Not even coming at this from a pearl clutching way but what the fuck were they thinking?

Even being around during shit like this and the provocative magazines, I couldn't help but see it as shovelware and lowest common denominator trash. It was that shitty era c. 2003/2004 where video games were in a moral panic, Spike was hosting the VGAs and choosing shit like Madden NFL as their GOTY. I hated a lot of the 00s in general, I'd sooner go with the hyper localized 90s than the dudebro 00s.