<![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings - Kotaku Comments]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> This post is funny, because Kokatu is BEING a troll! It's like he wants a flame war.

Isaac VanDuyn

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @FarmboyinJapan:

So you hate fantasy but are OK with the more sci-fi settings in FF 7 and 8?? What about 12?

This is like arguing guns or swords, mate. I enjoy both and all, but here and there you find the one person that doesn't.

Also, you say fantasy is being repeated everywhere, but so is everything else. I

And PC gaming has a lot of non-fantasy games, btw.

Eliasoz

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Hey Hey Hey

Calm down everyone. The man had to write several Halo 3 entries here today. I can see why he lost it.

Tisteldun

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Was that Cliffy "Reach out and touch things with your gun" B I hear?

mcderek3000

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Mark Wilson: Hey Mark nice to see you finally posted in the comments section, you should do so more often. :D

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> "Ruin" it for you, Mark? More like, It makes it ten times more awesome.

Sharpless

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Hmmm LOTR is not overrated it's really good critics and fanboys alike agreed with that. Please don't let your inappropriate/biased/pissy opinions enter the blog, that's the only thing that separates you guys from the worthless trash and racist people of destructoid.

EdPOGI

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> HERETIC!!! Someone get a rope!!!

goddessakasha

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Mark Wilson PLEASE tell me you are coming to Tokyo Game Show, cause if you are, please sir let me buy you a beer for your EXCELLENT comments!

Lord of the Rings haters in the video game community are few and far between, but you can count me up there with the biggest of the bunch. Fantasy garbage has plagued our beloved video games for far far far too long. I hate fantasy so much that I can't even touch PC gaming, considering that like 99% of the content on PC is just another Lord of the Rings wannabe. Final Fantasy 1~5, and 9? For me....totally unplayable due to the fantasy setting. And me living in Japan and all, I want to get into Dragon Quest so badly....but every time I see the dragons and monsters and caves....I lose all interest.

Is this stuff THAT interesting that it has to be repeated ad nauseum? The fastest way to turn me off to something is to throw some Lord of the Rings crap into it.

"Stupid ring fantasies" indeed.

FarmboyinJapan

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @whalleywhat: Is that so? I find it quite aggravating, personally, when people put words in my mouth and tell me what I would do in a given situation. Maybe that's just me. :P

What I posted was a general statement about people who call things overrated. Turns out Mark was misusing the term rather than actually intending to cast judgment on fans of the works, but my comment still stands. That's why such impersonal comments are useful; being unsure of Mark's actual intentions, I gave him a chance to clarify himself rather than pigeonholing him right off the bat.

It's kind of like saying, "If I understand you to mean X, then that means you are Y," instead of simply saying, "Well, that means you are Y." If I understand you correctly, you prefer the latter approach. ;)

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I love how the books/movies are considered overrated, but not Gears. I love Gears, but c'mon.

Guruthos

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I personally was never a fan of LotR. I felt it always read like a verbose text books, and between a verbose text book and LotR... atleast I can find something useful in a verbose textbook...

But LotR with Guns... wait... isn't that the basic premise of the Dark Tower?

K-OSS

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: I guess the original post just didn't seem that speculative to me. FYI, I'd personally be more offended if someone applied my comments to some arbitrary grouping like "the insecure elitist" than directly confronting me.

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Witzbold: Dunno how I managed to miss this comment, man, but I really appreciate it. Sorry for not responding earlier! :(

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @whalleywhat: Actually, I was quite theoretical, impersonal, and speculative, discussing things in the third person rather than second. You spoke to my personal intentions directly rather than using a hypothetical.

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @hana_fubuki: lol awesome!

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @cactushooker: lol...having a blast playing Warhawk, Resistance, Metroid Prime3, Monster Hunter Freedom2, VF5, All Pro 2k8 and soon to purchase, Super StarDust, Heavenly Sword and Wipeout Pulse...Too many games to play as is so the 360 is getting no love.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Y'know what. I'll just say it. I'm a colossal nerd and I hate LOTR. I hated the books, I hated the movies.

chenry

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: You were claiming to know Mr. Wilson's intentions, were you not? A little assumption on my part is fair play. ;)

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> That's amazing, when I was playing it, I saw so many comparisons with the LOTR franchise. Cave trolls, orcs, even the badass orc guy with the arrows at the end of the first film. Glad to know I'm not going crazy.

daschupa

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @The_Inquisitor:Good call. It honestly never occurred to me, but it probably would've improved my enjoyment.
@Witzbold: Well, I agree in the sense that there was very little to provoke the original post. I mean an interview about GoW? Kinda like walking into Comiccon and yelling "Star Wars sucks!" Fair enough.

