Opinion: Confessions of a gatekeeper
https://archive.ph/20250702080335/https://www.square-enix-games.com/en_GB/news/opinion-gatekeeping
>When you love something too much, it’s all too easy to drive people away. Here are the dangers of being a gatekeeper.
>Sometimes I like to eat dessert before the main course.
>It’s a seemingly minor thing - barely a quirk - but for some it’s a crime akin to burning a flag or kicking a puppy. I’ve seen people react with shock, horror and even disgust. What wretched being must I be to break the sacred order of dinner?!
>From my perspective though… why not? I like dessert the most, so why wait until I may be too full to eat it? And who are they to police my behavior anyway – they’re gatekeeping mealtimes!
>I bring this up to highlight my own hypocrisy.
>A while back, I found myself discussing on a game franchise (which I won’t name because it’s not one of ours). My pal was explaining he was thinking of picking up the most recent title in the series while it was on sale. “Oh great,” I said. “Which one did you like the most?”
>“…oh, I never played any of them.”
>I was shocked. Why would someone start at the newest game without playing the previous ones. What was he thinking? I started to forcefully explain exactly where he should start his journey with the series and as his eyes glazed over, I realized:
>Of course, my friend didn’t pick up the game, he didn’t get into the series, and I lost a chance to share something I love. There’s no getting around it - I drove him away.
>Here’s the truth of it: just as there’s no right way to enjoy a game, there’s no correct way to discover it.
>Oh sure, you can (and should) share suggestions, but ultimately there isn’t a set path to play. For example, when I look back at my own game history, my first FINAL FANTASY was VII, my first STAR OCEAN was the fourth game in the series, THE LAST HOPE, and my introduction to DRAGON QUEST was actually DRAGON QUEST HEROES: Rocket Slime on Nintendo DS rather than a mainline game in the series.
>Each of these titles sparked joy, which led me to explore the rest of the series, where I discovered even more joy. In some cases, it was a recommendation from friends playing it, in other cases reviews guided me. In the case of Rocket Slime… well, I just liked the box art.
>But, at no point did I have anyone telling me where I had to start. If I had, I likely wouldn’t have played any of them – after all, nobody likes being told what to do.
>Still, I get it. We all want to share the games we love with others, and I’m no different. Heck, I’m somehow making a career out of it. So, how can we encourage friends and fellow players to try stuff out without pushing them away or overwhelming them?
>The biggest thing, I think, is to offer suggestions and recommendations, rather than offering an immovable instruction. For example, which FINAL FANTASY to play first is pretty common topic of discussion, and it’s one that many have OPINIONS on. The kind of opinions that are all caps and bold text.
>That’s partly because it’s a very open question. For example:
>All the mainline FINAL FANTASY games are completely standalone – there aren’t narrative threads between them so anyone can start with any game.
>The same is true of the SaGa seriesfranchise. Each game stands completely along from the others, with their own worlds, stories and characters.
All the DRAGON QUEST games work as standalone adventures too. Even though some games form a light trilogy - such as the excellent DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake and the upcoming DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake - each one offers an adventure with a beginning, middle, and end in their own right. Even though there are plenty of touches for existing fans to enjoy, each game is also designed to be someone’s first.
>Some Square Enix series do have an ongoing narrative. In some cases, collections make it easy to see a suggested play order for first-time players, but you shouldn’t feel beholden to them. Plenty of fans played later games first and explored the rest of the series later. I’m one of them.
>So, when people are looking for advice, we need to help them in a constructive way. Rather than just telling people the answer outright as if it’s fact, we could explain where we started. Why do we think it’s a good place to start? The key is advice, not instruction.
>We should also share our passion. Rather than telling people how to play something, explain why we love it. Share the stories, the characters, the music. Explain our histories with the series, point people towards content creators they might enjoy.
>At the same time, we need to be careful not to offer too much information. It’s all too easy to get excited and start digging into the weeds and the lore of a game, but that can be overwhelming. It can make games feel dense and impenetrable, rather than what they actually are: joyful and fun. Nobody should feel like they have to do homework to enjoy a game, and to indicate otherwise is a mistake.
>Finally, the most important thing is to be supportive of other players at all times. If someone indicates an interest in a game, encourage them. Even if we think there’s a better way to go, leave that door open so they can step right through. If someone wants to play the newest entry first, or go back to an earlier entry instead of the new hotness, that’s their choice.
>If someone gives advice we don’t agree with, don’t attack or criticise them. Offer an alternate point of view and discuss things politely. We’re all part of the same community after all – we all love the same things.
>All of us have games that are very precious to us. There’s nothing like that feeling of falling in love with a title for the first time. It’s natural to want to help others enjoy the same experience that we did.
>Just be careful not to fall into the same trap as me. Let them eat dessert first.
Microsoft laying off thousands of employees, applying for thousands of H-1B workers
https://archive.ph/20250702172457/https://nichegamer.com/microsoft-laying-off-thousands-of-employees-h1bs/
Ready or Not Sparks Censorship Outrage as Void Interactive Retroactively Censors Game for All Players, Including PC Gamers Who Bought Years Ago
https://archive.ph/20250702201131/https://thatparkplace.com/ready-or-not-sparks-censorship-outrage-as-void-interactive-retroactively-censors-game-for-all-players-including-pc-gamers-who-bought-years-ago/
Ruckus Games Requires Players to Select Pronouns to Join Playtest For New Game
https://archive.ph/20250701223332/https://thatparkplace.com/ruckus-games-requires-players-to-select-pronouns-to-join-playtest-for-new-game/
Neil Druckmann Leaves The Last of Us HBO Series Amid Massive Ratings Decline, Says It’s to Focus on Games
https://archive.ph/20250702200823/https://thatparkplace.com/neil-druckmann-leaves-the-last-of-us-hbo-series-amid-massive-ratings-decline-says-its-to-focus-on-games/