Cult of Touhou Explained

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

I figured out why Touhou has a uniquely fanatic cult following. This is my theory:
Games are extremely difficult to beat, so that means repeated attempts are necessary for just about any person to beat the game on Easy, let alone Normal. After you beat the game for the first time, you get a bad ending because you used continues. This makes you frustrated but because you didn't get to see the proper ending after already getting to know the characters, you will keep on trying until you manage to clear the game without any continues
Now, that ofcourse means even more repeating. The soundtrack gets stuck in your head, as do the characters and their dialogues. You notice (or actually, think you notice) some deeper pesonalities behind those characters after seeing their few lines of dialogue over and over again. Then you wish to learn more about the characters, hoard more images and download music that sounds good. But the music sounds good only for you and the images are adorable or awesome only for you. Those people who haven't played these games can't fathom your excitement. If you start to think about it, neither can you. You don't understand why you are doing this.

[Suigin !uMakai4iFA No.]

im not going to read that because it's too long and I don't care however this thread will probably get 200 replies and i will be like "Why?"

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

Constant repeating equals brainwashing. So in other words, every single Touhou fanatic has been brainwashed into that dreamworld. The same pattern leading to fanaticism is noticeable in every game that requires repeated attempts to beat the game: Super Mario, Sonic, Ninja Gaiden and Metroid to name a few. Even the difficulty to beat the game doesn't matter as long as it's long and repetitive enough while offering rewards every now and then: Final Fantasy series, no more examples needed. In contrast, games that are easy and/or require only a few hours of gameplay to beat will practically never gather a serious cult around them. Just about any modern FPS fits this category. Very few are even memorable just a month or so after completing them.

[Anonymous No.]

>Games are extremely
Stopped reading here

The majority of the Touhou fanbase has never, ever played the games.
You know this, I know this, Everyone knows this.

[Anonymous No.]

>implying more than 10% of the fans play the games
It's sad but it's true.

[Anonymous No.]

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

In conclusion, the basic driving force behind formation of game cult is the need for repeat, which becomes active brainwashing. Touhou project games do an exceptional work at this. They require massive amount of repeating in order to beat, while the games are filled with subtle, almost subliminal rewards. Spell card capturing is not necessary, but it's rewarding. Completing the game without bombing. Grazing. Figuring out and memorizing danmaku patterns. Trying to make as elegant runs as possible in general. One might think that those are not that rewarding things, and even a Touhou fanatic might dismiss those as merely aspects of gameplay. However, I mentioned that rewards in Touhou are almost subliminal. It was hard for me myself to get a clue about what kept me coming back to those games.

Despite me coming into realization of what those games have done to me, about how gently and efficiently I have been brainwashed into Cult of Touhou, I still continue to play them and collect fan artwork and fan arranges of music.
I love Touhou. I love Big Brother.

[Anonymous No.]

Demons Soul and God Hand is memorable, why? cuz its difficult, but not cheap hard.

[Notes No.]

[Anonymous No.]

I simply have fun and few good like achieving something when winning a game. Thats it.

[Anonymous No.]

>option 2
Fun and challenging gameplay with catchy music. You're thinking way too hard. You don't have to have ever even played a shmup to enjoy at least some of the tracks.

[Anonymous No.]

>this theory

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

>>4493426
Well, why doesn't Tyrian or Raptor have cult followings? Read pt. 3.

[Anonymous No.]

しね

[Anonymous No.]

Objection!

This theory is......Objectionable!

[Anonymous No.]

i don't need your theory to enjoy touhou games

[Anonymous No.]

Touhou is ART.

[Suigin !uMakai4iFA No.]

I figured out why Touhou has a uniquely fanatic cult following. This is my theory: People like it.

----------------------------8<-----------------------------------

[Anonymous No.]

>You notice (or actually, think you notice)
Damn it, Reisen.

[Yutanpo !1DeKKAi00Y No.]

You know what I think?

I think most people just want to fuck the characters.

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493443
I remember that being pretty fun 15 years ago but, it's not like any of the music or characters were memorable. Little girl factor is pretty important too.

[Anonymous No.]

Okay, I'll bite.
>You notice (or actually, think you notice) some deeper pesonalities behind those characters after seeing their few lines of dialogue over and over again.
>No, not really. The few Touhou fans that play the game will typically skip over the dialogue. It's nothing more than an amusement to me. The characters are not very deep and few have more than a single element to them. This does not cause nor cease my enjoyment of the series.
>Those people who haven't played these games can't fathom your excitement. If you start to think about it, neither can you. You don't understand why you are doing this.
My friends (yes, I have some) are mature enough to understand that tastes may not always line up. Many of them dig certain Touhou themes or will casually play a game or two. Further, I know exactly why I do this: I have the free time to do so, and I find it enjoyable. No further psychoanalysis needed.

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

>>4493473
If you would be able to 1CC GE Touhou games without bombing on first run, just exactly how memorable you'd think the characters would be with their tiny amounts of dialogue?

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493472
I want one to bully me, does that count?

[Anonymous No.]

>Constant repeating equals brainwashing.
Justify this or provide citation.
>into that dreamworld.
If someone cannot discern reality from pixels, they should not be playing games or watching movies.
>no more examples needed.
Whether you give more examples or not, you need to provide more evidence than that. You have not connected successfully in your case the repetitive gameplay elements to the cause of their fandom. These games also have easily identified protagonists and nostalgia appeal that may build fandom. These games also vary widely in genre and style. You need to isolate these variables if you are to make a case.

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493389
>>4493401
Nice theory you have there. I can see the logic in it.

[Anonymous No.]

>the basic driving force behind formation of game cult is the need for repeat
Insufficient evidence to solidify your conclusion. You had something going with the psychology of reward from in-game mechanics and numbers... on this you could build a case, but you chose instead to rest your argument on something you cannot or have not proved.

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493504
That would constitute a boring game. You've only proven that boring games aren't memorable. There's plenty of repetitive games without significant cult followings. Perhaps it's more closely related to the quality of the game itself as opposed to repetition?

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493504
You mean if it was easy like an amerikkan shmup? I wouldn't care for the characters without seeing them more than once but, I'd still download some OSTs. Easy undertuned games are not really memorable. Bad games are not memorable.

[None !8FuIlcirno No.]

I'm off to sleep, it's 1.00 EU time now and I've got work tomorrow. Have a nice discussion, I'll check back in the morning. I might expand that later on as it's just a draft.

>>4493565
I wouldn't exactly call ICO an action packed level-up buttonmashfest, but it's certainly memorable. Exceptions to the rule with one concurring characteristic: ICO is tediously repetive.

[Anonymous No.]

>>4493389
actually I was a fan of touhou before I even played the games. mainly because of the art and music.