Recently, on September 7, SEGA COO and president Shuji Utsumi gave an interview to Nikkei Gaming, where he spoke with editor-in-chief Aya Hirano about the growing number of Sega IP fans who've never played the games those IPs originated from. His remarks reignited a debate that has divided gamers and non-gamers alike ever since let’s plays, gameplay videos and Youtube cutscene compilations became popular: does watching a game being played amount to playing it yourself?A fundamental divideThere's no easy answer to that question. Or rather, there's an obvious answer, but it comes with countless nuances that make the subject much more delicate to discuss. To put it bluntly: yes, you can be a fan of a game without having played it, but no, your experience won't be complete. So let us look at every angle and argument involved in this debate.One important factor is that there are several divides that lead to very opposing viewpoints, such as generational differences. Older people are more likely to believe that playing games themselves is essential, while younger generations are more receptive to the idea that simply liking an IP is enough, and that this can happen through other forms of media. Likewise, avid gamers tend to hold the former view, while more “casual” players, regardless of age, are more likely to agree with the latter.Shuji UtsumiThe first major conflicting opinions we'll examine come from within the same circle of “big names in gaming”, as fans couldn't help comparing Shuji Utsumi’s remarks with the views of Shinji Mikami, creator of the Resident Evil franchise, on the same subject.Utsumi sees this shift in audiences in a highly positive light, stating in the aforementioned interview that, yes, SEGA considers fans of an IP who've never played its games to be “real” fans and gamers just like anyone else. He calls the approach a “transmedia strategy”, which involves creating entry points for IPs in media beyond video games, such as films, like the Sonic movies, using SEGA itself as an example, animated series, books and even merchandise.He places particular emphasis on merchandising, stating that a large part of the Yakuza IP’s profits comes precisely from it: fans who've never played the games but avidly consume the franchise. Reading the SEGA president’s comments on the company’s vision, one gets the impression that it's embracing the “fandom culture” that has intensified around nearly every IP, increasing its merchandise releases because it understands that this market is as strong as gaming itself.Shinji Mikami’s statement, meanwhile, takes something of the opposite stance. Japanese YouTuber and comedian Eiko Kano recounted a conversation with the developer, who was asked what he thought about people who don't play a game and only watch a streamer or YouTuber play it. In a loose translation of his words, he replied: “If viewers watch a game’s playthrough to the end and feel satisfied with that experience alone, then the game was only good up to that point.””Shinji MikamiHis statement echoes a point many other developers have made in opinions and social-media discussions on the subject: when you watch a playthrough, the only aspect you can fully absorb is the story, but the story is far from the only important and inherent aspect of video games as a medium. The finished product not only involves the immersion of the person playing it, but a game’s development process also includes so many stages and processes designed to create a good experience that become invisible when someone values a game solely for what they can take in by watching it.Shuji Utsumi is an executive and producer, while Shinji Mikami is a developer and creator, and that career difference certainly directly reflects the gap between their opinions. It also mirrors the community itself: people more connected to game development and more interested in the world and culture of games, who see them as an experience to be lived, tend to hold views closer to the latter, while fans who place more value on games as products, stories to consume and fandoms to belong to tend to agree with the former.A scene from RE9: Requiem gameplayAnd yes, you can certainly gain an understanding of a game’s gameplay, controls, combat systems, skill/equipment upgrades, puzzles and even atmosphere by watching someone play. But in every one of those aspects, one crucial detail is missing for that understanding to be complete: experiencing it firsthand, in person, the way the medium was conceived and designed to be consumed. What sets video games and games in general apart from other forms of media is precisely the fact that no two people will ever have exactly the same experience, because everything, from choosing to go left rather than right, opening a door or interacting with an NPC, to crucial choices that determine which ending the player receives, depends on the person holding the controller.The culture of watchingThe genre that initially made let’s plays and gameplays explode in popularity was horror, as it allowed many people to overcome a barrier that kept them from enjoying games in the genre: fear. Since you're not the one in control, forced to make the choices that will lead to jump scares or tense, frightening sequences, the experience becomes much easier and lighter. This style of game was popular from the very beginning of this type of video.One of the biggest YouTubers responsible for popularizing this type of video was PewDiePieOver the years, streamers and YouTubers began playing every kind of game, and the culture of watching your favorite creator play grew stronger and stronger. Horror games, however, still rank among the most watched, as perfectly illustrated by the case we'll examine below.The Five Nights at Freddy’s phenomenonWhen the first games in the FNAF franchise were released, I was at the beginning of my Game Design degree. As a major fan of the indie horror scene, the game caught my attention because of its unusual mechanics and interesting premise. I played the first four or five games, and I can confidently say that, even at the time, with everything still fresh in my mind, I didn't know anywhere near as much as the average fan of this franchise who has never played any of the games knows today.Of course, FNAF fits into a game genre that places much greater emphasis on story and, above all, on encouraging theories through deliberately obscure, fragmented lore hidden in various ways. It's certainly easier and less frustrating to watch a video gathering all the cutscenes and information than to replay a game several times to see different endings or possibilities, or spend hours exploring the environment for secrets. Or to simply watch someone else play, without any of the “work” of, well, playing.FNAF is another franchise that became popular largely thanks to YouTubers, especially the “king of FNAF”, MarkiplierOn the other hand, even if someone who has never played the FNAF games may know infinitely more than I do about the lore, that person has never had the absolutely terrifying experience of playing the first game for the first time, alone in the dark with headphones at full volume, feeling as if one of those animatronics might appear in front of them because they were so immersed in the moment. Their survival depended solely on actively choosing to shut the door at exactly the right time, rather than merely watching someone else experience that tension. They've never firsthand experienced the frustration of failing again and again and again, and consequently have never felt the even greater joy of finally getting past that section, discovering that secret, noticing that pattern and progressing through or completing a game after living that story firsthand, in full.What about when choices affect the game?This discussion becomes even more intense when it comes to games where player choices influence how the story unfolds, the well-known player-choice based titles. A game like Life is Strange, Until Dawn or Telltale's titles doesn't merely tell a story; it builds one alongside the player, with the order of events and whether some of them happen at all depending solely on the choices of the person playing.Undertale is a particularly intriguing case, as a large part of its fandom has never played the game, despite it being one of the titles that offers the most unique player experiences. Seeing characters react in real time to absolutely everything you do, even your attempts to go back to old saves, is unique—and it's part of the Undertale experience that, unfortunately, many fans have no interest in experiencing. Life is Strange and Until Dawn also have completely different possible endings depending on the player’s choices, so by only watching, you inevitably miss out on that part of the experience and instead hitch a ride on someone else’s.In this part of Undertale, the villain Flowey criticizes people who don't play the Genocide route, in which you must kill 100% of the characters, because they find it too difficult and instead watch others playAnd no, there's absolutely nothing wrong with opting out of that part, whether because some aspect of a game’s gameplay is not for you, because you cannot play games in a particular genre and therefore prefer to watch without the burden of having to take control yourself, or simply because the game didn't appeal to you that much. They're simply different points of view: one rooted in “traditional” video-game culture, and the other in a modern view of fandom that has been gaining more and more momentum.The consequencesHowever, one negative consequence that directly resulted from this was the emergence of some games that simply exploit this culture and focus not on the game itself, but on selling merchandise.One case widely known and criticized by developers, players and various creators in the industry is the Garten of Banban games, a series of mass-produced titles released one after another with almost no care given to their visual identity or gameplay. The games in the series are merely walking simulators, empty spaces where you walk from point X to point Y, with the occasional scripted chase sequence in between. But one thing is never lacking: convoluted, dark stories hidden throughout the games, designed specifically to encourage theories and videos discussing them. And, of course, the merchandise store button in the main menu.This game series has been the subject of countless posts and videos discussing how it feels like “a soulless game”, made solely to make money by riding the wave of more famous franchises. It's also been surrounded by numerous controversies, such as one installment being released with the next one already announced, sections unnecessarily stretched out simply to force players to keep playing longer and prevent them from requesting refunds, and the developers’ apparent desperation to get the attention of the famous Game Theory channel, which produces videos theorizing about game lore and has helped popularize several titles, through multiple tweets asking for videos about their game. The intention was clearly to recreate FNAF’s success, but not through gameplay or the “game” aspect itself—rather through its story and its impact among those who watch and consume this genre.The Mascot Horror genre—horror games featuring mascots