Casuals Are The True Elitists

[@DimitriMonroe]

Git Gud

[@JetblackJay]

No git wurst

[@nathandioza7821]

@@JetblackJay no GET SWOUD

[@JetblackJay]

Owowooo

[@buttmuffin8152]

TheSMonroeShow So, I have to donate on patron in order to gain access to your discord?

[@Donotaro22]

I've been binge watching your videos. Love your channel man. Also I'm not a huge fighting game fan but am exited for Mortal Kombat, I played the beta and got better than expected. Same with Injustice 2 and Killer Instinct. I feel like I have improved and can only go up. So thanx.

[@TinyPrinceGames]

As a disabled gamer, I just wanted to say thank you for actually speaking out for accessibility rather than using us as a Trojan horse to further an agenda. The difficulty conversation got extremely tiring for me very quickly because it was so obvious that nobody actually gives a shit about accessibility for the people who need it. I finished Sekiro a week ago despite having very severe mobility limitations in my fingers. What made the game accessible for me is the PS4's remapping feature, otherwise I can't reach the defend button. Anyone who gives a shit about accessibility should be fighting for these features (and others) to be industry standards. Cause they still aren't! There's a video on my channel of my winning run of the final boss, as well. No cheats. No hand cam though, it's something I've been looking into. Your channel deserves more traffic.

[@Super_Boa]

Meanwhile Microsoft AKA Xbox developed the Adaptive Controller using funds they knew they'd never recuperate to give people with disabilities a better option to play games with. We need more platforms like Sony and Nintendo to step up to the task. As somebody who helped kids out a lot in Special Education one way I related to kids was through our love of gaming. Most kids I knew had an Xbox and played with regular controllers and I got to see a lot of them start getting the adaptive and actually sharing clips to me through messages showing them getting victory royales in fortnite or beating a stage in some other game. Elitism doesn't belong in society and especially in gaming. God bless.

[@AUGMENTEDGAMING]

Thats awesome man GJ

[@mphylo2296]

You probably hear about this guy a bunch but you should check out BrolyLegs. He's a disabled Street Fighter V player who ranks among the best Chun Li mains in the world. He plays using his mouth because his disability renders his arms nearly useless. Chun's a notoriously technical and complex character in SFV so a lot of people avoid playing her not because she's bad but because she takes a lot of effort to learn. The fact that he's as good at playing as her as he is would be extremely impressive even if he wasn't doing it with just his mouth. He's a testament to the fact that disabled gamers don't need developers to pander to them and I always bring him up when I see somebody who isn't disabled using your struggle as a trojan horse for their desires.

[@mphylo2296]

Turns out BrolyLegs was actually indirectly mentioned in this video

[@juanrodriguez9971]

I always found interesting that these people use disabilities for express why something should be in some way, not only videogames, but then I never see a single disable person saying "Oh yeah, we need an easy mode", the best thing I can find is "We need remapping controls, he needs motion controls, she a different kind of control, those two a different color pallet, he slow motion, that group there a manual in braille, she HD Rumble, etc" but never "make it easier", that only comes from adults who has never played a game in their lives, but suddenly wanting. Even kids don't give a shit about easy mode, just play and learn, play and learn. I don't like the idea of using different people as an excuse, is just too lame, is like when a gringo uses other races saying that X thing is racist and then 2 minutes later hundreds of people of that race saying "Bro, are you stupid? We love this! Shut the fuck up!". An example of this is Speedy Gonzales and Mario Mariachi.

[@yosh0wnd]

>video games are called video games for a reason, they're games Sorry but I'm gonna call bullshit; you got a source for that outlandish claim?

[@WJames-nq2df]

Never heard such fake news, Facebook will have a field day.

[@_-Lx-_]

Please it's clear that video games are a cuisine

[@AlexanderVRadev]

@@_-Lx-_ Don't you mean a casino?

[@_-Lx-_]

Alexander Radev n o

[@bossapocalypse]

Kotaku told him

[@WraxTV]

What's great about people using the handicapped argument for Sekiro is that Sekiro has Subtitles, Full Button Rebinding, and I don't recall a single bit of visual information in the game that is only different from others by their colors - i.e. yes, the hookshot prompt is green, but it's also a circle with a triangle in the middle and there's no other prompt that looks like it. Sekiro is already doing WAY more for accessibility than most other games do.

[@babula1965]

>Be a hack Journalist >type "gamers are the problem" over and over >complain about video games being to hard >complain that other people are acting juvenile

[@bluespiritrecords1709]

>be a game Journalist >don't like games

[@babula1965]

>Don't play the games, watch someone else play them >Denounce the person you vicariously experienced the game through because he is a gamer and toxic

[@huntedcircle4226]

>trying to greentext >on youtube

[@denkerbosu3551]

@@huntedcircle4226 >thefuckingirony.png

[@alexpotts6520]

>be a KZbin commenter >invoke straw men in place of an actual argument

[@marvalice3455]

On the subject of colorblindness, this is an actual issue. There are games that I have found yo be literally unplayable because the mechanics require to, for instance, recognize the difference between blue and purple. Something I physically can't do

[@marvalice3455]

@Doctor Butler fair enough. I admit it's rare that a game is straight unplayable, though it does happen, but it does limit ones playing style because one needs to adapt to some of the most basic features

[@marvalice3455]

One example of where it can be limiting is in Ark Survival, I can't tell how rare a drop box is going to be. This means that a common strategy for getting higher quality equipment is simply not going to work for me. I can still play the game, I may even be good at it, but I can't use it to its fullest.

[@novalanartisan2392]

Here here comrade, i too hate blue and purple distinctions in games, i love puzzle games but if i see one where i have to tell between green yellow, or blue purple, red brown, i just move past it, regardless of how much fun it looks. Unless it also has shape differeneces, then its not so bad

[@DetectiveThursday]

They now make corrective lenses for colorblindness. They are expensive now but I think as the technology improves and becomes cheaper to mass produce, this will be an issue that will affect fewer gamers.

[@HlewagastizHoltijaz]

The Crystal Sage in DS3 comes to mind. I had no idea you could actually tell which was the real one on the colour of their spells, lol.

[@spookyk3867]

My uncle bought an Xbox and desperately wanted to play games. He hadn't really played anything since PC engine so it's been a while. He bought the usual. Call of Duty and stuff. He was frustrated constantly because he found those communities too difficult to get into. The learning curve was too steep and he couldn't get reliable advice for a very new gamer. I lent him dark souls 3 to give single player a shot and he loved it. It took him so long to finish that game. The trial and error. Learning boss movements. He was like 3 bosses in by the time he learned about lock on. But he loved it. He's on sekiro now and taking a break from genichiro by fighting midir haha TLDR: these games are not just for scarred veteran gamers. They are for patient gamers.

[@shira_yone]

They're for people who are _willing_ to fully experience the game basically. If someone only want a part of the experience (for example, just the story) then these games are not for them, and that's okay.

[@arempy5836]

These people don't understand that challenge isn't a barrier to content, it is the content. This is the experience that fans of different difficult games ask for. If people want to use cheats or supereasy modes that's all fine but they need to understand that they aren't playing the same game as others. Reviewing a game while using an infinite health cheat is like reviewing a movie you watched 2X speed, you can't really comment on the piece as it was intended by the creators or as most people will experience it.

[@Potassiumkloride]

I'd say it's more like reviewing a movie based on reading the script. You understand what happened in it, but completely miss out on everything the script can't capture.

[@GabeSweetMan]

Pretty much! I have often gotten ROCKED by a new boss and went "HOO BOY time to figure out this puzzle, how do you work??" and set about grinding away at learning their patterns and animation. That process IS my fun.

[@Sobepome]

who thinks they're playing the same game with those cheats? also, rhetorical question, if Sekiro had an easy mode, and it took someone just as many deaths to kill a boss on the easier difficulty as it did for you on the normal, harder difficulty, how exactly is their experience different from yours?

[@jorgemiretehydra]

@@Sobepome It can still be a different experience, since easier difficulties tend to make some players completely ignore some mechanics and just play mindlessly, which is different from what it should be.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Challange is suvjective.

[@Twisted_Logic]

Gaming is for everyone, but not every game needs to be for every person

[@alexpotts6520]

No, but also, if you can broaden a game's appeal without damaging the core experience, that's a good thing

[@Twisted_Logic]

@@alexpotts6520 I agree

[@toottootsonicwarrior5777]

@@alexpotts6520 Ofcourse but thats not the case usually. Sometimes it feels like devs hate their fans and that they would rather they piss off so they can be with the "cool" casual crowd.

