Before I go into this, I'm not trying to bash any opinions, I respect them as much as I can, I find this new "Kool-aid" thing an odd argument for both sides.
If mz or any of the other admins / mods thinks I was too harsh or rude, please tell me so and I'll just delete this and be quiet from now on.
But here's my thing about people like you Crit, and I'm not going to call you any names if you're wondering:
Criticizes Marketing negatively.
Criticizes A&D and Mike Aiello himself on occasions negatively.
Criticizes usually the majority of the house and scare zone options negatively, original and IP.
Still will go and spend (Just the one day ticket, presuming you aren't bs'ing) a good 60-70 dollars and their parking fee to go to this event you claim has fallen in the pits.
Because you're a "diehard".
Sure, you'll not spend money on anything else and you'll bash it online, this forum, and the surveys should you take them.
You're still the guy out nearly 100 bucks that Universal has garnered off this event you basically hate now.
And you've done this for years now even when the event first went in this direction that you despise. So I'm just presuming.
Wouldn't it just be a much better message to them instead of still giving them any ounce of money to just...stop going to the event?
Show Universal that they truly finally drove away a diehard fan instead of just having another "hanger-on" who will give them an annual 60-70 but comes with the downside of wishes for the good ol days.
I like to think Marketing at least talks about the diehard fan if only once, and I bet I can guess their conversation goes like:
"Diehards complaining?"
"Yes."
"Are they still going at least one day to give us some cash?"
"Yes."
"Then who cares."
I don't know honestly. I just think you're wasting your own time and money to dedicate yourself to complaining about every little detail of every little part of this event to go even just one day and maybe just like one house, one scarezone, no shows.
And all these friends you mention I presume they feel the same. And they sound...exactly like you.
Less profit = Profit still. You say "oh, I'm spending less money" like it's a big thing, a big middle finger at that evil Marketing team, they're probably just laughing that these guys hating on them are STILL GIVING THEM MONEY. You're sorta proving their Marketing regime right in a way, right? They're still keeping the old-comers while getting so many more new-comers. Most successful marketing tactics in years.
I'm not saying all of this in a "How dare you hate the event" way. I'm saying it in a "I don't get why you're helping their financials if you hate them" way.
It's like if I spouted out for every election that I hate all the candidates, I hate the way voting's done, I'm gonna hate who the final electee is anyways and I went and voted for that guy I specifically hated, citing "I liked him before and maybe he'll go back to his old ways, but I REFUSE TO DONATE FIVE DOLLARS TO HIS NEXT SHITTY FUNDRAISER.".
My "rant", I guess, is really not even to just you specifically, you're just the guy that fits the plate on this day, on this forum.
I don't know why I even typed this when it's going to be greeted with snark anyways, but I figured I would address the point.
You're gonna complain about Blumhouse, Saw, Ash Vs Evil Dead, Bayou, Soul Collectors, all of it. You'll like Angels vs Demons though you'll say the details were sorta shoddy. That's fine, I'm not gonna go crazy cuz I like IP's and you don't or any other thing. I'll address your opinions, you'll address mine, and we can have a happier little chat than the ones recently.
I just think by giving them even negative attention and even just a bit of money, they still gain more of your rants versus them than you ever will.
Maybe I'm gonna be the dumb one, maybe some corporate douchebag will load up some cached version of the 2008 website and say "We've been doing it all wrong!". And you'll be better off for having stuck around in the "dark times".
But if that doesn't happen...where does that place you? You'll be a big negative voice no doubt towards the whole thing through all the years.
But does it not benefit you more to just take a breather a couple of years? Even stay on the forum, but don't give the Marketing team your money and time out of even just one day and night.
Out of jest, you and Horror Nights seem to be in an abusive relationship. They hit you and batter you, but eventually you'll come back anyway because you like his originals. Rinse. Repeat.
Perhaps I'm looking at it too cynical, but I'm just calling what I personally see.
