Gaming Why does shovelware make you angry?

[WarmWoollySheep]

I came across a massive cardboard bin of $2 DVD's at Walmart. They looked awful, so I didn't buy any.

Instead I bought a good DVD (The Blue Planet)

I do the same thing with games. (currently enjoying Okami, Mario Kart, and PES 2008)

Bad media doesn't really affect me, but maybe it hurts you, because I see a lot of complaining about shovelware. Do you buy everything you see? Do you play crap games while you listen to crap music, and then go to sleep watching a crap movie? I can see why that would make you angry. If not, please tell me how shovelware personally affects you.

 

[Panzer Tacticer]

The Blue Planet, good call.

Shovelware doesn't actually bother me unless it manages to paint a predominant and inaccurate viewpoint of what the player it is played on is all about.

So while 100 crummy movies in a bin won't make a dvd player look like a dumb product, it's not impossible for 100 dumb Nintendo DS releases to make the DS look like something only idiots would be playing on.

It's of course annoying. But it's not like I am required to buy them. Actually, with my R4, I don't need to even worry I might buy one of those bad ideas by mistake either.

 

[guy121]

It doesn't make me angry, but I can see how it will hurt gamers. Like the previous poster said, it can easily make a system look bad.

Also think about the amount of people who don't have an R4 for their DS or a modchip for XXX system. Most people generally just head down to the store, look at the name and back cover and buy the game. Problem then becomes if the game is horrible the buyer just wasted money. The average person after doing that a couple times might decide to stop purchasing games for the system. Less buyers = Less developers/games.

The money that the buyer used to purchase these games go to developers who will just continue to put out shovelware to try to sucker more people into buying, rather than going to developers who actually put the time and effort into creating a game that gamers would love to play.

 

[Mooshywooshy]

Thanks to shovelware the Nintendo Seal of Approval no longer means anything whatsoever. This makes me personally sad.

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[WarmWoollySheep]

Most people generally just head down to the store, look at the name and back cover and buy the game

Those are very different types of consumers than us. They're not the type to post on an internet messageboard, read a game review, or talk to their friends about games.

In all likelihood, they're the same people buying bargain-bin DVD's. They might even really enjoy this crap.

Who are we to say what they should enjoy?

 

[2cb2ct7]

It makes me angry because it either replaces or supplements good games, and therefore supports bad game development in place of good game development. It lowers the expected standard... Sure I won't buy some shitty generic racer over MKWii, but some people will. Not because it is better, because it is a little cheaper to buy (and a LOT cheaper to make)...

This is why I also will not support bad cinema, bad theatre, or bad literature... Don't even start me on TV. I can't believe reality TV is still asserting itself as a viable alternative to real programming... Grrrr...

 

[iwakura]

to me it just seems like such a waste...good time, effort, and money made for things that will never sell more than 50 copies (exagerated of coursE)

 

[Kingfield]

Most people generally just head down to the store, look at the name and back cover and buy the game

Those are very different types of consumers than us. They're not the type to post on an internet messageboard, read a game review, or talk to their friends about games.

In all likelihood, they're the same people buying bargain-bin DVD's. They might even really enjoy this crap.

Who are we to say what they should enjoy?

LOL, that is so true. Anyone who posts on an online console/handheld forum practicaly MUST read online reviews.
Heheh. Good call.

 

[Deletable_Man]

Thanks to shovelware the Nintendo Seal of Approval no longer means anything whatsoever. This makes me personally sad.

That's unfortunate, but you should have been sad since the 80's because the Nintendo Seal didn't mean shit back then either. All it has ever meant was that Nintendo has licensed the game to be played on a Nintendo console. It didn't mean a group of guys at Nintendo played the game and "approved" it by any means.

Another thing: stop with the misuse of the term shovelware, people.

 

[Veho]

Most people generally just head down to the store, look at the name and back cover and buy the game

Those are very different types of consumers than us. They're not the type to post on an internet messageboard, read a game review, or talk to their friends about games.

In all likelihood, they're the same people buying bargain-bin DVD's. They might even really enjoy this crap.

Who are we to say what they should enjoy?

