[ SECRET POST #2496 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2496 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 03 pages, 071 secrets from Secret Submission Post #357.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

05. http://i.imgur.com/RZhuacj.png

[dethtoll]

As much as I prefer video games to television and movies (but maybe not comic books) I have to say I don't really get this secret. I think TV is more accessible and it's more ongoing, therefore it's going to have bigger fandoms.

[writerserenyty]

I don't know if I'd say it's a better medium, but I'd love more video game discussion, as a big video game fan myself.

That said, I understand why it's not as big. I'm playing through Mass Effect again right now, and it's such a long game. There's a big time commitment with a lot of video games, whereas TV you can sit and watch an episode in 22/44 minutes. There's also the issue of cost; if you live in the US, it's easy to see most shows that air. Games are usually initially $60, and require either a console or a decent PC.

So yeah, while I love talking about video games, and I wish there was more fandom, I can see why it's not the biggest fandom.

[(Anonymous)]

Time commitment is a big one. I know that I would LOVE video games and sit there for HOURS like I did when I was a kid but I have tragically way too many other interests and things to do so even though my partner plays and tries to get me to, I am not going there myself. So I'll watch a tv show and participate in a bit of fandom to feel connected, boom.

[writerserenyty]

I know how that goes; currently I'm unemployed (and looking for a job) so I have a fair amount of time to play video games while still updating my music reviewing blog, applying for jobs/updating the resume, etc. I played video games a lot less when I was in school and working two jobs, for example.

[cassandraoftroy]

The two kinds of media are different. One isn't inherently better than the other. Some stories wouldn't work as well in an interactive form.

[diet_poison]

I wouldn't mind. I love video games :D

I like other kinds of media too, but for me personally video games are more interesting than television, which seems to fuel 40% of fandom if not more, or movies, which seem to fuel an additional 15%.

[(Anonymous)]

Video games cost more and require more time input than TV or movies. I don't have hundreds of dollars for a console, or for games. I don't have dozens of hours to put into each title.

My local library can find me DVDs of any show or movie I want, for free. Until I can borrow a console and a game with no hassle, I'll stick to film-based fandoms.

[(Anonymous)]

Yep. I haven't been able to afford consoles and games since the playstation 2. I also have limited time. Other forms of media are cheaper for me.

[electromouse]

I'd be okay talking about "Blockbuster With Hot Guys" dohoho~

Imo tv shows are on-going while video games, while fun, they usually have a set story that ends after 30+ hours of gameplay. Unless they are on-going titles like Kingdom Hearts.

[antoj]

Not all TV Shows are ongoing.

I've gotten way more than a single-play through worth of enjoyment out of a game before too. Some of them I play multiple times and notice new things each time I play.

[(Anonymous)]

Repeat after me: No form of media is inherently better than any other.

[silverr]

All the points made already about accessibility and cost seem pretty valid to me, so I'll toss in my two cents from the writing perspective.

I've written a fair amount for Warcraft (and a bit for Dragon Age 2), and I wonder if it's that very interactivity that might be stopping some writers? I know that for me deciding if/how to work in game mechanics always adds an extra layer of plotting/characterization complexity.

[(Anonymous)]

Not OP

Could be - I know that when I've wanted to write something for the AC series, or GW2, that's part of what makes me start questioning myself. However, and it could just be that the fandoms for this I've seen tend to be a little less fic-y/most centered around the official forums so the community outside of it is small, but a number of game fandoms with characters that are a bit more open to interpretation tend to attract people who are a little...protective of their interpretation which can also make people less inclined to write.

[(Anonymous)]

I find it funny that this secret is right above two video game secrets. XD

Honestly I don't think the video game fandom is THAT small. There's plenty of video game fans if you know where to look. Mass Effect and Dragon Age have large fandoms. So does Skyrim, at least (God the Farkas girls) and let's not go into the JRPGs.

I think it tends to be a little hostile towards women though, and women tend to be the ones who really do fanworks. Yeah, you have guys who draw, and the occasional guy does fanfic, but it's much rarer among guys than girls. And there's such a divide between the "gamer girl" the "girl who games" and the whole "girls who mention they game are looking for male attention" mentality, it can be a little offputting to put yourself and your stuff out there.

I definitely agree with you that 99% of TV and movies are crap. I swear if I see another Avengers gifset I will set someone on fire.

[(Anonymous)]

In TV fandom I've noticed, the worse the canon writing, the more/better the fanwork. And often the fanwork is stellar and so much better than video game fanwork. (Having participated in both.)

[(Anonymous)]

See a lot of the fanwork in the video game fandoms I'm in (Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Final Fantasy to a small extent) tend to be really really excellent. I don't know about say Halo or Portal say.

I honestly HATE television (darlings like Elementary and Sleepy Hollow make me want to puke, nevermind Supernatural and *gag* Sherlock) so I have no basis for comparison.

[(Anonymous)]

I think it's more that tv fandom is bigger, so once you get yourself into the good portion of fandom you get better and more results as you have a wider pool of talent. It isn't that the either fandom is more particularly more skilled.

[ariakas]

Isn't there a lot of discussion about video games in fandom? I mean, not here on DW or LJ or tumblr, but rather dedicated gaming sites and whatnot. To be sure, most AAA games have a male-dominated following, so the fandom won't take exactly the same form as it would elsewhere, but games like Mass Effect have enormous numbers of fangirls playing them and plenty of fic and art accordingly.

I'd like more game fandom in less hostile spaces myself, but I've made peace with the fact that that's probably not going to happen. People like what they like, and most LJ/tumblr/DW-types prefer tv shows and films.

>

[(Anonymous)]

I don't play video games. For fandom, I like to focus on characters and story and relationships, not having to beat a game. (I've only beaten two games in my life and that was years ago.) Not everyone is into video games but most people have favorite TV shows.

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[kippi]

RPGs tend to have lots of characters and story and relationships! Most traditional fandom space-game fandom tends to focus heavily on those things, too. I'm honestly not sure why I preference video games over movies and TV, as I'm ah... not very good at them? I do enjoy the gameplay along with the story, music, etc though.

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[(Anonymous)]

RPGs, unfortunately, also require more time commitment (generally) than other genres, and that could hold a lot of people back alongside a bunch of factors already mentioned. I love my RPGs but I play way less than I did in my teens.

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks to those who whine about ~*~*~OC~*~*~ (LOL) player character fics and discussions, game fandoms tend to be as restrictive in interpretation of the game as any movie or tv show and in some ways worse. I find movie and other so called passive media fandoms tend to allow more room for interpretations, creativity, etc, and a hell of a lot more accepting of cross-over, AU themes, and even OCs.

[(Anonymous)]

Not the best medium, but a different one. While video games are my favorite medium, I can see how they aren't for everyone, and not everyone who's bad at them or whatever is going to be into watching let's plays.

As far as fandom goes, you really have to know where to look. Like Ariakas said, a lot of the big titles are geared towards males, although even many of these (Assassins Creed, BioWare games) have a big female following. And yes, a lot of gaming fandoms are embedded in gaming specific communities. Not all of them though!

[(Anonymous)]

Video game fandoms are out there, but they tend to be much smaller than the fandoms that spawn from more mainstream media. It's just how it is.

Some of them are really great though! And some of them, well, not so great. I was involved in an awesome video game fandom for a couple of years that had minimum wank and people seemed to be pretty nice and chill. Then I got into another fandom which started out great but declined pretty steadily as the game got older (and the fandom got smaller) and it eventually was just about BNF-drama and who could kiss the most ass.