Moored On Shifting Sands
THE CURIOUS, EVER CHANGING NARRATIVES ABOUT CRIMSON DESERT
The great trek to the launch of Pearl Abyss’ ‘Crimson Desert’ has been a rather peculiar pilgrimage for gamers. First, there was elation leading up to the release of the title. Then, there was mild depression amongst some as reality set in as critic reviews started rolling in. A lukewarm reception on Metacric led to the publicly traded company shedding off some of its share price. Somehow, its worth in the minds of its investors and shareholders is intrinsically linked to arbitrary Metacritic scores. There was then an attempted but failed witch hunt over use of AI generated imagery in the title. For the moment, gamers have settled at an oasis on their great pilgrimage as sentiment around the video game seems to have shifted once more. Whether this will be a place of perpetual rest or coming sandstorms will uproot our plucky explorers remains to be seen. For the moment, the refreshing waters from the springs of open world exploration, random RKOs and beautiful imagery, depending on hardware, seem to have calmed many a spirit.
…gamers have settled at an oasis on their great pilgrimage as sentiment around the video game seems to have shifted once more.
Gamers are a curious bunch. As multifaceted as any other demographic and often divvied up into various factions. Of late, the two greatest factions are Team Devotion and Team Hatred. One unquestioningly loves Pearl Abyss’ latest offering amongst other preferred titles. The latter seem to hate it with a passion. Some even going as far as desiring its downfall over various complaints they have about it. Anything from overhype from the same group to accusations of A.I. usage, now proven. Prior generations were Team Woke and Team Anti-Woke. Each title a new land to be conquered by either nationality. Depending on technical state, some land is still in dispute years later. Of course there is the purported silent majority who care for none of these foolish things and just want to play great games. Appreciate the artistry and art therein and share their passion with others. However, there is also an insidious faction that often go unmentioned. These are infiltrators who care for neither games nor gaming but are seeking an avenue to proliferate their doctrines. Curiously, some video game “developers” seem to fall under this category.
The ever changing narratives around Crimson Desert have revealed a known but often unspoken universal truth: People are People. People tend to be fickle. Some are easily swayed this way or that by the overwhelming consensus of the masses. Others are firmly rooted in their principles on the things they like and things they dislike. However, it does seems that there is a growing cadre of gamers on the internet who are turning gaming discourse into an outlet for their frustrations pertaining to other goings on that may or may not be tangentially related to the industry. This growing undercurrent of discontentment has been spiking the drinks at the watering holes found in the comment section on many a YouTube video. Slowly poisoning the discourse around many a title or event in the gaming industry. Draining gamers of their joy while soaking the earth they tread on with the corruption of one cause or the other. First it was A.I. usage, then the RAM shortage, then occasional news item about layoffs and corporate greed. In many a comment section, some gamers seem to always be circling the wagons around the aforementioned issues. Never constructive, never informative just perpetual complaints. Meanwhile, some just want be free to see the wonder and feel the delight of indulging in great games. Not blind to the problems in and with the industry, however, not imbibing cocktails of discourse heavily infused with black pills that offer neither solution nor any hope for salvation. Only perpetual damnation.
This growing undercurrent of discontentment has been spiking the drinks at the watering holes found in the comment section on many a YouTube video.
The greatest thing about gaming is that as a medium of art it is in itself a confluence of many art forms. We are all free to choose which stream to paddle on. One can appreciate a video game for its art design, another for great video game direction, another for its wonderful writing and another for great gameplay and fun gameplay mechanics. There is almost a video game title for each type of gamer and personality out there. With the thousands of games launching every year fortune will forever favour the brave. Individual resources may not be infinite but the collective knowledge of the internet is infinite in its depth. While there is much to be criticised, there is much more to be celebrated. This being said, it behoves developers and publishers to release technically sound games on launch. If there is much substance in the titles sooner or later gamers will coalesce around a great title and propel it and its creators forward. After a wobbly landing, ‘Crimson Desert’ seems to have now regained its footing. Nevertheless, its launch has been an interesting study in gamer attitudes.
Video companion piece here.
Image credits in order of appearance: Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay; Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay