Thread 718751276

Can you be a fan of a game without playing it?

>>718751276 (OP)
We used to call people like this "posers"

>>718751276 (OP)
Yeah. Just thinking something looks cool enough to excitedly engage with it makes you a fan.

>>718751276 (OP)
If the game is just an interactive movie, yes.

>>718751276 (OP)
Am I a virgin if I watch porn?

>>718751276 (OP)
>Earthbound "fans"

>>718751468
>Am I a virgin if I watch porn?
Get your head out of the gutter.

>>718751276 (OP)
In this streamer culture, most fans of most games haven't even played it
Just look at shit like ff7re(whichever, both are ass)
Gaming died in gen 7, we're just starting to see the decay the last few years

Yeah, why couldn't you?

Can you be a fan of democacy without voting?

i hecking LOOOOOVE being a HUGE fan(brainless fanatic)

>>718751350
Yeah but that's also before streaming and let's plays existed. People were literally fans based on liking the character designs and reading about the game online.

>>718751276 (OP)
Being "fanatical" of games is shameful behavior.

>>718751276 (OP)
the amounts of cringe I feel from that pic alone are unmeasurable

>>718751276 (OP)
I have finished watching god of war, the last of us 2, horizon, and some other playstation titles whatever is that for $0

>>718751276 (OP)
>Never played it but like the soundtrack
Valid.
>Watched your older sibling or parent play it
Valid.
>Watched some faggot online play it
Not valid.

>>718751276 (OP)
If you consider yourself a fan of anything, shouldn't that give you the drive to go and play/watch/read that piece of media yourself?
If you really like a character I feel like you'd want to consume that media to get a first-hand understanding of them. Wikis and YouTubers don't fulfill that imo.

>>718751276 (OP)
I mean, if you can be a baseball fan just from watching the pros play the game, isn't it fair to hold the same standard for video games?

>>718752516
If that baseball fan spent his money on their merch, then sure.

>>718752516
Fans of baseball can't play in the MLB.
This is like me saying I'm a fan of Jimmy Hendrix despite never having listened to his music.

>>718752516
Can you be a fan of steaks if you've only ever watched other people eat steaks?

Fuck no.

>>718751276 (OP)
Can you be football / hockey / tennis / ping pong fan without playing it?

>>718751276 (OP)
Any PlayStation game fits this situation perfectly, there's even some that are better experienced as TV shows

>>718752426
this here a a pretty good point.
if you like the thing, but not enough to actually play it yourself, you're just a fan of its art/music/story.
like, im a HUGE fan of Obrah din, i played it blind, got like, 70% done (i figured out the hammocks, but missed some pretty basic shit, like the lifeboat getting tossed by the beast), then gave up.
a few months later it got huge, and streamers picked up on it, and i fucking LOVED watching other people play it and see how differently they all thought about the story.
i dont think having played the game myself actually made me like the game more, but im glad i played it blind beforehand, because it made me like watching other people play it more.

>>718753024
In this situation listening to music is the same as watching a game
Playing the guitar is playing the game
Thanks for agreeing with datdiscordboy in the OP

>>718753024
And most gamers cannot play games on a professional level either.
But we don't demand that a baseball fan should own even a single glove, so why do fans of video games have to play games?
>this is like me saying I'm a fan of Jimmy Hendrix despite never having listened to his music
Actually it would be more accurate to say you've only ever listened to his music but never played it yourself on a guitar.

>>718753208
>food analogy
We're talking about games here anon.

>>718751276 (OP)
>The people have spoken
Sometimes the majority is wrong.

>>718751276 (OP)
Just think how their minds could be blown just by playing the thing
The poor fools'd never recover...

>>718751276 (OP)
>1500 bots on Twitter
>the people have spoken

>>718751276 (OP)
Instead of worrying about that old post about that ten year old game maybe it's better to use your limited brain power not caring what stupid ass kids do.

>Touhou
>Guilty Gear
>Warhammer (40K)
>Undertale
>Fate
>Sonic
>Minecraft
This has alway been the case. Some fandoms dwarf the core product.