Who are we to say anything? Existing games are what draws people to a console, and unfortunately, with Wii, shovelware-consumers are a majority, and they dictate the development of future titles, while people demanding quality are a loud minority, but a minority nonetheless. We don't have a say in anything if we don't back our words up with money. If shovelware sells, more and more developers will turn towards it at the expense of quality titles; if this becomes a trend, the Wii will end up as the "bargain bin console", fit only for ports of Flash or shareware games a developer can hack out in half a day, with the investment to profit ratio better than any big, quality title. Developers will sooner turn to high-return investments like shovelware than risk a commercial flop with a big, expensive game. And developers working on quality titles will keep away from the joke of a console that the hackware-infested Wii will be regarded as.

One or two crap-shareware-like titles are okay, they are irritating but ignorable, just like a dripping faucet, but drop by drop we might end up drowning in a flood of mediocrity. And while this is the worst-case scenario, every drop reminds us of it anew, and that's why every shovelware title makes us angry.

 

[Hadrian]

The problem I have with shovelware is that its aimed at the ignorant buyer who would buy a game for its cover and subject rather than research it. Now that is their fault, but the same people do the same for gifts to people.

Ok its a gift its free but the problem is that there are some very good games out there that are ignored in favour of some cheaply made game that lack any ideas, style or sometimes intention to be anything other than good.

 

[bradws]

Unfortunately theres stats everywhere that are showing that the traditional gamer that reads reviews, posts on forums and plays quality games to completion haven't contributed to growth within the industry for 4+ years.

Its a difficult situation because look back ten years and Nintendo was being slammed for a horrid lack of third party titles. Now they've flooded the market with casual, quick cash making titles and look at the success of the Wii. The sales success of the Wii might not necessarily be a good thing moving forwards into future generations of consoles. I think any Wii60 owner would be lying if they said they played their Wii more than their 360. I've owned every Nintendo console before I've brought other players in the market but this generation has been different.

I feel bad for Wii owners that brought their systems expecting a plethora of AAA games and have had Zelda TP, Mario Galaxy, RE, and Metroid P3. Its terrible that I brought this console expecting much more but now its not even plugged in to power.

I'd cast a good deal of EA games into the shovelware category as well. They almost made it acceptable to release underdeveloped games every year without fail with the same engine as the previous year. Any NFS title, EA Sports title or re-hash like GTA isn't deserving of our dollars. Go on - howl about GTA 4 being rated 10/10 everywhere. Reality is it isnt that good.

 

[nephdj]

believe its just 14y old's, that dont understand that shovelware has been around before they were born and using it as a excuse to say and claim silly things.

 

[Monkey01]

Unfortunately theres stats everywhere that are showing that the traditional gamer that reads reviews, posts on forums and plays quality games to completion haven't contributed to growth within the industry for 4+ years.

Its a difficult situation because look back ten years and Nintendo was being slammed for a horrid lack of third party titles. Now they've flooded the market with casual, quick cash making titles and look at the success of the Wii. The sales success of the Wii might not necessarily be a good thing moving forwards into future generations of consoles.

I think any Wii60 owner would be lying if they said they played their Wii more than their 360. I've owned every Nintendo console before I've brought other players in the market but this generation has been different.

I feel bad for Wii owners that brought their systems expecting a plethora of AAA games and have had Zelda TP, Mario Galaxy, RE, and Metroid P3. Its terrible that I brought this console expecting much more but now its not even plugged in to power.

I'd cast a good deal of EA games into the shovelware category as well. They almost made it acceptable to release underdeveloped games every year without fail with the same engine as the previous year. Any NFS title, EA Sports title or re-hash like GTA isn't deserving of our dollars. Go on - howl about GTA 4 being rated 10/10 everywhere. Reality is it isnt that good.

I agree with the first part of your post, but the rest contains some statements that are just you're opinion, but you make them look like facts.

