Do you?

I'm having a debate elsewhere about why gaming needs to spread out and include everyone. Specifics aside, one core thing that keeps shining through is that some people want everyone to like what they like. Some people need to feel that acceptance and commonality.

I'm kind of the opposite. I like having niche tastes. I like entertainment made specifically for me and to the exclusion of others sometimes, because it often means a more specific message or style. I couldn't care less if your sister plays video games, honestly.

Where do you stand? And do you think this drive some have for others to like what they like is helpful or hurtful to games?

It's nice when other people like what I like, but if they don't, I don't care. It's like fetishes. It's great when you meet a partner who shares them with you, but not a deal-breaker if they don't.

I'd like people to stop being creationists and Republicans / Conservatives, I guess that's similar...

The only reason I care about/want others to like what I like is because that means that kind of stuff will get made.

I genuinely don't care, and maybe that has come with me getting older. When I was younger for example, I wished everyone played D & D. Now, I just like what I like and if others don't, that's just fine.

There is one glaring exception. I want enough people to enjoy the television shows I like to ensure that ratings stay high enough to warrant renewed seasons.

As for games, I guess it's a double edged sword. Common popularity is great for the game's bottom line. But it also can lead to watering dow, so while I understand the motivation of mass appeal I think it does have a deleterious effect to a certain extent.

I know other people like things I do not like, so I do not see why others must like what I like also.

As long as I find games I like, I do not mind games are made for other tastes. The underlying premises for this is that there must be a width of offerings, if not then someone will be excluded from having games they like. It is impossible to make a game catering for all tastes.

So I guess I am in favour of niche products?

I'm very suspicious of anyone who likes what I like. I don't look down upon them and I don't feel love or hatred toward them one way or the other, I'm just suspicious is all.

It's nice to share my love of certain things with other people, to connect with them and enhance my enjoyment of said things. However, I generally don't mind if most people dislike something I like. Others sometimes seek validation for their interests by confirming that others share similar taste. Nothing wrong with either approach.

As for gaming, I think the pond's big enough such that the 'mainstream' stuff with broad appeal and the 'niche' stuff with very specific appeal can coexist peacefully. As long as neither negatively impacts the other everyone should be happy...I think.

Depends for me on how I interpret the question; on the smaller scale, I don't have many people who share the same interests where I live now and since I moved I find it pretty lonely, particularly when I find something really great (be it a game, show, whatever) and realize there's no one in my vicinity who will appreciate it. My plastic rock band instruments sit in the corner as a monument to my loneliness.

In the wider scope, I guess I can see what you mean about the niche tastes. There's a lot of elements in certain types of games which I enjoy that wouldn't appeal to the mass market, such as the grinding nature of certain RPGs which I bizarrely find relaxing. Also as you said the visual style, mass market appeal does seem to eventually leave a generic/bland aftertaste.

I guess the way I'd phrase my stance: I want people close to me to like what I like, but I want us to be a hipster subset of the rest of the population.

I think the latter is healthy as long as that validation isn't central to your own acceptance of yourself. I sometimes get the vibe from that group that they will never love themselves until society validates them.

I'm kind of in the category that I'd love for others to get the same enjoyment from a game/book/movie that I do.

That being said, I think it's an enormous mistake to try to tailor games so that everyone will like them. Fact is, peoples' tastes differ, so game makers need to realize what kind of game they're making and who the market is for that game and make it accordingly. Stop trying to cast such a wide net and maybe they'll stop churning out so much crap.

I hate everybody that doesn't like everything I like and doesn't hate everything I hate. I'll admit it, I'm a fascist at heart, but most people are imbeciles and don't know better, and they need someone like me to teach them what's right and wrong .

I fully understand the need for validation and acceptance that drives so many different people. I also fully agree with everything in this thread, I feel the exact same way about this issue as every poster here. I'm so glad to be here on the GOG forum where everyone already likes the things I like, and where I in turn like everything you all like.

While we're on the subject - BUY SACRIFICE !!!

I don't particularly care if people like what I like, but it does make for easy conversation topics.
What I don't like is when somebody keeps talking about things I don't like.
I'm glad someone is happy, but I don't need to hear or talk about it.
I like individuality.