>>718751276 (OP)
Objectively speaking no. It's like saying you're fan of pizza but you only saw other people eating it. Yes, food analogy.

Anyone else not consider themselves fans of anything? I enjoy things but don't like to call myself a fan

>>718751276 (OP)
You have people that are fans of Japanese dubs without being able to speak Japanese.
You have people who are fans of hockey despite never once having set foot in a rink.
You have people who are fans of the opera in spite of not being able to carry a tune.

>>718751276 (OP)
I watched pewdiepie play the last of us in it's entirety when I was a kid because I only had xbox, and I loved the story and atmosphere so much I would consider it one of my favorite games despite never playing it. So yes, especially for movie games

/v/ is an insane asylum, the fact that we're still seeing 10 year old bait threads is insane

>>718753717
>It's like saying you're fan of pizza but you only saw other people eating it
Yes.

https://youtu.be/ocKvrVuVsOc?si=Y1K3vWB0FNG_kbUQ
https://youtu.be/Z9uEUrf1caA?si=0H52CYy9SXD8jxnK

>>718752516
>false equivalence
Fucking retard.
>>718753458
>Actually it would be more accurate to say you've only ever listened to his music but never played it yourself on a guitar
Another false equivalence? Absolute fucking retard.
>>718753762
>false equivalence
This thread really riled up the low iq retards huh?
>>718753841
>I would consider it one of my favorite games despite never playing it
BWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAH
You're not a fan you fucking moron. Slit your throat so we never have to read your extreme retardation again.

I think it depends on the game
if the game in question is particularly rewarding in its many game impacting choices or its mechanics when you play it, then I think first hand experience is essential
story driven games like undertale can be mostly experienced in a playthrough. but you will be noticeable robbed by some of the smaller spoiler moments like in papyrus's fight when you hold up during the last attack:
your blue heart keeps going up and the ceiling of the box actually raises to accommodate you. I give full credit to that cool moment being satisfying because the player in this moment will be holding the up button the entire time, this interaction is less satisfying by just watching it
a visual novel can be entire experienced by just watching youtube and just watching every ending. you can be a fan of steins;gate without buying the VN yourself because you will miss out on precisely nothing either way. this is why visual novels are not true video games.

>>718752516
good analogy except it's entirely wrong
sports fans aren't fans of the game, they're fans of the teams and players
they aren't watching every fucking random game they come across, they go out of their way to watch specific games with specific teams or players
if they were just fans of the sports themselves, local and lesser national leagues for all sports with fans would be absolutely thriving but instead everything except the biggest leagues are dying out rapidly

>>718752516
Would you still call someone a baseball fan if he never watched a single match but only listened to people debriefing the game?

>>718751276 (OP)
I never played touhou, but i do like the characters, music and h-pics/mangas.
Wouldn't call myself a fan of the games though, i don't even like bullet hell games

>>718754013
Considering that the baseball hall of fame basically contains two people who have never been on any team in the league, yes.

>>718752194
>Never played it but like the soundtrack
you're a fan of the soundtrack, not the game then, faggot.
"oh yeah man i love trauma center, i listen to gentle breeze all the time"

>>718753698
Who hasn't played Minecraft? Moms that liked the jack black movie?

>>718754116
also what if you listen to the soundtrack while watching some faggot online play it? what then?

>>718753938
Holy snoy melty
Games on PC now but I think I'll just rewatch the pewdiepie lets play tbhdesu

>>718754170
Do you like the game? You would buy the game and try it yourself?

Video games are the most similar to music, so I'd say being a secondary is like being someone who wears a joy division shirt and never listened to them.
>Isn't it more like they didn't cover joy division's songs, chuddie?
No, the musician is more like the game dev.

>>718753024
If you can walk, throw a ball and swing a bat, you can play baseball.

>>718751276 (OP)
>>718751350
It's not "poser" anymore. It's "performative". People engaging in poser activities are just being performative. They want to engage in spaces that should be reserved for people that actually care about (thing) while putting in none of the work or effort required to truly enjoy "thing". Boiled down, it's like seeing someone wear a band tshirt for a band they claim to like, but they only know a couple of songs at most.