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> No hate, Mark. Only gratitude. Very fun post. Taking the gloves off = good.

However, not reading the bible does make baby Jesus cry.

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> The whole point of reading Kotaku is to read game-related news that can be described in 2 sentences, followed by 2 or 3 paragraphs or snarky, cynical commentary by people like Mark Wilson or Crecente, or Luke, et al.

If you're trying to take issue with the way these bloggers are padding their updates with silly and often flame-bating nonsense, you should probably not be reading blogs in the first place.

ilyag

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @THE-HATER:

That analogy proves that LOTR is the best. Zeppelin is the best music, while Megadeth will always be a fringe curiousity (much worse than GOW, btw).

LedRush

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> What's so good about being neutral, ultimately? Nobody ever is, and the people who claim they are are usually those with the biggest axes to grind.


This is a blog, not a news outlet claiming to provide "fair and balanced" *cough*cough* reporting. One of the reasons we all come here is to read something different from the lukewarm articles we could find anywhere else.

Content-wise, Mark's post is pretty much pointless, really. And I'm all the more glad it's there.


Oh, and, yeah, Gears of War is escapism for the penilely-challenged, obviously.

Antiterra

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Mark Wilson: Haha @ your @.

edb87

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Mark Wilson: It's partly a matter of semantics. To say that something is "overrated" is, logically, to say that something is rated too highly, and thus that people have rated it inappropriately. It's a judgment call not only on the work in question but also its fans.

Claiming that you simply do not appreciate the work yourself is a far less offensive notion to its advocates.

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @everyonewhohatesmenow: You are free to love LOTR and I'd never claim otherwise. Honestly, I wish I did. I've tried and I just don't see it.

Mark Wilson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @cactushooker:

Ooh! I have an answer!

He's lying.

FlapjacksAreTasty

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Infradead:

Yeah, there are a lot of *great* books out there, many of them are bound to be better than Lord of the Rings. Your point escapes me though.

As far as overrated, it's hard to overrate a series of books that form the foundation of all high fantasy in the 20th (and now) 21st century.

World of Warcraft *alone* justifies any hype over the LOTR books.

FlapjacksAreTasty

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Sloan Ranger: I didn't mean to suggest that people were in denial about liking something, but simply that their justification for disliking it is, in the case of the elitist, extraneous and condescending.

The person who genuinely dislikes something simply for being popular is not merely an elitist, but a snob. Different case.

@nightshade71986: I actually enjoy that Kotaku bloggers inject their own opinion on subjects rather than simply aggregating and summarizing news posts; it makes things more interesting. There are ways of expressing negative opinions of a work without being explicitly condescending or elitist, though. I doubt Mark is the least bit surprised by the backlash here either way. :P

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Overated? Hrm I'll try not to be too much of a fanboy... but I am severley tempted. A lot. I mean, LoTR with guns is crossing the line. I'm sure Mr Tolkien is turning in his grave at this atrocity.

MasterBalls

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @hana_fubuki: Most of the world agrees that the books are overrated? Is that why the movies raked in huge dough?
Not trying to sound condescending or anything, I just see things a tad differently.

@Toasticus: A winner is you.

edb87

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Striderhayasa: Whaaaaaaaat? I'm sure you have your reasons for not wanting a 360, but not opening a console you got for FREE?! What the fuck, man? Hell is wrong with you?

cactushooker

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Striderhayasa: He can express his own opinion thats what normal threads are for not big blog sites like this. Where you should try to remain neutral and not bash something that you know a lot of people will be upset for. Because its not about his personal opinion its about events that go on. If he wanted to let us know about HIS personal opinion then he should have blogged a review not a sentence that bashes with no reason.
I don't like a lot of main stream thing but because its main stream I don't bash it and not expect an argument. when I do so I give good reason for me not liking it and back up my claims. Not hit and run like this guy.

nightshade71986

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Dead Alive > Lord of the Rings

cactushooker

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> /me hastily hides his Hendrix shrine

Oyn

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Sloan Ranger: Justin Timberlake? Who's that? He was a porn star? name sounds familar...oh wait...you said pop star....my bad.

