Yikes. It still seems not enough of you out there know the difference between a developer and a publisher. Yup, I keep reading message board posts on different forums  from or having actual conversations with folks who rant and rage about whatever wrongs they feel certain game companies have committed against a favorite game franchise, but I always see the same mistakes in self-misdirection. You  simply can’t have a rational argument that works at all if you keep pointing your fingers in the wrong places. Once again, a DEVELOPER makes games, while a PUBLISHER gets them out the door into a retail or online shop near you. Yes, sometimes both are the same, but more often than not (in the case of many AAA titles), many hands are working together.  Let’s keep the DISTRIBUTOR out of this for now, as that’s a bit tricky to define and can get bizarre if you follow the twisty trail that loops backward on itself at times.

Granted, it’s easy to think that a Sega, Konami, Capcom, EA, Ubisoft and so forth and so on “makes” every game they publish simply because you see those familiar logos up front and center when you first pop in a game. But what do you think the other two minutes of logos and such flying, dropping, falling or otherwise popping up on screen mean? Hell, I’d be complaining more about why we need to see all those silly stiff or animated logos dumped in such an uncreative manner at the front end of a game (and how to fix that particular problem). Anyway, this isn’t at all a new thing, as I can recall more than a few people that thought Nintendo “made” EVERY single NES game even though they didn’t  (the Mega Man series is a prime example).

Of course, you can say I’m being TOO picky here, but in the words of The Mighty Thor (circa 1968), “I Say Thee Nay!”. Making sure you’re right (even in the most mundane of conversations) is actually important for a few reasons. The main one being that knowing what you’re talking about makes you NOT look like an idiot. When someone who does know what’s what has to step in and correct you because you’re embarrassing yourself in front of a whole lot of people who happen to be more knowledgeable about what your flubbing around with, that’s never a good thing. Passion and opinions are great, but being absolutely correct and willing to LISTEN and LEARN if you’re not are even better.

Think of it this way, if you must: if you were in a bar and two people were arguing about which baseball team scored more touchdowns last night, you’d probably say something constructive at some point (even if it were to get those two fools to pipe down so you can get your drunk on). Sure, you could also not say a word or just walk away, but those are passive responses to the point of being useless (and only help the wrong-birds multiply). You’re doing yourself, your ears and brain a massive favor by the art of gentle correction that can be educational all around. Provided you’re not a total jerk about pointing out flaws and dispensing wisdom in a non-condescending manner.

Note: Of course, if the person(s) in need of correcting are the type that refuse to believe their opinion-based “facts” are beyond fault, you automatically have the right to prove them wrong in the sharpest (but least aggressive) manner possible.