>>718754410
What kind of dumbass participation trophy logic is that?
Just being able to swing a bat is useless. You need to be able to hit things with it every so often.

>>718754712
???
NTA, but what he's saying is that anyone that claims to enjoy baseball can find an appropriate field and play baseball without needing to be in a professional team. Anyone that wants to can put in the effort to enjoy the sport.

>>718754790
But it's wrong, retard.
Just being able to throw a ball means fuck all. Anyone can throw a ball.
You need to be able to throw it far enough that you're not inconveniencing either your fellows in the infield/outfield or your fucking catcher. If the furthest you can throw a ball is 40 feet, you're 20 fucking feet short of home plate.
Being able to swing a bat means fuck all because unless you can connect, even if it's just one in every 10 swings, then no one who wants to actually play baseball will take you along since you just exist to kill everyone's fun by striking out.

>>718754712
And you can play videogame on easy. Same logic.

>>718755040
Watching someone play the game is playing the game in Visual Novel difficulty.

>>718751276 (OP)
I'd call you a fan of the franchise but not the specific game per-se.

>>718751276 (OP)
This poll shows why game companies are wasting all their resources targetting people who aren't customers.

>>718751276 (OP)
Sure, if youre crazy enough you can even remember as you playing it.

>>718754983
Not all games of baseball are that competetive lol
And neither are videogames. People who don't do either and just watch it almost never do it because they couldn't do it themselves.

>>718755092
So, you're just a fan of the story then.

>>718754983
You're overanalyzing the post and extrapolating on bullshit that has nothing to do with it. Understand that the initial post is not that literal.

>>718753938
Have you considered that you might just be wrong?

>>718755123
That's why gachas are so popular.
No gameplay effort, just sexy characters and maybe a good story to follow

>>718755162
>Not all games of baseball are that competetive lol
But they require that an atmosphere of everyone participating can have fun.
Do you know how much fun you derive from having your catcher walking 20 feet to go pick up balls from your well intended but woefully short pitch, over and over, and in effect just walking the other team? Not a lot.

>>718754118
Me.

>>718755163
The problem is, if you're such a big "fan" of the story, why not take that love to experience the story first-hand?
Secondaries prove they are not really fans because they refuse to see pieces of art as wholes. It's like if I went with sunglasses to an art museum.

>>718751276 (OP)
It's okay to be engaged in something you've watched, but those people should lower their tone when speaking to gamers.

>>718755235
Kek, I'm the opposite. I only play games with gameplay and am a secondary for gacha. I still wouldn't say I'm a "fan" of blue archive or zzz though, regardless how many gallons I've lost over the characters.

>>718751350
I think secondary is a better term for someone who likes a game but only experienced it through watching and reading about it.
A poser is someone who doesn't have any kind of experience with it, yet acts like they have.

>>718755316
>It's like if I went with sunglasses to an art museum.
No. It's like if you went to an art museum and all you did was stare at the exhibits.

>>718751468
The analogy doesn't fit

>>718755295
That's not the fucking point, man. You're just overanalyzing a simple expression.
An anon basically told you "pick up a ball and go play" as an expression to tell you that people can put in the effort to have fun and you're sitting there picking apart the weight of the ball when the sport was only used as a placeholder to make an example in the first place. Jesus Christ.

>>718755316
Why going through the hassle of playing through a 40-60 hours game if you can just watch the story on Youtube.
That's probably most people's thought process.

>>718751276 (OP)
You can be a fan of its story, characters, music, but not the actual game itself, no.

>>718755413
more like if you read the plaques, but DIDN'T look at the art.
or if you went on the tour, but stared at your phone the whole time.

>>718755413
No, it's not. Different types of art require different types of engagement. All types of art are whollistic by default. If you decide you are interested in an aspect of a piece but not interested enough to experience it as a whole can you really call yourself a fan of that piece?
Can I take away the parts of a movie I don't enjoy? If I only watch half of it? If I watch it without sound?
People are reasonably angry about videogames because a lot that makes videogames special to people regards in interactivity and GAME PLAY, so when someone claims to be a fan of the whole game, but goes out of their way to not experience it without what is considered to be its most essential part it shows that they do not really care about the whole piece.

