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[ShockingAlberto]

is there a book of these i can buy?

i don't really like them, but i know they'll be rare someday, so i want to get them while i can

Meta-joke!

 

[Femmeworth]

Finally something good comes out of this thread. :lol

 

[rpmurphy]

Came in here expecting the "fukken masterpiece" bit. Leaves disappointed.

 

[dacuk]

I have no opinion of these comics, but they made me remember this

 

[toneroni]

snowboard kids was awesome

 

[Timber]

snowboard kids was awesome

twas indeed

i miss the days of great mario kart clones

 

[Green Biker Dude]

First of all, it's relative. It doesn't matter if Persona 4 charted on the NPD or not. The game is still selling full price and will probably sell through the U.S. branch's stock through the end of the year, still at full price. This is more than most companies could ask for.

It's not trolling if I'm telling the truth about their status in the game world. Sorry Atlus isn't really a bunch of little anime girls producing SMT games in a basement, like the company would lead you to believe. They sell out of their stock of a lot of games and make profit hand over fist in the U.S. alone. In Japan, they're much huger, like, say, EA in the U.S. But even then, Atlus' presence in Japan extends beyond video games. They haven't been the "little guy" of the industry for quite some time. But it helps them to keep up that image and to beg people for preorders by offering seductive posters of Izuna. It's just annoying that people fetishize their love for the company and misconstrue who they are...

This thread turned into such a wonderful trap.

If a company's games don't sell well, it is not well known by the mass market. This is common sense.

Persona 4 is still selling at full price because there aren't many copies printed - like you already mentioned in your previous post - and because people feel it's worth the price. Not the Atlus fanatic as you put it, since those already bought the game 5 months ago. They wouldn't be fanatics if they hadn't, would they.

There is a difference between monopolizing the genre, as you were saying before, and translating games in a basement. I never said they were "innocent", "little girls" or anything like that either. I'm not a nintendo fan.

Atlus making profit has nothing to do with being a sales giant. Their games never appear amongst the top selling (whether it's the montly NPD or lifetime sales), and the mass market doesn't know about them or their games. Whatever strategy they use works, which is something else entirely.

They are bigger in Japan than in the US, obviously. But no, they are not as big as you claim. It's hard to argue without making the necessary charts for the sales numbers, but that's where I draw the line.

 

[Piano]

I love it when GAF pretends its the high-society that resides above the slums of 4chan.

 

[Tain]

I like fuckin' Arcana Heart and I agree with the Guilty Gear strip.

 

[DogWelder]

I love it when GAF pretends its the high-society that resides above the slums of 4chan.

So you need to be high society now to reside above 4chan?

 

[cartman414]

:lol @ the guys sympathizing with the Guilty Gear guy. I think I went from kinda liking that comic to loving it.

I only sympathized with him regarding the Madden thing, but not the GG thing. That was indeed a double standard.

Personally I think both casual mainstreamism and hardcore niche elitism are both bad. Great, attention-worthy games aren't limited to either mainstream or niche circles.

I do admit to being a little annoyed that the Geoff Keighleys and the N'Gai Croals seem to limit their focus to the mainstream stuff though.

 

[firex]

I have, and was bored as fuck playing them. So why would I waste my time on games I don't like?

I don't know, maybe read the second half of what I said instead of just whining? These comics are funny because they're sadly true about JRPG elitism.

 

[Rorschach]

I only sympathized with him regarding the Madden thing, but not the GG thing. That was indeed a double standard.

Personally I think both casual mainstreamism and hardcore niche elitism are both bad. Great, attention-worthy games aren't limited to either mainstream or niche circles.

I do admit to being a little annoyed that the Geoff Keighleys and the N'Gai Croals seem to limit their focus to the mainstream stuff though.

That was the whole point of the strip: the double standard. It's not about mainstream vs niche and it's not saying those are the only two options. You just have an axe to grind and put your own baggage into the interpretation.

btw- neither mainstream nor niche games are bad for the industry. Without mainstream games like Madden, EA wouldn't have the money to take risks on games like Mirror's Edge. Not to mention, there are great games that are also mainstream. The industry would not stay afloat without "mainstream gaming." And, without the niche market, some genres would be underrepresented. I love fighting games, but pretty much anything besides SFIV (and maybe SC and Tekken) are considered niche.

 

[levious]

This is the pyramid scheme of 4chan. You aren't a "newfag" if you follow the rules, but are one if you don't. Why I stopped going there when I realized how much of a joke Anonymous is.

Thats why there really are no "oldfags", its people who are on the tail end of the trend and haven't moved on yet due to feeling unimportant in real life.

