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Bored and can't sleep, so this is a post about a vague idea in my head that I'm going to try and write out, it may work or I may get bored after 10 mins and delete it.
Trends.
Happens in movies, games and life.
And it annoys me.
It shows a marked lack of imagination/individuality and I seem to be one of those people that usualy stands to one side and says "Hang on a minute" whilst every one else is rushing to get on board whatever trend-boat is sailing that day.
With games:
Metal Gear Solid came out, and suddenly it was all the rage to sneak about and not kill people.
But what developers seem to forget is the reason that game was such a hit is because it was original.
To suddenly find 20 other games involving sneaking/hiding etc means it's another stale genre, just the same as everything else but now you're sick of that gameplay.
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight.
And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
With Movies:
Tarantino did Reservoir Dogs, and for the next couple of years all we saw were quirky movies about crime, and damn Guy Ritchie for ripping off Long Good Friday and ensuring that we had shelves full of rubbish Brit "Gangster Films" that should never have been made. (Love Honour and Obey, Bang Bang your dead, Circus etc)
But my biggest gripe is with the mindless trends in life I see every day all around me.
Take something like fashion.
One person says that it's the "in" thing to wear jeans with the waistband ripped and frayed, suddenly loads of "Yah Yah" types are walking about in the hottest new thing, but by now it's old hat and nobody wears them anymore.
Now it's the thing to get this oil that makes your jeans look old and dirty.
Hello? I've been rocking that look since I was 10, guess that makes me a trendsetter eh?
But it's not just fashion, it's everywhere.
Flat Eric.
A pointless advert, yet suddenly it's number one and everybody has a Flat Eric puppet.
And then you realise how idiotic you look with it, and it disappears.
Why?
Are people that lacking in imagination?
Same with these forums, a topic is posted that wins GAD and suddenly there are 15 different variations on the winner, without people realising it won because it was different and original. (usually)
I'm not knocking the people that imitate, it's just another example of people seizing on a pre-existing idea and churning it over instead of searching for something new and original.
Music is exactly the same.
We were (although it's dying out now thank christ) awash with "Nu-Metal" bands.
Baggy short wearing chimps singing about how crap parents are and "isn't life hard" and "If I die before I skate" and people lap it up.
They think it's the best thing in the world and sneer at people that like pop because "It's so manufactured man, it's totally for brain dead sheep".
But what they don't see is that they're wearing the same stuff as all the other non-conformists and rebels.
It's no different, just because you're doing it doesn't mean you're not slavishly following a trend.
People seem afraid to stand out from the crowd, to say "I like this" when nobody else does.
I remember when I gave Stryke grief for liking Lord of The Rings.
I wanted to see if he'd change his opinion and say "Yeah, it wasn't that good" just because people were hassling him.
But he stood his ground and told us all where to go.
That's doing something because you want to, not because every one else is.
Titanic.
How many people watched that movie?
How many people went 2-3 times? Yet now everyone says that movie is crap and "rubbish".
Well it's one of the most profitable movies ever, so some of you went more than once.
So why change your mind now?
Because common opinion says to?
Fun that, don't just go along with the trend, stand out, be original for the love of life.
And now I *am* bored of this and sleepy.
Jury Duty again tomorrow, so I'll be reading "The Princess Bride"
G'night punks
Trends.
Happens in movies, games and life.
And it annoys me.
It shows a marked lack of imagination/individuality and I seem to be one of those people that usualy stands to one side and says "Hang on a minute" whilst every one else is rushing to get on board whatever trend-boat is sailing that day.
With games:
Metal Gear Solid came out, and suddenly it was all the rage to sneak about and not kill people.
But what developers seem to forget is the reason that game was such a hit is because it was original.
To suddenly find 20 other games involving sneaking/hiding etc means it's another stale genre, just the same as everything else but now you're sick of that gameplay.
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight.
And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
With Movies:
Tarantino did Reservoir Dogs, and for the next couple of years all we saw were quirky movies about crime, and damn Guy Ritchie for ripping off Long Good Friday and ensuring that we had shelves full of rubbish Brit "Gangster Films" that should never have been made. (Love Honour and Obey, Bang Bang your dead, Circus etc)
But my biggest gripe is with the mindless trends in life I see every day all around me.
Take something like fashion.
One person says that it's the "in" thing to wear jeans with the waistband ripped and frayed, suddenly loads of "Yah Yah" types are walking about in the hottest new thing, but by now it's old hat and nobody wears them anymore.
Now it's the thing to get this oil that makes your jeans look old and dirty.