>>718754002
That's a good point actually.
But then how would that translate to these self-proclaimed fans who watch video games being streamed?
Are they actually fans of the streamers then? But plenty of people will deliberately choose silent longplays instead.

>>718755550
No, it's just you staring at the exhibits.
If you were a real fan you would have dropped the cash to get the headphones so you can hear the curator go into painstaking detail about the struggles and thought process of the artist, what they were envisioning with the piece made, etc. etc.

>>718755419
It fits perfectly
You don't press the buttons - you don't play

>>718755424
>That's not the fucking point, man.
You're missing my point.
I'm stating there is an absolute minimum requirement of effort, because you're insisting that videogames also require a minimum requirement of effort. "Just watching the game being played doesn't make you a fan" is the same shit as "just being able to throw a ball and swing a bat doesn't mean you can play baseball".

>>718755743
>You're missing my point.
I'm not, what I'm saying is that you're misinterpreting the expression.
>If you can walk, throw a ball and swing a bat, you can play baseball.
Doesn't literally mean that you already know how to play baseball if you just have these, it means that you have all the tools to learn and put in the effort.

>>718755743
>>718755838
It's like if I said:
>You have a computer, so you can play the videogame
And you went:
>That's wrong! You need to download and launch the game first! And then you have to play the game which includes pressing KEYS! You're a lazy fuck if you think that JUST having a computer means you can play a videogame!

>>718755681
Not really. Your analogy would be analogous to - "Are you a gamer if all you do is watch youtube let's plays?"
This situation is more specific. It's more akin to - "Are you really a fan of pussy if all you've done is watch porn of her?".
I don't disagree with the sentiment there though

>>718755961
Except no, retard. Because playing the videogame is a separate issue entirely from "can you be a fan of a game".
All the retards keep going "no, you need to play the game first before you can be a fan" while neglecting the reality that a fuckton of people become fans of games and franchises often before a game is even out to play.

>>718751276 (OP)
>persona_fans.jpg
That's a smash render. It's a smash fan

>>718756075
>playing the videogame is a separate issue entirely from "can you be a fan of a game".

>>718756228
Correct.
It's no different from people back in the early 2000s being a fan of Crytek games in spite of their computers not having the specs to run them at all.
Or the fuckton of anons on /v/ being 40k fans in spite of never having touched the tabletop.

>>718751468
>entertainment you watch is the same as interactive entertainment
might as well say every game is free because you can watch it on youtube. you're probably baiting but this logic is way games have become boring cinematic movie garbage

>>718754013
>match
>debriefing
The Nymets are my favourite squadron.

>>718751276 (OP)
>xitter faggot self-proclaiming himself as a discord faggot having a shit opinion

>>718751276 (OP)
Games are something you're supposed to play and interact with, in order to be a "fan" of a game you have to play it. If you don't play it you're just a fan of the idea, not the game itself.

Damn. My brother was some kinda freak then watching me play Chrono Trigger for hours on end. Who the fuck does that if they're not a fan?

>>718751276 (OP)
>persona
That's him?

>>718751350
/thread

>>718756935
Maybe he just liked to spend time with you.

>>718756935
I used to watch my brothers play all sort of games for hours, that doesn't mean i'm a fan of any of them. It's just a passive way to kill time or entertain yourself.

>>718757170
Not really. Besides that shit he always did things with his circle of friends, wouldn't be home until the sun was down. Chrono Trigger was the one time he "spent time with me".

>>718757270
Was he ever interested in playing it himself?

>>718751276 (OP)
Hahahaha it's like audiobooks replacing real books. "Oh yeah I've totally read Crime and Punishment. I listened to it while I was walking slowly on the treadmill, no I don't remember any of it lol but it's totally the same as sitting down and reading it."

People unironically talk like this in regards to books now. Enjoy it happening to vidya.

>>718757404
Didn't seem like it. But he did put up posters for it, or at least one poster out on his bedroom door. And he had a pet beetle he named Lavos.

>>718755419
A much better analogy would be listening to an audiobook instead of actually reading it. You didn't actually read it, someone else did it for you.

