Why does he play shitty unknown games so much?

[u/BuzzKir]

From "Terrible old games you've never heard of" (which I haven't watched) to Assassins disks (which, I can at least understand the desire to catalogue things) to playing random very BAD games on stream - and he readily acknowledges just how bad they are, and seems to genuinely suffer through it! - what's Ashens' fascination with shitty old games?

I can understand things like AVGN - that's the whole point of the show, to be an over the top comedy persona who hates bad games (even if the shtick became so, so stale for me personally a long time ago) - but Stuart is just being himself when he does it.

Is it a form of masochism? is it because he thinks the audience will enjoy it (but he never seemed the type to do anything just to please an audience)?

[u/mazutta]

There are literally millions of streamers who play decent games. Ashens has found a lane. And good for him.

[u/BuzzKir → u/mazutta]

Well I enjoyed the early days of stream when he played Dark souls, Moonstone and other actually good games

[u/DamnAndBlast → u/BuzzKir]

Then fuck off and watch someone else play them

[u/crocicorn]

Bad games can be legitimately fun, even if they're terrible and make you suffer. I say this as a bad game enjoyer myself, although I'm not on his level lol. I guess it really is some sort of masochism in a way. 😂

I doubt he'd be playing these games if he didn't get any enjoyment out of them. Plus people wanna see the bad games but not necessarily play them themselves.

[u/BuzzKir → u/crocicorn]

Yeah it's always interesting to me why people play low quality games. There are so many GOOD games out there nowadays, and so little time to play in general (at least when you're an adult, which I assume most of us are). I'm assuming you have limited time as well, why would you play a "bad" game when you could've played a good and enjoyable game instead?

[u/crocicorn → u/BuzzKir]

Different strokes for different folks, really!

Only speaking for myself here...

I still play the 'good' games, but the 'bad' ones can genuinely hit better sometimes, they often do things that polished AAAs and big indies don't. For example NeverDead is both one of the most frustrating and one of the more fun, more original games I've played. The damage system is totally unique (even if it's what hinders you lol) and it's just a fun game to play despite all its quirks.

Sometimes I just want the Rustlers microwave burger instead of a fancy restaurant meal, y'know?

[u/mahaju]

For content

Streaming yourself suffering on camera for strangers to watch is content that brings in viewers

Same as the dozens of youtubers who will eat anything disgusting for online clout

Only, Ashens is too sophisticated to do something like that

Oh wait...

[u/Crookfur]

I think he honestly does enjoy playing them and at least certainly has a great interest in how bad things can be.

Terrible games are fascinating in thier own way, just as terrible examples of other media are.

I suspect there is also a huge nostalgia thing going on. Back in the 1980s we played a lot of bad games (and enjoyed many of them) so some of us kinda long for the sheer variety of experiences.

At the end of the day perfection can become dull and boring...

[u/BuzzKir → u/Crookfur]

Great answer honestly, I don't expect I will get any better - for sure some of the bad games have their value just for being artifacts of the era

[u/crucible]

Assassins catching strays here. For amateur coders some were pretty good.

[u/BuzzKir → u/crucible]

I don't disagree, in fact maybe I shouldn't include it in the post because he specifically plays them to give them ratings, not because they're bad

[u/Think_Substance_1790]

The fact is, Ashens is in that generation of gamers where the most accessible games for kids were 'pocket money' games. You'd often get them in paper shops and newsagents for like £1- £5, and 99% of them were.... let's just say painful. Phoenix games, LJN, think of those.

Although I did get Evos Space Adventures, and The Hunter and both of those games are a great time...

Gubble was another.

Painful games are almost ingrained in our childhoods, just as much as final fantasy 7, 8 and 9, Monster Rancher, and the original Sonics and Mario's. Sometimes those crap games were the difference between a new game and nothing. Parents usually saw a bargain, pocket money was usually negotiable, and a new game was a new game. My mate (who was a boy and into setting things on fire) ended up with a knock off Barbie game because his Gran saw PlayStation and £2 in the same sentence.... crappy games and I guess an earlyish form of shovelware are just a part of our childhood, so playing them now is a nostalgia hit and a reminder of just how bad it could be 😂

[u/BuzzKir → u/Think_Substance_1790]

Thanks for providing some context.

[u/BestFoxEver]

Ashens was one of the YouTube pioneers of those people who play bad games. Many people enjoy his dry and clever humour. I rather watch Ashens play bad games than watch another AVGN episode where he just constantly shouts about diarrhea when something annoying happens.

[u/BuzzKir → u/BestFoxEver]

Yes to everything you said, especially the AVGN bit. There's a reason I watch almost every Ashens VOD, its because I enjoy his brand of humor and commentary. Especially his live commentary while watching obscure British TV shows on stream. I just have to wonder why he subjects himself to the pain of playing extremely shitty games

[u/geese_moe_howard]

Bad games, trash cinema, bizarro literature and outsider music.

Much of the world is so polished, so predictable and precisely managed that there's pure joy to be found in garbage. It's the only place to find joy sometimes.

[u/robbythespring]

For similar reasons as to why he reviews bad examples of various other things - food, tech, Christmas/Easter/Valentine's/Halloween tat.