[@shira_yone]

@@Hojijhi if you play only western AAA games, perhaps so.

[@shira_yone]

@@Hojijhi try Project Wingman or Art of Rally.

[@ChillyJack]

"Captain Marvel isn't _for_ you." "Games need to appeal to everyone."

[@nachos1162]

it be like dat

[@gameinsane4718]

See feminists go after those who dislike Captain Marvel as misogynists who don't wanna see a female lead (meanwhile begging for a black widow movie since Iron Man 2). I genuinely think it was just bland. It lacks substance AND subtly at the same time and is a paint-by-numbers superhero origin movie with an amnesiac. Being "generic" in a franchise that reinvented the superhero genre and can go from quirky heist, to Shakespearean drama, to Fast&Furious levels of "family" comedy action adventure, back to political reflection... is just WRONG! Her set up could have been great if we went from beginning to end without flashbacks and started on the day everything went sideways for her but no we get to suffer with the same plot thread FOX gave up on with Wolverine!

[@LordTyph]

Honestly, the idea of an easy mode isn't a BAD thing. At the same time, however, there should be encouragement in these sorts of games to 'ramp up', and go for the 'true' challenge. Either via something like Touhou, where you only get the full story on stuff above easy, rewards for beating the game on higher difficulties, scores, ect. And in addition, it's important to note WE AREN'T ENTITLED TO IT. I view it as something nice to have but not something we desperately need to have. If it can be done without compromising the game's integrity? Good. If not, don't. Hopefully, I got my point across alright.

[@moontzu9895]

"Hello, I am OP and I don't understand anything, but I wanna seem smart with brachylogies." Again, saying that it is dumb to complain about difficulty being non inclusive because genres are not inclusive too, is like saying that it is dumb to complain about a book that has not been translated into your language because it is non inclusive like other genres of literature. You mistake two very different types of appeal. ps I fucking hate Marvel

[@LordTyph]

@@Jdudec367 It came with an 'easy mode' when it came to a US. I'm also not saying games need it. Christ, read.

[@pyrojinn]

The Western game industry is.. very industrial. They always want to beat the same drum, use the same strategy and tactics from others that prioritize accessibility and profitability. EA even force their developers to use one single engine for that optimal FPS action on third person games!

[@blurryperson2685]

That book metaphor was a great way of explaining it. Some things are meant to challenge you. There's nothing wrong with that. If you don't want to or can't handle being challenged, maybe you should avoid that title. There's a huge sea of content out there and there's definitely something for those people.

[@XxWarmancxX]

There usually isn't. The racing genre for example. A casual racer is filled with trashy mechanics. A simcade lacks content and runs out of stuff to do quickly. A Sim demands tons of money for a rig and appeals to only a small niche. Arcade racers basically are extinct or lack any polish. There aren't options always. Fps as another example: all of them are crap or overly monetized.

[@cairox1509]

@@XxWarmancxX It sounds like Racing isnt your favourite genre.

[@XxWarmancxX]

@@cairox1509 it is. Issue is it's shooting itself in the foot for me seemingly like every genre has been the last few years for various reasons.

[@fv2977]

@@XxWarmancxX The newest Forza, Project CAR, and Dirt all work on the base PS4 model. I'll admit I'm not a racing fan, so I can't name more than that.

[@XxWarmancxX]

@@fv2977 30fps though which isn't even stable. The only stable 60fps game I know on PS4 is GT sport.

[@SeekerLancer]

I never understood the "toxic" Dark Souls community. The Dark Souls community is one of the most welcoming I've encountered on the web. Maybe some people can get shitty attitudes over PvP but that's literally every game with PvP.

[@Sobepome]

contrary to popular believe, data is not the plural of anecdote. That you had a different experience does not negate someone else's experience. How did you not learn this way back when you were a toddler and realized people were other things that didn't have the same thoughts and knowledge as you?

[@lurighashandarei1318]

@@Sobepome but you talk as if the majority had a negative experience with the ds comunity, which is just not true. NOW, the people who use the lingo of the comunity...

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

@@lurighashandarei1318 It wery clearly is.

[@finkleburg-koh]

As someone who has very recently jumped into the Dark Souls community, I gotta say that I totally agree that they are one of the most welcoming communities I’ve seen in gaming. The people I’ve met in the Souls community have all been very positive and encouraging to new players like me. There is always someone who is willing to help you or teach you things that you don’t understand and they aren’t smug about it whatsoever. Yeah there are people who say stuff like “git gud” but like he says in the video, every community has assholes. In my time in both Dark Souls 1 and 2 I haven’t encountered someone who I felt had any malicious intent towards me or anyone else I got into the series.

[@theinvisibleskulk4563]

I think space shooter fans are far more toxic than souls-like fans. They tend to think RPG elements usually make a game worse. They continue to accept the inability to save your progress in most space shooters, as well as good endings that require never running out of lives. They refuse to divulge games' endings even to fans who ask about them. I've even seen some call fan art bad because an officially flat-chested character was busty.

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

I demand that horror movies be made less scary because I'm a coward and can't accept that the universe does't revolve around me

[@Maid_of_Spiders]

This made me laugh. I can't stand horror movies because I can't handle them. I've had multiple friends over the years who love them, i only get mad when they try to push me to mentally scar myself or show me a scene on purpose they know is gonna fuck me up. I'm not gonna be like "You gotta put less blood, darkness, creepy music, and jumpscares into your movie to so I can watch it!", it's the opposite. They usually WANT me to see all the fucked up things i don't enjoy. Even though I can't stand watching them I do have a lot of respect for a lot of the concepts and messages of horror movies. For example I saw a video by matpat on US and thought it was super intriguing, same with the concept of the purge. You'd have the strap me to a chair with my eyes taped open to get me to watch it but i enjoy the concept.

[@n-extrafries-surprise]

I really love horror but the modern horror films today aren’t for me since I fear I would experience a heart attack because of their cheap ass jumpscare and loud noises. Psychological horror is another story.

[@QuartzIsAnOxide]

@@n-extrafries-surprise Yeah, I actually love the older horror movies and was just trying to make a point that you cannot demand every piece of media ever produced to be accessible to absolutely everyone. Some new horror movies I do enjoy though. I thought IT was fantastic and not too jumpscary. Can't wait for part 2!

[@Sobepome]

@@QuartzIsAnOxide How do you quantify how scary something is? How do you point at two people having similar experiences with different things and say those experiences are different? If someone is just as scared in a less scary horror game vs someone who doesn't frighten as easily in the same game but scarier, then how exactly are their experiences different?

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Absolutely great false equivalency. Truly your understanding of the question exceeds all comperhension.

[@LordLoocker]

As somebody who works with game developing (albeit on a very small scale) it's incredibly refreshing to see somebody actually point out that a game's difficulty can be an integral part of it's identity and story, not just a barrier to keep "casuals" out. Whilst you could argue for some games that they could add in an easy mode without sacrificing much, games like Dark Souls (which is pretty much defined by it's grim, nihilistic atmosphere) would be completely undercut on a narrative level if you could just breeze through it.

[@LordLoocker]

@[A]ddiction Indeed, but generally people have a hard time with Dark Souls the first time they play (else it wouldn't have earned it's reputation). Even with summons and an optimized build, you'll still struggle if you haven't spent time and effort learning the system and how to utilize it.

[@Potassiumkloride]

@[A]ddiction I'd argue that the difference in that case is that summons don't change the game itself to make it any easier. Like a soccer game being evenly matched vs one side having a single extra person, the odds may be slightly different, but it's still down to skill and teamwork, and the extra person doesn't guarantee a win. Additionally, if you're summoning another player and not just an npc, some of the emotional response to beating a tough boss can be substituted with the enjoyment of successfully working with another player as a team, so it still ends up a positive experience.

[@LordLoocker]

​@JJRyzer As I said in my original post, difficulty isn't always just about punishing casuals and inflating the egos of good players, it can be about atmosphere too. Discreetly making the game easier would still make it feel like an easier game (which hardcore fans are likely to pick up on even with the absence of an actual difficulty setting). As for mods, they're a fantastic tool for getting more out of a game than the developer put in, but very few people mod their games on their first play through (unless its to fix an issue present in the game), so their first exposure to the game is likely going to be roughly similar to how the dev intended it to be (which counts for a lot in most atmospheric games).