Hello? I've been rocking that look since I was 10, guess that makes me a trendsetter eh?
But it's not just fashion, it's everywhere.
Flat Eric.
A pointless advert, yet suddenly it's number one and everybody has a Flat Eric puppet.
And then you realise how idiotic you look with it, and it disappears.
Why?
Are people that lacking in imagination?
Same with these forums, a topic is posted that wins GAD and suddenly there are 15 different variations on the winner, without people realising it won because it was different and original. (usually)
I'm not knocking the people that imitate, it's just another example of people seizing on a pre-existing idea and churning it over instead of searching for something new and original.
Music is exactly the same.
We were (although it's dying out now thank christ) awash with "Nu-Metal" bands.
Baggy short wearing chimps singing about how crap parents are and "isn't life hard" and "If I die before I skate" and people lap it up.
They think it's the best thing in the world and sneer at people that like pop because "It's so manufactured man, it's totally for brain dead sheep".
But what they don't see is that they're wearing the same stuff as all the other non-conformists and rebels.
It's no different, just because you're doing it doesn't mean you're not slavishly following a trend.
People seem afraid to stand out from the crowd, to say "I like this" when nobody else does.
I remember when I gave Stryke grief for liking Lord of The Rings.
I wanted to see if he'd change his opinion and say "Yeah, it wasn't that good" just because people were hassling him.
But he stood his ground and told us all where to go.
That's doing something because you want to, not because every one else is.
Titanic.
How many people watched that movie?
How many people went 2-3 times? Yet now everyone says that movie is crap and "rubbish".
Well it's one of the most profitable movies ever, so some of you went more than once.
So why change your mind now?
Because common opinion says to?
Fun that, don't just go along with the trend, stand out, be original for the love of life.
And now I *am* bored of this and sleepy.
Jury Duty again tomorrow, so I'll be reading "The Princess Bride"
G'night punks
Page:
Well aren't you the clever one!
Anyway, I found/played/heard/saw everything before all of you so ner!
It's only natural to want to be part of a trend, or group. After all, humans were pack hunters, tribal people. We like to be part of a group, and the bigger the better. Or safer, perhaps.
And yes, that shows just how much we haven't evolved since then.
And yes, that shows just how much we haven't evolved since then.
Yeah, but skateboards, hackeysacks, other eighties sports. Where would we be without them?
Goatboy wrote:
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight. And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
To be fair though, games take anything upwards of 2 years to complete. So it's hardly as though Op Flashpoint came out, and developers said to themselves "Quick! A wagon with BAND written down the side, let's jump on board!"
But rather that 3 years ago, a number of developers realised that there was a lack of FPS ward games, and decided to make their own, hoping that they were the only ones to think of it.
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight. And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
To be fair though, games take anything upwards of 2 years to complete. So it's hardly as though Op Flashpoint came out, and developers said to themselves "Quick! A wagon with BAND written down the side, let's jump on board!"
But rather that 3 years ago, a number of developers realised that there was a lack of FPS ward games, and decided to make their own, hoping that they were the only ones to think of it.
I wonder who will be next to state that they don't follow trends?
You can't blame developers for trying to milk the market a little though, can you?
If the public like a sneaking game, they'll keep on making them until they stop making a profit. Making games in expensive work, so they need to be sure that they'll make some profit.
At least some developers are willing to use their profits to work on untried formulas for games, so originality does sometimes get through to us. Unfortunately original doesn't always mean good, and often doesn't make it successful - it's normally a game that borrows the original concept, and sticks it in with a tried and tested game genre that gets all the glory.
You can't blame developers for trying to milk the market a little though, can you?
If the public like a sneaking game, they'll keep on making them until they stop making a profit. Making games in expensive work, so they need to be sure that they'll make some profit.
At least some developers are willing to use their profits to work on untried formulas for games, so originality does sometimes get through to us. Unfortunately original doesn't always mean good, and often doesn't make it successful - it's normally a game that borrows the original concept, and sticks it in with a tried and tested game genre that gets all the glory.
I try not to fall for trends where possible. Anyone remember when there was a massive load of crazes? YoYo's, fair enough, I bought one, but Finger Bycicles? I would never dream of buying one, as they are a stupid and pointless idea. Who really wants to skate around a mini-ramp with their index finger when you can go down to the local ramp and do it for real. I suppose I'm getting onto games here - maybe we should all go skating instead of playing the game...nah, the game is much more fun :0)
Yeah, I rule.
Now you have to wait and see how many people follow you on this. Twill be fun.
