Why It

[Ironman273]

Why It?s Stupid To Hate Call of Duty So Damn Much

Among many of those who like to label themselves as a "gamer", there is no franchise more reviled than Call of Duty. The merest mention of its name sends people flying to post anonymous comments blasting the game as the very model of everything that's wrong with video games today.

Take a look at any comments section on almost any video game site on Earth and you'll see the same thing. People wondering aloud why the series is so popular, complaining about its incremental updates, mocking its design and lambasting those who have the tenacity to actually enjoy it.

Those people are idiots.

There is nothing wrong with not liking Call of Duty. Everybody has different tastes in gaming, and what might compel one person to line up for hours in the middle of night might cause another to...stay at home and get a good night's sleep. Some people will like what the series offers, others won't, that's life.

But there's something wrong with hating Call of Duty, especially to the level many people bury themselves in at this time of year. I mean, what drives you to hate a video game? To work yourself up into such a state that you feel the need to project that hate, to continuously remind the world of how much you don't enjoy it?

It's a question that's often perplexed me, much like it did Lisa Simpson when she wondered "why would they come to our concert just to boo us?". But it's also a question I think I have an answer for.

You don't really hate Call of Duty. But you do enjoy being an obnoxious elitist.

Maybe you preferred it when video games were seen as "uncool". Maybe you feel the media attention and mainstream acceptance the series draws is somehow unfair. Maybe the people who enjoy the games aren't the kind of people you hang out with on vicious internet forums, so don't fit your myopic vision of what a true "gamer" constitutes.

It could be any one of those things, any combination of them, or many more, it doesn't matter. Hating Call of Duty is part of the identity you've created for yourself. You're not some mainstream thug who only buys Madden and Call of Duty once a year. Those people aren't "real gamers". You're a real gamer, someone who pre-ordered Dark Souls, who has been collecting JRPGs since childhood, who still visits arcades, who somehow has the ability to love one multinational corporation and hate another, even though their goals are exactly the same.

Running around the internet screaming about how much you hate Call of Duty is thus part of this identity. It's the enemy, the other, the yang to your yin. You wouldn't be the gamer you think you are if you didn't hate everything this series stood for.

The thing is, the identity you're clinging to is bull****. You can't own a passion for a medium, or hope to dictate its tastes by whining about it. People don't walk around calling themselves "moviers", and pretend they're the only ones allowed to watch films. Everybody watches movies, some more than others, everyone with their own likes and dislikes. Same with books, same with TV, same with music.

So let it go, will you? You're not preserving anything. So what if millions of people enjoy a video game you don't? Let them! There are plenty of valid reasons to criticise the franchise, sure, but there are plenty of valid reasons to love it as well, and if people want to love it - and millions of them do, every November - you raining on their parade every chance you get isn't going to stop them.

It's just going to make you look like an assh**e.

Source: Kotaku

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I agree to an extent. Hating a game because you think it's the cool thing to do is pointless.

However, you can make the argument that you hate a game for what it is doing to the gaming world. As an example, patches. There was a time where a game was playable from the beginning, and the gamer could go through without any hassle. However, with the introduction of faster internet, and machines that are always hooked up to the internet, the gaming industry seem to think that it's fine to release a game that isn't as polished as it could be.

Another thing is DLC, and this is one that I think the CoD series is pretty guilty of. Again, because of the internet the gaming industry thinks that it's perfectly acceptable to hold back on some things and then release it as DLC...for a price though. ?15 for a map pack that offers 4 new maps seems completely overboard, and for the most part I've stopped falling for it.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

I don't hate it. I like it because it is fun.

It gives me whatever hours of fun and at the end I walk away satisfied .

I agree, I don't get why people hate a franchise this much. I've seen many of 'em, not only against Call Of Duty, but also against Battlefield and Halo and else.

I mean, if you don't like it, its okay. Nothing to worry about here.

People will appreciate your comments as long as you show respect to theirs.

[Motoko.]

Call of Duty is simply not my cup of tea

[Ayepecks]

Don't even remotely agree. I don't care whether I'm "elite" or not. I don't care whether I love a game other people love, hate a game other people love, or love a game other people hate. I care if a game is fun. And part of a game being fun comes with advancement. I don't like playing the same game over and over and over, ad nauseum. I like playing new experiences. I've said the same thing in regards to Halo 3 when it came out.

You can only give me the same thing so many times and expect me to be satisfied. When other games are surpassing you in every area -- not just graphics, but areas like gameplay -- you need to start considering what you can do to advance your franchise. Activision and the Call of Duty games have not done that, which is why I won't continue to purchase them. Are they fairly good games? Yeah. But it's a been-there, done-that thing. This article could've been written about Guitar Hero, too, and I think we all know how that turned out.