>>718753024
You should.

>>718751276 (OP)
Obviously? Playing is just one way someone can experience a game, it's something that differs them from other media like movies and music

>>718751778
Many people are unfortunately

>>718755419
Copium overdose

>can you be a "fan" of a game without playing it
Sure, but just know that the TV or movie equivalent of this is like reading a plot synopsis without actually watching it, and still being a "fan" of the concept. I accept it when someone tells me they are a "fan" of something. It doesn't mean what it used to. It's used loosely. It just means "I like that thing".

>>718751276 (OP)
This has legit been a thing before let's plays.

>>718753024
Fans of fighting games would drown in pools, it's not so different

>>718756960
>>718758203
>play Earthbound/Persona
>watch Earthbound/Persona
There is actually no difference between these two things.

>>718757447
>he can't retain information he heard in an audiobook
I think you might be retarded, anon. Have you never listened to a radio play before?

>>718751276 (OP)
What I don't get is why is it even important if you're a fan or not? Can't you just enjoy something in any way you prefer without having to put a label on yourself?

>>718751276 (OP)
Can I be a fan of a movie if I only watched a 30 second reel on instagram?
Can I be a fan of a music band if I only like their logo on my t-shirt?
Can I be a fan of a book if I only watched the movie adaptation?
And since we are on /v/ and a food analogy is mandatory:
Can I be a fan of a restaurant if I only walked right outside of it and caught a smell of what they serve?

>>718751276 (OP)
>persona
these faggot secondaries are ruining one of my favorite series with their westoid mental retardation, and they are not even playing the games

>>718751276 (OP)
>can you be a fan of football without playing it
Apparently so. 99.9% of sportsball faggots do not play the sports they watch.

>>718751276 (OP)
Yeah, of course. Being a fan is not the same as being a player. People can argue however much they like that non-players have no business being fans, but that doesn't keep them from being fans. And usually it's being a fan of a game (or franchise) that gets someone to buy and play it in the first place.

>>718751276 (OP)
Can you be a fan of a game if you only draw "fan" art for patreonbux based on promo pictures when the game isn't even out yet?

>>718751276 (OP)
>1.5k votes
Keep pretending you are not the minority. It’s hilarious.

>>718754116
Watching streamers is the gayest thing in the world. At least play Vidya instead of watching some other faggot play it. Why not read a book or do something practical?

>>718761410
There are games that have a pretty interesting story, but absolutely atrocious or non-existent gameplay. In such cases, it's usually a better experience to just watch the movie on youtube

>>718751468
you’re a fan of sex you just don’t get to play

>>718758296
Absolutely, except fighting game fans tend to know 40 frame data spreadsheets and watch EVO religiously despite not even being able to pull off a shoryuken. It’s like being obsessed with a sport you’re terrible at. Still a fan, just not a participant. Watching Let’s Plays is the same tier-cheering from the sidelines while someone else does the heavy lifting.

>>718751276 (OP)
spectators can be fans yes

but I dont know why would anyone NOT play a game they like since its very accessible, unlike say sports

>>718758296
>Fans of fighting games would drown in pools
das racist

>>718758319
one lets you skip all the meaningless padding fights and actually enjoy the story

>>718760910
Anon, that's bullshit. You think people became fans of Super Mario just like that? People played the game THEN became fans for it. How can you call youself a fan of a game (something that your supposed to be played) if you don't play it?

>>718763072
*fans of it
*call yourself
*you're supposed
Forgive my mistakes

I can't understand people who watch streamers
And I can't understand sportsball either
Nigga just play yourself it ain't that hard

The people have spoken, but the people are also stupid, so I will ignore them.

>>718751469
Honestly I think this applies to other games much more than Earthbound. Earthbound is a beginner-level RPG that was already trivially easy to play with emulation, and it still gets rereleased even if you feel the need to buy. Undertale/Deltarune are a better example of this phenomenon.

>>718753286
Yes but I do question if they really don’t give a shit about stats during the game which delve into meaningless discussions

>>718761825
How can you be a fan of something you never had or tried?
That's like African kids saying McDonald burgers are delicious

>>718751276 (OP)
Silent Hill fans

>>718751276 (OP)
If you can hate a game without playing it, then yes.