"I think any Wii60 owner would be lying if they said they played their Wii more than their 360"
That's just not true. I've owned the 360 from the launch and while I enjoyed the launchtitles Perfect Dark and Kameo and played them a lot, there haven't been any titles after that I really liked and played much. The DoA4 savegamedeleting-bug was so annoying that I haven't played single player mode again after it deleted my savegame again. And Gears of Wars didn't interest me at all, I've played it for less then 3 hours and found it a waste of time (and money).
On the Wii on the other hand, I've played and completed Rayman Raving Rabbids, Zelda TP, and also played several hours on games like WiiSports, Brawl, Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart. I'm pretty sure I played those games together more then I did with the two 360 titles.

And in the last paragraph you're calling GTA4 shovelware because it's a re-hash, but almost all quality Nintendo titles have been rehashes. You may not like GTA4, and I probably won't either (I'm not going to buy it just because every review says it's a 'must have', like I did with GoW), but there's a lot of time put in it, and if gets those grades and the majority of people likes it, then there certainly is quality in the game.

 

[Mooshywooshy]

Thanks to shovelware the Nintendo Seal of Approval no longer means anything whatsoever. This makes me personally sad.

That's unfortunate, but you should have been sad since the 80's because the Nintendo Seal didn't mean shit back then either. All it has ever meant was that Nintendo has licensed the game to be played on a Nintendo console. It didn't mean a group of guys at Nintendo played the game and "approved" it by any means.

Another thing: stop with the misuse of the term shovelware, people.

Who's to say I wasnt sad back in the 80s? At one point in time it did mean something, they didnt just slap it on any 3rd party game.
But I guess thats unfortunate that you dont mind that there is so much trash out there, I suppose you wouldn't mind living in a world of feces as long as you, and you alone didnt mind.

 

[Deletable_Man]

I don't mind at all the amount of crap titles that come out for the Wii. I don't buy them so I don't care. But then again I'm not a fanboy like 90% of the users of this forum.

And I'm serious. It never meant anything and they DID just slap it on any 3rd party game. Do some research.

 

[Gifted1]

I came across a massive cardboard bin of $2 DVD's at Walmart. They looked awful, so I didn't buy any.

Instead I bought a good DVD (The Blue Planet)

I do the same thing with games. (currently enjoying Okami, Mario Kart, and PES 2008)

Bad media doesn't really affect me, but maybe it hurts you, because I see a lot of complaining about shovelware. Do you buy everything you see? Do you play crap games while you listen to crap music, and then go to sleep watching a crap movie? I can see why that would make you angry. If not, please tell me how shovelware personally affects you.

Because those people love to complain about any and every thing.

 

[wanker2k]

Us oldtimers will remember the Great Video Game Crash right after the Atari 2600 era. What lead to this? The market was saturated with crap games and clones. How many Space Invaders clones did we need?? Things are a little different nowadays with games being more mainstream and the such but I think we are heading towards another crash soon.

 

[Carnivean]

"I think any Wii60 owner would be lying if they said they played their Wii more than their 360"
That's just not true. I've owned the 360 from the launch and while I enjoyed the launchtitles Perfect Dark and Kameo and played them a lot, there haven't been any titles after that I really liked and played much. The DoA4 savegamedeleting-bug was so annoying that I haven't played single player mode again after it deleted my savegame again. And Gears of Wars didn't interest me at all, I've played it for less then 3 hours and found it a waste of time (and money).
On the Wii on the other hand, I've played and completed Rayman Raving Rabbids, Zelda TP, and also played several hours on games like WiiSports, Brawl, Mario Galaxy and Mario Kart. I'm pretty sure I played those games together more then I did with the two 360 titles.

"Hurr I played 6 games longer than 2 games"

 

[Rice923]

Thanks to shovelware the Nintendo Seal of Approval no longer means anything whatsoever. This makes me personally sad.

That's unfortunate, but you should have been sad since the 80's because the Nintendo Seal didn't mean shit back then either. All it has ever meant was that Nintendo has licensed the game to be played on a Nintendo console. It didn't mean a group of guys at Nintendo played the game and "approved" it by any means.

Another thing: stop with the misuse of the term shovelware, people.

What's the definition of shovelware? By reading the posts, it seems like it's just crap-quality games that can be developed in a week's time. Am I right on that part?