Standing With Serebii

[KKS-Lapras]

https://m.facebook.com/PokemonGlobalNews/photos/a.171951819663503/1244801289045212/?type=3&source=57

I don't care if this is supposed to be shared, or if it's supposed to be shared here specifically. Here in the Sword and Shield section seems very appropriate right now. If this site, its moderators, its creator, mean something to any of you, this is the place to make your voices heard. The hate, especially that goes unmatched by statements of appreciation and support in this modern era of attack, hate, not thinking before speaking, it needs to end, or many of the things we care about most may start disappearing. Moderators, you're going to do what you're going to do, but when I saw this, I was livid, and felt it deserves a place here.

 

[EmeraldArcanine]

I was honestly baffled to see the trending hashtag on Twitter only to figure out the reason it was made tbh. And let's just say I was fricking angry. This god damn fandom man...
Serebii gets hate for NOT putting leaks on his website to the public and for staying positive about the next gen games? WHY? Why is that something to get so pissy over? I don't understand this damn fanbase. They want him to get in trouble by wanting the leaks on the public site, and any time he tries to give SwSh a chance he gets called a shill. It's crazy. It's like you're not allowed to give these games a chance anymore or else you get hate, you have to be part of the hivemind or stay completely silent. x.x

IK this probably isn't something that NEEDS to be a thread, because everyone's mentioned it in the General Discussion thread already, but as someone who's been using the site feverently since XY I fricking love Joe's hard work and determination, and good thing it seems that the hashtag is helping too. But yeah the Pokemon fandom's toxicity needs to chill all the way down. The dude's put so much hard work into his free site for the community (Since early 2000s or something? Jfc that is some work, like seriously) and has done literally nothing to warrant the backlash he's getting.

 

[KKS-Lapras]

I was honestly baffled to see the trending hashtag on Twitter only to figure out the reason it was made tbh. And let's just say I was fricking angry. This god damn fandom man...
Serebii gets hate for NOT putting leaks on his website to the public and for staying positive about the next gen games? WHY? Why is that something to get so pissy over? I don't understand this damn fanbase. They want him to get in trouble by wanting the leaks on the public site, and any time he tries to give SwSh a chance he gets called a shill. It's crazy. It's like you're not allowed to give these games a chance anymore or else you get hate, you have to be part of the hivemind or stay completely silent. x.x

IK this probably isn't something that NEEDS to be a thread, because everyone's mentioned it in the General Discussion thread already, but as someone who's been using the site feverently since XY I fricking love Joe's hard work and determination, and good thing it seems that the hashtag is helping too. But yeah the Pokemon fandom's toxicity needs to chill all the way down.

I just felt, the toxicity from many seems to stem from Gen 8, Sword and Shield specifically, so there needed to be some kind of recognition of what is going on here. Also, I just saw it come up in my Facebook feed, I reacted on impulse, didn't think to search the rest of the sections and various threads.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

If anything, this game has really exposed just how awful this fandom is and I for one am grateful as now I know who not to associate with smh. To send hate and threats over a POKEMON game is absolutely ridiculous and says way more about your character then it does the games and makers smh.

 

[Ophie]

Yeah, I've been using it since Generation IV myself, and it's been one of the best Pokémon resources on the Internet. It is completely unreasonable to lash out at someone because they refuse to do something illegal. Getting angry over a difference of opinion is also incredibly frustrating, but I have to admit I've been worked up before over other matters regarding difference of opinion; I do try to keep it to myself though, or at least keep polite about it.

Nintendo comes over and says, "No, you can't show these things." That's what you do. Otherwise, you get shut down. What do they think is supposed to happen? This isn't some underground pirate radio station. You don't just go "F the police!" and expect them to just walk away grumbling.

There is a psychological factor in why people hate other people who like things they don't like, by the way. Humans are social animals; they seek the approval of others and feel better when in agreement. In ancient times, that was a matter of life and death; a solitary human was unlikely to survive for long. Liking something that one dislikes can be what causes someone to get even angrier because they're in disagreement. This is a common thing that permeates pretty much everything people do. Here is a Not Always Right story, for instance, in which a woman working the ticket booth is yelled at for not immediately agreeing with a customer that The Great Gatsby shouldn't be in 3D. The customer's friend reacts with, "What the h*** did you want her to say? Just because you’re angry, don’t take it out on her."

