# Coming into a fandom/ franchise late?



## creamyy (Mar 20, 2017)

I don't know about any of you guys but I always feel a little bit of guilt for playing and enjoying games while fandoms and such have been established long before. exhibit a: when pokemon go came out I had 0 interest in it until I went back to school and I hung out with a group of guys that were all really into pokemon go and we went around the shopping centre playing it and then by time I got home that day I downloaded it and my cousins that were all pokemon everything since childhood were being all judgy, and since then I've started playing other pokemon games. exhibit b: I was hesitant to get the nintendo switch since there weren't any games that really interested me but I thought I'd give breath of the wild a go and I'm really enjoying it but I realise I'm not understanding any of the references/ easter eggs all the while I watch a bunch of youtubers that are all like hngggg this music, this everything is so nostalgic and i'm here like wat? watwatwat? 
am I wrong to feel this way?


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## Bowie (Mar 20, 2017)

I think it's okay with certain things. I feel really guilty about only getting into _American Horror Story_ because of Lady Gaga, but my first _Pok?mon_ game was _Diamond_/_Pearl_, and I don't feel guilty about it because there isn't a lot to catch up on, really. They're not connected for the most part, and you're not missing out on a whole lot.

The secrets and easter eggs were made for those that _have_ been through it all, and it's okay to miss out on that. It's just their special thing. You can make new memories and be nostalgic in 20 years time!

There's far too many _Pok?mon_ games to justify anybody saying you came in late. I highly doubt the people you speak of have played absolutely every game in the series across every console.


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## Corrie (Mar 20, 2017)

I sometimes feel sad that I missed out on the thriving fandom but then I remember that all the stuff is still there for me to enjoy. I've gotten so used to being part of a dead fandom that it doesn't bother me as much as it used to, though I'd still rather be a part of a live one but hey, you can't choose what shows you like!


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## dizzy bone (Mar 20, 2017)

I'm sad I got into Fantasy Life too late  It's hard to find anyone to play with. It's the same with other multiplayer games excluding ACNL since it has a thriving community. You kinda need friends that play the game and are at the same stage as you to enjoy it. Other than that I don't really feel bad or guilty about joining a franchise too late. The first Animal Crossing game I played was Wild World and I never wanted to play the older ones just to see what I missed out on. Same with the Zelda series, the first ones I played were the gameboy games and then Ocarina of Time on 64 but I haven't played any other game in the franchise after that... I really want to play BOTW though!


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## Corrie (Mar 20, 2017)

dizzy bone said:


> I'm sad I got into Fantasy Life too late  It's hard to find anyone to play with. It's the same with other multiplayer games excluding ACNL since it has a thriving community. *You kinda need friends that play the game and are at the same stage as you to enjoy it.* Other than that I don't really feel bad or guilty about joining a franchise too late. The first Animal Crossing game I played was Wild World and I never wanted to play the older ones just to see what I missed out on. Same with the Zelda series, the first ones I played were the gameboy games and then Ocarina of Time on 64 but I haven't played any other game in the franchise after that... I really want to play BOTW though!



You're totally right and because of that, I basically choose to play single player games so I don't need to stress about needing other people to play with and have fun.


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## thegunpowderincident (Mar 20, 2017)

Well, you have to start somewhere. I don't think anyone should make you feel bad for being new to an old fandom. I'm in some fandoms that have been around a long time but the actual, hardcore fandom is so small I _wish_ we had new people coming in more often!


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## vel (Mar 20, 2017)

not me, i think it's just easier to play said game bc people already have like answers to all your questions up. i'm playing dragon quest 9, which is 6-7 years old rn. i can find everything online.


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## fenris (Mar 21, 2017)

this happened to me with Until Dawn... played it, loved it, got really into it... and then found that the fandom was pretty much completely dead.  bummer.


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## ali.di.magix (Mar 21, 2017)

I feel like this is me with every game ever. I got into gaming very late compared to most people, so I didn't get to grow up with it like most people. Namely Animal Crossing, Halo and Far Cry. I would say Mario games too since I haven't played the originals, but they're kinda timeless anyways. I get to fangirl with my friends about it who are also playing those games which I guess is a bonus. Also if I get the Switch, I'm really tempted to play BOTW even though I've never played any Zelda games before so Zelda fans pls don't kill me because one again I'm always behind with gaming ;-;


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## forestyne (Mar 21, 2017)

I only started playing Mystic Messenger recently, even though the hype died at about the end of last year, and I felt so bad because everyone else had already finished it and I was just by myself like :> crying over it.


