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Hype. It’s only a small word four letters long, but its meaning and effect have astronomical influences in the world of video games.
Have you ever waited a long time for a game to be released, being sucked in by the hype, only for it to come out and turn out either bad or just not as good as you thought it might be?
Can too much anticipation and/or hype put too much pressure on a game to be good but we end up disappointed if the final product is not perfect?
We’ve all been sucked in by hype at some point over the years, some more than others (i.e the people who keep buying FIFA games every six months because “the adverts look cool”, even though the footage in the ads is taken from a high-end super computer.)
Video games are a massive industry now, games companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft hire huge PR agencies and advertising companies to sell a game or console, and hype is one of the main weapons in their armoury. Newspapers are full of adverts, many different magazines have game adverts and there are the television ads (most featuring no in-game footage).
In fact, I think that many video game companies now seem to present themselves similarly to political parties. They create lots of hype, publicity and excitement about their consoles by stating, “we have the best games”, “our machine offers a unique gaming experience”, “our system is the most powerful console ever made”, “games will never be the same”, “this console will redefine the way you think about videogames”, "blah blah blah" etc. When actually, most games on next-gen systems are ports or updates. Nowadays it’s hard to avoid all the hype that accompanies the launch of a new super console.
Games firms hype up their consoles whilst putting down rival companies efforts by shouting down each other’s sales figures and creating a lot of ‘spin’ to hype up their console and how it performed at launch. Nintendo say they broke a record for launch day sales, then Microsoft deny that Nintendo had beaten them, Sony throw in their two cents, and so the merry-go-round continues.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a prime example of a hyped up game. Did it live up to the hype and people’s expectations?
There’s no denying that it is a truly awesome title, one of the best ever, that really excels in most departments, like graphics, sound, playability, atmosphere, storyline etc, though it was slightly let down by the frequent cut-scenes and relatively short length, but was it as perfect as we had hoped? Was it better than the original? To me it wasn’t as good as the original, the baddies weren’t as cool and the level locations weren’t as good and it just lacked that special something that the original managed to achieve. (Maybe because you didn’t play Snake for long enough was the main downer with MGS2.) I think that the hype and expectation did affect it, as we expected the game to be PERFECT, when in actual fact it was only nearly perfect.
I looked forward to Perfect Dark for years, it was hyped up and my expectations were enormous, but when it finally arrived I was left wondering whether it was better than GoldenEye. I didn’t think it was.
But after the gaming perfection that was GoldenEye, could it have ever lived up to hype?
Daikatana was in development for what seemed like a lifetime and was supposed to be the first person shooter to beat them all, and the next id classic after Doom & Quake. When it came out it turned out to be a stinker and a great disappointment to many FPS fans who were really excited about it.
The same idea about hype also applies to films.
The recent ‘re-imagining’ of Planet of the Apes was going to be ‘Arnie v the apes’.
The script went into development hell until Tim Burton picked it up and turned it into his own twisted vision minus the Arnie factor. It turned out all wrong, with both fans of the original and critics ending up disappointed.
But could it have ever been better than the amazing original? No. Was it hyped too much? Yes.
The big one was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
In the long wait between Return of the Jedi & Episode 1, my brother and I must have spent hour upon hour talking about what characters, plot, weapons, ships etc could be in the new one.
Every Star Wars fan ended up feeling that many elements were missing.
It could never have lived up to the hype and expectation thrust upon itby us nerds, because in every Star Wars fans mind there were hundreds of great hopes and ideas for the new one. No characters could be better than the Han & Chewie partnership.
Now we’ve got all the Episode 2 hype to enjoy, but I think this one looks pretty darn good, so it should hopefully live up to that hype.
Of course, not all highly anticipated and hyped games and films end up in disappointment.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Lord of the Rings equalled, or even exceeded our high expectations and prove that sometimes a long wait may be worth it, and lots of hype is justified with a good end product.
If you remember back a few years when Tab Clear was around. Clear Coke was meant to be a revelation, but it didn’t last, as competition was too strong in the fizzy drinks industry, and the fizz went flat as people weren’t taken in by flashy hype for a naff product.
Look at all the hype and advertising for ITV Digital with ‘Monkey’ and Johnny ‘Five Chins’ Vegas. Loads of hype, but the product is now dead.
