The State of the Forums and my Opinion
Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2016 9:14 pm
So I am someone that used to be an active member of the forums here at Disney Infinity Fans. As someone who's been recovering from depression and anxiety, I realized how important it is to talk to and interact with people that have similar interests to yourself because they give you a sense of unity. When I discovered the Disney Infinity Fans forums last year, I thought it was a great way to talk about a game that I love and I loved seeing everyone share their love for the game and what it represents. However, this is the first time I've even signed onto my account for a really long time. Why? Because there isn't anything fun about it anymore. After every announcement or leak, there is just a bombardment of complaints and whining about it. "Where are the classic characters? No one wants live action versions! Why are they ignoring the fans??"
For instance, there was just the recent leak about the rumored Alice and Wonderland characters. This should've been a time for excitement and joy. Could this be a play set?? Think about all the colors and craziness that would be in that play set if there is one! Think about what kinds of new mechanics they could employ into it! Instead? There are complaints about how no one wants those live action versions of Alice and the Mad Hatter. Complaints that the classic versions are being neglected. Why did they choose the live action versions???
This game is and ALWAYS will be about the new movies or shows that come out. John Blackburn even said in a video when the game first came out about how this game was being made to replace those "thrown together" video games based on the movies. They were tired of the "WALL-E the video game" type games that always seemed rushed to be out with the movies. Disney Infinity is their way of bringing Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde to kids without making a whole Zootopia game. They can include characters from any movie that comes out in an open world environment that kids can use them in any way they want. This game is NOT about classic characters. Never has been and never will be. I'm so tired of seeing fans on here and on social media complain about the same things over and over again while completely ignoring the entire purpose of the game in question. The higher ups in Disney have zero interest in ever putting Alice and the Mad Hatter's classic versions into Disney Infinity. There is a new live action movie coming out and those are the characters that will be in it. Some people will point to Baloo and say "but they made him classic so they are listening to the fans on that one!" Well the new movie's version of Baloo would have looked like an ordinary bear in the game. That would have made no sense in the game so they chose to do the classic version instead. People will argue that JV asked fans on Twitter which version of Baloo they'd prefer and that means they're listening. No. The Baloo classic design was already formed before he even asked, as evidenced by how he was leaked literally a week after he asked. He asked the question because he knows that his followers are the older fans that constantly beg for classics. So he threw us a bone and asked which we preferred because he knew the majority of the answers. Baloo was the exception to the rule. I can guarantee that the Infinity team has zero regrets about putting the live action versions of Maleficent or the Alice and Wonderland characters. They are the characters that little kids are seeing when they go see these movies and are in turn the ones on the shelves. The Disney Infinity team gives us a few classic characters here and there because a specific part of the fan base constantly complains for them. They will never be greatly represented in the game because they aren't the characters intended to be put in. And for the record, there is a difference between saying you believe there should be more classics and whining about it. Stating every single time there is news that there should be "more this" and "more that" is whining.
Another point I want to make is that every character put into this game is equal. Just because the live action Alice is put into the game doesn't mean she is a "waste of a space". Just because a dozen people on a forum say that the classic version is better doesn't mean it is. If Walt Disney were alive today, he would love all of these characters unconditionally. When I was in the hospital a few weeks back, I was sharing a room with a little girl battling cancer who loved Disney Infinity. When I asked her who her favorite character was, she said the Maleficent figure because she saw Angelina Jolie play her in the live action movie. She loved that figure more than anything. And yet the Maleficent figure being based on the new movie is bashed constantly on here. The figures are meant to be for kids to play with and form connections with after seeing them in the movies. There will be a little kid that sees the Zootopia or Alice Through the Looking Glass movies and want that Judy Hopps or Mad Hatter figure more than anything in the world.
I used that example to just say that we should be appreciating the game for what it is and enjoy playing as different characters. Right now, these forums are simply a place for the same people to complain about the same things over and over again. I have a bunch of friends that were going to join the forums and decided not to after seeing what actually happens on it. There is no excitement for things to come, only complaints. Who wants to be a part of that?
Some of you may be wondering why I bothered to write this and even came back to the forums if I have all of these complaints about it. Well that's because I saw why it's important to have a place like this. Having people that you can connect with about something that you care a lot about is important. i just feel like the way it is right now is driving away people that want to be a part of it until they see the complaints and negativity. I'm sure I will get plenty of hate from posting this and will get bombarded with comments defending their complaints and why I'm wrong about what I said. This might even get deleted or censored or whatever. I don't care because I don't feel like a part of these forums anymore. I'm sure there'll be plenty that don't read past the first paragraph or read this ending and say "Good riddance you won't be missed". I probably won't be because I was never someone that posted a lot on here. I always read the comments that others posted and wanted to share in their excitement because I always thought and still believe deep down that Disney fans were/are the best and warmest people in the world. If anyone actually read my rant then I appreciate it whether you hate me or not. I just wish the magic of the Disney Infinity Fans forums would come back.
For instance, there was just the recent leak about the rumored Alice and Wonderland characters. This should've been a time for excitement and joy. Could this be a play set?? Think about all the colors and craziness that would be in that play set if there is one! Think about what kinds of new mechanics they could employ into it! Instead? There are complaints about how no one wants those live action versions of Alice and the Mad Hatter. Complaints that the classic versions are being neglected. Why did they choose the live action versions???
This game is and ALWAYS will be about the new movies or shows that come out. John Blackburn even said in a video when the game first came out about how this game was being made to replace those "thrown together" video games based on the movies. They were tired of the "WALL-E the video game" type games that always seemed rushed to be out with the movies. Disney Infinity is their way of bringing Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde to kids without making a whole Zootopia game. They can include characters from any movie that comes out in an open world environment that kids can use them in any way they want. This game is NOT about classic characters. Never has been and never will be. I'm so tired of seeing fans on here and on social media complain about the same things over and over again while completely ignoring the entire purpose of the game in question. The higher ups in Disney have zero interest in ever putting Alice and the Mad Hatter's classic versions into Disney Infinity. There is a new live action movie coming out and those are the characters that will be in it. Some people will point to Baloo and say "but they made him classic so they are listening to the fans on that one!" Well the new movie's version of Baloo would have looked like an ordinary bear in the game. That would have made no sense in the game so they chose to do the classic version instead. People will argue that JV asked fans on Twitter which version of Baloo they'd prefer and that means they're listening. No. The Baloo classic design was already formed before he even asked, as evidenced by how he was leaked literally a week after he asked. He asked the question because he knows that his followers are the older fans that constantly beg for classics. So he threw us a bone and asked which we preferred because he knew the majority of the answers. Baloo was the exception to the rule. I can guarantee that the Infinity team has zero regrets about putting the live action versions of Maleficent or the Alice and Wonderland characters. They are the characters that little kids are seeing when they go see these movies and are in turn the ones on the shelves. The Disney Infinity team gives us a few classic characters here and there because a specific part of the fan base constantly complains for them. They will never be greatly represented in the game because they aren't the characters intended to be put in. And for the record, there is a difference between saying you believe there should be more classics and whining about it. Stating every single time there is news that there should be "more this" and "more that" is whining.
Another point I want to make is that every character put into this game is equal. Just because the live action Alice is put into the game doesn't mean she is a "waste of a space". Just because a dozen people on a forum say that the classic version is better doesn't mean it is. If Walt Disney were alive today, he would love all of these characters unconditionally. When I was in the hospital a few weeks back, I was sharing a room with a little girl battling cancer who loved Disney Infinity. When I asked her who her favorite character was, she said the Maleficent figure because she saw Angelina Jolie play her in the live action movie. She loved that figure more than anything. And yet the Maleficent figure being based on the new movie is bashed constantly on here. The figures are meant to be for kids to play with and form connections with after seeing them in the movies. There will be a little kid that sees the Zootopia or Alice Through the Looking Glass movies and want that Judy Hopps or Mad Hatter figure more than anything in the world.
I used that example to just say that we should be appreciating the game for what it is and enjoy playing as different characters. Right now, these forums are simply a place for the same people to complain about the same things over and over again. I have a bunch of friends that were going to join the forums and decided not to after seeing what actually happens on it. There is no excitement for things to come, only complaints. Who wants to be a part of that?
Some of you may be wondering why I bothered to write this and even came back to the forums if I have all of these complaints about it. Well that's because I saw why it's important to have a place like this. Having people that you can connect with about something that you care a lot about is important. i just feel like the way it is right now is driving away people that want to be a part of it until they see the complaints and negativity. I'm sure I will get plenty of hate from posting this and will get bombarded with comments defending their complaints and why I'm wrong about what I said. This might even get deleted or censored or whatever. I don't care because I don't feel like a part of these forums anymore. I'm sure there'll be plenty that don't read past the first paragraph or read this ending and say "Good riddance you won't be missed". I probably won't be because I was never someone that posted a lot on here. I always read the comments that others posted and wanted to share in their excitement because I always thought and still believe deep down that Disney fans were/are the best and warmest people in the world. If anyone actually read my rant then I appreciate it whether you hate me or not. I just wish the magic of the Disney Infinity Fans forums would come back.