(And now I got "You Need to Calm Down" by Taylor Swift stuck in my head.)

 

[Fairy Queen]

Listen, I have some strong negative feelings about this game as much as everyone (not enough to send a death threat, because, ya know, it is a friggin' VIDEO GAME), but Joe (Serebii) has his entire livelihood in Pokemon, his career, of course he is going to defend/respect them! Anyone who expects Joe to join in the hatred and backlash is simply stupid.

That is number 1. Number 2, he is allowed to have an opinion. Anyone who is super excited about these games, great! I hope you enjoy them!

 

[KKS-Lapras]

If anything, this game has really exposed just how awful this fandom is and I for one am grateful as now I know who not to associate with smh. To send hate and threats over a POKEMON game is absolutely ridiculous and says way more about your character then it does the games and makers smh.

What irks me, the stupidity and hate, it's not unique to the Pokemon fandom, it's pretty much every fandom. Star Wars is a big one that also comes to mind. The rise of it in the Pokemon community is just another recent example. In recent years, people have become too comfortable with the anonymity provided by the internet, or with the mob mentality the internet allows to so easily get stirred up. Whether it's the new Pokemon Sword and Shield games, or Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker, or any number of other things, far too many people have lost the ability to understand the difference between criticism and harassment, and even more so many people have lost the ability to accept other people can have different opinions. I do believe, there are certain topics in this world that boil down to right vs wrong, but movies, video games, seriously, many need to stop attacking others for being excited, or for taking a wait and see approach, or remaining neutral and simply being a conduit of new information. Constantly being in a state of attack, attack, attack, hate, hate, hate, it's gotten way out of hand.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

I'm fine with this as a thread as long as people don't argue, insult or troll in it. Which you guys aren't doing thankfully.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

What irks me, the stupidity and hate, it's not unique to the Pokemon fandom, it's pretty much every fandom. Star Wars is a big one that also comes to mind. The rise of it in the Pokemon community is just another recent example. In recent years, people have become too comfortable with the anonymity provided by the internet, or with the mob mentality the internet allows to so easily get stirred up. Whether it's the new Pokemon Sword and Shield games, or Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker, or any number of other things, far too many people have lost the ability to understand the difference between criticism and harassment, and even more so many people have lost the ability to accept other people can have different opinions. I do believe, there are certain topics in this world that boil down to right vs wrong, but movies, video games, seriously, many need to stop attacking others for being excited, or for taking a wait and see approach, or remaining neutral and simply being a conduit of new information. Constantly being in a state of attack, attack, attack, hate, hate, hate, it's gotten way out of hand.

Oh I know it's not unique to pokemon but I've just never seen this side of the pokemon fandom before these games and it's beyond disheartening to see. For something I love so much to be dragged through the mud like this by people who clearly don't love the franchise is gross and completely childish.

 

[Ophie]

Oh I know it's not unique to pokemon but I've just never seen this side of the pokemon fandom before these games and it's beyond disheartening to see. For something I love so much to be dragged through the mud like this by people who clearly don't love the franchise is gross and completely childish.

There was an ugliness like this when Pokémon Black and White came out, but not nearly to this extent (and for similar reasons, namely that people were denied their old favorite Pokémon when going through the game). There is a culture of outrage today, where people desire to see others suffer, that didn't exist when those games were new.

 

[Nave]

Tried to create an account just to respond here, only to find out I already had an account... uhm, awkward.

I've been using this site for a long time to plan my teams. Game Freak has made games very special to my childhood and adulthood, and the backlash against them--and the friendly fire Joe has gotten--is really unfair. I didn't play much Pokemon in my adolescence, but when I got back into it I found it was a great coping strategy, and way to remember my childhood.

I'm ambivalent about Dexit, and annoyed they removed great moves like Pursuit, Return, and Snatch. But, I'm really happy with the designs this gen, from the way Pokemon look to their abilities and move sets. While many of the usual suspects in competitive play are gone, there is new blood taking their place. Some people don't know how to take the good with the bad, and lash out at people for no good reason.

Joe has been enthusiastic about SWSH, and has gotten unwarranted hate for covering these games with integrity.

I stand with Serebii, and Game Freak.

 

[Wulava]

I could understand some of the valid complaints but some are just nitpicking for the heck of it.