[@LordLoocker]

​@JJRyzer You're absolutely right about difficulty not being vital to atmosphere, but it can be used to enhance it if done correctly. From Software are masters of this technique (as illustrated by games like Bloodborne and Dark Souls). They use the intense, punishing difficulty in a sort of "show-don't-tell" way in order to not only describe the world as bleak and hopeless, but to actually make the player feel it. Intertwining story with gameplay is an incredibly effective way of telling a story or building an atmosphere (which is why games like Dark Souls are often hits). Of course, this is very difficult to pull off but it is still a viable technique. As for your other point, everybody does indeed have a different experience with games, but the developer does have a very strong say in it (especially first impressions, which count for a lot in the games industry). For example, very few people would describe a game like Amnesia as "lighthearted", despite there being potential for it in mods and interpretation. The reason for that is that the dev specifically designed it with the intent of making a dark, oppressive, terrifying experience and (by using the correct techniques) they succeeded. (Also having the repost problem btw, so if this is a repeat, disregard it)

[@Sobepome]

@@LordLoocker the main issue with this is, again, things like summons and soapstone messages. Those things break the dark, oppressive, terrifying experience you're describing, but the devs still put them in. Maybe ponder why and you'll see you were only understanding a slice of what dark souls was about instead of the full picture. Miyazaki is even on record saying that he wasn't interested in making "hard" games, he was interested in making interesting games.

[@marlutteyestrelt3441]

GIT GUD: "It isn't meant to be an attack unless you make it one" - Dimitri Monroe. That's basically nailing every recent controversy regarding entertainment.

[@nsfwaifus2182]

except its actually just a condescending way of saying "if you practice you'll get better"

[@nightshades7921]

@@nsfwaifus2182 Yeah that's how it sounds to me too.

[@lurighashandarei1318]

@@nsfwaifus2182 i've always read it as "stop complaining, and before you kbow you will not fail"

[@lurighashandarei1318]

@Lance Clemings sadly, i never once saw that type of usage. Was always somebody who doesnt understand a mecchanic, and everyone just git gud at nauseum

[@chrisrockett5897]

@@lurighashandarei1318 Same.

[@Amaling]

There's three kinds of casuals. Casuals who just play the game a little(ie someone who buys a pokemon game and just plays through it once), casuals which complain about games being too hard(like the ones discussed in this vid), and casuals which ascend above the hardcore stage and truly just play games to have fun(think someone who's a retired pro but still really likes playing the game)

[@Legalmind2]

And then there are people like me that used to play games on their hardest difficulty all the way through but now manages to get 5hrs into a game on second highest and quit. Truly a extreme casual.

[@AtelierGod]

For me I might only play through a game once if there’s only so much to the story of a game, but if there’s multiple endings, dialogue options that matter, or just being extremely enjoyable I’ll play through it again and again some times on harder difficulties but I will admit I probably can’t beat something above the Super hard difficulty setting of Zone of Enders 2nd runner.

[@NGMK]

@@Legalmind2 I mean, that might have something to do with the fact, that hard modes in current games are basically "bullet sponges with sniper rifles"

[@cathygrandstaff1957]

And then there’s the super-hardcore Pokémon fans who just play through the game once but aim for a complete shiny-dex.

[@Hynotama]

@@Legalmind2 What happened? You grew up and got a life? And realized that people have to work everyday and aren't necessarily in the mood to take crap from a bunch of pixels?

[@UNSCMarine117]

I'm guessing bayonetta got a easy mode because of a different kind of "hard"

[@chrisrockett5897]

INFINITE CLIMAX

[@icyatlasartworks]

I mean, it doesn't help when you realize that she's technically naked the whole game because her hair is her clothes

[@UNSCMarine117]

@@icyatlasartworks "GOOD GRIEF SHE'S NAKED!"

[@icyatlasartworks]

@@UNSCMarine117 *uncomfortably metallic dinging noise*

[@IceHibiscus]

In an age of Lady Dimitrescu being a craze, Bayonetta coming in at 7' tall kinda makes this comment more impactful over two years later.

[@cosmix1]

sad thing is that people are like "internalised ableism" when disabled people are disagreeing when the blue checkmarkers or whoever lump accessibility and game difficulty together, that's the part that gets me the hardest

[@HexManiacQuinn]

It's like when a woman argues about not being a victim of sexism or patriarchy or when a gay person says that the LGBT+ is overstepping a line. As someone who's both and disagrees with that crowd rather often, I've seen that "internalized _____" argument a lot.

[@jemm113]

The funny thing is that in certain areas with high Hispanic populations, it's one or the other, either it's only Mexicans can use Mexico, etc. or it's a bunch of white, black and Hispanic guys "let's dress up as the most outlandish mariachi band imaginable for a party". Luckily I live in the latter area.

[@jpdlpokedigi10]

@@QuartzIsAnOxide it's not just Americans Europeans can be pretty pissy about it too

[@borealsullivan5486]

@@HexManiacQuinn No organisation or ideology should be above criticism. That kind of "holier than thou" attitude combined with rampant narcissism and arrogance, stemming from crippling inferiority complex is why I choose to distance myself from any kind of social rights community. Especially LGBT.

[@peachesandcream8753]

@@HexManiacQuinn I get the same comment of "internalised misogyny" and its creation was solely for the purpose of convincing themselves that they're in the right. These people are narcissistic and arrogant to believe they have all of the answers.

[@SonnyFRST]

"You're not a casual until you give up." Words to live by...

[@chrisrockett5897]

So, what about the guys who suck but actually want to enjoy themselves and/or get better?

[@SonnyFRST]

​@@chrisrockett5897 The point you described is like, before a roadsplit. Which way they'll go has yet to be determined.

[@chrisrockett5897]

@@SonnyFRST Hmm... Interesting. I'm wondering this because I was a For Glory player in Smash 4 back when my wifi used to be good. I liked For Glory and won a fuckton of matches against players I could actually say are skilled. But then, I got a bit bored with how dry and predictable the gameplay is and decided to play offline in Special Smash with items, custom moves, always big state (mega mushroom state always on) with low items and omega stages (or stages with minor stage hazards) on. I was always pretty amazed at how creative the gameplay was like this compared to the meta, despite being broken as hell. Maybe I just like how crazy the gameplay is and all the combos I can do, I dunno.

[@SonnyFRST]

@@chrisrockett5897 I figured you were "asking for a friend" and it seems I was right on the money. Anyway, can't fault a guy for wanting something different. (Even speedrunners take it slow sometimes. Don't beat yourself up for wanting to have fun :)

[@chrisrockett5897]

@@SonnyFRST Ah, thanks man.

[@ChaosRain786]

I've seen it both ways honestly Elitists who actively belittle Casual players for not being on their level do exist as well as Casuals who look down on the Elite. At some point I stopped looking at it as an Elite vs Casual thing and more of a certain type of person that feels they need to validate or justify themselves because they don't value the same things as others. At least that's how I see it.

[@francescolombardi3438]

maybe the real casuals are the friends we made along the way?

[@COctagons]

I've said this before elsewhere, but I'll say it again... Couldn't agree more. I have dyspraxia, meaning my co-ordination sucks, I only have partial use of my left hand (meaning I can't use WASD if I'm on PC), my every movement requires conscious thought, and there's a time lag between me telling my hand(s) to move and them actually moving, meaning I have to react faster than normal people, and every game is harder... And yet besides some accessibility, I ask for no concessions from my games. In fact, I'm an avid player of From games and others known for not being too easy. To me, wanting an "easy mode" sounds like entitlement. Wanting to win by default every time without the effort, or the grind, or the sacrifice of hours or days, as well as that little bit of luck is just asking the game to be an emotional validation sim. They want to look cool, and beat the bad guy on their first try, getting showered with praise and rewards, not to actually work for them. I don't know if there's any sentiment more infantile or SJW.

[@grandpanoogie2665]

Godspeed.

[@alexpotts6520]

See, Monroe was making a balanced argument, saying that the industry has room for all sorts of games. It seems like you want every game to cater to your tastes, you want every game to be an exclusionary title like Dark Souls or Cuphead. That excludes a large number of people who want to play video games but lead busy lives, too busy to be able to invest the time required to make the Dark Souls experience a rewarding one. To take one example, gamers are getting older all the time, many of them are now parents, perhaps they only have half an hour between wrestling their kids into bed and heading upstairs themselves. They just don't have the time to GIT GUD, all they want is something fairly chilled and comforting to unwind after a day filled with spreadsheets and an evening helping to their kids' homework. Who are you to deny them that pleasure?

[@COctagons]

@@alexpotts6520 Nope, If you read what I put, it was clearly in response to the fact that as Monroe pointed out, not every game *needs* to have an easy mode, and games press trying to force that through using all us disabled players as the excuse. Remember the old hashtag #NotYourShield? Basically that.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@COctagons No, not every game needs customisable difficulty. But can you at least agree with me that an optional extra feature won't make a game any worse?

[@COctagons]

@JJRyzer Who said that no game can have one? My point, if you would like to re-read it, is that some games should be allowed to not have an easy mode, and games journos and others who want to make it practically law that every game has to have one shouldn't use disabled gamers as an excuse to hide behind in order to push their ideology. Where are you getting it from that I said there shouldn't be one? Or did you read like one line of my comment then jump straight to the replies?

[@pausei1449]

Great video, I'm glad that you mentioned the Smash community because it was full of people complaining about how "elitist" competitive players are for playing an optimized ruleset when Smash Ultimate just came out, it was maddening.

[@Shinigami13133]

I don't care what people do when I'm not around, but if I wanna play with items on, on the worst stage in the game (barring great cave offensive because even a scrub like me knows it's trash) then by God we're gonna do that because I just wanna have stupid fun!

[@xanious3759]

@@Shinigami13133 I mean a lot of players like me enjoy both playing casually and competitively. Its not too different from just switching gamemodes.

[@Shinigami13133]

@@xanious3759 the guys I play smash with almost exclusively play without items on, only on omega stages

[@xanious3759]

@@Shinigami13133 well you can always play casual smash with other people

[@Shinigami13133]

@@xanious3759 true, but I don't own smash, and they're the only people I'm friends with that live nearby

[@Camoceltic]

5:20 "Maybe part of it is the satisfaction of completing a task not everyone will be able to complete." I can't help but feel that's part of why I play games the way I do: Whenever I play a game for the first time, I at least try to play on the hardest difficulty. If I beat it, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I actually *accomplished that challenge*. If everyone can do it without effort, it's not an accomplishment. 7:12 I've been playing games all my life. I suck at them. There is no doubt in my mind that there are a fair few disabled people who can kick my butt at every game. Once being physically capable of playing is achieved, the biggest thing that makes a difference is skill. If these people who keep saying "X needs an easy mode" were actually arguing for disabled people, their arguments would be towards allowing stuff like controller remapping or colorblind options. If you can't physically use a controller or you can't see things the game requires you to see, an easy mode isn't going to help.

[@Sobepome]

What about someone who had a lower processing speed because of a head injury or something? Wouldn't an easy mode make the game accessible to someone whose brain cannot keep up with Sekiro's combat as is?

[@keinkanal7382]

@@Sobepome no, because for them the whole game pace would need to be slowed down. Just being able to do more damage, or take more damage wouldn't help them. It'd be a poor bandaid for the actual reason he can't access the game others do.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

That first one. That is called insecurity. Jelousy. Its a bad thing and it is the primary reason this whole shitshow exists. People are angry others get to play with their toys.

[@shaetsu4045]

I've been raiding hardcore in FFXIV for the last 4 years. I will tell you from my experience the title of this video is 1000% true. The "elitists" are the most helpful players in the game, always giving class and raid help, telling you how to improve in your dps and performance of mechanics. Meanwhile the "casuals" are known for being rude and toxic. The community has the meme "you dont pay my sub" for a reason, because giving a "casual" player any kind of help whatsoever tends to get you yelled at and told that since you don't pay someones sub bill, that you "shouldn't tell them how to play". Not only does helping people get you told off, it can often get you kicked from parties. Which has led to another meme in the more "hardcore" community of the game. "Great community btw", because despite being exceptionally toxic and rude the "casuals" go on and on about how great and nice FF14 players are. This has all led to the more skilled player base becoming more reclusive and cliqueish in Discord servers and stuff, avoiding helping the playerbase at large in improving, and a lot of misinformation about good class play or good mechanics strats fail to permeate throughout the player base as a result.

[@chrisrockett5897]

Wait, so how do virgins become chads? (AKA: How do casual players who are actually invested in the game and it's mechanics learn more about the games and it's tech become competitive when the advanced gatekeeping competitive players aren't teaching them unknown tech that the game doesn't tell us about?)

[@shaetsu4045]

@@chrisrockett5897 it's reached the point where the only thing you can really do is learn to use all of fflogs features and study what the top players do with skill timelines and fight replays. Watch speedruns and optimization runs from top players on twitch. You won't find the things you see in any of these in any guide. It's like an entirely different world, these players come up with strats that make a million times more sense from both a mechanical simplicity and DPS standpoint than the common strats that get adopted by PF and more casual groups. Even The Balance, a discord server dedicated to promoting access to more advanced knowledge has become cliquish and a lot of information stays within those cliques.

[@chrisrockett5897]

@@shaetsu4045 Ah damn.

[@kinimod9813]

As someone who joined FF14 earlier in the month i can confirm the more skilled players are generally the nicest people to come across.

[@ThatGastrodon]

"you're not a casual until you give up" I love that.

[@ultragamer4465]

Umm Im pretty sure Bayo's VeryEasy mode is a joke about playing games with one hand

[@chrisrockett5897]

I played on normal mode first, and HOLY COW, it really made me notice how easy easy mode is. It took me a bit of time to get used to, but when I had all of the items and moves, it really did help me on my other playthroughs.

[@alistercomins1806]

@@chrisrockett5897 I had something similar but with hard mode moving down to normal

[@madmanwithaplan1826]

I like to use the metaphor of the Restaurant at the Space Needle in Seattle. its called SkyCity and its a revolving restaurant, its very high up in the air. and I always say that demanding From Software create a lower difficulty or difficulty options, Is like showing up at SkyCity and demanding they bring a table chair and a staff member down to wait on you to the ground floor because you're afraid of heights and get motion sickness very easily. there are hundreds of options of restaurants for them to choose from that will not be a challenge for you do get through a meal in. If you eat on the ground floor of the spaceneedle you didnt have the same experience as others who went to the top and ate looking out at a view of Seattle that is breathtaking. Theres very few restaurants that offer an experience like that and the people who go to them want that experience and its not unfair of them to defend the establishment because they dont want to A. spend the time or money to make it something you would enjoy. or B want to maintain the niche and very defined thing about their restaurant that makes it Unique

[@Dragonkid1801]

at the end of the day, media is subjective. it's impossible to make a game that appeals to everyone so it makes sense why most companies prefer to cater to a specific demographic i'm a casual gamer. i just prefer to play games where i can just go with the flow. that's MY gaming preference. i'm willing to try sekiro, but if i suck at it (which i most likely would), i'll just play a different game. there's hundreds of them

[@Gamerguy826]

"Nobody tries to appeal to everyone." *cough* Nintendo *cough cough*

[@nightshades7921]

Yay 4 Nintendo!

[@educprof2160]

Every time they try they fail, they only make a good work when they have a clear vision to who is the game appealing and how to respect that market.

[@Toastcat890]

PS2 actually did this is well.

[@punmaster227]

Yeah and they somehow make it work

[@HenshinFanatic]

No, when they try it ends in failure, they only achieve by letting go the obsessive need to be adored by all.

[@supershadey09]

Way to put all the arguments I've had about this into one video. > They can just play another game. > Maybe this would be an issue if most games were like FromSoft games, but they're not, so it isn't. > This is only an issue because of how popular FromSoft games are. > The conflation of difficulty with accessibility. Great video!

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

All of them are very weak arguments to be honest.

[@supershadey09]

I don't see you offering any rebuttals.

[@kellerwhite9299]

All of 9:50-10:12 But especially "They want people to Love and interact with their hobbies as much as they do, they wanna show you what's so special about it." THIS man, this is it! I bought and gave Dark Souls 1 to friends 3 or 4 times, for this exact reason, sure the what makes the game fun is directly tied to it's difficulty, but I didn't do it to watch them mock their inability to accomplish what I had, but to take the cost and lack of game knowledge (no spoilers/backseat gaming just "what does this item do? How do I use this Pyoromancy?" Kinds of questions") factors out of thew equation which may of held them back from one of my favorite gaming experiences. Thank you for choosing to say more than "This reviewer sucks LOL!" (While funny and often true, not helpful in expressing why!) Thank you for being you, keep it up with great content, and continue getting good!

[@xander5470]

I am very much a filthy casual, not because I'm shit at games(but I am), but because of my mindset. I find them insanely fun, but I am just so god awful at them. Last month I was playing Cold War Zombies with my friends, I got the ray gun on my first mystery box during round 6, I died on round 11. Anytime I'm told I'm trash and to get better I just don't care, I don't understand why you have to get good at a simple hobby. It's like saying you have to read a book quickly to have the best experience. About the difficulty, I usually play on easy, but if I really enjoy a game, I'll play on normal or hardest. The best example I can think of is DOOM Eternal, I played on I'm too young to die and had a blast even though it was harder than most "easy" modes. I beat ultra nightmare 4 months after I beat I'm too young too die. I still have trouble beating levels even on im too young to die. I just play games to have fun, and if other people want to play on easy or hard, let them be. Except in multiplayer games, I hate SBMM because I never get a lucky game where I have someone experienced teach me some tips or a game where I can curbstomp people, or even a game where I get absolutely annihilated to the point that it's funny. Casual is a very broad term that applies to whiny pansies, but could also apply to people like me who simply dont care enough to learn the best strategies.

[@edgystuffretarkidnormcring330]

Doomidturdnal is hard because it have a shitty design though. Never seen such a garbage game like this treated as the second coming oh the Christ just cuz « it’s Ddduuddmsm !1!1!1!1!1 » and it has good graphics.

[@thorscape3879]

The big secret about journalists in fandom so is that they don't want to be there. They want to be at the Post, WSJ, or BBC. They create these sensational articles to get attention and hope it gets them a big enough signal boost to leave Kotaku and IGN.

[@YouCantDeleteDenzelL]

Thank you!!! When I started playing the Souls games, whenever I would ask around for help on Facebook or other places I always had people giving me different ideas of what to do or helpful hints. They'd always come up with suggestions and what not. It was always the game journalists who are jerks because they think they have some sort of monopoly on how people play games. And as you've said, as a half deaf and colourblind person, these games ARE accessible to disabled people. I've seen videos of extremely disabled people clapping serious cheek in Sekiro and doing far better than my able ass. Using the disabled is just a reductive and offensive way of trying to be right.

[@Sayvonite]

I agree wholeheartedly. I actually had a "debate" against 4 people on a discord that I was a part of and they brought up the same excuses that these journalists are making. He keeps mentioning how Devil May Cry has an easy mode and nobody whines about that (even though it focuses on style while Sekiro has an overwhelming tone) and that From Software is just being elitists. One of the quotes that someone actually said was "So what, you’d rather people not buy games they don’t like?" I kept telling them that it's not that hard if you get used to the mechanics and that it will become easy but they kept complaining that it should be easy from the start. It wasn't until a day later that he admitted that he never played a souls game and all of his information was just peer speculation from these news articles (he didn't even know about dragonroot or the instant-revives -_-).

[@Uroboro_Djinn]

This is a serious issue. People don't form their own opinions, just regurgitate what they read online.

[@Sukaiba69]

Syntom of the entitled casual who thinks every game should be as they wish. Why spend your time Bigbraining when you can spend it complaining.

[@notproductiveproductions3504]

I call this the “professional fights are unfair because the other guy didn’t let me win” mentality

[@blackmantis1511]

I just wanna point out, the fact that the journalist cheated then created an article claiming they didn’t feel bad and justifying themselves shows only 1 thing. You DO feel bad, you feel the need to justify your position, this is a sign that you BELIEVE you have done something wrong and now must defend your reasoning.

[@Zlypi]

I am the most casual of casuals. I tend to play games for the story and for the experience, rather than for the challenge. Because I play games to get relaxed; not to stress out. And I tend to hack and cheat single-player games because of it. Not having to download shady software by having cheats built into games would be nice. And was nice back in the PS2 era. But nobody does it anymore. That being said too though. It's a From Software game. It's designed to be hard as balls. And they shouldn't be required or even expected to compromise their intent. So the criticism is fucking stupid. But the option to cheat with the official release would be totally welcome. Because it's not like it's a multiplayer game or anything. You aren't ruining anyone else's fun. It's literally victimless, so why the fuck not include it? But that's a choice for the devs to make. That is not a valid demand to make of the devs.

[@derrinerrow4369]

I'm glad that you understand that if a game is not for you, then it's just not for you. That people shouldn't force game devs to make "easy" mode but I too also miss the days when you could use cheats in games

[@bjornfollin8749]

"I bought the course literature so I deserve to get an A."

[@MarsPotatoes]

I am terrible at video games, im the first to admit this. I suck at every genre of game i play but i feel like games like the fromsoft games that are just hard by default give me a lot more of a sense of achievment than games that have varying difficulty. I usually will pick to just play on the normal difficulty of a game and never hardcore difficulties when given the choice. I dont feel as satisfied with my achievement in a normal game rather than spending a bunch of time learning a boss like i did in bloodborne then the satisfaction i had after i finally found my flow in the game i felt so accomplished. Dont get me wrong, i like to just sit down after a long day and play a mindless game to chill where i dont get pissed at a tough boss but i do like the challenge when im up for it. Im trying to branch out and challenge myself in more games to test my patience and it gives me a nice sense of progression in games where theres variable difficulty. I do like just being thrown in the deepend like sekiro or bloodborne and working with it despite the frustration in the moment. Moral of the story: play however you want and game journalists suck

[@magnuscritikaleak5045]

You also forgot Ninja Gaiden and Nioh were the first ones to experiment with Difficulty to give high achievements.

[@SumThingFawful]

I don't like the current thought of "everything should appeal to everyone". Your taking away what makes these things special and unique, if it's not for you it's not for you. Maybe your not meant to be a Sekiro pro first time around. Maybe the point is too git gud through trial and error. Great video, its rare to see a focused look on this perspective.

[@alexpotts6520]

Agreed, but then also I don't think it would hurt to give these games difficulty options. I'm sure most people to whom this game appealed would still play on hard, but if someone else chooses not to, so what?

[@Uroboro_Djinn]

If the game had an easy mode, the sentence "I beat Sekiro" stops meaning anything.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@Uroboro_Djinn If you really want to retain your sense of superiority, just stick "on hard mode" onto the end of that sentence.

[@biggestchungus9032]

@@alexpotts6520 to add an easy mode would change the whole experience. The feeling of accomplishment after killing a boss is one the pillars of the soulslike genre, and Miyazaki wanted to portray a dread and difficult world, as he said himself in an interview. His artistic vision shouldn't be changed because a part of the public doesn't want to take time to learn and fully appreciate it.

[@alexpotts6520]

@@biggestchungus9032 I'm not saying "make the game easier", I'm saying "allow players customisable difficulty". You can still play on hard mode if you want the game to be hard. I've made this point about ten times now.

[@jiikuncorner]

a lot of games journalists conflate accessability with difficulty as if they're the same thing and that says a lot about their ability to even talk about video games as a medium. the fact that they ignore the idea that its okay to just not 'get' some games too is pretty ironic given how disliked indie walking sims are generally.

[@BigYabai]

I feel like Kotaku journalists were all those kids who were given an unplugged controller and then watched their older siblings playing, thinking it was them winning.

[@SirArgoros]

Your personal experience with casual and hardcore communities can not be extrapolated to their general experience, nor does it substantiate the argument that one is more elitist than the other. And I say it because precisely I, like many others, have participated in the salty and hypercompetitive part of the fighting games, where it is condemned to be 'normie' and openly verbally abuses those who do not take the matter seriously. On the other hand, the healthiest people I've played with are the ones who do not take the issue seriously. My experience is worth more than yours? Who knows, but it would be almost ad hominem to tell me otherwise. The only thing that can be generalized about all that argument is that there are louts and salty people everywhere.

[@AshleysBallistics]

Sadly this comment will be lost in the sea. Awesome comment

[@orphancripler]

I really like your example for books not being for everyone and how the same applies to games, I would add that not all genres are for everyone, horror isn't going to be enjoyed by everyone, and those with a weak stomach who can't handle it do not have to torture themselves, there must be something they enjoy, or how kids cartoons are usually really hard to enjoy as an adult (Bluey is the exception, not the rule). And no, for those to argue that because games are very expensive they should be for everyone I make them a question, do you buy games without informing yourself about them? Because I don't unless it is an indie game at 2 bucks.

[@FarelForever]

Final Fantasy 14 is a MMORPG that provides the players with a selection of jobs/classes to play as. Back when I started in 2016, I was very nervous and tried to focus on using the ones that were simpler to play, however later on, when reaching end-game, I realized that most advanced runs require players to use the more complicated ones, so now I'm learning, I'm mastering the advanced mechanics. There is a lot of satisfaction to be gained from not only completing a difficult run, but also from doing it with something that a lot of players are nervous of even touching.... and to then hear them say that you're great.... that is incredibly rewarding, far more than anything a Kotaku journalist ever experienced or deserves to.

[@Myrope]

That's awesome to hear! :D I've been wanting to Tank the harder content, but I get so nervous of causing party wipes and wasting people' time that I stick to my comfort zone, haha! But reading your comment definitely shifted my mentality and now I'm considering practicing dungeons learning them as well as practicing the Tanks so that I can try Tanking in roulette. Also, hi Farel! Hope you've been well! Hoping SaGa Scarlet Graces gets a western release!

[@DranSkyehart]

The entitlement of modern gamers can only harm the industry. I'm a NES kid and I am just blown away by new releases. Games are art and you should never tell an artist how to paint their masterpiece.

[@emototheextremo5571]

Lold at that tweet at the start. "Imagine saying everything isn't for everyone!!" Yeah I can imagine saying that. Everything isn't for everyone.

[@LaserFace23]

How stunning and brave of games journos to only care about games catering to people with disabilities, something which gamers have been talking about for a while now, when a game is too tough and makes them feel bad.

[@BunkerDweller]

Great video. Honestly, I don't feel that this issue is that widespread among the general casual audience. In fact, I'd argue that a lot of casual gamers are pretty supportive of niche titles, even if they lay a bit outside of their comfort zone. However, almost all of this pseudo-outrage that I've come across seems to be spearheaded by game journos or those within the journo space. It's this creepy mentality they have that their time is more important than actually playing the game, and that they should be catered to over everyone else. It's really weird.

[@eraven1]

I guess it depends on the community more than the game. I decided to leave the YGO TCG community in my area, because they were truly elitist. They'd look down on you for playing decks that weren't meta, and constantly harassed you for not being on their level. It was shit really. I decided to leave and I've been happily doing other things.

[@alexpotts6520]

Trading card games have the worst accessibility issues, because a competitive deck can cost several hundred dollars to put together and only lasts until the next set of cards is released and upends the meta.

[@clem-real]

This video might be interesting in a modern lens about how communities revolving around casual games end up being the most toxic of them all, with the release of New Horizons and the absolute awful discourse on social media regarding time traveling, grinding, and Raymond. I wonder what causes that. Video has interesting perspective on how those who consider themselves contrarians and victimized ends up being the most vocally loud and toxic majority while pretending to be the minority. The casual attitude in video game communities pretend that they are the ones that are being bullied by the passionate elite community when in reality the latter are just doing their own thing quietly and it's casual demographics that act superior.

[@4423reborn]

Gaming journalists want easy mode fore Sekiro not because they feel entitled. The reason is very simple: If they can't progress through the game, they won't have the material to write. If they try hard enough, they surely could progress. But by that time, the hype has already died down and their article won't have as many view as if the article was written sooner. The only thing they could write about at the moment is complaining how hard it is. This game has a lot of attention and it's sure frustrating when you can't cashing in on the hype.

[@edgystuffretarkidnormcring330]

Finally a smart comment

[@nukkuu4835]

I mostly play MMOs and in them this is actually a huge problem, the elitist casuals basically seem to have such sway over the game devs they look down on anyone invested in the game as "no lifers" and scoff at people using optimized builds or rotations meanwhile touting that "play how you want". They want to be able to beat and see absolutely everything without actually getting into the game. Often times sections of the games are nerfed without having a harder mode. Hardcore players are usually very helpful and will point you to resources, resources they would've used at one point or still do. Meanwhile suggesting that you put even a slight investment into the games systems to beat something is met with cries of "gatekeeping" and being told how to play.

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

Biggest thing journalists miss is that difficulty isn't inherently a flaw. Flaws in game design can lead to difficulty though. Ninja Gaiden and Castlevania 3 are a few of my favorite games and part of it was the experience of getting to the end. I love learning games and getting great at them but with that said accessibility is a thing devs should focus on. Games ARE for everyone but not every game will be every player's cuppa tea

[@phor8567]

I’m 17 and I just bought a switch. I would call myself a casual gamer because I’ve only ever had a Wii and an Xbox 360 with barely any games on them, but I enjoy being able to just play games that I find fun without worrying about having to practice or hone my skills. That being said, I hate this mentality among other casuals that that is the only way games should be played. I think you using Smash was a perfect example because Smash can just be played as a party game with low stakes but if it’s not then there’s nothing wrong with that either. I just don’t get why people get so mad over how others like to enjoy and experience art and media.

[@Solrac-fo2eq]

Options on a video game will never be a bad thing. If you put an easy mode on Sekiro it might undermine the intended narrative the developers had, as well as the overall experience just like you mentioned, however, the intended experience is not always the experience payer get from the game regardless of a difficulty setting. Using your book analogy, you can read a book without fully understanding its nuance or message, and that fact doesn't make your experience less valid; what's more, it can even make you want to learn more and delve deeper into the book you've just read. The same can be said of videogames, what developers fail to understand is that you can have a deep experience with options to appeal to the most casual players, not just one or the other. Make players carve their own narrative and experience, let them truly play a game on their own terms.

[@aerrae5608]

Yuuuup aren't triple A titled dumbed down enough? The titles that most casuals play? Look at what happened to Bethesda games. Oof.

[@iamLI3]

>1 handed players finishing the world ends with you >you know , that game specifically designed to be played with a separate control scheme for each of your 2 hands you're supposed to have EXCUSE ME WHUT o_o ??...

[@Neon_Henchman]

What could he do if he had the two hands? He was crippled only because he was too powerful to keep them both.

[@iamLI3]

@@Neon_Henchman HAHAHAH imagine if reality worked that way with random nerfs

[@matiasbishop3461]

Journalist dont like hard games because to "git gud" you have to learn how to master the game and its systems with time and failure. That means journalist cant put their reviews out as fast as they need to make the big dollars.

[@sirazazeloflowkey6424]

In Russia we have a saying that goes "A bad dancer always blames it on the balls between his legs." It's another way of saying don't whine about a situation everyone else deals with as well, especially when so many are able to overcome the issue. We say this to people after a comppetative match of sports or gaming, when they blame their loss on the controls not being responsive enough or the ball being to round or something of the sort. Like, yeah dude, a bad dancer always blames it on the balls between his legs. And a bad gamer blames it on the difficulty setting.

[@thedude7319]

the game literally starts in easy mode, you have to look for how to start ''hard'' mode. when you give an easy mode option yet they still complain about it

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Much like FTL has NORMAL and HARD modes...

[@chrisrockett5897]

Yeah, it's like an RPG.

[@CyberLink70]

What game?

[@ittybit1464]

Going to the subject of Smash, I've always found it so ironic how the people who complain about the competitive community for "not playing like how Sakurai intended" are ultimately the people who stopped playing the game a month after it came out to chase the next big game, while the competitive scene will always keep on playing. Like... The game was made to be played in many different ways, so if people enjoy playing without items and on specific stages for a more competitive experience... idk, let them?

[@chukyuniqul]

"You're not a casual until you give up" fuck, that's a great quote. The only reason I get through from's games is that I'm stubborn and try to figure out weaknesses when enemies are too hard. I'm by no means a good player, so when I see people not willing to try a game because they think it's too hard I find it disheartening.

[@pathulhu200]

playing team fortress 2 and watching pub server regulars whine about comp players playing the game in a way that's not a dance party sandbox with an optional shooter game is infuriating

[@majorasmaskguy_8452]

Sometimes, you are the sweaty tryhard soldier with 1 or 2 pocket medics shoved so far up his ass that he can't possibly die, and other times you are the hoovy that will share a sandvich with anyone, even his enemies, and join in their dance party if they start one.

[@keiskay]

I never see these so called friendlies or dance partiers and I only really play on casual servers.

[@Skallva]

The only maps where you'll encounter friendlies are like the meme maps like 2Fort ir Hightower. Everywhere else, you'll be having a chaotic 12v12 match. Also, do you even realise how fundamentally different 6s are from pubs? You're basically playing a different game if you decide to go comp. There's a reason why the division is so big.

[@notsure6222]

I don't understand why it's such a difficult concept for people to grasp it. If everything is easy to achieve and requires no effort, life will be dull and devoid of meaning. Games like Bloodborne for example, add an extra layer of gratification, not only you beat a difficult game, but not everyone is able to do what you did. That's not to say that that makes you special or somehow better than everybody else, but it does give some level of bragging rights and that's the point. You can say the olympic runners are just doing something we can all do, but what they do in the olympic games is something a select few of people are able to do after they put time and effort into it. It's just so frustrating that people are trying desperately to normalize baby proofing the world in absolute every aspect and can not handle the valid criticism that, that would just lead to insane amounts of depression (bit of a stretch, but... eh) P.S. One punch man really shows that actually, the dude is so strong, he actually got depressed that he will never experience the feeling of working hard to win a fight.