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Point: by saying something is "overrated" rather than saying that you, personally, did not care for it, you are casting judgment not only on the work in question but also all of those who do hold it in high esteem, thus prompting the kind of reactionary comments we've seen in this very thread.

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> So let me make sure I have this straight: In Mr. Wilson's worldview, Lord of the Rings is derivative while Gears of War is a bastion of originality?

Interesting.

Tybee

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @hana_fubuki: exactly, just like it's reasonable to acknowledge what a frontrunner contributed or created but it's unreasonable to assume that the work in question be labeled "perfect" Since no work is ever perfect then it's safe to say that it is entirely within reason to not like it, despite popular opinion.


To follow some of your comments, we should pay respects to Blues and Jazz from the Harlem Renaissance since Modern Rock and Metal would never exist as it is without it. Jimi Hendrix should be worshipped as a God and have his own religion and Oprah show have already been made President of the US for being the most powerful woman in the world to lead the (perceived) most powerful country in the world. Will any of that fly? Highly unlikely...

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus:
This is why there are so many closeted Justin Timberlake fans around these days - fear of pop.

Great post, Toasticus.

Sloan Ranger

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Backlash is for simpletons.

humperdinck

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Life is funny when you're arguing over opinions. Mark is entitled to his opinion and he is neither right nor wrong. It is merely how he feels. Not everyone will like LoTR and if they don't they will not likely see why everyone else exalts it so much.

For example, I love LoTR but conversely I strongly dislike all things Halo. While I'm sure most would disagree with me, it is my opinion and I don't claim to be right or wrong.

Phanman

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Striderhayasa: It's one thing to say that you yourself didn't enjoy a particular work for reasons X, Y, and Z. It's another matter entirely to say that it is undeserving of praise from those who enjoyed it. The former is quite reasonable and is to be encouraged, while the latter is elitist, judgmental, and counterproductive. It puts those who did enjoy the work in "defensive mode," turning the discussion into a contest rather than stimulating a more objective and insightful discussion of the subject.

That's what I think, anyway. Make of it what you will.

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Striderhayasa:

What, are you trying to prove Toasticus's point?

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Gee...so I guess it's better to agree with the majority and follow the trend like sheep instead of standing up and saying how you truly feel. Come on and play nice children, the majority makes might and might makes right against any personal preferences you may have. So...repeat with me...."LOTR doesn't suck"..."it DOESN'T suck"...you actually enjoyed it and didn't know what you were thinking, trying to have an opinion of your own. For shame...what did you think this is...a free society hahahaha.

Personally, LOTR sucked. I wasn't feeling it. Sorry. Didn't really care much for Gears of War either, my God of War 2 is still in the plastic, I'll never read Harry Potter and I have a 360 that was bought for me as a present and it's still sitting in the box, in the store bag in my apartment. People want to demand respect for the originator of all things RPG today...cool, tell that same crowd to pay their respects to Nintendo for bringing the industry back from the grave after Atari killed it. ahhhhhh, no takers on that huh? Figures.


hey, I'm just saying...

Striderhayasa - Phillyyakk on PSN and Live.

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> "Lord Of The Rings is a book for engineering students name Dave"

RIP Linda Smith :(

Lightguy

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: And thats what makes you such an original commentor here.

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Labeling LotR as over rated is massive fail. The books have defined the fantasy genre.

AMonkey

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> It's one thing to simply state you don't like Tolkien's writtings. It's another to claim they are overrated since that essentially means you think that everyone else who does like them has no taste/is foolish.

Unless that is in fact what you believe you probably should have chosen your words more carefully.

Mullinator

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @whalleywhat: Would I? You must know me even better than I do!

@hana_fubuki: Just someone who enjoys observing and commenting on the behavior of others. I enjoy trying to understand things from other people's points of view, although I may come off a bit unsympathetic in my analysis at times.

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Witzbold:
The Wii is gimmicky and doesn't have any games!
The 360 is a timebomb and Halo is for t3h losers!
The PS3 is an overpriced piece of junk and who cares about Blu-Ray anyway!


