Cynical Gamer's List of Gaming Cliches
I thought I would put together a list of gaming cliches. These are things which have gone from being new, trendy and descriptive to being overused and boring. Some of them are still used by gaming journalists around the world. Others are used by gamers. I will try to update this list as well.
Here is my introductory list. I will add together additions at the bottom of the list.
Killer App - We have had so many killer apps it is not funny. Yet, not one of them has managed to redefine a console or platform on its own. A number of changes and features implemented over a series of time have managed to do this. I guess, this notion of killer app falls in line with my view of evolution. Evolution, by its very definition, is a series of tiny permutations over a number (this may be a couple it may be a thousand) generations. However, Archeologists and Paleantologists, misinterpreted the notion of evolution and began looking for a "missing link" or a single change which redefined a species. I am sorry, but that is not the way evolution works. It is also not the way a killer app works.
Spiritual Successor - I am sick of hearing this term. In fact, I would prefer the use of the more mundane franchise as a means to define a game within or without a particular gaming line from a particular developer. It either is or it isn't a part of a franchise. If it isn't then it has a likeness to a game, but it has nothing to do with any form of spirituality. I don't want to get in to a debate about the afterlife but, as far as I was aware, games were not classified as having any form of soul or spirit. Spiritual Successor is just another way of journalists saying that one game is like another without it contributing to that particular franchise.
Physics - at what point in time are ingame physics just going to be an accepted part of gaming just the way gravity is an accepted part in our lives. The novelty is wearing pretty thin. How about finding the next over promoted feature of a next gen killer app which will redefine gaming and allow you to pawn more noobs.
Next Gen (or next generation) - Everything is the next generation. However, these generations appear to be coming faster and faster. The next generation of graphics cards are the things which bug me the most. ATI and NVIDIA have managed to release a next generation piece of graphics card within 3 months of the previous generation. These times appear to be coming down too. At what point in time are they going to release a graphics card only to have it superceded by the next gen card the following day?
Convergence - Apparently my lounge room is a meeting place for technology. Yet, I am yet to see any piece of technology I own have a meeting in there, let alone converge at that place at any point in time. I am yet to see one piece of kit do everything that I need it to do in the lounge room. So, why do Microsoft and Sony keep crapping on about it. I don't care about it and I don't think anyone else does either. It is just a buzz word that some marketing numpty created to justify Microsoft and Sony paying their advertising companies millions of dollars every year. Personally, I look forward to the day when the technology actually does have a meeting in my lounge room. Maybe, we will be one step closer to the technology rebellion and taking over the entire house.
Photo Realism - What will we strive to achieve once photo realism has become the norm in gaming? What will gaming journalists do when the first game is released that is "Photo realistic"? I think there will be a lot of masturbation and back patting going on at that point in time.
LEET - nothing says that I am 12 years old more than LEET. I can't stand hearing someone say, "Pawn some noobs". (notice the english translation of the LEET without giving any precedence to the original untranslated garbage). If you want to hear some gamers crap on on about Pawning some Noobs then just watch the ABC gaming show called "Good Game". The hosts of the show use it every second turn of phrase. I guess their 12 year old viewing audience appreciates it. Yet, it is everywhere and it drives me crazy. LEET is lazy english not another language.
Pawn some noobs - Read above listing for LEET. I just hate this phrase so much I thought I would list it specifically.
Exclusivity - Nothing is exclusive any more. Even those games which are meant to be exclusive are generally only that way for a period of time (check out Only on Xbox/Xbox 360 stickers). There was a time when Grand Theft Auto was exclusive to the playstation. Then it was revealed that it was exclusive for a period of time. Which means that it is not exclusive. Go figure. For more of a rant on this check out my blog post, "My Word Is My Honour Until I Say Another Word".
"Game of The Year" - Every issue of every magazine reviews a game which will be "Game of the Year". Why not leave the nominations until that time of year and use some other phrase to market your reviews with. There have been so many "Games of the Year" which I have personally disagreed with that I no longer give this catchphrase any weight. It means nothing.
Epic Game - Unfortunately there is an excellent software developer named Epic Games and there are a number of game reviewers who review epic games. However, the reveiwers don't generally review software developed by Epic Games they just classify every second title as an Epic. Games, which are Epics, come around every now and then. They are few and far between.
