I don't really care, people can like what they like but I don't like people that cares too much about what others like as they feel like social pariahs. I also prefer niché games rather than target-everyone kind of games.

+1 for courage. Most people are like this but they would never admit this to others out of fear.

I'm more of a don't care if people like what I like. However, as far as entertainment it is necessary for others to like the things I do to keep them around.
Now if others like something I don't like, I don't want to be forced to watch/play/do it. If someone comes to my house and says Big Brother is on and tries to change my TV to that shit, I will break their fucking arm off. If they want to drag me to a Backstreet Boys concert, they can go get a new friend.

I don't care what people like unless the topic is co-op games. It's necessary for everyone to be happy to be there when it comes to co-op gaming.

As for everything else, I'm just glad their preferences don't deviate even further from my own!

I want some people to like what I like so I can talk to them about it. Having a conversation about things we're both interested in.
With games I want some of them to like the games I like so I can play with them.

I say some because I like to discuss things so I need people to like other things than me too because that makes for many more topics and often I find something new that interest me that way.
It's the same with games. If they have a different taste maybe they can get me to play a game that to my surprise I did like even though I generally don't like that kind of games.
The same goes for films, food, drinks and all kinds of things.

So basically I want enough people to like what I like so that I can talk/play/engage in whatever with them. But at the same time I also want them to give me tips about new things.

Ha ha. I think I lost myself half way through my own post. Incoherent to say the least.

Personally, I neither get the desperate need for everyone to like the same things as I, nor the need to isolate myself from others and act all elitist. Seems like the typical minority dilemma to me, either crave for recognition and approval from the majority people or sulkily exclude them in retaliation for their lack of understanding. What is it with this zebra thinking, why does it always have to be either/or and everything taken to the extreme?

Anyway, myself, I want a wide variety of games; games that cater to my old tastes and games that let me experience something different that I might acquire a new taste for. Innovation and progress seldom come only from catering to the specific tastes of small groups. I would find it kind of boring if games only ever gave me what I expected from them because they confine themselves to what I know and like already - the same way as I'd find it kind of boring if everyone liked and played the same games as me or if all games would cater to the lowest common denominator of the majority. The more people get into gaming, the more mainstream games will get made, true - but the more individuals get into gaming, the more individual niches will appear, too. I don't see mainstream and niche as irreconcilable, but as complementary. In the end, there will be more games for everyone to choose from.

Apart from that, while I don't need everyone to understand why I like gaming, I'm not too keen on having to defend myself for it on every occasion either, so I don't mind the side effects of gaming getting more popular as a hobby. And it can be quite nice to share something you enjoy with the people you love, as opposed to random strangers on the internet. ;)


Actually, your post made a lot of sense to me. I guess I feel the same way, yay! :D

ok.

Really? And who are these people?

wanting people to use more of their common sense then they do

I suffer a bit of internal hypocrisy on this, and I suspect that a whole bunch of other folks do, too.

Examples:

I enjoy the music of a-ha. I can't thoroughly explain it though I know it has something to do with the ethereal quality of that awesome voice. And I like that it's a cut above standard pop. But I 'totally get' that other folks don't care or don't like the band. No biggie.

I also enjoy the music of Ian Moore. Friggin' awesome guitar work, a fantastic blues-rock voice, and some really great tracks. I really do want other people to like his music. Maybe not so that we have something in common, but that I think it's worth discovering this semi-lost gem. You don't like at least some of his music? Are you friggin' mental?!?

And there you go.

If we're talking about people with whom I aim to have any sort of meaningful relationship with (friendship, romantic or otherwise), then yes, I'd like a commonality of shared tastes. Probably in the 70-80% range, with enough divergence to keep things interesting, but not enough to mostly quibble and bicker with one another about "x" film genre or "y" music subculture.

If we're talking about "the masses," then I care little, as I've always been an introvert who doesn't need constant external validation.

That is because it is natural to be like Licurg(you should read his posts in this thread) but your society brainwashes people to be more tolerant(to a point that is unnatural). Result = hypocrite. No, I'm not trolling you. I sincerely hope you do not find this post offensive. And you are correct about not being alone.

Heh - no way to interpret that as trolling so don't sweat it.

Personally, I think it comes down to a desire to feel like we're part of something special, like we 'discovered' something (possibly obscure) that strikes our fancy in a particular way and we want to share it with others. Hell, we see it all the time in the "Check out this game on Kickstarter" threads. And because it DOES strike us in that particular way, we sometimes have blinders in place that prevent us from seeing that everyone else can't possibly share the same enthusiasm.

Whether that's an element of the particular society I live in or of societies in general, I'll leave that to the sociologists to debate.

If something touches you a certain way but doesn't touch someone else. Then that means, that someone else is different from you. And there was a time(when our ancestors were in small tribes running around with spears, fighting for good hunting lands and access to water) that different from you = enemy.