Huh? What? Wait, this wasn't about...? Oh, sorry.

Antiterra

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Furious_Liver:
"But yeah, calm the hell down. Its one man's feelings. Hes allowed to not like something."

If its a poster on Kotaku it's "one man's feelings" but if its someone replying to that poster's thread then its a fanboy right?

PlayingKarrde

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Just look at the fans we have of the 3 big consoles here.

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I'm gonna have to agree with you on LOTR being highly overrated. I only manged to finish the first book and thought it was okay. The movies would've been good if all 3 movies weren't exactly the same.

AnotherGamer

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Minister of Fun:

That's how many fans (fanatics) of anything act.

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @whalleywhat: You know, these are books, it's not as though you have to read them in a particular way...

I liked reading through the Sam and Frodo storyline first, and then going back and reading through the Rohan/Gondor line.

And I rather would have liked to seen the movies done that way - part 2 would have ended with Sam and Frodo on the slopes of Orodruin as Mordor crashed down around them with all the tension of what happened to everyone else and how they're going to be saved to be wrapped up in the third part.

The_Inquisitor

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @xot: lmao

belo

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Mark Wilson never read the LotR books, he's still working on "See Spot Run", also I think pages 3-5 are stuck together with some kind of glue.

Solarion

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: Should anyone disagree, one can simply label their tastes inferior and/or uninformed and call it a day.

Those who do not enjoy a particular work of pop media often feel compelled to rationalize their dislike. They generally do this by adopting an elitist mentality wherein they consider the populace to be drawn to a certain work for shallow or unjustified reasons, thus not only legitimizing their own opinion but elevating it above the majority in such a way that it cannot be easily refuted.

Oddly enough, this is exactly the way many Lord of the Rings fans act.

Minister of Fun

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: Nice post mate.

@whalleywhat: But making attacks on it for no obvious reason is just plain immature.

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: And what does that post make you?

I looked up "elitist" in my Merriam-Webster's, but it doesn't say what's above it. ;)

Antiterra

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @nightshade71986: I agree with you man, except the part about the bible, I never read it, I think it's overrated. J/K.

EternalGameNation

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus: But if you agreed with him you'd say he was being brave and ignoring dogma. The issue with something like LotR is not that it's popular, but that people elevate it to an absurd level.

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Toasticus:

You win.

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> You're missing the point. Tolkien is the greatest because he defined the image of Elves and Dwarves and created the Orcs. To this day, what you think of as an Elf or a Dwarf is of his invention. Just look at the myriad of copycats in the video game industry alone. I don't think there's an RPG on the planet that doesn't have Orcs in it. I don't really care whether or not you agree, but Tolkien deserves his fame and reputation. BTW, whoever said most of the world DOES agree that the books aren't that good is retarded, who's "overrating" them, then?

As for the movies, the only bad thing I could say is that the end dragged on, but that was mostly due to the fact that Jackson wanted to stay (mostly) true to the ending of the book and it just didn't translate well into a movie. I used to think Harry Potter and Halo were highly overrated, man am I glad I decided to give them another shot.

EternalGameNation

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> LOTR is better then Bread & Butter. You know it & that's why you hate it.

Hater.

Arthois

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I like the LOTR series and the books. Hating LOTR is like hating Star Wars - pure craziness.

However, what in god's name GeOW has to do with LOTR is beyond me. But, Cliffy B is crazy. So, ya know...

budash2

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> The only way to snipe at things that are critically hailed and publicly adored are to call them "overrated," since such a claim is impossible to refute empirically. Should anyone disagree, one can simply label their tastes inferior and/or uninformed and call it a day.

Those who do not enjoy a particular work of pop media often feel compelled to rationalize their dislike. They generally do this by adopting an elitist mentality wherein they consider the populace to be drawn to a certain work for shallow or unjustified reasons, thus not only legitimizing their own opinion but elevating it above the majority in such a way that it cannot be easily refuted.

While a person confident in the justification of their opinion would simply say, "I don't enjoy this, but I can understand why others would," or something to that effect, the insecure elitist would say, "people enjoy this because they don't know any better."

I call this behavior "fear of pop."

