At E3, Bethesda Softworks not only presented Fallout 4 and Doom, as well as Dishonored 2. There was also applause for a mobile game about Fallout and an online card game about The Elder Scrolls. An honest opinion.
If you look at the E3 press conference from Bethesda Softworks, everything this studio publishes seems to be by the grace of God. How do I come to that? No matter what was shown, there was always applause and excited “Woooooohhhoooo” sounds to be heard. A question to all readers: Is it really worth such a reaction when a mobile game or an online collectible card game is announced?
Are the audience members being paid to applaud?
Did such cheers happen when Electronic Arts released the mobile game for Dungeon Keeper? Or when any other mobile game was announced? The genre is not exactly popular. So why such positive reactions for Fallout Shelter? The Fallout mobile game and The Elder Scrolls: Legends card game might be okay. But does that justify such exuberant reactions? The same goes for the dog Dogmeat being seen during the presentation of Fallout 4. This very dog had previously sparked a shitstorm due to the graphics of the game, and now everyone is enthusiastically shouting “Wooooohooo”?
Video game journalists are only human too
So are companies employing “animators” to create the impression that everyone is enthusiastic? It may be unfair to suggest such, even though the thought is not entirely out of the question. It’s also important to consider that the atmosphere at such events can be overwhelming and can make one quickly excited. Surely there were many press representatives on site who really liked what was shown and expressed this through applause and cheering.
Furthermore, reports about the event from Bethesda are very positive. The show was said to be very good, the atmosphere excellent, and what was shown made people eager to start playing immediately. Video game journalists are also only human, and they pursue this profession also because they are gamers themselves. Therefore, it is certain that some fans of the Fallout games, Dishonored, Doom, and The Elder Scrolls Online were sitting at Bethesda’s press conference and were totally excited about what they saw.
Was the opinion influenced?
On Reddit, however, one user expressed that Bethesda had given out merchandise to journalists (and also partially to streamers on Twitch). Did this influence the opinion and the cheering?
Guys, in the interests of ethics in video game journalism, remember that Bethesda gave away a bunch of free swag to every single person in that auditorium and a bunch of random people on Twitch.
Of course, we don’t want to accuse anyone of anything. However, it does leave a bit of a sour taste when a game like Fallout 4 was heavily criticized just days before, and during the press conference, only applause and “Woooohooo!” shouts can be heard from the audience. And additionally for a mobile game, a gaming area that hardly anyone has anything good to say about…