Anyway, that is the start of my rant about Cliches in gaming. Hopefully I'll find some other terms which irritate me and add them to the list.
Here is my introductory list. I will add together additions at the bottom of the list.
Killer App - We have had so many killer apps it is not funny. Yet, not one of them has managed to redefine a console or platform on its own. A number of changes and features implemented over a series of time have managed to do this. I guess, this notion of killer app falls in line with my view of evolution. Evolution, by its very definition, is a series of tiny permutations over a number (this may be a couple it may be a thousand) generations. However, Archeologists and Paleantologists, misinterpreted the notion of evolution and began looking for a "missing link" or a single change which redefined a species. I am sorry, but that is not the way evolution works. It is also not the way a killer app works.
Spiritual Successor - I am sick of hearing this term. In fact, I would prefer the use of the more mundane franchise as a means to define a game within or without a particular gaming line from a particular developer. It either is or it isn't a part of a franchise. If it isn't then it has a likeness to a game, but it has nothing to do with any form of spirituality. I don't want to get in to a debate about the afterlife but, as far as I was aware, games were not classified as having any form of soul or spirit. Spiritual Successor is just another way of journalists saying that one game is like another without it contributing to that particular franchise.
Physics - at what point in time are ingame physics just going to be an accepted part of gaming just the way gravity is an accepted part in our lives. The novelty is wearing pretty thin. How about finding the next over promoted feature of a next gen killer app which will redefine gaming and allow you to pawn more noobs.
Next Gen (or next generation) - Everything is the next generation. However, these generations appear to be coming faster and faster. The next generation of graphics cards are the things which bug me the most. ATI and NVIDIA have managed to release a next generation piece of graphics card within 3 months of the previous generation. These times appear to be coming down too. At what point in time are they going to release a graphics card only to have it superceded by the next gen card the following day?
Convergence - Apparently my lounge room is a meeting place for technology. Yet, I am yet to see any piece of technology I own have a meeting in there, let alone converge at that place at any point in time. I am yet to see one piece of kit do everything that I need it to do in the lounge room. So, why do Microsoft and Sony keep crapping on about it. I don't care about it and I don't think anyone else does either. It is just a buzz word that some marketing numpty created to justify Microsoft and Sony paying their advertising companies millions of dollars every year. Personally, I look forward to the day when the technology actually does have a meeting in my lounge room. Maybe, we will be one step closer to the technology rebellion and taking over the entire house.
Photo Realism - What will we strive to achieve once photo realism has become the norm in gaming? What will gaming journalists do when the first game is released that is "Photo realistic"? I think there will be a lot of masturbation and back patting going on at that point in time.
LEET - nothing says that I am 12 years old more than LEET. I can't stand hearing someone say, "Pawn some noobs". (notice the english translation of the LEET without giving any precedence to the original untranslated garbage). If you want to hear some gamers crap on on about Pawning some Noobs then just watch the ABC gaming show called "Good Game". The hosts of the show use it every second turn of phrase. I guess their 12 year old viewing audience appreciates it. Yet, it is everywhere and it drives me crazy. LEET is lazy english not another language.
Pawn some noobs - Read above listing for LEET. I just hate this phrase so much I thought I would list it specifically.
Exclusivity - Nothing is exclusive any more. Even those games which are meant to be exclusive are generally only that way for a period of time (check out Only on Xbox/Xbox 360 stickers). There was a time when Grand Theft Auto was exclusive to the playstation. Then it was revealed that it was exclusive for a period of time. Which means that it is not exclusive. Go figure. For more of a rant on this check out my blog post, "My Word Is My Honour Until I Say Another Word".
"Game of The Year" - Every issue of every magazine reviews a game which will be "Game of the Year". Why not leave the nominations until that time of year and use some other phrase to market your reviews with. There have been so many "Games of the Year" which I have personally disagreed with that I no longer give this catchphrase any weight. It means nothing.
Epic Game - Unfortunately there is an excellent software developer named Epic Games and there are a number of game reviewers who review epic games. However, the reveiwers don't generally review software developed by Epic Games they just classify every second title as an Epic. Games, which are Epics, come around every now and then. They are few and far between.
Anyway, that is the start of my rant about Cliches in gaming. Hopefully I'll find some other terms which irritate me and add them to the list.
posted by thecynicalgamer @ 2:27 pm
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