I'm going to throw something at this thread. Yesterday I posted a comment for everybody to cool it in terms of expecting this leak to be real, and to temper expectations. If nothing else, being this close to release has potential to have Earth shattering implications, no matter if it is fake or real. The comment I posted garnered something like 60, almost 70 likes.
Now, while I don't necessarily place value on likes. At the very least, I thought that maybe, just maybe, people would be listening to what I said. While I don't think all 60+ people are being boneheaded about all this leak business, I can't help but feel that QUITE a few people are getting ahead of themselves.
I'm going to reiterate something everybody needs to hear. Nothing confirms this leak until an official announcement. Nothing. Not even the gameplay portion of the ESRB leak clinched that. The fact that Shulk's portrait art for Wii U/3DS did that.
I am absolutely willing to say that this leak is exceptionally good. There are so many part of it that make it hard to believe that it could potentially be faked. By no means do I think it's ridiculous to believe that it could be real. I do however think people are going a little over the top with the tribalism that is slowly taking over this fanbase.
I find it ridiculous that it boils down to effectively "Either you're with us or against us" mentality. In what world would "insiders" not want more characters? In what world would "insiders" create a ridiculous conspiracy where they would lead all of the Smash fanbase on some ruse that they know things when they really don't? Is it really all that preposterous to think that yeah, maybe some active members of the Smash communities have forged connections over the years?
Onto my next point, which I think is rather interesting to this whole thing. I want you to take this with a grain of salt, and consider something that maybe more people might pay attention to. Between the last time I speculated on this site and this time, I feel as if I've garnered a sort of positive reputation on this website in maybe in the community.
I was once added to a "Super Smashboards" roster by a fellow speculator. Some people call me "teach" or suggest that they look forward to my comments.
I was in a group of people who did happen to have insider information for Smash Wii U. I never shared my sources with anybody, but I could have.
So, what if it turned out that I am one of these fated "insiders"? What if I knew things the majority of fans don't? What if, for example, I were to have information that seems to either go against what the majority of people think they know, and very much trust the people who told me and trusted me to not be exceptionally public about it?
But what if, also, I value my relationships with these particular people, and I wouldn't want to break my trust with them simply to tell random schmucks what may or may not specifically happen within 40 days of release?
"NAY", says Smash fans who have no idea why they should trust such an insider, "They clearly are just trying to flaunt the fact that they're popular and know people, but they don't want to admit they're wrong!"
I mean, you'd trust me wouldn't you? I'm not going to comment on if I actually do know anything, but I would absolutely wager that people are being exceptionally rude about "insiders" because they either have unreasonable expectations of them, are jealous of the fact that they have information, or simply just care about being right rather than what is in the damn leak itself.
As I said yesterday, nobody gives a damn if they're right about this stupid leak. People in the character speculation community seem to, consistently, only care about who is on the roster and nothing else. If the leak turns out fake but we got all of the characters anyway, nobody would care because they would all get what they really wanted, which is the characters.
Moral of the story: We need to cool it with the "Us vs them" "regulars vs. insiders" bull**** tribalism that is driving everyone mad. It's not getting us anywhere, and if there's even a smidge of a chance of being wrong and the pro-Grinch leak people are wrong, that is the reaction that will be paired with this leak forever.
Then again, this IS a video game. Like to be honest, I don't even understand why everybody went from "100 to 0 to 100" when it came to last night with Mystic. The guy claimed to know that a sizeable chunk of the leak were in regardless of if the mural leak itself was true.
REGARDLESS OF THAT INFORMATION, in other words, the stuff that pretty much everyone cared about, people remained on the offensive defending their stance because...why? Basically I just don't understand why it's such a fierce debate.
Whatever. Hopefully we do get a Direct this week, based on what the insiders (who are ironically INSTANTLY BACKED by #TeamReal supporters, probably because it's simply something they want to hear, just like how the leak is something they want to see) say.
I'm sure many of us would like this to be over. Please Sakurai, end this community's suffering. PLEASE.
The people who are insiders aren't just self proclaimed insiders. Some of the people who claim to be insiders are either industry insiders with a proven record, or members of the Smash community
