#NerdsUnite: Confessions of a videogame journalist

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy John. We started talking on the twitter not too long ago, and then he reached out and asked if he could write for us regarding his journey through the nerdy realm. I was all DUDDEEE!! That's so raaaddd!! And now, here we are. Like right now, in real time, this is happening. Pretty cool huh? HIT IT JOHN!!! </editorsnote> 

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's John Sollitto

Is it me or are a lot of people pissed off about a lot of stuff these days? Especially in the nerd realm? I mean, I’m one of them but there’s a point when stuff is taken too far, am I right? Buckle-up kiddies, I’m about to go full frontal nerd on you. Prepare yourselves.

Let’s just take it to a more contemporary example and work our way back through time, shall we? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Who doesn’t love those amphibians who practice Japanese martial arts in an effort to stop crime, am I right? Oh man, love’em. Michael Bay, must hate them because he wants to make them aliens for his upcoming movie. Aliens. Am I missing something or is there a word in the title of the franchise that I’m not seeing? Is it Teenage Mutant ALIEN Ninja Turtles? No? Just mutant ninja turtles? Oh, okay then. What the hell Michael Bay?

Look, I’m all for rebooting a franchise to make it more appealing when you’re trying to make money off of people at the movies. I get that you have to do that sometimes. I don’t like it, but I get it. What doesn’t make sense to me is changing the entire backstory for no apparent reason. Do aliens coming to Earth and learning the art of the ninja strike new comers to the series as more probable than mutant turtles raised by a mutant rat man? Cause if that’s the case then I could see that. But both of those backstories don’t make any f#$king sense, so why the hell would you change it?

Look, I know, okay? “It’s not real, it’s a movie, just get over it! There are people with real problems all over the world who need help.” If you were in the room with me now I’d be doing a comical voice with that whole line of dialogue and it would be much funnier than reading it, I swear. The joke is that I don’t get why Michael Bay would do this.

Then you’ve got people all over the internet crying “Bloody Mary” over the ending of Mass Effect 3. I get that people are unhappy with the fact that after three games, your choices boil down to three defined ways to save the galaxy and that there is some controversy as to what the fans wanted from the ending. I won’t say too many spoilers because I understand not everyone has beaten it, but it’s been a while folks, it’s fair game.

This, however, is an example of the creators wanting to do whatever they want because they made the game and they can do whatever they want. If you don’t like it and you’ve heard from the reviews it is bad, then don’t buy it. It’s as simple as that. The creators can do whatever they want to the franchise, regardless of how good it will be in the end. Deal with it fans.

The same could be said for George Lucas. Sure, the prequels were not as good as the original trilogy. But, in all honesty people, you didn’t make Star Wars, Lucas did. He can do what he wants with his franchise and by gum he’s done it. Let it go. They may not have been what you wanted, but he doesn’t have to do anything that you say to make you feel better. Neither do the creators of Mass Effect. I mean, I know it’s hard to accept the fact that a franchise you’ve grown to love does NOT revolve around your opinions, but worse things have happened.

And it’s not just movies and games. Look at Lost. People went bananas over the ending of that. The epilogue of Harry Potter’s seventh book? Holy bejeezus do my friends still fight over that crap. And I am one of them so I am not throwing stones.

Even comics got hit. People were outraged with the New 52 in DC, saying it was spitting in the face of decades of comic history. It’s hard to argue with that. People flipped out when Miles Morales became Spider-Man (and I was one of them, not because of race but because they killed Peter F@#king Parker and that’s just not right).

Then again, it’s not like you won’t have those old comics of DC to re-read over and over again. And let’s be honest fans, it was getting hard as all get out to remember what the hell was going on in the DC Universe. And not to mention, that if you love Peter Parker Spider-Man, you can read any of the 20 bajillion titles of Spider-Man they have where he’s still alive.

What I’m trying to say is that stuff like this, the comics and games and movies, this is all miniscule to the real plights of everyday life. If you focus on the things that aren’t real, you lose focus on the actual goals in life that you may need or want to accomplish. And this is coming from someone who complains about this stuff morning noon and night. I’ve just sort of come to this realization myself, honestly.

Whenever my mom will say something like, “Oh that CSI was really sad tonight,” my dad will always look at her from across the couch and put a hand on her knee and say in the most comforting tone, “Sweetheart, it’s not real. Get over it.” And that, dear friends, is what I say to all the people who flip the hell out about fictitious things. It’s not real. I understand you were invested in this and that you had your heart with these characters, but if I had a nickel for every time I was disappointed with something I read/watched/played I would be a rich man. I could probably single handedly cover the national deficit with my disappointment funds.

There are real things going on in the world and in your real lives that need attention. Go out and do the things you need to do. Take care of all that work you say you don’t have time for. Talk to the people you’ve lost touch with. Follow your dream! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go to a forum somewhere and complain about X-Men: First Class and how everything about it was wrong. Bastards ... 

#nerdsunite

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