[@kenpanderz672]

if you beat a game on the hardest difficulty available, thats pretty cool and you deserve praise for that , alot of people probably cant/wont go through that or dont enjoy intense challenge as much as you do. and if someone plays the game on the easiest difficulty and utilizes in-game exploits to make it even easier, thats fine too, there are clearly other aspects of the game they enjoy more than the challenge. and you know the difference between you beating the game on max difficulty and them beating it on least difficulty? you did something much harder. *that* is the critical difference between your playthrough and theirs. not that you saw the end of the game and they didnt, but because you defeated challenges that they never got to experience. the challenge *is* a big part of the content, and they missed out on that content. but that was their choice, and they should be able to make that choice. because choice is freedom, and i love freedom. but thats just me.

[@magnuscritikaleak5045]

Then you have the hardcore gamer people who bash Total War Rome Remasters & Shogun 2 plus Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Dynasty Warriors style games as Braindead easy, says easy is an insulting difficulty option and should be scrapped, then they hypocritical samr Hardcore gamers turn to Anime Styled Games Like Tales of Arise and Scarlet Nexus saying the Difficulty is challenging even though their Ai is about the same like Peanuts, so should tjose previous games be scorched off the planet because they have an easy mode? I see alot of Hardcore gamers can be just as Hypocrites as Casual Anime gamers.

[@notsure6222]

@@magnuscritikaleak5045 what the video takes about here is not easy, you can’t compare this to just braindead ai. It’s been some time, but wasn’t the article talking about no enemies at all? That’s not “easy”..

[@AkashiNano]

I really, really appreciate this video. I'm someone who really enjoys difficult games and RPGs, not because of the clout that comes with finishing one, but more because I enjoy having to play resourcefully. I like when a game keeps me on my toes, when I have to pay attention to every game mechanic because that makes me feel like I'm experiencing the game as a game; something that requires skill, practice and understanding to enjoy and not a passive medium which was originally the draw of video game to begin with and how they differentiated themselves from movies and books. I've gotten more and more disgruntled as the years go by with games that preach 'accessibility' in the form of easier campaigns, game mechanics that don't need to be adhered to if it's 'too complicated' and dumbing down the experience for the sake of the layman and I could never properly verbalise what, exactly, it was about this frankly demeaning approach that bothered every atom in my body. Thank you so so much for giving me a starting point and some words to meditate on concerning the true nature of elitism and discrimination in the western mainstream gaming community.

[@aobasuzukaze1032]

I'm casual but if a game is hard I need to do it over and over again until got idk full combo on Through The Fire And Flames

[@chrisrockett5897]

You get my props.

[@gabereynolds1299]

I grew up largely in git good culture in bo2 lobbies and it really boosted my self confidence as after a while I realized that I was getting better and I could feel myself becoming a better player until I never heard that anymore, same with smash

[@0rriAndroid]

How could you say something so obvious yet so brave?

[@gumgumdookuin7963]

I actually known a few friends who were casuals and just played a game on hard mode just for the fun of it. It was tough, but fun and very humorous for them each time they died. Flying's easy, landing's hard.

[@TrueGoose117]

Also, Miyazaki made the souls games hard just to give a sense of accomplishment to the players. He didn’t make them hard just for the sake of making them hard or to exclude anyone. This was true for Demon souls and Dark souls 1. Dark souls 2 and onward it became a lot more about difficulty tho.

[@magnuscritikaleak5045]

Wait Hayao Miyazaki's cousin was involved in development of Dark Souls? Yes I knew it!

[@guestguest9051]

I'm a competitive fighting game player. I don't go to tournaments much but I do play online quite a bit. I'm not great but I think I'm good enough to hold my own in multiple games. I can't say for everyone in the communities but I personally just want others to play my favorite games more. I agree with you on that. It doesn't matter even if they're playing casually but I'd respect them a lot of playing competitively. If you see someone who sucks but still tries anyway, you can see your part self in them. How is that not a great thing? Now, I've got a friend whom I trained in Tekken around 2 years ago and he can kick my ass in just as many games as I can kick his ass in. It's a really great. It's like that Chika meme that says "I raised that boy."

[@grandpanoogie2665]

10:43 let me rephrase this: Sekiro is a hard game. The fact that some insecure people who aren't good at the game want an easy mode just proves they can't enjoy things for what they are, & need easy mode so they don't look bad while playing it. That would be like entering a chess tournament with Magnes Carlsen (current world champion iirc) and saying that he can only use pawns and is blindfolded. There's nothing wrong with playing a game casually. If you want to beat dmc3 on easy with item spam mashing the triangle button, go right ahead. I won't enjoy it and might crack a few jokes but if you're overall having fun, thats great. If you can't beat a game because it is difficult, and there is no easy mode, please don't bog down my experience. If you really want to beat the game, you're going to have to put in the work, that's how these games are. Again, if you play a game casually, that is totally fine, more power to you. But please let the people who are looking for a bigger challenge have their fun. Edit: just thought of another good analogy. Bebop music. To a lot of people it sounds like random notes being played. Those who have studied music theory and played jazz like the conplexity it brings to the table. Then easy mode bebop was invented and it was called hardbop. Let bebop players play bebop. If its not your cup of tea but you want something close to the bebop experience, try hardbop.

[@michaelr20010713]

I’m not even that good at souls-like games, I used to have to grind a lot to get anywhere. the first time I played a souls game was darksouls 3 and the first boss took me at least an hour but I never just gave up and complained, I learned the patterns from it being engraved into my skull each time I died. I slowly got better with practice and now I love souls games. You can’t expect victory to be handed to you on a silver platter, but I suppose game journalists never learned what a challenge is.

[@Ivorys_slushie]

Got into this video thinking it was going to be like a synthetic man or AnnaWaifu video but gawt damn this video was so good and well written. Just... good job dude keep making videos like this

[@vampishmemo]

The real difficulty is to pronounce Sekiro the right way it seems

[@superrocki950]

one simple way to describe it is: "As a non-spice kind of people, you probrably wouldn't want to go to a spice specialized restaurant do you? and even tho you endup going *you shound't demand them to serve you vegetable soup* ."

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

A lactose intolerant person would be a better analogy.

[@VictorSilva-ex4wu]

@@ineednochannelyoutube5384 its not a better analogy because a lactose intolerant cant eat lactose, while a non-spice kind of people dont want to eat spice. the people who claims that sekiro should be easy can play the game the way it is, but dont want to

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

@@VictorSilva-ex4wu It seems people.are unable to grasp that basic mechanical skill is not a universal constant across all human. Some of us have the reflexes of a rock.

[@VictorSilva-ex4wu]

@@ineednochannelyoutube5384 but is something that can be worked, like learning a instrument, maybe its more difficult to some people and easier to another, but mechanical skills can be developed

[@VictorSilva-ex4wu]

@@ineednochannelyoutube5384 this mechanical skill that you talking is something some years in the past i didnt have, because of hyperactivity, and was playing games and playing guitar that i get better

[@gabrielandy9272]

that guy who said the right way to play the game was with a invencible mod to play, should be fired for any game reviewer job ever, that is extreme offensive.

[@MyopicTurtle]

My happiness is not your responsibility. Your happiness is not my responsibility. Journalists trying to shame artists into making a product specifically catered to them instead of presenting how making that product might, in any way, suit the interests of the artists putting their time and effort into the project should be ignored in proportion to their entitlement.

[@RaxusXeronos]

Only reason I don't want to get Sekiro is the game apparently punishes you for dying too many times by essentially locking off some stuff. From games are difficult but that seems like an unnecessary punishment.

[@dingus569]

There is a way to undo the punishment for death, you should totally play Sekiro, dying isn't really a big deal and is a part of the experience.

[@RaxusXeronos]

First article I read about it wasn't sure if the method of fixing it was finite or not

[@keinkanal7382]

The game doesn't punish you for dying too often. You refer to dragonrot, and it only happens if you die too often while choosing ti revive. If you never choose to revive, dragonrot doesn't spread, and you can counteract it.

[@anonecki]

I'm personally really fond of the way Cruelty Squad manages different difficulty modes, where the game gets easier if you die a lot, but certain content is only available on the higher difficulty settings.

[@paddlesawtactic9788]

Playing a FromSoftware game and expecting them to make it easier for you is like seeing a horror movie and expecting the studio to make it less scary for you.