Toasticus

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @thebluick:

This attitude towards Lovecraft is changing.

execrationist

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @THE-HATER:

I'm not saying that LotR is metal, I'm saying that metal is LotR:

See: Blind Guardian, Burzum, Gorgoroth, Aman Amarth, Cirith Ungol, etc., etc.

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Did you say overrated books???

thinred

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Why is this posted ? SO he wants the enemy to be organized with some intelligence so what? Isnt that what every developer wants?

You're over-reacting...

mandarin

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Say what you will about Jesus, but leave "The Rings" alone.

jacksinn

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Mark you just lost serious stock with me. Not cool, at all.

drack48

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @thebluick: There's tons of examples of things that were iinfluential being bettered by things they influenced. That's how they become overrated, they're mostly known for being "the first" so that nobody bothers to judge whether or not they're good.
That being said, I like the books, but I always found the structure annoying, the way you get really into one story line and have to start over with another. I just don't like the movies. Somehow more boring than reading.

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @kmattson:

LoTR is not \m/; it's more like Zeppelin. Gears of War is much more \m/, consider "Gears of War" by Megadeth ver....

Smart bombs, precision guided armaments!!!! I wish I didn't have to shoot a guy 60 times to kill him, it doesn't make sense!

THE-HATER

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @4thVariety:
neither conan or lovecraft are considered very literary. conan has more to do with pulp than actual literature. and jules verne was more early sci fi.

almost every fantasy book written since 1960 owes a huge debt to tolkien, and to argue that shows a lack of education...

thebluick

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Overrated? You hold your tongue, sir!

Zanch

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> When do I get a Dark Tower game?

noamjamski

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> How can you be metal and hate Tolkein? Isn't that, like, physically impossible?

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> One lucrative commodity to rule them all,
One IP to find them,
One property to bind them all,
And in surplus revenue find them.

In the land of licensing where brands dwell.

ExistentialEgg

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> LoTR sucks, Gears of War also sucks, so I agree with this post, gg.

THE-HATER

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @edb87: Oh, no, most of the world does agree with Mark that the books are overrated, but most of the world doesn't spend that much time on the internet.
AND just doesn't care enough to show those convinced that Tolkien is teh b3st writer why they are sadly mistaken.


Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the books, but they are a wee bit overwritten.

Kudos and accolades to Tolkien for crafting such a cohesive, coherent and imaginative world, as well as helping fantasy to enter the mainstream.
Also, as a Dungeons & Dragons veteran, I know how much RPGs owe Tolkien.

That said, his sheer literary merits don't scream genius.
He was a linguist after all. (Read what you will into that last sentence.)


I think it's possible to both acknowledge LOTR's importance, legacy and huge impact in many areas, AND recognize that it is not an absolute literary masterpiece.

(And not being called an elitist snob for doing so.)

Antiterra

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> the movies were good, but you have to be commited to finishing them. which is similar to the books for me. the books got sort of lost on me towards the middle of the third book. just me, i guess...

jerrt

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @thebluick:

I agree completely. Reasonable people disagree on the quality of different things, but sometimes an opinion is so overstated and ridiculous that I can no longer trust anything that the person says again...this is one of those times.

Mark Wilson is dead to me (which probably will be ok seeing as this post may get me banned).

LedRush

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @4thVariety:

Not to quibble but Lovecraft is technically considered "weird fiction" although some of his Dreamlands stuff does border on the fantastic.

execrationist

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> The ignorance in this thread is palpable.

fdisk

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I think this newspost is more overrated than the movies.

7ucky

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @TheBluick
Howard's Conan, Lovecraft's Cthullu and Jules Verne (although that could be described as some sort of sci-fi) clearly show that fantasy without Tolkien is possible. You are right that it would be a different fantasy, but fantasy for grown ups nonetheless. Even ancient Babylonian or Roman "religious" fictions had strong fantasy themes.

4thVariety

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Yeah. It's called "backlash". Evidently it's a bitch.

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> You think LOTR is overrated? The book is awesome, the Silmarillion is awesome, Tolkien is awesome, and the movies were great. You should go back and read it again.

Dimipapa

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Its all a matter of opinion. Its pointless to try to argue with a thread posted by a guy that already hates lotr and we are not about to change his mind no matter what we say.
However I wounder if he has even read the books. often with books people bahs them without reading them. Bible, Harry Potter are a good example. The huge popularity just annoys them, so they never give it a shot and turn to hate it. Its also happening with halo. halo is one of the biggest games out there and some people learn to hate it with all the popularity its gained.

nightshade71986

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> There are lots of things in this life that are over rated such as Starbucks and Halo 3, but LOTR- no effing way.

