Cheering on sales figures

Bedrockgames · Jan 10, 2016

Hand of Evil said:
Think it is like a sports team, people just get behind it and want to see it do well, that or mob mentality. Just wonder if humans release a biological agent that effects a group to the same experience making a social bond.

I think it is pretty ingrained in human nature and it isn't just sports fans and movie enthusiasts. People do it for politics, for RPGs, for their favorite technology, philosophies, etc. It isn't all bad. It isn't all good either. Somewhere between online fan drooling and the Nika Riots, people can enjoy a shared experience of awe and wonder together in a movie theater or a celebration of victory after an exciting game.

Sometimes I think it actually has to do with morality. It seems like we imbue the things we like with moral value (i.e. it isn't just star trek but the values star trek represents, it isn't just Manny Pacquiao but the values and qualities he represents to people). That can get dark (like it did here in Boston in 2004 when people tore up the town after the game and a women ended up dying). But it can also bring people together in positive ways and even give them a channel for some hope (like Ali did for a lot of people when he was fighting).

Bedrockgames · Jan 10, 2016

Umbran said:
How about a couple of articles on the psychology. I expect it is much the same as sports fans...

http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/11/s...ame-clues-to-avid-rooting.html?pagewanted=all

In light of the first article I'd be curious what studies about fans of more individual sports, rather team sports, show. I grew up with boxing as a big thing because my grandfather did it, and for a while would say I was an uber fan of certain fighters. I can definitely see the whole experiencing the highs and lows through the fighter. I can see the catharsis of watching and cheering that the article raises (and the thrill of winning money if you ever bet on these things). But with boxing I never got the sense of belonging the article describes. There is definitely something primal about it though.

Another element is these sports are pretty objective and concrete. You have definitive outcomes: win, lose or draw. Something about that is appealing I think.

Eltab · Jan 11, 2016

During a discussion on Loyalty, it was pointed out that some people should just buy a plain sweatshirt that says "This Year's WINNERS", and you would understand what they were REALLY rooting for.
In contrast are the people who know every name and jersey number and yearly stats for the members of an NFL team that went 1-15 in their season that year.

Something similar seems to operate for brand rivals and for movies.

Morrus · Jan 11, 2016

MarkB said:
Partly it's tribalism, but there may also be an element of hoping to exert commercial influence too. If someone liked the sort of entertainment that Star Wars provided, and disliked what Avatar had to offer, then they may hope to see Star Wars outperform Avatar because it will influence the studios to produce more Star Wars sequels and rip-offs, and fewer Avatar sequels and rip-offs.

I can't imagine that if TFA does manage to squeak past Avatar's 2.7B box office, James Cameron will decide not to make any more Avatar films. Or that Avatar will become less attractive a proposition to 20th Century Fox.

MarkB · Jan 11, 2016

Morrus said:
I can't imagine that if TFA does manage to squeak past Avatar's 2.7B box office, James Cameron will decide not to make any more Avatar films. Or that Avatar will become less attractive a proposition to 20th Century Fox.

I didn't say it was a realistic expectation. And whilst it's not going to have a dramatic effect, it is likely to have at least some effect.

Cristian Andreu · Jan 11, 2016

I also think it seems to come from a sense of validation.

That said, maybe it could be related to a sense of wonder and amazement, a sort of "Let's see how high it can get". When I enjoy something, be it a move, a book, or a game, I want to know more about it, such as trivia, behind-the-scenes, schematics, initial concepts, etc. The object of attention becomes its own topic of interest (sometimes strong enough to spark a hobby), and learning events and "happenings" about it becomes attractive.

So maybe -and I'm just throwing stuff at the wall here-, appart from the tribal aspect, there might also be a desire to be amazed and surprised. "Did you see just how many records this movie broke last week?!".

It also keeps it relevant, I think, and I guess we enjoy seeing the stuff we like remain relevant as it continues to be both a topic to talk about and something to expect more stuff to come from. And since sales are a measure of success of a product, and success makes things remain relevant, perhaps it has something to do with it.

Or it might be the midichlorians.

Bedrockgames · Jan 11, 2016

Morrus said:
I can't imagine that if TFA does manage to squeak past Avatar's 2.7B box office, James Cameron will decide not to make any more Avatar films. Or that Avatar will become less attractive a proposition to 20th Century Fox.

It isn't going to lead to less Avatar movies (because that still made an epic amount of money) but it will likely lead to more Star Wars and Star Wars-like films. Because both record holders in this case are sci-fi, I do think it means the impact will be less perceptible. If instead of Star Wars, Creed had broken Avatar's record, we'd probably get a bunch of boxing movies for a while.

Vigilance · Jan 13, 2016

Morrus said:
So you'd say there's a Star Wars tribe and an Avatar Tribe, who want JJ Abrams or James Cameron to have more money than the other on their behalf?

Star Wars is a far superior film than Avatar imo. It also is a bit head scratching that a film as poorly written as Avatar was EVER the number one film, especially for 7 years.

So I'd like to see ANYTHING top it, and Star Wars has a chance, so I cheer that on. Not because I care how much money JJ Abrams has.

Jhaelen · Jan 14, 2016

Vigilance said:
It also is a bit head scratching that a film as poorly written as Avatar was EVER the number one film, especially for 7 years.

I think it's obvious: it offered non-stop action with absolutely stunning 3D visuals.

Bedrockgames · Jan 14, 2016

Vigilance said:
Star Wars is a far superior film than Avatar imo. It also is a bit head scratching that a film as poorly written as Avatar was EVER the number one film, especially for 7 years.

So I'd like to see ANYTHING top it, and Star Wars has a chance, so I cheer that on. Not because I care how much money JJ Abrams has.

I don't think there is much of an Avatar tribe out there. It is a whole different thing from star wars. It was a huge phenomena when it came out. We were all excited to see it. But it never left a lasting effect like Star Wars (at least none that I've been able to discern). It is almost like we just forgot about it.

Cheering on sales figures

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