[2018] Success Among Toxic Culture.

Originally posted by XShadowSlashX

I've been following this game since the reveal in 2017. Personally, I'm looking forward to this game more than any other in the near future. However, the hate and toxicity for a game that isn't even released yet is absolutely unreal. I have played Bioware games since KOTOR and I'm aware that they have had some games that weren't received very well. I'm also aware of the EA situation. At this point everyone on the planet is.

People compare this game to Destiny. I was an avid Destiny player up until Destiny 2. People complain about EA but look at what Activision does hiding entire stories and content behind massive pay walls. In Destiny 1 if you wanted to play the content as it released you ultimately paid $170 for the base game and DLC. Pretty much the same goes for Destiny 2. Obviously there has been backlash but I feel that the hate for Anthem is leaps and bound more than Destiny.

It seems that people have already wrote this game off. They say things like "mass effect died for this" (spoiler alert: New IPs are GOOD for the industry. New creative directions and stories are a GOOD thing. Quiet frankly Mass Effect will never be as good as it once was. It will suffer from Star Wars syndrome for the rest of its life.) People state the gameplay is "boring" I can't help but laugh at that statement. If any upcoming similar game looks boring it's the Division 2. Played the first one and was bored to death after 6 hours never touched it again.

On the other hand, these are my opinions. Some may agree some may disagree. However, this constant bashing of Anthem is horrible. I believe a lot of people will be turned off by this game simply because of the toxic comments sections in literally every news article, YouTube video, and live stream. I could talk for days about how the hate and toxicity towards the failed Twitch stream was horrible and shows how terrible gamers are today. I'll say this, I don't see any other developer showing their game in this fashion (unscripted, unedited, and buggy) AT ALL, EVER, ANYWHERE.

I'll end by saying that I think this game will be a sleeper hit if not an outright success. I know the state of the gaming industry is bleak and rife with disappointment. I chose to keep faith that Anthem will not repeat the mistakes of its predecessors.

Originally posted by USplendid

It all falls on the developer. The quickest way to shut down “haters” is to be so transparent that everyone is on the same page. Like it or dislike it, everyone understands what to expect. You disarm false or hateful rhetoric with facts and straightforwardness:

• Present the game and its gameplay loop in a clear and easily understood manner

• Answer questions directly. Avoid PR “fluff” and “creative” wording. Just tell it like it is

• Be honest, don’t try to fool your audience

• Arm your fanbase with information

BioWare has been doing a pretty good so far. If they keep it up, eventually the haters will exhaust themselves.

On a personal note, I’m not really seeing all this “hate” towards Anthem, some keep bringing up. Outside of from the usual places you would expect it from. The usual suspects. The same lot that basically hates on every IP, all the time.