No doubt that in a few months time our TV screens and magazine pages will be full of adverts for the new Harry Potter & Tomb Raider games, and people will be sucked in to buying poor games. (Though hopefully the new Tomb Raider will be a nice fresh adventure rather than the usual old game)
Do high expectations and excess hype eventually lead to disappointment if the product isn’t perfect?
Were there any games you had high expectations for but ended up being a slight disappointment, or did some hyped-up games actually measure up to your hopes?
Have you ever waited a long time for a game to be released, being sucked in by the hype, only for it to come out and turn out either bad or just not as good as you thought it might be?
Can too much anticipation and/or hype put too much pressure on a game to be good but we end up disappointed if the final product is not perfect?
We’ve all been sucked in by hype at some point over the years, some more than others (i.e the people who keep buying FIFA games every six months because “the adverts look cool”, even though the footage in the ads is taken from a high-end super computer.)
Video games are a massive industry now, games companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft hire huge PR agencies and advertising companies to sell a game or console, and hype is one of the main weapons in their armoury. Newspapers are full of adverts, many different magazines have game adverts and there are the television ads (most featuring no in-game footage).
In fact, I think that many video game companies now seem to present themselves similarly to political parties. They create lots of hype, publicity and excitement about their consoles by stating, “we have the best games”, “our machine offers a unique gaming experience”, “our system is the most powerful console ever made”, “games will never be the same”, “this console will redefine the way you think about videogames”, "blah blah blah" etc. When actually, most games on next-gen systems are ports or updates. Nowadays it’s hard to avoid all the hype that accompanies the launch of a new super console.
Games firms hype up their consoles whilst putting down rival companies efforts by shouting down each other’s sales figures and creating a lot of ‘spin’ to hype up their console and how it performed at launch. Nintendo say they broke a record for launch day sales, then Microsoft deny that Nintendo had beaten them, Sony throw in their two cents, and so the merry-go-round continues.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a prime example of a hyped up game. Did it live up to the hype and people’s expectations?
There’s no denying that it is a truly awesome title, one of the best ever, that really excels in most departments, like graphics, sound, playability, atmosphere, storyline etc, though it was slightly let down by the frequent cut-scenes and relatively short length, but was it as perfect as we had hoped? Was it better than the original? To me it wasn’t as good as the original, the baddies weren’t as cool and the level locations weren’t as good and it just lacked that special something that the original managed to achieve. (Maybe because you didn’t play Snake for long enough was the main downer with MGS2.) I think that the hype and expectation did affect it, as we expected the game to be PERFECT, when in actual fact it was only nearly perfect.
I looked forward to Perfect Dark for years, it was hyped up and my expectations were enormous, but when it finally arrived I was left wondering whether it was better than GoldenEye. I didn’t think it was.
But after the gaming perfection that was GoldenEye, could it have ever lived up to hype?
Daikatana was in development for what seemed like a lifetime and was supposed to be the first person shooter to beat them all, and the next id classic after Doom & Quake. When it came out it turned out to be a stinker and a great disappointment to many FPS fans who were really excited about it.
The same idea about hype also applies to films.
The recent ‘re-imagining’ of Planet of the Apes was going to be ‘Arnie v the apes’.
The script went into development hell until Tim Burton picked it up and turned it into his own twisted vision minus the Arnie factor. It turned out all wrong, with both fans of the original and critics ending up disappointed.
But could it have ever been better than the amazing original? No. Was it hyped too much? Yes.
The big one was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
In the long wait between Return of the Jedi & Episode 1, my brother and I must have spent hour upon hour talking about what characters, plot, weapons, ships etc could be in the new one.
Every Star Wars fan ended up feeling that many elements were missing.
It could never have lived up to the hype and expectation thrust upon itby us nerds, because in every Star Wars fans mind there were hundreds of great hopes and ideas for the new one. No characters could be better than the Han & Chewie partnership.
Now we’ve got all the Episode 2 hype to enjoy, but I think this one looks pretty darn good, so it should hopefully live up to that hype.
Of course, not all highly anticipated and hyped games and films end up in disappointment.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Lord of the Rings equalled, or even exceeded our high expectations and prove that sometimes a long wait may be worth it, and lots of hype is justified with a good end product.
