F1 2012 creative director hits back at 'disgraceful messages' from community

F1 2012's creative director Steve Hood has hit back at disgruntled fans criticising changes made to the mechanics found in this year's game, saying that there's "no need" for the "outright disgraceful messages" that have been sent to him and his team.

[knowyourstuff]

It doesn't really say why these trolls are sending him hate-filled messages, like how can they really get an F1 game wrong? It's racing in F1 cars, not much room for interpretation here. I played the demo and it was bland, just like F1 racing, so what's the big deal? I can't imagine saying the disgusting things these trolls say over something so uninteresting lol

[Anon1974]

But that's gamers now. More and more we see gamers threatening, abusing and just generally taking a huge dump on the people who make the games we love to play. Make a gay option in a storyline? Death threats and harassment. Change a gameplay mechanic? Abuse. Use too colorful a palette? Online petition. Make your game exclusive to the company that's paying for the game? More death threats and abuse. Make an ending that isn't all things to all people? Death threats, abuse, harassment, lawsuits, and FTC complaints.

Hell, I've got a kid's game up right now for consideration on Steam Greenlight. You wouldn't believe the abuse I've received on the comments section for daring to try to get a children's title up on Steam. Gamers are upset because I made a game for a market that wasn't them. Wtf is up with that? Thankfully you can moderate your own comments section. I had someone unleash a stream of obscenities just today because "Why would he want to play this game when he could be playing Team Fortress?" Are you 7? Does this game look like it's for the "Team Fortress" crowd? Is it a personal insult whenever anyone makes a game that isn't a shooter? It just makes me shake my head and wonder what the hell is wrong with some people.

When I hear things like the Bioware founders retiring and saying things like "they just don't have the passion for games any more" it makes me wonder. If endured the kind of death threats and abuse that Bioware employees went through - I think I would consider the same thing. Why bother? Who needs that? Gamers need to smarten the hell up. It's one thing to voice your opinions, but so many go so far beyond. They need to find every one of those bastards and hold them criminally responsible for the harassment they've been doling out to people who's only crime is they're trying to put out a product we'll find entertaining.

Gaming simply isn't what it used to be. There's no appreciation and zero respect for the people who work so hard to entertain us and hopefully feed their families in the process.

[Belking]

Fanboys are stupid. I love this demo and will be buying this game.

[47]

The game is great. Some people just don't know what they're talking about, unfortunately they tend to be the loudest.

[BrutallyBlunt]

You're right, they tend to want to overshadow everyone else so that they can be heard most. This is just an ongoing issue that magnifies on the internet and a lot of it has to do with the anonymity of it.

I really don't understand this mentality of those who constantly just want to be disrupted. Even if there are valid complaints what they are doing is not very productive at all. There needs to be more balance out there, people who are willing to admit faults within a game while ALSO being able to praise what they like about it. You don't Tweet them and say you guys don't know how to make a F1 game. You say something like the game is really good at this and that, but it could be even better if you fixed this part.

If you want them to support you and listen to you it's a two-way street. Otherwise they can just not bother opening up communications, but they want feedback. They want a relationship with their fans and it's just too bad there are always going to be a few bad apples out there that try and ruin it for everyone else.