..I'm to high for this. Made sense to me anyways.

hmmm, I'm lost... should be thankful I guess...

 

[Tenks]

LMAO I just noticed there is cheetos dust on the fingers of the fatty in the Final Faggotry comic

 

[Night_Trekker]

I don't know, maybe read the second half of what I said instead of just whining? These comics are funny because they're sadly true about JRPG elitism.

The idea of "JRPG elitism" is so bizarre. Being elitist about any genre is bizarre. I'm sure there are people out there like that, but I'm glad I haven't met any of them.

 

[djtiesto]

I don't know, maybe read the second half of what I said instead of just whining? These comics are funny because they're sadly true about JRPG elitism.

Meh, I see nothing wrong with being elitist, but whatevs. If you like something a lot, why not try to pimp it? Some people vastly prefer playing niche stuff, so of course we're gonna talk extra positive about it to try and give it more attention; get more people aware. Fans of niche products already get fucked over enough (i.e. we hardly get any 2D games anymore, a lot of RPGs don't get translated or have extremely limited releases), why bother rubbing salt in our wounds?

Have you ever been to an indie music thread? Hung around on pitchfork? Elitism isn't just limited to videogames...

These comics seem to me more mean-spirited Japan/retro/RPG/2D backlash that has been going on for the past few years in the gaming world, stuff which makes me less and less overall interested in being a gamer, associating with other gamers, etc.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

Eh, this comic is like the western-gamer's answer to GodMode. I will admit, however, that the "Final Faggotry" and "Grindan" cover art was clever (though I could've done without the pejorative).

 

[GitarooMan]

These comics seem to me more mean-spirited Japan/retro/RPG/2D backlash that has been going on for the past few years in the gaming world, stuff which makes me less and less overall interested in being a gamer, associating with other gamers, etc.

Retro and 2D backlash, I don't see it, if anything there has been a growth with downloadable games, etc.. Japan/RPG, definitely I think, mostly because Japan has gone heavily handheld, which just doesn't translate to the West as much and has opened the door for Western developers.

RE: the comic, the Morrowind one made me laugh a bit.

 

[Apharmd Battler]

WTF?! This thread made my day....I laughed merely on the strangeness factor...

 

[beelzebozo]

Meh, I see nothing wrong with being elitist, but whatevs.

i think you should seriously reconsider this.

 

[djtiesto]

Retro and 2D backlash, I don't see it, if anything there has been a growth with downloadable games, etc.. Japan/RPG, definitely I think, mostly because Japan has gone heavily handheld, which just doesn't translate to the West as much and has opened the door for Western developers.

RE: the comic, the Morrowind one made me laugh a bit.

Hmm, every time I see a 2D game, or a game in a slightly more 'retro' genre, and it's a retail release, I see everyone saying "this should be a downloadable game"... or "why is this selling at full price?" (when, some of these games have MORE gameplay and length to offer than your average big-budget $20 million game).

Though I think a lot of people have a bitter attitude to Japan going handheld since it means their games won't graphically push the envelope, which to some people is the most important quality in a game...

 

[eXistor]

Pretty cool comics. Who cares how old they are, they're new to me.

 

[cartman414]

That was the whole point of the strip: the double standard. It's not about mainstream vs niche and it's not saying those are the only two options. You just have an axe to grind and put your own baggage into the interpretation.

btw- neither mainstream nor niche games are bad for the industry. Without mainstream games like Madden, EA wouldn't have the money to take risks on games like Mirror's Edge. Not to mention, there are great games that are also mainstream. The industry would not stay afloat without "mainstream gaming." And, without the niche market, some genres would be underrepresented. I love fighting games, but pretty much anything besides SFIV (and maybe SC and Tekken) are considered niche.

The problem is that niche games themselves are underrepresented in the media and in the marketplace, and thus get a lot less attention. Not to mention that this forces publishers to make smaller print runs, which subsequently results in less supply to meet the overall demand, which is still strong amongst the existing fanbase, resulting in high aftermarket prices.

You're right that I do have an axe to grind, but it may very well have to do with the fact that in a way it's kicking down the underdog. (And let's face it, for their success, Atlus is still a small fry amongst much, much bigger fish over here.) And chalk it up to paranoia, but if a more casual, uninitiated person sees something like this and decides to stay away from Atlus games just because he buys into the nerdy stereotype here, even if it is a parody, then that's a major disservice.

 

[djtiesto]

The problem is that niche games themselves are underrepresented in the media and in the marketplace, and thus get a lot less attention. Not to mention that this forces publishers to make smaller print runs, which subsequently results in less supply to meet the overall demand, which is still strong amongst the existing fanbase, resulting in high aftermarket prices.

You're right that I do have an axe to grind, but it may very well have to do with the fact that in a way it's kicking down the underdog. (And let's face it, for their success, Atlus is still a small fry amongst much, much bigger fish over here.) And chalk it up to paranoia, but if a more casual, uninitiated person sees something like this and decides to stay away from Atlus games just because he buys into the nerdy stereotype here, even if it is a parody, then that's a major disservice.

Well said, cartman... you echo why I don't like these comics far better than I could have...

I really wish I was self-confident enough to embrace my nerdy stereotype though

 

[Night_Trekker]

i think you should seriously reconsider this.

:lol

Agreed.

 

[cartman414]

Well said, cartman... you echo why I don't like these comics far better than I could have...

I really wish I was self-confident enough to embrace my nerdy stereotype though

Stereotypes shmereotypes. Just be confident enough in what you enjoy while keeping an open mind regarding other things.

 

[Rorschach]

The problem is that niche games themselves are underrepresented in the media and in the marketplace, and thus get a lot less attention.

That has nothing to do with the manufacturing and purchasing of the products. Why should you hate on someone for buying a game just because that game is not hardcore enough for YOU? Your distaste for the media is being transferred to unassuming third parties.

What's more, the media covers what the public is interested in. If they don't, then people won't tune in or visit their website or whatever. They lose out on that deal. What I see them usually do is pimp the show by saying "we'll have an inside look at Halo" and then sneak in some niche games into the show. That way, they can support the show with the big draw and it allows them to cover smaller games too.

I remember when 1up would have an entire show of mega nerds talking about super niche games that may or may not make it stateside. It seemed way boring to me. I would definitely not tune in to that. Balance is the key.

Not to mention that this forces publishers to make smaller print runs, which subsequently results in less supply to meet the overall demand, which is still strong amongst the existing fanbase, resulting in high aftermarket prices.

The media coverage doesn't force them to make smaller print runs. What forces them is that those games aren't selling as well as say Halo 3. Why the hell would you print a million copies of something that has historically sold under 200k? And, if there really is more demand than supply, they can always do another printing like SotC, SotN, and Katamari.

You're right that I do have an axe to grind, but it may very well have to do with the fact that in a way it's kicking down the underdog. (And let's face it, for their success, Atlus is still a small fry amongst much, much bigger fish over here.) And chalk it up to paranoia, but if a more casual, uninitiated person sees something like this and decides to stay away from Atlus games just because he buys into the nerdy stereotype here, even if it is a parody, then that's a major disservice.

They aren't kicking the underdog. The comic in question is making fun of double standard. It's not praising Madden. In fact, the guy who buys Madden seems like he's a bit on the obsessive side as well since he's sporting a Peyton Manning jersey and a Colts hat just to go pick up Madden. They're both equals, but the difference is that the GG guy thinks he's so much better than the Madden guy for completely ironic reasons.

 

[Stahsky]

All this shit being tossed around because some guy is making fun of some nerds.

 

[jooey]

All this shit being tossed around because some guy is reposting old stuff from 4chan making fun of some nerds.

.

 

[Stahsky]

you sure showed me, man

 

[Keru_Shiri]

Wait, doesn't the lone "." mean he agrees with you?

 

[Rorschach]

Wait, doesn't the lone "." mean he agrees with you?

It's a "fixed" without the "fixed."

Spoiler

He edited the quote.

All this shit being tossed around because some guy is making fun of some nerds.

It's because it hit some people too close to home. :[

 

[cartman414]

That has nothing to do with the manufacturing and purchasing of the products. Why should you hate on someone for buying a game just because that game is not hardcore enough for YOU? Your distaste for the media is being transferred to unassuming third parties.

What's more, the media covers what the public is interested in. If they don't, then people won't tune in or visit their website or whatever. They lose out on that deal. What I see them usually do is pimp the show by saying "we'll have an inside look at Halo" and then sneak in some niche games into the show. That way, they can support the show with the big draw and it allows them to cover smaller games too.

I remember when 1up would have an entire show of mega nerds talking about super niche games that may or may not make it stateside. It seemed way boring to me. I would definitely not tune in to that. Balance is the key.

Except there is practically no balance outside of the dedicated gaming sites/periodicals. Practically all of the coverage is dedicated to the games that have already received the biggest marketing pushes and/or are tied into major franchises/licenses to begin with. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

[Pein]

Wait, doesn't the lone "." mean he agrees with you?

yeah

 

[Stahsky]

yeah

yeah

 

[jooey]

woohoo more derailing

 

[drohne]

you didn't post THE BEST ONE

(though of course getting the reference makes one kind of a fatlus)

 

[RadioHeadAche]

That is painfully inaccurate. No Gamestop employee is that masculine.

 

[Acosta]

That is painfully inaccurate. No Gamestop employee is that awesome.

Fixed it for you.

 

[firex]

I still don't think the butthurt animus are realizing that "fatlus" is just a convenient parody of a publisher that just so happens to cater to a fanbase that tends to be hypocritical and whiny just as bad as console warriors, except it's all about genre/where the game was made wars instead.

I like RPGs of all kinds and I'm a huge nerd, am on the Atlus email newsletter list etc. but I don't act like just because I play mostly JRPGs that they're the best genre or anything else is inferior. In fact, I find it annoying as fuck when other JRPG fans on here are quick to bash any other kind of RPG just because it's not a JRPG. There are plenty of reasons to like all kinds of different games, and the comics more than anything point out how fucking annoying JRPG elitists can be, which is entertaining to me because it's a different take on the usual pile-on for shooter fans or any other more popular genre.

 

[Rorschach]

Except there is practically no balance outside of the dedicated gaming sites/periodicals. Practically all of the coverage is dedicated to the games that have already received the biggest marketing pushes and/or are tied into major franchises/licenses to begin with. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

:lol Again, that has zero to do with the strip I was commenting on.

 

[Ikael]

I still don't think the butthurt animus are realizing that "fatlus" is just a convenient parody of a publisher that just so happens to cater to a fanbase that tends to be hypocritical and whiny just as bad as console warriors, except it's all about genre/where the game was made wars instead

.

The "butthurting" (is that even a word? :d) comes precisely for labelling JRPG fans as hypocrital and whiny as a whole. Well, from that, and from taking theirselves too seriously. Still, this is way more centered about satire than parody (that is, not too much focused on being funny but rather on making fun at).

 

[RevenantKioku]

.

The "butthurting" (is that even a word? :d) comes precisely for labelling JRPG fans as hypocrital and whiny as a whole. Well, from that, and from taking theirselves too seriously. Still, this is way more centered about satire than parody (that is, not too much focused on being funny but rather on making fun at).

BUT WE ARE SPECIAL TOO.

 

[Poolman]

Hit and miss.

 

[Tain]

i think you should seriously reconsider this.

I don't know, man. The more I play games, the more I realize I care about how well a game holds up rather than how accessible it is. When I want opinions on a game, I usually care about opinions of people pretty familiar with the game's genre rather than people who have only played a few games in the genre. If I disagree with someone, I'm probably not going to care about their taste in things as much, I guess. If there's a trend in game design taking off that I feel is ultimately detrimental as a whole, I don't want it to be successful enough to affect future games that I might care about, assuming it isn't already.

I'm not seeing a problem with any of this, assuming reason is king in the end. Is it really that awful?

 

[alistairw]

I apperciate the effort but I'd prefer something a little more clever then taking piece by piece of my post and making a strip of a supposed me just rambling. That saying the strip did make me chuckle.

I was a bit too stoned to be clever when I did that. You can tell, because the composition is crap.

Glad you didn't take it personal.

 

[cartman414]

I still don't think the butthurt animus are realizing that "fatlus" is just a convenient parody of a publisher that just so happens to cater to a fanbase that tends to be hypocritical and whiny just as bad as console warriors, except it's all about genre/where the game was made wars instead.

I like RPGs of all kinds and I'm a huge nerd, am on the Atlus email newsletter list etc. but I don't act like just because I play mostly JRPGs that they're the best genre or anything else is inferior. In fact, I find it annoying as fuck when other JRPG fans on here are quick to bash any other kind of RPG just because it's not a JRPG. There are plenty of reasons to like all kinds of different games, and the comics more than anything point out how fucking annoying JRPG elitists can be, which is entertaining to me because it's a different take on the usual pile-on for shooter fans or any other more popular genre.

I think Nippon Ichi would have made a much better target for the animu demographic. But that's just me nitpicking.

:lol Again, that has zero to do with the strip I was commenting on.

Perhaps, but I was just responding to that one part of your post.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Is this the point where I get insecure? Someone tell me, I hate causing awkward social situations.

 

[andymcc]

The idea of "JRPG elitism" is so bizarre. Being elitist about any genre is bizarre. I'm sure there are people out there like that, but I'm glad I haven't met any of them.

obviously you've never been to shmups forums. :lol