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## ivy7 (Mar 21, 2017)

I felt the same thing when I jumped into persona 4 last year and ended up loving everything about it. Turns out persona was quite a bit older than I thought it was, with the first three games dating back to the PS1. Everyone in the fandom has been waiting to play persona 5 for almost a decade but I happened to start playing when it was right around the corner...

And the whole series is a spin-off of the shin megami tensei series which has started in the 80s and has it's own drastically different lore. You need to be quite dedicated to understand this franchise lol.


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## Seastar (Mar 23, 2017)

My first Pokemon game was Diamond/Pearl. (I was actually interested during Gen 3. I just couldn't have games.) My first Animal Crossing game was New Leaf. I got interested in Kirby around the time Super Star Ultra was new. I got interested in Earthbound last year. I've been late for lots of things.


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## Alyx (Apr 1, 2017)

I got into Trauma Center/Trauma Team years after the last game got released and the fandom is pretty much dead and I am very sad about it. ATLUS needs to make some new games pretty pretty please!


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## carp (Apr 2, 2017)

i think u need to just accept that everyone's life is a journey and some things are at different points for different people


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## Biyaya (Apr 9, 2017)

I find it kind of odd that people can be "too late" to join in on main game franchises which are most heavily advertised, like Pokemon. I might not understand exactly what a fandom is though.

My idea of "too late" would be joining in on a competitive multiplayer game way later than my preferred social circle so that they are so much better than me that I'd place last every game and couldn't really do much because their skills are far surpassed my own. But I don't feel like dropping $60+ for a newly released game just to find out I don't even like it.


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## Sonja (Apr 10, 2017)

Animal Crossing and probably Pokemon.

I wanted to play New Leaf since 2013, I watched the community grow far behind. I loved the screenshots on tumblr, they were so inspiring. But now I can finally play it doesn't really feel the same, I had a lot of fun at the begining but I just feel if I joined early I would enjoy it much better.

As for Pokemon I got Sun day one, the NPC kept saying with their "my pokemon and me, that's such a long story!" "I love my pokemons sooo much~" it was obviously for the nostalgics/veterans, so I didn't felt anything about that and it was actually quite annoying for me. Once again I would probably have a different feeling about that if I just had a 3DS/DS earlier.
(note: i liked that game tho don't get me wrong lol)

I predict the same for Splatoon as my sister got the Wii U *super* late (late 2016) and I won't get the Switch anytime soon.


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## Aarca (Apr 14, 2017)

I feel like I started listening to Welcome to Night Vale really late. I only started listening a few months ago.


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## SolarInferno (Apr 20, 2017)

Corrie said:


> I sometimes feel sad that I missed out on the thriving fandom but then I remember that all the stuff is still there for me to enjoy. I've gotten so used to being part of a dead fandom that it doesn't bother me as much as it used to, though I'd still rather be a part of a live one but hey, you can't choose what shows you like!



^This.

Personally, I'm happy to find something that's escaped my attention for a while or that I've overlooked. When it comes to some games where the online play is either removed or very dead it does make me a bit sad to have missed its hey-day when it's difficult to find somebody to play with, and enjoy the game to its fullest. In some ways yeah, I may feel like I've missed out on some of the experience when I come to a series/franchise late and I don't get the "nostalgia" feeling, but I do actually prefer seeing a game as completely fresh, and playing for the experience now, rather than it trying to copy old games and get "feels" from nostalgia.


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## Elvera (Apr 21, 2017)

I don't get why people judge others for arriving in their fandom late, isn't finding out someone likes something you do a positive thing?

Seriously I've been into pokemon since I was 4, when my friend started playing pokemon go I was super excited. Because I had someone else to talk to about it and 'compete' against them...Although they don't really play it much anymore. 
But if you like it now and want to play other games in that franchise I say good for you and welcome. Because it can only be considered a good thing.


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## Flare (Apr 22, 2017)

Animal Crossing. 


I played the game for a while, but I never had joined a site related anything to it. 
Well, that changed last year, though it looks like I missed alot around here.


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## Pixonii (Jul 3, 2017)

I have really similar experiences! Especially since I grew up with Dsi's and such and it seems I was already late by then since I never have had a SNES or Gameboy or anything. I have way too many fandoms I've been late to and fandoms I have yet to immerse myself in but I know I love. I have way to much to say and I feel like I might explode with words so I'll refrain from speaking my mind especially because I'm too lazy to type it out. My problem is I always have so much to say, but I'm too lazy to type it all out, and when I do I usually forget half of what I wanted to say when the times comes to continue! But yes, I understand how you feel, and people will be judgy, but at least we joined at all! Personally, if I come into a fandom late (happens a lot) I understand why people are judgy but I try my best to catch up because I love what I join so much!! Ah, life is beautiful~


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