(i love starbucks and halo 3 btw, lol)

Friscodude

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @thebluick:
@execrationist:

Hahaha you beat me to it. I was about to say, Fantasy didn't became a very well recieved genre till after the LOTR trilogy, and Tolkeins buddy C.S. Lewis's little Narnia collection hit shelves in the 50's.

FACT.50

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @JeffTheDragon: Thats two weeks.

Furious_Liver

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Speaking of things being overrated, isn't there some game coming out next week that people are giving too much credit to?

JeffTheDragon

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @A-Rude-Hero:

lol

Films overrated? Okay, I'll go for that.

But the books? I'm pretty sure that I learned in confirmation that, and I quote, "Thou shalt not trash Tolkein's writings".

Yup, that's how it went.

(Someday the backlash will end, precious. Someday ...)

kmattson

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> just where did developers get their inspiration for mindlessly attacking monsters before LotR?

4thVariety

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Infradead:

That are likely in their entirety derivative of Tolkein's books.

execrationist

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> I think Mark was told there is no Santa, Tooth Fairy, or Easter Bunny from a very early age. ;D

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> wow mark wilson, at the risk of getting banned I need to say that you have just lost all credibility with me. Way to slam the only reason why fantasy as a genre is where it is today. Everything would be different without lord of the rings, hell fantasy would probably only exist as children's stories if at all as we currently have it.

So you didn't like the movies or books, fine... saying lord of the rings is overrated is like saying Beethoven or Bach is overrated. The medium owes MUCH to lord of the rings.

thebluick

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Its cool to hate things that other people like. Its the new black.

brucifer

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @xot: LOL

whalleywhat

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Indeed, I found the LOTR trilogy to be very, very overrated. There are much better books out there.

Infradead

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Ive read LOTR books for the first time when i was 14 and really loved them.
About jackson's movie adaptions...i dont know...i always fall asleep somewhere in the middle =_='

neojam

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @A-Rude-Hero: Perfect timing. XD

But yeah, calm the hell down. Its one man's feelings. Hes allowed to not like something. I don't give a shit if this is the Godfather of nerdom or something. Jeez.

Furious_Liver

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @Huxleyhobbes: Indeed, the movie was by far real well done. I was greatly impressed and loved the cast.

Witzbold

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> While I can forgive you for hating the movies, and the merchandising, and all the recent pop culture bullshit, but going after the books ... that's too far.

The_Inquisitor

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Overrated books? One step too far, but I hear you man.

Foxfingers

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> The books are overrated in terms of actual literary quality - there are far better written things out there. But they're still pretty great.

And I don't see how the movies can be called overrated. They're fantastic and genius.

Mister Adequate

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> @edb87:
I have been trying to read the books for the last 3 years. They are like reading a history textbook, void of any excitement. The only reason I press on is.... oh wait I quit part way through the second book.

MonkeyBiz

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> philistine.

Reno_NV

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Why did this topic come up now? Gears of War is so November 2006, it is now time to see how the world ends.

Collapse The Control

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> Who is the poster? Apparently his anger and fanboyish hatred of LOTR overcame his sense of spelling and grammar.

Eliasoz

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> "I though that pop culture had finally overcome the overrated madness of the overrated movies based upon overrated books."

Where have you been Harry Potter is still converting kids all over the globe.

nightshade71986

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> In Soviet Kotaku, thread trolls you!

xot

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> It's a dangerous business, Wilson, going out your door

MonkeyBiz

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> mark mark mrak....

you are outnumbered, dramatically...

jkwest

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> the overrated madness of the overrated movies based upon overrated books.

Haven't read the books, sadly. But something tells me that most of the world disagrees with you.

What's wrong with LOTR, Mark? Did an Ent steal your lunch money as a kid?

edb87

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> cue the fervent tolkien/jackson fanboys.

A-Rude-Hero

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> This won't end well...

Elly is FURIOUS!

]]> <![CDATA[Cliffy B Talks Gears of the Rings]]> so...who are you...aragorn?(i didn't spell that right did i...)

Vecha

]]>