Anyway, in answer to topic, trends don't bother me much. Fashion for example. I wear baggy jeans, hoodys, and that sort of stuff. But I have always done this since I was 12 and had got into the sort of "culture" of scuba-diving, surfing, snowboarding. That sort of thing. Then skaters nab the stuff, and I'm labelled a skater. I had to go down the skate park and fall off a skateboard before my mates would believe I couldn't skate.
I can just sit trends out. At the moment bookshops are awash with people gripped by LotR fever. They buy the books with a smug look on their faces, conviently forgetting that last year they were giving people like me stick because we read the books. As it is, they'll probably get bored when Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli have a 300 page race with ome Orcs that are just that little bit faster.
Music, well. Again, I hated nu-metal, but I dislike most types of metal. I just sat it out.
One trend that does seemed to have gripped this forums is Counting Crows. RastaBillySkank brought them here, and now loads of people seem to listen to them, me included. Although I'd like to think he recommended them to me quite a while ago. Sometimes trends can be useful, because maybe it starts a resurgence of said musical genre or a film movement. I bet that LotR will be followed by a slew of fantasy films, just as X-Men is being followed by a slew of comic films. I won't complain about this, until they butcher a good book. Thats unforgivable.
Now you have to wait and see how many people follow you on this. Twill be fun.
Anyway, in answer to topic, trends don't bother me much. Fashion for example. I wear baggy jeans, hoodys, and that sort of stuff. But I have always done this since I was 12 and had got into the sort of "culture" of scuba-diving, surfing, snowboarding. That sort of thing. Then skaters nab the stuff, and I'm labelled a skater. I had to go down the skate park and fall off a skateboard before my mates would believe I couldn't skate.
I can just sit trends out. At the moment bookshops are awash with people gripped by LotR fever. They buy the books with a smug look on their faces, conviently forgetting that last year they were giving people like me stick because we read the books. As it is, they'll probably get bored when Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli have a 300 page race with ome Orcs that are just that little bit faster.
Music, well. Again, I hated nu-metal, but I dislike most types of metal. I just sat it out.
One trend that does seemed to have gripped this forums is Counting Crows. RastaBillySkank brought them here, and now loads of people seem to listen to them, me included. Although I'd like to think he recommended them to me quite a while ago. Sometimes trends can be useful, because maybe it starts a resurgence of said musical genre or a film movement. I bet that LotR will be followed by a slew of fantasy films, just as X-Men is being followed by a slew of comic films. I won't complain about this, until they butcher a good book. Thats unforgivable.
Bored and can't sleep, so this is a post about a vague idea in my head that I'm going to try and write out, it may work or I may get bored after 10 mins and delete it.
Trends.
Happens in movies, games and life.
And it annoys me.
It shows a marked lack of imagination/individuality and I seem to be one of those people that usualy stands to one side and says "Hang on a minute" whilst every one else is rushing to get on board whatever trend-boat is sailing that day.
With games:
Metal Gear Solid came out, and suddenly it was all the rage to sneak about and not kill people.
But what developers seem to forget is the reason that game was such a hit is because it was original.
To suddenly find 20 other games involving sneaking/hiding etc means it's another stale genre, just the same as everything else but now you're sick of that gameplay.
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight.
And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
With Movies:
Tarantino did Reservoir Dogs, and for the next couple of years all we saw were quirky movies about crime, and damn Guy Ritchie for ripping off Long Good Friday and ensuring that we had shelves full of rubbish Brit "Gangster Films" that should never have been made. (Love Honour and Obey, Bang Bang your dead, Circus etc)
But my biggest gripe is with the mindless trends in life I see every day all around me.
Take something like fashion.
One person says that it's the "in" thing to wear jeans with the waistband ripped and frayed, suddenly loads of "Yah Yah" types are walking about in the hottest new thing, but by now it's old hat and nobody wears them anymore.
Now it's the thing to get this oil that makes your jeans look old and dirty.
Hello? I've been rocking that look since I was 10, guess that makes me a trendsetter eh?
But it's not just fashion, it's everywhere.
Flat Eric.
A pointless advert, yet suddenly it's number one and everybody has a Flat Eric puppet.
And then you realise how idiotic you look with it, and it disappears.
Why?
Are people that lacking in imagination?
Same with these forums, a topic is posted that wins GAD and suddenly there are 15 different variations on the winner, without people realising it won because it was different and original. (usually)
I'm not knocking the people that imitate, it's just another example of people seizing on a pre-existing idea and churning it over instead of searching for something new and original.
Music is exactly the same.
We were (although it's dying out now thank christ) awash with "Nu-Metal" bands.