that mainly appeal to children—was established almost unintentionally by Scott Cawthon with the release of FNAF, and cemented by the success of games such as Bendy and the Ink Machine and Poppy Playtime. It's become the biggest victim of this new trend in the indie game industry, precisely because it targets merchandising sales and the children’s market. However, the practice ultimately affects other game genres and people of all ages.Just one of Game Theory’s countless videos about FNAF, discussing the franchise’s lore and secretsWhen it comes to this type of game, there's often very little difference between playing it and watching gameplay footage, as they're made with considerably less emphasis on the actual experience of playing. But consuming this content can make people more accustomed to engaging with games passively, unfortunately discouraging potential players from experiencing incredible stories and experiences firsthand.The industry’s share of the blameOne of the main issues raised in discussions about this side of gaming is the industry’s growing elitism. Games costing $100 and more, consoles reaching $ 1000 or more. Games becoming increasingly demanding and larger, requiring high-end computers to run them, while electronic components are also getting more expensive, driving up the cost of everything even further. In this scenario, it's somewhat illogical to label someone “less of a fan” because they cannot afford to play a game in the foreseeable future and choose to watch someone else play so they can at least have that experience.Another area that has improved in recent years, though it still has a long way to go, is accessibility. Making games accessible to as many people as possible, whether through mechanics designed for hearing or visual impairments, for example, or even details such as a simple “arachnophobia mode” in games that feature spiders at some point, replacing their sprites with something else to accommodate players with that phobia who still want to play the game, can make the difference between a potential player investing their own time and money in a game or simply watching someone else play it for a few hours.Many gamers criticize this practice, but even the existence of an Easy mode in games is indeed a form of accessibility. It makes it easier for newer or less experienced players to have the opportunity to experience that story, while also allowing access for people with disabilities that may affect their motor skills, for example.Of course, there are exceptions. It makes no sense to expect soulslike games—a genre specifically focused on difficult battles that forces you to learn each enemy’s patterns to defeat them—to have an easy mode where you simply kill everyone in two hits and turn it into a walk in the park. But at the same time, it makes no sense to stop people who don't enjoy that type of game or experience from still finding its story, atmosphere, characters, or world-building interesting and seeking to learn more through other means—which, in this case, end up being gameplay videos and lore content.Fortunately, the community itself offers alternatives to some of these problems created by the industry. Beyond the countless alternative ways to enjoy expensive newly released games without spending a fortune, and the existence of emulators that let us play older games or titles from other platforms, the growing popularity of mods means there's no shortage of options to improve players’ quality of life. If fishing minigames have always been the bane of your existence and ruin your experience, why not install a mod that specifically removes that mechanic from a game like Stardew Valley?Using the other example mentioned above, that of a player with arachnophobia: some games, such as Peak, already include an “arachnophobia mode” in the game itself, but this year brought another case. In Resident Evil 9 Requiem, one of the bosses is a giant spider, and although the original game has no way to change that, the community was quick to release a mod that replaces the spider’s sprite with something else. The response was immediate, with countless players expressing their relief at being able to play the entire game without their phobia interfering with the experience.It's up to you to decide what is scarier: a giant spider or Thomas the Tank Engine looking at you like thatConclusionInternet fandom culture has always been, in a way, a niche confined to a few websites such as Twitter and, above all, Tumblr. Like much of 2000s culture, it's now experiencing a revival in the hands of the current generation.However, part of the community has started treating “being a fan” as synonymous with immediately becoming a walking encyclopedia of a franchise or IP. Spending hours and hours playing the same game until you know everything about it has often become an obstacle on the path to “winning the fandom race” and quickly becoming an expert so you can join the latest hype, rather than being a pleasure, an experience to live and enjoy as you put yourself in a character’s shoes and explore a new, fantastical world.Video games are an incredibly interesting art form, capable of delivering immersion in a unique way, and enjoying a game shouldn't become a war over the right way to do it. Few experiences are as genuinely fun as being a fan of something and, at the end of the day, it's up to each person to decide how they prefer to consume a form of media. Still, it's a shame not to enjoy every second of excitement that a good game can offer to the person holding the controller.Thanks for reading, and see you next time!
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