 

[Sceptrigon]

This is one of the reasons why I rarely comment about issues on social media in general. People can get easily carried away with the things they say, and there can be a great deal of unpleasantness to it, especially if you are on the receiving end. I don’t typically see much of a point in all this trending and hashtag stuff going on, but if #IStandWithSerebii helps to relieve at least some of the stress Joe has been having, then I certainly find the value in that.

 

[Hunter Zolomon]

At the end of the day, no matter how you feel about these games, they are just video games. Some people need to realize that life is far more important than video games. The people that have been harrassing Joe really need to reevaluate their lives. I would also recommend an appointment to their nearest psych ward. It's a shame to see how low some fans within the fanbase have stooped. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and I can understand the frusterations over the PokeDex stuff, but harrasment and death threats?

What on Earth is wrong with people?

 

[janejane6178]

Thankyou for opening this thread. I fully agree with everything u said

 

[Tsukuyomi56]

Yeesh.....the anger towards Sword/Shield is getting ridiculous. I get there are some legit complaints about the game but the portion of the fanbase upset about said complaints does not have to get that angry about it.

 

[Deleted member 384931]

For not sharing leaks I completely understand the moderators of Serebii.
I just think, they should be honest if a game isn't that great, people will still visit your site and your forums.
Actually, we as fans, should take an opinion on this matter.
It is the fault of Gamefreak, not giving enough info, even less compared to older games, and Dexit.

 

[1rkhachatryan]

For not sharing leaks I completely understand the moderators of Serebii.
I just think, they should be honest if a game isn't that great, people will still visit your site and your forums.
Actually, we as fans, should take an opinion on this matter.
It is the fault of Gamefreak, not giving enough info, even less compared to older games, and Dexit.

What you don't understand is that that is an opinion, I happen to think the games look great, as do many other people. You can think the game is bad but you can't force others to think the same way. That's the problem with the fanbase right now where people are outright just attacking others who don't share the same opinion that the game is awful.

 

[Ophie]

I could understand some of the valid complaints but some are just nitpicking for the heck of it.

Indeed. I can understand why some people don't like this game, what are deal-breakers for them, and why they're upset. Problem is that you don't see quite as much from the other side. What I ask of people who don't like this game is to reciprocate that--to understand why some ARE still hyped to play it.

Yeesh.....the anger towards Sword/Shield is getting ridiculous. I get there are some legit complaints about the game but the portion of the fanbase upset about said complaints does not have to get that angry about it.

It's the nature of the Internet, sadly. People are anonymous and thus they feel no need to hold back like they would face-to-face, and the ability to easily congregate in one place allows emotions to amplify by bouncing off of each other.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I am pretty new to the Serebii forums myself, but I have been using this site for many years. Out of the different dedicated sites, I’ve always enjoyed how well maintained and professional this place is and how easy it has been to use. I can only imagine how much work has gone into all of this.

As many have already said, having your concerns and criticisms for the games is understandable, and with many of the changes that have come this generation some people were always going to be ruffled over them. They should be allowed to voice their concerns and displeasures. However, many people have been allowing their emotions to rule their judgement and have lashed out against others, sometimes in very toxic and verbally violent ways.

Not only does this reflect badly on the Pokémon fandom as a whole, but it also tends to cause a toxic reaction from some people on the other side of the spectrum who feel they are forced to defend themselves as far as their opinions go and just perpetuates a cycle of fighting back and forth. Not to mention creating the misconception that anyone excited for the game is a shill and everyone who has concerned and is disappointed as a hater who only wants to ruin other’s enjoyment

And now, individuals like Serebii/Joe who are simply trying to run their sites in a professional and unbiased manner while adhering to Nintendo’s rules are being caught in the crossfire. I’m sure he is under enough stress, and he has no say on the matter at hand. I’m glad to see people speaking out against this and supporting Joe, but it should never have come to needing a hashtag in the first place to recognize that this is very wrong. Just like with the death threats thrown at the developers, the Pokémon Company, Nintendo and anyone else that has been caught in the crossfire. This is not proper behavior, no matter how much you disagree with the current direction of Pokémon.

We will see in the coming months how this all plays out, but my hope is that people will calm down as they have had time to digest everything and the games are explored and experienced. Only time will tell.