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CVG: The Cult of Kaz Hirai. GAF members interviewed.
- Thread starter Castle Doctrine
- Start date
Obviously he's had a huge influence considering he's the CEO, but I felt his on stage personality wasn't that compelling.
What do you mean? If GAF follows a particular avatar fad it most certainly means they are lighting candles at their current flavour of the month shrine. I know we were all praying to the Scribblenauts Gods for example.
zomgbbqftw
Banned
Kaz also turned the PS3 around from Ken's failures. The rebranding and Slim were his ideas that Ken resisted until the very end which is why Stringer had him removed and Kaz promoted.
ResidentDante
Member
I don't know if this is a joke post or not, but man this Kaz stuff is really getting tedious and I'm kind of agreeing. It's like PS3 owners constantly have to give justice to their purchase by worshipping the shit out of a multi-million dollar company thinking it is some kind of warm, caring charity. PS3 didn't sell 120 million plus consoles like PS2, that was a different era, get over it and focus on great games (regardless of what console their spinning in) and not just brand names and fanboy hyping to prove something.
I can "fanboy" a person, family member, a friend, a partner, but not a company and a damn product.
That's your opinion only based on leaks, "insiders" and gaming articles. Wait for the MS console reveal to make a better judgement. I don't think they are going to drop their really huge core base.
Also many people assumed long ago that PS+ would be the foreplay for a Gold like service next gen so this wouldn't be a big suprise.
Miles Quaritch
Member
I was perhaps a little overzealous in my post. I personally don't like the gifs, it's why I haven't posted in the meeting thread, although I would like to but the gifs are off putting. I'll just wait for the livestream thread and hope people keep their gif posting in check.
To me, there's nothing worse than pages and pages of the same gif being quoted or multiple, 10mb+ gifs being posted.
I don't mind the odd gif, but to see post after post of gifs and then to see more posts of quoted gifs. Ugh.
I feel I can say this with some certainty, there won't be many, if any Microsoft gifs posted outside of the Kinect flailing gifs. This much is all but assured.
Kung Fu Grip
Banned
It's all in fun. The article is stupid. There is no worship. Gaf is just hyped. Like you know.....for every situation like this.
And some of you in this thread are too damn angry at kaz and the gifs. Relax. We're just having fun.
And some of you in this thread are too damn angry at kaz and the gifs. Relax. We're just having fun.
pitcairn55
Member
Holy shit people sporting Kaz avatars in this thread are in full-on defence mode.
NO WERE BLOODY NOT! *sulk*
I must say, as a fully paid up member of the Kazatar Club, I am surprised there are people here who think theres some kind of genuine Idol worship going on. I know its been proved many times that irony and the internet are not good bedfellows, but come on. Yes Im enthusiastic for a major development in my favourite hobby, and the PS3 is my current console of choice. But Im very nearly as enthusiastic for the inevitable disappointments that todays event will bring, because of the subsequent GAF fun.
Of course now Im worried Ive read it wrong and my Kazified brethren are all rabid fanboys. That would be embarrassing.
Castle Doctrine
Member
It's often that what happens on the internet doesn't translate into real life. When MS starts massive marketing for their new console expect to feel a shift in momentum in their favor. The X-Box brand is still very strong in America.
Miles Quaritch
Member
You should know better than this.
From an outside looking in perspective, I can see how they might have reached the conclusion that there was a level of worshipping going on.
You can't reasonably deny that the gifs were overdone in the extreme. Pages and pages of them is overkill.
but... but... but... the guy interviewed me too and I'm not in there.
I feel used
You should feel grateful, and you'll feel even more grateful ten years aftery you graduate high school. You dodged a bullet.
Castle Doctrine
Member
Me too lol. I guess I'm a hypocrite.
Acquiescence
Member
I thought this post was a joke at first, so I paid it no heed. Now I'm not so sure.
RamzaIsCool
The Amiga Brotherhood
They took this Kaz thing way to serious. It's something that happens alot here, it's all just good fun. Tho I must say the creativity of the Kazgifs is maybe the best it has been yet. Maybe it stands out more because of it.
test_account
XP-39C²
I doubt there is much cult stuff behind it. Personally i've viewed all the kaz .gifs as some lighthearted humor, nothing more serious behind it than that.
Ol No Bones
Banned
I'm sure if you talked to most corporate guys and gals they wouldn't seem like slime bags. It's just a stereotype.
Miles Quaritch
Member
Right, I exercised my right not post in the thread. I also exercised my right not to go into the thread and demand the gifs stop. That doesn't take away from the point that the gifs don't contribute anything to the thread and only serve to put off otherwise engaging and appropriate discussion.
A gif here or there is fine, but pages and pages of them is simply overkill in my opinion and this doesn't even begin to count the number of people who quotes those gifs again and again.
I really do wish that there was an option to disable gifs.
Tretton is 'uge, my friend. 'uge.
sleeping_dragon
Banned
Close your browser window.
The Kaz GIFs have been epic. Really kicked started thr next gen hype train, and is hugely noticable how the general feeling of GAF has shifted over to Sony after all the recent leaks.
MS have a huge battle to win back the hearts and minds of traditional gamers. I cant wait to see the reaction to their anncoument.
Kung Fu Grip
Banned
I'm sure Evilore would've done something if he thought it was overdone. But no, he probably saw it as another gaf hype train. Which is normal. People are just mad.
The thread wasn't even about the kaz gifs, or even thinking about it, until that one member posted one with him on a horse shooting sparks out its ass. Then everybody followed and it just became a thing.
In a thread where hundreds contributed, a few dozens created gifs and hundreds chose to use a variation of Kaz face on their avatar is impossible to lump them all together in a worshiping cult with the thread functioning as the Shrine of Kaz. Some of the gifs are in bad taste, some are in good sportsmanship, some are hilarious and some fall completely flat. It's an internet meme, nothing more than that. Some of the gifs can even backfire tonight when the meeting finally ends, so a counter-gif reaction will be fully expected. People are free to analyze the phenomenon but that's a futile endeavor as no one can be certain of ones intentions and if people are being earnest in their purposes. For the record I find the whole gif flood hilarious in its relentlessness, but I can't help to feel (without any objective proof) that it's not a "pure" user phenomenon, but that's my skepticism kicking in. I enjoy it nevertheless and I know it will die sooner rather than latter as any internet fad.
Patrick Bateman
Member
Brilliant work by whitehawk.
Miles Quaritch
Member
No, I won't close my browser and I'd kindly ask you to keep your less than helpful opinions to yourself.
I don't care about Microsoft, why even bring them up? It's not relevant to the discussion at hand, which is the overuse of gifs in the meeting thread and my hope that it won't be replicated in the livestream thread.
Indeed, I was following the thread and will admit I laughed when the first gifs were posted, it was done in the best intentions, but it soon infected the thread and made it annoying to browse. This was doubly annoying as the thread grew so much over the course of a few hours that you naturally assumed that some big news had broken.
I know others love them, which is why I didn't see any point in raising the point in the thread, but I do feel it was overkill and I only mentioned it now in the hopes that it wouldn't go on to be replicated in and make the livestream thread annoying to browse through as well.
cutmeamango
Banned
Kaz Hirai is likeable, has a very expressive face, has memorable (funny) moments, rose from the PS division to the top rank in times of difficulty, and the PS4 is the first next gen (jump) console.
He is the main character.
The gifs are not excessive, with the amount of creative and skillful productions, an incredible amount of genuinely* (to those who follow gaming heads) amusing excerpts were created.
It seems proportionate to the event that will follow tonight, while being self-aware in its absurdity.
And it notable that the situation of the competitors create a sour climate to those keen to partisanship. To them all that can be said is: kazlaughing.gif
He is the main character.
The gifs are not excessive, with the amount of creative and skillful productions, an incredible amount of genuinely* (to those who follow gaming heads) amusing excerpts were created.
It seems proportionate to the event that will follow tonight, while being self-aware in its absurdity.