If you remember back a few years when Tab Clear was around. Clear Coke was meant to be a revelation, but it didn’t last, as competition was too strong in the fizzy drinks industry, and the fizz went flat as people weren’t taken in by flashy hype for a naff product.
Look at all the hype and advertising for ITV Digital with ‘Monkey’ and Johnny ‘Five Chins’ Vegas. Loads of hype, but the product is now dead.
No doubt that in a few months time our TV screens and magazine pages will be full of adverts for the new Harry Potter & Tomb Raider games, and people will be sucked in to buying poor games. (Though hopefully the new Tomb Raider will be a nice fresh adventure rather than the usual old game)
Do high expectations and excess hype eventually lead to disappointment if the product isn’t perfect?
Were there any games you had high expectations for but ended up being a slight disappointment, or did some hyped-up games actually measure up to your hopes?
Good post, and well thought out.
What I found with MGS2 was that most people started complaining about the length after about 2 days. "It's soooooo short!" They'd say...
And you know what difficulty setting they had it on? VERY EASY! or even EASY. How challenging do you expect it to be when you can stand 7 feet infront of a guard and not be seen, and knock out a guard with one punch. You have 10 Rations and bullets hardy hurt you!
The first time I played it, I did it on Hard. And it lasted me a good 20 hours... perfect length.
And with all the great gameplay, what's wrong with a few cut-scenes?! Granted, there are quite a few, but they're very well done, easy to watch, and you CAN skip them if you've seen them already!
MGS2 isn't as good as the first one... it's not quite as clever. But it's still the best game on the PlayStation 2, without a doubt!
_______________________________________________________
Hype is just another factor in the industry. It's in all industries. It's found in the movie industry, the music industry. The best thing to do is ignore it, and the best thing to combat it, is to just wait until a game comes out... and then play it.
I personally don't mind hype... because even if the game turns out crap, it's still been quite exciting talking about it and looking at video-clips from the past 7 months!
Perception Vs Knowledge - anyone actually read my topics?!
What I found with MGS2 was that most people started complaining about the length after about 2 days. "It's soooooo short!" They'd say...
And you know what difficulty setting they had it on? VERY EASY! or even EASY. How challenging do you expect it to be when you can stand 7 feet infront of a guard and not be seen, and knock out a guard with one punch. You have 10 Rations and bullets hardy hurt you!
The first time I played it, I did it on Hard. And it lasted me a good 20 hours... perfect length.
And with all the great gameplay, what's wrong with a few cut-scenes?! Granted, there are quite a few, but they're very well done, easy to watch, and you CAN skip them if you've seen them already!
MGS2 isn't as good as the first one... it's not quite as clever. But it's still the best game on the PlayStation 2, without a doubt!
_______________________________________________________
Hype is just another factor in the industry. It's in all industries. It's found in the movie industry, the music industry. The best thing to do is ignore it, and the best thing to combat it, is to just wait until a game comes out... and then play it.
I personally don't mind hype... because even if the game turns out crap, it's still been quite exciting talking about it and looking at video-clips from the past 7 months!
Perception Vs Knowledge - anyone actually read my topics?!
Hype. It’s only a small word four letters long, but its meaning and effect have astronomical influences in the world of video games.
Have you ever waited a long time for a game to be released, being sucked in by the hype, only for it to come out and turn out either bad or just not as good as you thought it might be?
Can too much anticipation and/or hype put too much pressure on a game to be good but we end up disappointed if the final product is not perfect?
We’ve all been sucked in by hype at some point over the years, some more than others (i.e the people who keep buying FIFA games every six months because “the adverts look cool”, even though the footage in the ads is taken from a high-end super computer.)
Video games are a massive industry now, games companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft hire huge PR agencies and advertising companies to sell a game or console, and hype is one of the main weapons in their armoury. Newspapers are full of adverts, many different magazines have game adverts and there are the television ads (most featuring no in-game footage).
