If Nobody Hatin' - lunaran.com

# Lunaran.com Matthew Breit Level Designer | Texture Artist

## If Nobody Hatin'

#### Tue, Aug 4th, 2009 | 8:12pm

The next time I hear anyone call anything pretentious in this industry, there will be a murder.

Everyone that was ever born, ever, has been born into the same narrow view of creative criticism: anything that's "too smart" for them is pretentious, high minded bullshit, and anything that isn't smart enough for them is low minded pulp trash, and in the middle is this tiny ice cream sandwich layer of creations which they think are the best thing ever wrought upon paper by humanity. We all fall on that scale in different places. Obviously.

So why does everyone still argue about it?

Does no one have the humility to get over whether somebody's book or game or movie or beat poem or choice of salad greens is above or below their increasingly narrow personal tastes, and just take something for what it is?

To call something pretentious is not to invite a discussion on what what the creator actually wants to say or accomplish, it's to pan it without even considering it because you selfishly don't approve of the way it was done. To call something pretentious is to imply that because the packaging isn't friendly enough for you to swallow it without having to get up off the couch, it shouldn't exist. To call someone full of themselves is a superficial response that says "I don't like the author's tone of voice so I'm unwilling to look past the very surface before deciding that what he's made is terrible." If Jonathan Blow wants to announce a new game with a poem, then Goddamnit, he should be able to announce a new game with a poem without having to justify himself to a legion of jarheads who never grew out of thinking that reading anything other than PC Gamer isn't cool.

Listen to me. It's contagious. I've been too long exposed to the internet, this most polarized and vitriolic of discussion forums, and now I'm fiercely opinionated about how fiercely opinionated everyone is. If there's anyone lurking out there who saw the announcement of The Witness and thought nothing more than "interesting!" or heard the news about Left4Dead 2 and said nothing more than "Oh sweet!" or saw screenshots of Diablo 3 and could only reply "Can't wait!" then I want to be your friend.

###

#### Kell said on Aug 5th, 2009 at 3:51pm:

We need to talk. Seriously.

#### RickyT23 said on Aug 7th, 2009 at 7:33am:

Well I pretty much think that about most game announcements, especially for FPSs. I mean "oh sweet!". I read on Amazon that Wolfenstein is coming out this month, and I did not cry "oh no, this game has colourful lighting and QTEs all the way through it, and is a re-hash of a franchise so its not original and cant be good, pooh, pooh, insert jumped-up opinionated remarks here". Instead I just thought "Oooh! A new game I get to play on my compruter! Yippee!"

I was a bit annoyed when they announced AvP, because I figured that meant they were going to axe Colonial marines (again), but apparently they havent, so thats fine by me.

It takes that long for them to ake games these days, Im just grateful when anything remotely playable comes out! I couldnt really give a toss about marketing, or who made it, I just want to play it! :P

#### scampie said on Aug 9th, 2009 at 9:24am:

Matt, we should go see a movie or something. I really need to get out of the house sometime.

Oh, and I'm excited to make a Rainbow Barbarian in Diablo3

#### Bal said on Aug 12th, 2009 at 2:07am:

Woohoo, Video Games!

The Witness - Braid was stupid and Blow blows, lolol.

Diablo3 - Fucking rainbows, Blizzard are all gay.

L4D2 - Valve is ripping all of us off and I don't want to play the fat guy!

Can't wait to play all 3!

Stop reading game news comments Lun. =)

#### Lunaran replied on Aug 9th, 2011 at 10:04pm:

This post turned out to be farther back in time than I thought it was. Anyway, a relevant response:

http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/braid/news/...82/g-2009042813242290092

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