>>718751350
it's no 90s anymore unc

>>718751276 (OP)
Can you be a porn star fan without fucking them?

Checkm8

>>718766843
like being a fan of Nascar or F1 racing?

>>718751276 (OP)
I'm a huge Diddy Kong Racing fan excited to play it for the first time when the recomp comes out.

>be fan of a game
>gatekept by not knowing the bare elementary knowledge about said game
What gaming community is it?

>>718751468
kek good one

>>718752516
No, because you’re a sports FAN, you’re not a sports PLAYER. This is an unironic false equivalence

>>718751350
Seconding on secondary.

>>718751276 (OP)
you can be fan of it's story, music, aesthetic...
you can't be fan of the gameplay because you haven't played it
though for multiplayer games it's a bit different, and you can be a fan if watching tournaments.
for Singleplayer games you're more a fan of the person that plays.

>>718751276 (OP)
>The people
What people?
Brainless NPC normalfags twitter sheeple zombies?
And 1500 is a still a laughable sample size that doesn't represent anything at all?

>>718752194
>>Watched your older sibling or parent play it
i miss sitting next to my bro and watching play games like HL, HoMM3, CS1.6...

>>718762161
>>718762161
>>718762161
This ultimately

I always never understood the people who are like "why watch x when you can x"
Nigga I ain't finding 9 or actually 18 people and a wide open grass area to be able to play baseball and I sure as hell ain't ever getting an actual GTR racing car and most impossibly of all there's no way I'll ever be able to go over 80 without getting a ticket
But video games are a different story you can either buy or even pirate them and just go ahead and play it so the "why watch when you can" applies so well there because as this poster hit the nail on the head, the factor is accessibility

>"you're playing the game wrong"
>then go play it yourself
>"n-no"

>>718751350
Some games are worth playing yourself. Some games if you watched someone play its as good as playing it.
Mostly walking sims or mascot horror that have absolutely variation in runs and only have like an hour or two of content.
I'll save the $20 and watch someone play it while i do my dishes and meal prep then go play an actual game.

>>718751276 (OP)
>1,526 votes

>>718769350
/thread

>>718751276 (OP)
Yes. Not even arguable. Good example being someone who enjoys watching fighting game tournaments or cs.

I'm a big fan of ultra woke/leftoid games, but I would never buy one. I just enjoy watching how quickly a cancer can die.

>>718769575
my bro did the same and he is watching nothing but AI anime streamers now.

>>718751350
Secondaries is a much more fun term

>>718751276 (OP)
If it’s a game like the last of us 2, then yes

>>718751276 (OP)
What's a fan? Someone who says "yes" to "do you like X?" Someone who buys merch? Someone whose actions in life change a bit for being a fan of X? Someone can do all of those things without playing the game by themselves.
What's going to be really different between players and non-players will probably be the degree to which their identity is influenced by the experience (which is probably most relevant to kids and teens who are still growing); playing the game would be a different formative experience than watching it happen via something else, so their nostalgia will turn out to be something different, more like a memory of watching your older brother play OoT. It'll make people nostalgic for streamers who never cared about them really, which sucks.

Read OP like this

>>718751276 (OP)
of course you can
you can also be a soccer fan without playing soccer yourself
wow, shocker

also being a fan is retarded

>>718775583
Sound retarded

Seems to me like the people the poll is talking about shouldn't get a vote in this matter.

>the people who pre-approved themselves as fans of a game they never played consider themselves fans
wow great poll

>>718780147
>>718780570
These
Why is /v/ always so retarded when it comes to polls?
I bet they don't even know what the acronym SSS stands for

>>718751276 (OP)
>friend who loves being nuanced, watching youtube essays, and is a "there are good things in every game :)" type of people generally
>pester him to play outer wilds since it's the game of the decade
>he hates playing it because he "has to read", the wonky physics make him rage, and he "hates waiting"
>he tells me he loves the game despite playing it for 1 hour
>he tells me it's possible to like a game while hating playing it
>he tells me