. In other words, i think technology stands as the ultimate preserver of information and communication of ideas. I would not be the same person today if it weren't for the internet.