Starfield design director calls out unfair game criticism: 'Don't fool yourself into thinking you know why it is the way it is'
Starfield did not land with quite the positive thump that just about everyone expected, and lots of people have thoughts about why—and that has apparently inspired Starfield design director Emil Pagliarulo to muse about how confident some of those critics are in their opinions, despite how «disconnected» they are from the process of actually making games.
«Funny how disconnected some players are from the realities of game development, and yet they speak with complete authority,» Pagliarulo wrote in a lengthy Twitter thread. «I mean, I can guess what it takes to make a Hostess Twinkie, but I don't work in the factory, so what the hell do I really know? Not a lot.
»Part of me really gets it. When you're a consumer and spend money on things, that gives you the right to complain about those things. I spend a LOT of money on games every year, and sometimes it takes a lot for me not to scream into the internet's collective consciousness."
Pagliarulo said he's held back by two constraints: He knows how hard it is to make games and has too much respect for those who do it, and it would be both unprofessional and uncool if he did. And back in the days when he was a game reviewer, he was «absolutely that person who would say whatever I wanted about a game, good or bad.»
But in those days, he continued, he had no idea how much work and stress was involved in making a game. Now, after more than 20 years at Bethesda, he's well aware that the process of making games «is a series of concessions and tough decisions,» and naturally that's changed his perspective. And while he's «not trying to change anyone's mind» on the matter, he'd clearly like it if people were a little more thoughtful about their criticism.
«You can dislike parts of
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