And it notable that the situation of the competitors create a sour climate to those keen to partisanship. To them all that can be said is: kazlaughing.gif
Messofanego
Banned
but... but... but... the guy interviewed me too and I'm not in there.
I feel used
You were too reasonable.
grimshawish
Banned
Here was me thinking we were just having fun
Edit: JUNIORED WHA-?
Edit: JUNIORED WHA-?
CambriaRising
Member
Auto avatar quote.
edit: while I do sport a Kaz avatar today I don't understand the serious tone of some posts quoted. He basically turned into a meme himself, nothing more than that. He is still the same self-conscious, at times self-deluding, executive of Sony.
Glad to see that the first response was level-headed. No doubt some of the people sporting Kaz avatars would benefit from being a little bit more like Kenka.
but... but... but... the guy interviewed me too and I'm not in there.
I feel used
Fit the narrative next time bro!
test_account
XP-39C²
What did they say? The two examples in the OP article just state their opinion about Kaz, thats not really anything different than what Kenka did.
Pachterballs
Banned
dumb article. its just a bit of silly fun. some people started making gifs, it caught on. slow news week til the 20th. which isn't far off.
the cult of?
blerg
the cult of?
blerg
legacyzero
Banned
Pachterballs
Banned
...Maybe?
Probably not.
that's the fucker spinning round with skyrim. fucking embarrassing.
lol
Yeah, but that just means it came from GAF originally.
those gifs are more than annoying once they pop up when a new positive thread about sony gets posted here. i really think some people are worshiping the guy. i feel bad because they are worshiping the wrong person.
also its pretty easy to make a GAF hype train for the ps4 announcement when all avatars have his face, just post a bunch of it in the train and its done.
unlike this bad boy, GAF Nintendo Hype Train
also its pretty easy to make a GAF hype train for the ps4 announcement when all avatars have his face, just post a bunch of it in the train and its done.
unlike this bad boy, GAF Nintendo Hype Train
The amount of gifs and meme's generated around Kaz in that thread is directly connected to the lack of any sort of leaks regarding the PS4, the only leak that sorta meant anything was the pictures of the devkit controller.
In just a matter of 2-3 days you wont see or read much about Kaz anymore, people will be fully focused on the actual information released, the games shown etc. This whole Kaz meme will cease to exist in just a mere hours now as the focus shifts towards actual confirmed information, every screenshot and video will be dissected and Kaz will hardly be mentioned until E3 and he does a presentation there.
There is also something ironic that these CEO's like Kaz Hirai, Satoru Iwata etc are some sort of idols to masses of enthusiast gamers, that is probably why the gifs tend to be funny because these guys do not really belong in the situations they are put in. They are conservative, super packaged professionals, all dancing and smiling in order to sell their product which makes the gifs work (for many).
There is certainly no cult surrounding Kaz, he was only merely chosen because he is the CEO of the company and has been under the PlayStation umbrella for so long, so you needed a face to put in all the gifs.
I understand if some of you do not enjoy it or find it funny, i do not think every gif was funny, but some were. Regardless it is more than likely the last day of the whole thing.
In just a matter of 2-3 days you wont see or read much about Kaz anymore, people will be fully focused on the actual information released, the games shown etc. This whole Kaz meme will cease to exist in just a mere hours now as the focus shifts towards actual confirmed information, every screenshot and video will be dissected and Kaz will hardly be mentioned until E3 and he does a presentation there.
There is also something ironic that these CEO's like Kaz Hirai, Satoru Iwata etc are some sort of idols to masses of enthusiast gamers, that is probably why the gifs tend to be funny because these guys do not really belong in the situations they are put in. They are conservative, super packaged professionals, all dancing and smiling in order to sell their product which makes the gifs work (for many).
There is certainly no cult surrounding Kaz, he was only merely chosen because he is the CEO of the company and has been under the PlayStation umbrella for so long, so you needed a face to put in all the gifs.
I understand if some of you do not enjoy it or find it funny, i do not think every gif was funny, but some were. Regardless it is more than likely the last day of the whole thing.
AHA-Lambda
Member
I think Gaf gives him an ok shake actually, it's Mattrick we can't stand as a corporate slimebag