In fact, I think that many video game companies now seem to present themselves similarly to political parties. They create lots of hype, publicity and excitement about their consoles by stating, “we have the best games”, “our machine offers a unique gaming experience”, “our system is the most powerful console ever made”, “games will never be the same”, “this console will redefine the way you think about videogames”, "blah blah blah" etc. When actually, most games on next-gen systems are ports or updates. Nowadays it’s hard to avoid all the hype that accompanies the launch of a new super console.
Games firms hype up their consoles whilst putting down rival companies efforts by shouting down each other’s sales figures and creating a lot of ‘spin’ to hype up their console and how it performed at launch. Nintendo say they broke a record for launch day sales, then Microsoft deny that Nintendo had beaten them, Sony throw in their two cents, and so the merry-go-round continues.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a prime example of a hyped up game. Did it live up to the hype and people’s expectations?
There’s no denying that it is a truly awesome title, one of the best ever, that really excels in most departments, like graphics, sound, playability, atmosphere, storyline etc, though it was slightly let down by the frequent cut-scenes and relatively short length, but was it as perfect as we had hoped? Was it better than the original? To me it wasn’t as good as the original, the baddies weren’t as cool and the level locations weren’t as good and it just lacked that special something that the original managed to achieve. (Maybe because you didn’t play Snake for long enough was the main downer with MGS2.) I think that the hype and expectation did affect it, as we expected the game to be PERFECT, when in actual fact it was only nearly perfect.
I looked forward to Perfect Dark for years, it was hyped up and my expectations were enormous, but when it finally arrived I was left wondering whether it was better than GoldenEye. I didn’t think it was.
But after the gaming perfection that was GoldenEye, could it have ever lived up to hype?
Daikatana was in development for what seemed like a lifetime and was supposed to be the first person shooter to beat them all, and the next id classic after Doom & Quake. When it came out it turned out to be a stinker and a great disappointment to many FPS fans who were really excited about it.
The same idea about hype also applies to films.
The recent ‘re-imagining’ of Planet of the Apes was going to be ‘Arnie v the apes’.
The script went into development hell until Tim Burton picked it up and turned it into his own twisted vision minus the Arnie factor. It turned out all wrong, with both fans of the original and critics ending up disappointed.
But could it have ever been better than the amazing original? No. Was it hyped too much? Yes.
The big one was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
In the long wait between Return of the Jedi & Episode 1, my brother and I must have spent hour upon hour talking about what characters, plot, weapons, ships etc could be in the new one.
Every Star Wars fan ended up feeling that many elements were missing.
It could never have lived up to the hype and expectation thrust upon itby us nerds, because in every Star Wars fans mind there were hundreds of great hopes and ideas for the new one. No characters could be better than the Han & Chewie partnership.
Now we’ve got all the Episode 2 hype to enjoy, but I think this one looks pretty darn good, so it should hopefully live up to that hype.
Of course, not all highly anticipated and hyped games and films end up in disappointment.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Lord of the Rings equalled, or even exceeded our high expectations and prove that sometimes a long wait may be worth it, and lots of hype is justified with a good end product.
If you remember back a few years when Tab Clear was around. Clear Coke was meant to be a revelation, but it didn’t last, as competition was too strong in the fizzy drinks industry, and the fizz went flat as people weren’t taken in by flashy hype for a naff product.
Look at all the hype and advertising for ITV Digital with ‘Monkey’ and Johnny ‘Five Chins’ Vegas. Loads of hype, but the product is now dead.
No doubt that in a few months time our TV screens and magazine pages will be full of adverts for the new Harry Potter & Tomb Raider games, and people will be sucked in to buying poor games. (Though hopefully the new Tomb Raider will be a nice fresh adventure rather than the usual old game)
Do high expectations and excess hype eventually lead to disappointment if the product isn’t perfect?
Were there any games you had high expectations for but ended up being a slight disappointment, or did some hyped-up games actually measure up to your hopes?
Have you ever waited a long time for a game to be released, being sucked in by the hype, only for it to come out and turn out either bad or just not as good as you thought it might be?
Can too much anticipation and/or hype put too much pressure on a game to be good but we end up disappointed if the final product is not perfect?
We’ve all been sucked in by hype at some point over the years, some more than others (i.e the people who keep buying FIFA games every six months because “the adverts look cool”, even though the footage in the ads is taken from a high-end super computer.)
Video games are a massive industry now, games companies such as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft hire huge PR agencies and advertising companies to sell a game or console, and hype is one of the main weapons in their armoury. Newspapers are full of adverts, many different magazines have game adverts and there are the television ads (most featuring no in-game footage).
In fact, I think that many video game companies now seem to present themselves similarly to political parties. They create lots of hype, publicity and excitement about their consoles by stating, “we have the best games”, “our machine offers a unique gaming experience”, “our system is the most powerful console ever made”, “games will never be the same”, “this console will redefine the way you think about videogames”, "blah blah blah" etc. When actually, most games on next-gen systems are ports or updates. Nowadays it’s hard to avoid all the hype that accompanies the launch of a new super console.
Games firms hype up their consoles whilst putting down rival companies efforts by shouting down each other’s sales figures and creating a lot of ‘spin’ to hype up their console and how it performed at launch. Nintendo say they broke a record for launch day sales, then Microsoft deny that Nintendo had beaten them, Sony throw in their two cents, and so the merry-go-round continues.
Metal Gear Solid 2 is a prime example of a hyped up game. Did it live up to the hype and people’s expectations?
There’s no denying that it is a truly awesome title, one of the best ever, that really excels in most departments, like graphics, sound, playability, atmosphere, storyline etc, though it was slightly let down by the frequent cut-scenes and relatively short length, but was it as perfect as we had hoped? Was it better than the original? To me it wasn’t as good as the original, the baddies weren’t as cool and the level locations weren’t as good and it just lacked that special something that the original managed to achieve. (Maybe because you didn’t play Snake for long enough was the main downer with MGS2.) I think that the hype and expectation did affect it, as we expected the game to be PERFECT, when in actual fact it was only nearly perfect.
I looked forward to Perfect Dark for years, it was hyped up and my expectations were enormous, but when it finally arrived I was left wondering whether it was better than GoldenEye. I didn’t think it was.
But after the gaming perfection that was GoldenEye, could it have ever lived up to hype?
Daikatana was in development for what seemed like a lifetime and was supposed to be the first person shooter to beat them all, and the next id classic after Doom & Quake. When it came out it turned out to be a stinker and a great disappointment to many FPS fans who were really excited about it.
The same idea about hype also applies to films.
The recent ‘re-imagining’ of Planet of the Apes was going to be ‘Arnie v the apes’.
The script went into development hell until Tim Burton picked it up and turned it into his own twisted vision minus the Arnie factor. It turned out all wrong, with both fans of the original and critics ending up disappointed.
But could it have ever been better than the amazing original? No. Was it hyped too much? Yes.
The big one was Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace.
In the long wait between Return of the Jedi & Episode 1, my brother and I must have spent hour upon hour talking about what characters, plot, weapons, ships etc could be in the new one.
Every Star Wars fan ended up feeling that many elements were missing.
It could never have lived up to the hype and expectation thrust upon itby us nerds, because in every Star Wars fans mind there were hundreds of great hopes and ideas for the new one. No characters could be better than the Han & Chewie partnership.
Now we’ve got all the Episode 2 hype to enjoy, but I think this one looks pretty darn good, so it should hopefully live up to that hype.
Of course, not all highly anticipated and hyped games and films end up in disappointment.
Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Lord of the Rings equalled, or even exceeded our high expectations and prove that sometimes a long wait may be worth it, and lots of hype is justified with a good end product.
If you remember back a few years when Tab Clear was around. Clear Coke was meant to be a revelation, but it didn’t last, as competition was too strong in the fizzy drinks industry, and the fizz went flat as people weren’t taken in by flashy hype for a naff product.
Look at all the hype and advertising for ITV Digital with ‘Monkey’ and Johnny ‘Five Chins’ Vegas. Loads of hype, but the product is now dead.
No doubt that in a few months time our TV screens and magazine pages will be full of adverts for the new Harry Potter & Tomb Raider games, and people will be sucked in to buying poor games. (Though hopefully the new Tomb Raider will be a nice fresh adventure rather than the usual old game)
Do high expectations and excess hype eventually lead to disappointment if the product isn’t perfect?
Were there any games you had high expectations for but ended up being a slight disappointment, or did some hyped-up games actually measure up to your hopes?