I could say this article is just as much about being an obnoxious "elite" as hating Call of Duty is. It's part of your identity: saying you like the same thing everyone else likes, the thing that sells millions. But guess what? Liking Transformers: Dark of the Moon doesn't make you any better than anyone else. It just means you have absolute **** taste in movies. Same thing applies here. So get down off your high horse and realize there's a problem. You can choose to accept it if you want, but I won't, and I'll speak with my wallet. But, hooray you! Continuing the status quo is such a great feeling, right?

[Charisma Veteran]

Don't even remotely agree. I don't care whether I'm "elite" or not. I don't care whether I love a game other people love, hate a game other people love, or love a game other people hate. I care if a game is fun. And part of a game being fun comes with advancement. I don't like playing the same game over and over and over, ad nauseum. I like playing new experiences. I've said the same thing in regards to Halo 3 when it came out.

You can only give me the same thing so many times and expect me to be satisfied. When other games are surpassing you in every area -- not just graphics, but areas like gameplay -- you need to start considering what you can do to advance your franchise. Activision and the Call of Duty games have no done that, which is why I won't continue to purchase them. Are they fairly good games? Yeah. But it's a been-there, done-that thing. This article could've been written about Guitar Hero, too, and I think we all know how that turned out.

Yes, but the article is addressing those who go out of their way to spew vitriol about the game. Disliking it is fine, it's just that if you dislike something, you generally just avoid it and leave those who do enjoy it to do their own thing. Actively and loudly hating something, especially when it's the 'cool' thing to do, reeks of elitism.

[Astra.Xtreme]

I think a lot of people hate it because it's littered with stupid little kids that sing the whole time and intentionally try to get people to rage.

A game is a game, but when you have a teammate running circles around you and trying to teabag you, it gets old fast.

COD4 was great because you could civilly talk with your teammates during the game, but those days are long long gone.

[Blackhearted]

This kinda seems to come off to me as the writer being upset cause of all the negative user feedback the game has gotten with it's latest yearly release.

[Fourjays Veteran]

This is true of many things these days. Pick any product and on the Internet there is a line of people waiting to shout about how much they hate it. It really doesn't make any sense.

I don't like Call of Duty because it is all about the multi-player these days, which is never what I liked about it. The first two games were epic single-player games, with great campaigns that really drew you into the war. The day I read in a review that the single-player in Modern Warfare was about 4 hours long is the day I decided not to buy another Call of Duty game.

But I don't hate it. I get that some people like multi-player and are quite happy with it being all about that.

[Ayepecks]

Yes, but the article is addressing those who go out of their way to spew vitriol about the game. Disliking it is fine, it's just that if you dislike something, you generally just avoid it and leave those who do enjoy it to do their own thing. Actively and loudly hating something, especially when it's the 'cool' thing to do, reeks of elitism.

Hating it still isn't the "cool" thing to do.

And I will actively spit vitriol if it's a valid complaint. I don't understand why we shouldn't make complaints about legitimate issues with game franchises. If people are trolling just to elicit a response, that's another thing entirely. But I haven't seen that in regards to Call of Duty. I've seen valid complaints.

[Twiddle]

Don't even remotely agree. I don't care whether I'm "elite" or not. I don't care whether I love a game other people love, hate a game other people love, or love a game other people hate. I care if a game is fun. And part of a game being fun comes with advancement. I don't like playing the same game over and over and over, ad nauseum. I like playing new experiences. I've said the same thing in regards to Halo 3 when it came out.

You can only give me the same thing so many times and expect me to be satisfied. When other games are surpassing you in every area -- not just graphics, but areas like gameplay -- you need to start considering what you can do to advance your franchise. Activision and the Call of Duty games have no done that, which is why I won't continue to purchase them. Are they fairly good games? Yeah. But it's a been-there, done-that thing. This article could've been written about Guitar Hero, too, and I think we all know how that turned out.

I agree with this. Whoever wrote the article clearly doesn't understand why there is hate. Most of it comes from people mad about re-hashing content, and no advancement in gaming. And the 60$ price tag for a game that should be no more than $30, $40 AT MOST.

[Rohdekill]

I almost believed this was a mature, thought out, logical arguement until the mentioning of Lisa Simpson.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

It's not that I "hate" the game, it's that it's the exact same as COD:MW2, the same game I really don't like.

Going from one of the best COD in the series (MW1) to MW2/MW3, it's way over the top and annoying. I also don't care if others like it, as i'm not a fanboy, but I won't be purchasing anymore COD games from Activision.

