Unexpected Audience, such as Brony fandom

[Rev1]

Up until a few years ago I watched Nickelodeon pretty much every day (I'm 27 now). I wasn't ashamed of it, hell most of my friends did as well. I've also pretty much watched or played whatever I want as long as I find it interesting, regardless of the intended audience.

Ironically, my tastes have changed a lot over the last few years (probably due to my partner) and I rarely watch cartoons or anything in that category currently. I find nothing wrong with it but it just doesn't interest me the same way anymore. Growing up is weird.

[Vexer1]

I still watch both Nick and the Disney Channel and i'm not the least bit ashamed of it.

[LoganRuckman1]

I think modern Nickelodeon is absolute garbage. Cartoon Network, on the other hand, has improved massively over the past few years, and while maybe not as good as it used to be, has once again become a great network. The Hub is also awesome. Disney Channel's cartoons are good, but their live action shows are horrible.

[Vexer1]

I think Disney's live-action shows are pretty good for the most part, admittedly Nick isn't as good as they once were, but I definitely wouldn't call them garbage.  As long as they have Spongebob and Fairly Oddparents, i'll be happy(still pissed that they cancelled Danny Phantom though).

Cartoon Network was good and I used to watch them all the time, but my interest waned when they started trying to force those godawful live-action shows on their CNReal block down everyone's throats, and now it seems that Stuart Snyder is determined to screw over every single show that's even remotely decent, the network's treatment of Beware the Batman was nothing short of abysmal(even worse then their treatment of Young Justice and Green Lantern). It barely got any advertising while that POS Teen Titans Go hogged all the space(that show is garbage compared to the original Titans series)and it wasn't because of ratings, it's because the execs only want shows that are mainly watched by the male demographic, anything that appeals to both males and females is buried in the death slot and cancelled unceremoniously, I really wish I was joking but i'm not, many people who worked on those cancelled shows have confirmed that CN's execs have some ridiculously backwards views, and i'm afraid they will run the channel into the ground even further.

 

[Oltobaz1]

I wish they had made more video games out of American cartoons, beyond Disney, Tiny Toons and co, even though most are very good, especially on Mega Drive and Super Nintendo. Look at He Man, what's there to chew beyond the Intellivision game? They did release a GBA  game years ago, and that's it. Thundercats? I'm aware of one Atari ST game. Blackstar? None to my knownledge.

[Atarifever1]

[QUOTE=Gentlegamer] but when you make your fandom a term of self identification ("brony") with accompanying costumes, etc., you are entering the territory of fetishism, and that is seen as instinctively unhealthy by well adjusted adults.*

We often use the term "gamer" to describe ourselves ("Gentlegamer *tips fedora*") in a casual way relating to our common enthusiasm for video games. Nothing wrong with that. But if we took that enthusiasm and self identification to the next level, we become the type of stereotyped, basement dwelling, arrested development person ("man-baby"), whose primary social activity is Xbox Live or hanging out in GameStop chatting with the clerk and advising customers on the purchases. That's when enthusiasm turns into a fanaticism that is appropriate to be criticized.




[/QUOTE]
I think this comparison only makes sense to you because you are on one side of it.  To the average person, you being here debating things like this distinction, naming yourself with a fake name based on DnD and videogames, reading about new and old videogames (as if they are worthwhile enough to be excited for in advance or after a few years) and playing games every day is more than passing strange.  It's downright weird. 

I am willing to bet that there are bronies out there, who will attend bronicon or whatever it's called, who would consider my 7800 collection really, really strange.  Even creepy.  25 year old electronic toys, from a failed toy maker, complete in original packaging materials, alphabatized in plastic tubs in my basement?  Oh yeah.  Nothing to see here.  That has normal written all over it. 

[Sut1]

[QUOTE=Oltobaz]Look at He Man, what's there to chew beyond the Intellivision game?[/QUOTE]

There was a PS2 game (Europe only) and it was apparently awful.

http://youtu.be/weWVNcmIv_0

[scotland171]

Any hobby, taken too far, raises questions. Setting up a model train for Christmas is fine fun, but dressing up like Sir ToppemHat while doing so is a tressle too far. Some hobbies, like being a sports fan, gets more social acceptance, because of their popularity, physicality, how social it is, how understandable it is, building community, associated economic activity, history, and reinforcing gender and cultural norms. Video games fail several of tbose. That may be why FPSers and sports games are popular; its compensating in trying to appease more of those societal requirements.

[Oltobaz1]

Thanks Sut, I'll look for it. Judging from the video, I might just enjoy it, lol.

[scotland171]

[QUOTE=Oltobaz]I wish they had made more video games out of American cartoons.[/QUOTE]

That is interesting. Some cartoons seem to have gained just such an unexpected audience.
Cartoons aimed at preschoolers, like Dora, Thomas, or Peppa Pig may have video games that just flew under an adults radar. Cartoons always aiming for adults, like South Park or Simpsons, have video games that match their tv audience. Its the middle ground you mention, cartoons designed as light action, no character depth or development, pretty black hat white morality, little violence, a cutsy comic relief character, mild romance, etc. They may gain an older than expected audience, so why not more video games?

It might be those simply do not translate to video games. Or maybe such IP themed video games would be filtered of whatever elements adults enjoyed to avoid angry letters from parents thinking tbey bought something wholly kiddy.

Oh, and Logans opinions on animation networks do not surprise me because I have read his article on it at his site. Animation, despite the family appeal of Bugs and Daffy in the 1940s and Flintston3s in the 1960s, seems to have finally made a leap in the US to be not just a child medium. Video games are likely in the same place.