[@carlosquall15]

Everyone can be elitist, casual or competitive. As someone who is a very casual player, I've been shunned and judged by players who are more immersed and competitive. Just stop the judgement, let everyone play the game the way they want, the way they can and whenever they want, simple.

[@greenchilistudioz4537]

Agree!

[@mattglover560]

If you haven’t encountered difficulty elitist in the dark souls community please let me know where you found them Not gonna act like I disagree though, challenge is the core of any game and to ask for that to be removed is the equivalent of asking someone to listing to music for you because you don’t like the sound but wanna hear the lyrics. But I feel like comparing gaming as a medium to other media in terms of how appeal works is a bit of a rough action: in film or literature, niche titles won’t be known by everyone, not everyone knows about Donnie Darko or Hudson Hawk, everyone knew about Sekiro, consequently this complaint is inevitable, people are going to want to understand the experience so they can join the conversation in a meaningful way I don’t think there should be an easy mode in Sekiro, but I do feel opportunities to learn in game are definitely appropriate, it’s the difference between how I felt about getting good at dark souls and getting good at Bloodborne, with dark souls I felt bitter, kinda like being forced to learn how to eat with chopsticks while my meal went cold, but with Bloodborne I felt accomplished as I felt Bloodborne provided me with more chances to learn how to tackle to difficulty I was faced with (ie like I was learning to use chopsticks while my meal was being prepared, if it arrived before I learned; tough shit my fault for being stupid) See also Catherine, Megaman ZX, Hollow Knight etc, granted none of these aren’t the toughest games but they provide you plenty of time and space to come to grips with what they expect of you whilst providing means to improve without feeling like a slog and I feel like that’s the difference that makes playing games like Sekiro akin to teaching degree mathematics to a highschooler in the middle of their exams for some Overall though I agree, there is definitely a sense of elitist developing within the casual community against games that challenge them (see that one reviewer when cuphead came out, you know the one), but I feel like this is a natural part of the evolution of the common man’s view of gaming as an art form: accepting that not every game is for everyone. A step that might be a bit tough to overcome as everyone gets their gaming information from a force as influential as the internet while it is being taken. It makes me curious where the art form will go next in the layman’s eyes

[@DimitriMonroe]

It was never to say it didn't exist but its not an echoed mindset as i said. Like even when I've encountered rude players I've had others kind of dismiss them. Theres assholes everywhere, I mentioned dealing with it myself because yea its gonna happen but ultimately I felt the community at large to be welcoming and to not let the bad eggs represent them. Casual communities on the other hand seem fine to regurgitate a elitist mindset. I understand what you mean by learning though, i felt sekirio gave me "hints" far after i learned the mechanics myself and it would have done well to ease the player in more. These games aren't perfect for sure. BB is the only from title I'd personally consider a masterpiece. I just enjoy the others.

[@garrangery8180]

a good comparison to make is to think of hard games as heavy metal music. Yes most people can't enjoy the music of bands like Nails or Dragged Into Sunlight, but its the very things that make their music difficult to enjoy that makes it interesting to those who do like it, and an intrinsic part of its artistic vision.

[@dylanmays5311]

YES! Thank you for saying this! This is something that has pissed me off about the casuals, there's been so many people pushing for watered down experiences just because people think everything should cater to them. I don't think there's anything wrong with the old school mentality of treating certain games as an achievement or badge of honor, beating a lot of old school games felt like an accomplishment. Beating the original ninja gaiden or something like that was difficult, not everyone could do it and that was part of the appeal.

[@Left4Cake]

Both extremes of the argument are elites. Should games be hard? If the devs want to make a hard game. Should games have an easy mode? If the devs want to add an easy mode. People on both these extremes need to realize that not every game is for them and the real crime is that Steam is the only store front with such a liberal return policy making buying games you're not sure are for you risk free.

[@chrisrockett5897]

This.

[@PrimeValkyrie]

Fantastic video that raises great points! As for disabled, tbh I don't think it is a matter of the game itself, it is a matter of finding a controller that suits the persons disability. Like Microsoft made a controller I think last year that was made so disabled people could have the same access to the game we do with it having a more accessable layout and function. "XBOX Adaptive Controller" was the name of the controller built for people with disabilities to have a easier time being able to use all the buttons and functions. Disabled people have played just fine using the same controllers we do but I appreciate that there are controller options that are also made to make that adaption to a controller easier.

[@sirazazeloflowkey6424]

I think the big disconnect here is that recently, since gaming has gone main stream so many games have been power fantasies that the casual crowd had come to understand games as such. So when they get a different kind of fantasy, one that makes them feel vulnerable, where every mistake could be their last, they cry. They expected a power fantasy and it's not what they got. But a power fantasy was never the promise. Dark Souls for one instead promised you that you'd die. And they kept their promise.

[@TheLastSoundNL]

Ha! 10/10 for that Vergil Kotaku scene. That made me smile.

[@jeremywhatley8387]

I’m in the camp that appreciates difficulty. When I finally beat Midir in dark souls 3 on my solo play through I felt so accomplished. It was worth it for me and made me look at dark souls differently than I had before. Normally I played every souls game with my friend and we would go through helping each other out but for some reason I wanted to do a solo play through in dark souls 3 and when I finally finished that play through I realized that I enjoyed testing myself and overcoming obstacles. I probably wouldn’t have found out that I could be that way had I not done it so when people complain that something is too difficult I simply just say but have you really tried to do it?? Lol

[@TrueGoose117]

I swear man casuals hate the idea of niche games, made for niche audiences.

[@DarkstarArchangel]

Ironically the audience for Souls games isn't niche anymore with Elden Ring.

[@stormpetrel6750]

The only way I see a casual being an elitist is if they get some odd feeling of superiority or high place in some non-existent social heirarchy, which results mostly from the weird attachment of their skills to their identity, and the resulting low confidence they might feel when their skills don't amount to much. It's compensatory behaviour.

[@RedRyuSmash]

I still disagree that a game would be harmed by an easy mode that doesn’t affect the normal mode. However I do agree if the vision of the game on an art side it doesn’t need it if it wants to be played a certain way. What I also disagree with is the casual versus elitism one being more or less toxic, depends on context.

[@venomalastor8]

I don’t think they care about “access” as much as they care about legitimacy. They want to be held in the same regard as the guy who “got good” without having to do any of the work required to do it. That way they can be the neo-try hards and tell us to “go play the old games”. Edit: After watching further, I see he made this argument. Well done.

[@erejnion]

I actually had no problem with the guy who finished Sekiro with the time cheat. He wasn't demeaning anybody in his article, and just described that he felt okay with a more casual playthrough, considering his deadlines. That's an okay outlook.

[@masamoon1887]

Even so, was that really worth making an article about ? This guy can be really nice during his article about how he prefers to drink coffee. I still don't give a f*ck about his own way to drink coffee.

[@Valoe7]

He cheated the game, but most importantly: he cheated himself.

[@christopherbell2846]

@@masamoon1887 Then don't read the article. People can still make articles even if they don't personally appeal to you

[@masamoon1887]

@@christopherbell2846 You got me there. Well played sir.

[@bub74sc28]

This he bought the game with his own hard earned money let him enjoy the game whichever way he wants

[@GoldScale57]

I really appreciate this video. It helps me understand how I personally feel about the whole situation because I lean on the side challenge over "accessibility" but I'm all for accessibility. Its such a conflicting thing until you realize that the word "accessibility" is conflating allowance of access with ease of progression and completion Its like saying a locked door and the lack of a conveyor belt that moves you through the door easily is the same thing. Also unrelated thing: I know its my fault for being late as hell on playing DMC5 and I've been intentionally avoiding watching anything on it so I can experience it all myself. Seeing the clip of Dante and Vergil fighting together though. That shit makes me unbelievably happy.

[@RekenberGlastenheim]

Hi, good video! Just wanna share my thoughts: The problem with "this game is not for me", in the age of Steam, is that most games don't have an official "try before you buy" option anymore, resorting to refund processes (which can be tedious), and the occasional "demos". Yes, there are let's plays, but it's still different (and arguably better) to have a firsthand experience of what you're getting from a game. I hope digital game rentals come back, and come soon. As for the "Git Gud" mentality, it's problem is in its words. Those words have already been associated with multiple definitions and emotions attached to it. Just you needing to explain what you meant by using the word already says a lot about it. Using those words, alone, may no longer convey much. Sadly, there's no good alternative for it. "Continuous Improvement", perhaps?

[@AshleysBallistics]

On the half about git gud, THANK YOU I've been saying this for years

[@chrisrockett5897]

What about "Practice more"?