This is What Passes for Gaming These Days?

[TPA5]

So I stumbled across this article today: http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/16/6988687/the-worst-trailer-of-the-year-revels-in-slaughtering-innocents

 

And it shows the trailer for a game called "Hatred" in which you play as a extremely psychopathic character who decides one day to go on an iso-metric 3D murder spree. And that's it. The trailer is pretty messed up, so watch at your own peril. Essentially, it's just the character (you) gunning down screaming, pleading civilians and police officers... and that's it.

 

And thus I wonder... is this really what passes for a game? Sure games like GTA and Hotline Miami are violent, but there was, in a sense, a bizarre purpose for the violence. In GTA, you could kill civilians and rampage, but it wasn't the point of the game. In Hotline Miami, those who you kill are other criminals, other sociopaths. This... game (I hesitate to call it that), is simply an exercise in frightening, hyper violent fantasies. It truly staggers me that this schlock can even pass as a game, especially in the wake of violence such as the Sandy Hook and Colorado shootings.

 

Maybe I'm just getting older, but this trash isn't gaming to me. It's nauseating violence for the sake of violence, and I'm disappointed it's even something a company would think to develop.

[omegadot]

Custer's Revenge? But yeah, that sounds awful. I won't be watching it's trailer.

[Manoau2002]

This game looks pretty pointless. There really doesn't seem to be any point to the game other then mowing people down. Ive played several of the GTA games and although I spent a lot of time in killing sprees I also played missions and spent a lot of time racing around. This game seems likes it's violence for violence sake and I can't imagine finding it interesting for more then a couple minutes.

[DoctorTom]

I agree. It's a commentary on the state of our society and its moral decay.

[Reaperman]

And here I thought this thread was going to be about the sea of "modern" games that look like lousy late-90's flash games...or worse, the "8-bit" games.

 

This game--not my cup of tea, since I don't generally care for 3rd person action titles, and this seems like a mediocre one at best, but I think there's room in the world for it. Sound design has lots of details, and that's about as positive about it as I can be. If they brightened it a bit, added a score counter and humorous achievements I might go for it in a steam sale or something.

Edited November 22, 2014 by Reaperman

[+bennybingo]

Shock value=revenue…plain and simple. The publishers of this title went into this one with 100% knowledge they would receive tons of negative reaction, which leads to sales unfortunately. Sad to say it, but these guys just made a name for themselves.

[Manoau2002]

Shock value=revenue…plain and simple. The publishers of this title went into this one with 100% knowledge they would receive tons of negative reaction, which leads to sales unfortunately. Sad to say it, but these guys just made a name for themselves.

Yeah it kind of reminds me of the debate in the news a few years ago over the violence in Manhunt 2. I remember telling a few people that I had a Wii game that had been banned in a few countries. It gets people talking.

[xenomorpher]

At least in the Manhunt series you're trying to survive and the armed enemies are actual gang members and crooked cops. The Postal series was over the top and never took itself seriously. Like it's been said before, it looks like these guys are just making it tasteless for the sake of being tasteless or for notoriety. Unless there's a twist in the gameplay or story, if you can call it that, then I don't see a point to this game. It's like something a troubled middle school student would think up. I have no idea how anyone could feel proud of working on something like this and try to sell it.

Edited November 23, 2014 by xenomorpher

[toptenmaterial]

Looks like pulp trash with no redeeming moral value. Cheap and lazy.

[Rex Dart]

Whooo cares, you don't have to play it & I doubt many people will. Don't let yourself get trolled by this crap; that's exactly the reaction they want.

Edited November 23, 2014 by Rex Dart

[Rex Dart]

Looks like pulp trash with no redeeming moral value. Cheap and lazy.

Haha what? Same to pac-man. This is a trash game for sure, but since when is redeeming moral value a requirement?

Edited November 23, 2014 by Rex Dart

[almightytodd]

Has Anita Sarkeesian weighed in on this yet?

[AtariLeaf]

Has Anita Sarkeesian weighed in on this yet?

 

There's an equal amount of men and women being murdered in the game, she should be fine with it.

[+HammR25]

Looks like Postal with updated graphics.

[toptenmaterial]

Looks like Postal with updated graphics.

Never played that game. A friend of mine says it was absolutely hilarious.

[Rex Dart]

Looks like Postal with updated graphics.

 

Yup, we went through all of this almost 20 years ago.

[Manoau2002]

Postal 3 looks really funny. Sometime when it's really cheap on steam I might have to get it.

 

This game seems more deranged then funny.

[omegadot]

The first GTA games (the top downs) I only remember running around killing people. I got bored pretty fast.

[moycon]

I have a pre-order in for the sequel. Hatred 2: The Office.

 

With the tag line " The boss is about to have the worst Monday ever!!" who wouldn't play it.

[Jess Ragan]

This game screams "Pay attention to me!" It's sad, really.

 

I personally think video games have gotten too violent and antisocial over the last fifteen years. This is the logical conclusion to the Mortal Kombats and the Grand Theft Autos. The only way to top them is to do something incredibly tasteless like this. I hope people will see through the cynicism and reject Hatred, but I honestly don't have a lot of faith in the people who call themselves gamers these days. You've seen that Gam-R-Gate mess, right? Oh lord. This should be the official game for that asinine movement.

[Keatah]

I know if this game showed up on any of my systems, people would get scared. The same thing sort of happens with DOOM, but I have honed a speech about the history and technical firsts of the game - and that smooths it over.

[+Random Terrain]

A lot of people fill their heads with the stuff in disgusting horror movies and jerk their heads up and down to nauseating music as they make the devil horns hand gesture. This is the perfect game for them. They can finally practice what the movies and music have been programming them to do for years. After practice is over, they can go out into the world and take out as many people as they can. The good news is that the average gamer weighs over 400 pounds and lives in his mother's basement, so he'd probably have a heart attack climbing the stairs and wouldn't even make it out the door.

[AtticGamer]

I don't think this is just modern gaming, earlier generations were full of trash as well. There's going to be the people educated to play better stuff, and those who won't.

[Algus]

Good lord. This trailer is the video equivalent of a two year old screaming at the top of his lungs because no one is looking at him. To be honest, I just feel bad for the developers.

[Bill Loguidice]

The only commentary on modern gaming this is is that there are more games than ever before and it's easier to make games than ever before. As such, it's a given that every possible tactic and game type, no matter how distasteful, will be attempted.