Casual Gamers, with only two episodes in, has received a mixed reception so far. Some viewers really enjoyed it, while others expressed disappointment. But with any form of entertainment, hell with anything in general, there will always be those that like and those that don’t like.
We don’t make a show for those that don’t like, as they allowed us to know that they did not enjoy the show. Okay, fair enough, cast your vote and be on your way so that others can enjoy it. We create shows like Zombie Hunter, Casual Gamers, and Inside the Game, for a specific audience, for a specific demographic but this process isn’t exactly perfected. Just because you reach out for a specific audience does not mean that everyone will of that audience will enjoy it.
Case in point with metal. I love heavy metal music from Classic Rock to Death Metal, but I do not like every band. The bands I don’t enjoy, should they give up and go home? No. They obviously put a lot of time an energy into their sound and image, but unfortunately it is not for me. But that’s okay. Should an artist change his style to please those that dismissed him? Why should he? He has his audience, and they like his current work, and to change the style that pleased them might leave them feeling like they’re no longer appreciated.
It is my personal philosophy that an artist, a creator, should not allow the opinions of the people to direct him. It might sound good for the artist to cave to the people in the beginning as it rewards with recognition, but is it recognition of the artist’s vision or of the what the people want the artist to be? My belief on this matter is that if the artist persists with his direction, with his vision, the recognition he get will be far more meaningful.
What I’m getting at is that we recognize the mixed response of Casual Gamers, but we do not see it as a negative thing. Casual Gamers, in many ways, is very meta in how it is constructed. It combines video game commentary, such as the bit on Kill Streak awards and on Duke Nukem Forever, with unconventional situational comedy that gets influence from Seinfeld and Clerks. The plot of the season may seem trivial, but for the characters, the importance of losing the stigma of being called casual gamers is extremely important.
Dedman Productions will be focusing on Zombie Hunter as before, but personally I’m a guy that can’t seem to enjoy “not doing anything” so more episodes of Casual Gamers will be happening soon.