[metal_dragen Veteran]

I don't "hate" the game. I used to be into FPS games on the PC back in the day (Doom, Wolfenstein up to Enemy Territory and Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Doom 3).

The problem I have with games like this is that they don't really do anything new. It's an annual incremental update. And as long as they sell half as well as they do now, the studios are going to keep pumping them out and not innovating or creating truly new and unique experiences. I have the same problem with sports games like Madden.

I also have a problem with the fact that it's clearly a multiplayer game and that is the aspect of the game that gets the most attention (both from the developers and players) yet they insist on putting a poor filler single player "campaign" in the game that you're lucky to get 6 hours out of. Just sell it as a multiplayer game - don't try to toe the line and **** off people that want a good single player shooter.

It has nothing to do with being mainstream or a "gamer."

[DJD]

It's not that I "hate" the game, it's that it's the exact same as COD:MW2, the same game I really don't like.

Going from one of the best COD in the series (MW1) to MW2/MW3, it's way over the top and annoying. I also don't care if others like it, as i'm not a fanboy, but I won't be purchasing anymore COD games from Activision.

I totally agree!

I spend my hard earned cash on Saints Row 3 which will be a hell of a lot more fun!

Also on a side note: only "fanboys" feel the need to write up **** like this.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

If you do not like it do not buy it. I love it and all of the COD series. I do not care for BF3 but I do not hate it.

[BajiRav]

what's with Kotaku's newfound love for CoD? They've had too many (stupid) "articles" on MW3 in this week.

[Teebor]

The thing is, the identity you're clinging to is bull****. You can't own a passion for a medium, or hope to dictate its tastes by whining about it. People don't walk around calling themselves "moviers", and pretend they're the only ones allowed to watch films. Everybody watches movies, some more than others, everyone with their own likes and dislikes. Same with books, same with TV, same with music.

You should meet someone I know then, if you have a different opinion of a film to him then you are wrong. There is no discussion on the subject you are just wrong

Charming person really (not)

[Ayepecks]

what's with Kotaku's newfound love for CoD? They've had too many (stupid) "articles" on MW3 in this week.

IMO, it's just Luke Plunkett. He gets butthurt over every minor thing.

[Dashel]

I could say this article is just as much about being an obnoxious "elite" as hating Call of Duty is. It's part of your identity: saying you like the same thing everyone else likes, the thing that sells millions. But guess what? Liking Transformers: Dark of the Moon doesn't make you any better than anyone else. It just means you have absolute **** taste in movies. Same thing applies here. So get down off your high horse and realize there's a problem. You can choose to accept it if you want, but I won't, and I'll speak with my wallet. But, hooray you! Continuing the status quo is such a great feeling, right?

Amen brother. If people hating a game bothers you its only proof that you have sand in your vagina.

[LaP]

The merest mention of its name sends people flying to post anonymous comments blasting the game as the very model of everything that's wrong with video games today.

I do not hate CoD MW2 and CoD MW3. In fact i own both games. But i still totally agree with the statement i quoted.

I still try to figure out what makes this serie so popular and why gamers love it enough to buy the same game once a year. I guess it's the bility to own people with those killing spree stupid bonus. Owning people seems to be important for gamers these days. More than fair and evenly matched games.

It's okay to buy blockbusters (video games and movies). I enjoy them. I went to see all Tranformers movies in theater and found those mildly entertaining "i can put my brain to off for 2 hours" movies. But there's a danger with buying blockbuster sequels once a year.

Honestly i can't wait for the next big original game. Sequels are ok but there's too much of them right now.

[~Johnny]

Don't mind Call of Duty - don't even mind them releasing once a year, considering they have 2 years of dev time in each of them by hard working, dedicated studios, and there are noticeable improvements and changes, even though the core is the same. But I do mind Activision, and their money grabbing, franchise whoring ways.

[Azusa]

I dislike it cause it's not Modern warfare it's Current if it were modern it would have something like an Ion cannon and Railguns.

[~Johnny]

I dislike it cause it's not Modern warfare it's Current if it were modern it would have something like an Ion cannon and Railguns.

Modern does kinda imply current :/ It's not future warfare :p

[draklin]

It really comes down to this, if you don't like it, don't play it. If you don't like that it comes out every year and that it doesn't provide enough updates to justify it to you then don't buy it. Some of us enjoy the game a lot and want a new version every year so that you're not stuck playing on Firing Range for another year. And for god sakes, stop comparing it to BF3. Yes they are both FPS but they are completely different games with different strategies and experiences. Though I will agree that BF3 has better graphics.