People Watching: How to Reach The Bottom
[People watching is two things: It is a fun activity you can do in any populated area, and one of Gavin’s favourite pastimes when stuck out and about. It is also the name of a new column here on Nukezilla in which the more disheartening human element of videogames is highlighted]
The in-game file browser that comes with Halo: Reach makes me disappointed in people.
The feature allows players to share film clips, recorded games, screenshots and custom maps with each other. Normally this would be done through individual players’ file share screens where they are allowed to hold six files, or through the Bungie.net online file share. However, Reach also has an in-game file browser which allows the player to look at all the uploaded files and filter by views, downloads or recommendations.
I had an explore of this browser yesterday and it depressed me mightily, though it did not surprise me in the slightest. The highest rated and downloaded files were almost consistently one of a few archetypal sad lonely dire nerd honey-traps.
I’ll save you the misery of looking for yourself and show you this list of the most downloaded screenshots in the past seven days (not pictured: The most downloaded clips, including titles such as ‘Kat Naked OMG!’)
I can’t even begin to understand the appeal of a) making that in the first place and b) downloading it at all. Is it supposed to be sexy? It’s clearly not. It’s a cartoon picture of a disproportionate girl with her tits and fanny hanging out, made up of a collage of in-game items placed on the floor. It’s this kind of shit that makes me ashamed to mention that I play videogames at all. Let alone say I am a “gamer”, a thing which I struggle to do more and more every day.
Halo has a bad reputation when it comes to its fans. The assumption seems to be that the only people who play the game are screeching 13-year-old prepubescent boys with a massive penchant for swearing homophobia and racism. After seeing these fileshares and, to be honest, playing the game, it’s clear to me that this is a stereotype that holds true. Unfortunately.
These “gamers” don’t like the game because of its series-spanning storyline or compelling characters etc. They like it because its matchmaking and “virtual couch” features facilitate their hormone-fuelled hissy-fits and breast obsession. Other reading includes John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory.
13 year old kids are a good reason for the Californian law.
Also complaining about other people’s taste in pornography is stupid.
It’s completely ridiculous. Yes, it’s neat that people are in a sense making “art” with the level editing tools, but for them to attempt “sexy” pictures like these, and to take screen shots of the asses of the female Spartans in the game is immature, and is showing how gamers can be pretty tasteless people (which may I add only helps negative stereotypes about video games, and the people that play them).
It surprised you that the most popular stuff on there is shit? :D
Like you say though shiny new thing comes out in a couple weeks so hopefully it will sort itself out soon rather than later.
If you think this is bad, you should have looked at any Dead Or Alive forum back when DOA4 released with a female Halo Spartan in it. DOA fans and Halo fans in the same place was downright disturbing.
If you have internet access then why the hell do you need this?
ZOMG GAY-VIN YOU FAGGET, YOU DONT GET MY ART! YOU AAAAAARRRRR MOOOOOOOM GO AWAAAAAAAY! GO BACK TO GAY SCHOOL.
I had no idea this even existed. I’m not sure if I’m impressed or enraged that Gavin brought it to my attention.
Great article.
And I shall now prove my point by making a forum thread called sexy girls. Do you think it will be popular? Come on…let’s be serious. The only guys who don’t want to see sexy girls are those who have girls…who are sometimes sexy.
Would have thought that there are better mediums for this kind of thing? You know, pen and paper is always a good place to start. Or maybe a cave wall.