Baggy short wearing chimps singing about how crap parents are and "isn't life hard" and "If I die before I skate" and people lap it up.
They think it's the best thing in the world and sneer at people that like pop because "It's so manufactured man, it's totally for brain dead sheep".
But what they don't see is that they're wearing the same stuff as all the other non-conformists and rebels.
It's no different, just because you're doing it doesn't mean you're not slavishly following a trend.
People seem afraid to stand out from the crowd, to say "I like this" when nobody else does.
I remember when I gave Stryke grief for liking Lord of The Rings.
I wanted to see if he'd change his opinion and say "Yeah, it wasn't that good" just because people were hassling him.
But he stood his ground and told us all where to go.
That's doing something because you want to, not because every one else is.
Titanic.
How many people watched that movie?
How many people went 2-3 times? Yet now everyone says that movie is crap and "rubbish".
Well it's one of the most profitable movies ever, so some of you went more than once.
So why change your mind now?
Because common opinion says to?
Fun that, don't just go along with the trend, stand out, be original for the love of life.
And now I *am* bored of this and sleepy.
Jury Duty again tomorrow, so I'll be reading "The Princess Bride"
G'night punks
Trends.
Happens in movies, games and life.
And it annoys me.
It shows a marked lack of imagination/individuality and I seem to be one of those people that usualy stands to one side and says "Hang on a minute" whilst every one else is rushing to get on board whatever trend-boat is sailing that day.
With games:
Metal Gear Solid came out, and suddenly it was all the rage to sneak about and not kill people.
But what developers seem to forget is the reason that game was such a hit is because it was original.
To suddenly find 20 other games involving sneaking/hiding etc means it's another stale genre, just the same as everything else but now you're sick of that gameplay.
Right now, I'm seeing a lot of war games.
Started with Operation Flashpoint I think, a realistic tactical shooter that threw you into the army and made you fight.
And the war trend is continuing, but now it's WW2 with Wolfenstein and Medal of Honour and Half-Life mods.
What starts out as a totally unique and refreshing idea is hammered flat and left tasteless and dull.
With Movies:
Tarantino did Reservoir Dogs, and for the next couple of years all we saw were quirky movies about crime, and damn Guy Ritchie for ripping off Long Good Friday and ensuring that we had shelves full of rubbish Brit "Gangster Films" that should never have been made. (Love Honour and Obey, Bang Bang your dead, Circus etc)
But my biggest gripe is with the mindless trends in life I see every day all around me.
Take something like fashion.
One person says that it's the "in" thing to wear jeans with the waistband ripped and frayed, suddenly loads of "Yah Yah" types are walking about in the hottest new thing, but by now it's old hat and nobody wears them anymore.
Now it's the thing to get this oil that makes your jeans look old and dirty.
Hello? I've been rocking that look since I was 10, guess that makes me a trendsetter eh?
But it's not just fashion, it's everywhere.
Flat Eric.
A pointless advert, yet suddenly it's number one and everybody has a Flat Eric puppet.
And then you realise how idiotic you look with it, and it disappears.
Why?
Are people that lacking in imagination?
Same with these forums, a topic is posted that wins GAD and suddenly there are 15 different variations on the winner, without people realising it won because it was different and original. (usually)
I'm not knocking the people that imitate, it's just another example of people seizing on a pre-existing idea and churning it over instead of searching for something new and original.
Music is exactly the same.
We were (although it's dying out now thank christ) awash with "Nu-Metal" bands.
Baggy short wearing chimps singing about how crap parents are and "isn't life hard" and "If I die before I skate" and people lap it up.
They think it's the best thing in the world and sneer at people that like pop because "It's so manufactured man, it's totally for brain dead sheep".
But what they don't see is that they're wearing the same stuff as all the other non-conformists and rebels.
It's no different, just because you're doing it doesn't mean you're not slavishly following a trend.
People seem afraid to stand out from the crowd, to say "I like this" when nobody else does.
I remember when I gave Stryke grief for liking Lord of The Rings.
I wanted to see if he'd change his opinion and say "Yeah, it wasn't that good" just because people were hassling him.
But he stood his ground and told us all where to go.
That's doing something because you want to, not because every one else is.
Titanic.
How many people watched that movie?
How many people went 2-3 times? Yet now everyone says that movie is crap and "rubbish".
Well it's one of the most profitable movies ever, so some of you went more than once.
So why change your mind now?
Because common opinion says to?
Fun that, don't just go along with the trend, stand out, be original for the love of life.
And now I *am* bored of this and sleepy.
Jury Duty again tomorrow, so I'll be reading "The Princess Bride"
G'night punks
Page: