Are games too overhyped?

[CM30]

In general?

Because based on a few recent examples (Mighty No 9, No Man's Sky, etc), it seems like an awful lot of games are now being super hyped up but never quite manage to live up to it.

Meanwhile, games with far lower expectations and quiet launches (like say, Minecraft) do well, because they're not promising the world and delivering nothing.

But what do you think? Are a lot of games too overhyped now? Would it be better if they stopped trying to advertise various new games as if they were the second coming or something?

 

[main_gi]

Right, this is one of the problems now. I used to get a lot of games but that has now drastically slowed because of so many games that don't even hit the 7/10 mark, not even just because they are overhyped, which they are. In fact, a lot of these games were released without much but they were still kinda disappointing. And all these games were by people I looked forward to for their games because they made good ones before.

I'll give some examples. Obviously, opinions, but as for the second game it's not like I've even found a proper counter one.

TIS-100 - You'd think if a game is released by a game developer that's known for producing a good title before (SpaceChem/Infinifactory) it would at least be a good game. Interesting premise but it ends up being very standard for games, even with the new functions, it doesn't fit the plot I was given and the expectations I had (you don't "fix" anything, while there are depths in the gameplay's optimization that come from ingenuity as always, the mechanics themselves have depth that fizzles out at 'JRO'). It's weaker than their other games - while I wouldn't wish for a refund like the other two, this game was definitely an example of quantity over quality.
The Beginner's Guide - Interesting premise (again), but so poorly executed. You'd think if a game is released by a game developer that's known for producing a good title before (The Stanley Parable) it would at least be a good game. It starts as an interesting, if weak, peek at game development but then at the end, plays the whole thing to another genre in a sense that completely broke my immersion. To this day I have no idea why people like it.
Human Resource Machine - The last straw, basically. You'd think if a game is released by a game developer that's known for producing a good title before (World of Goo) it would at least be a good game. Well, this was the most uninspired by-the-book game ever and I wish I could return it. Doing actual programming is less tedious than playing this game, and the story's interesting premise (get the pattern?) makes it look like it leads somewhere early on, but it ends up not mattering at all.

Even though the expectations were little because they were launched quietly (well, I guess they weren't if you count good word of mouth as that), they'd still be poor buys.

 

[IntoxNitram]

Seems to be that the audience expects the unrealistic. Also doesn't help that developers show games off way too early - so they don't exactly know whats possible and what needs to be compromised on, which makes the game look far better than it turns out to be after optimization.

 

[WitchAssassin]

I think there are some games that are over hyped. To be honest, when a game is over hyped, it's actually more likely to get on my nerves and turn me off of a game when that happens. I'm more likely to not purchase a game if they annoy me with too many commercials about it or whatever.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Thing is, don't developers make games over hyped or is that just fan reaction? Either way pay attention to more than one review of the game, all reviews will make the glaring issues obvious.

 

[Ash]

The problem with these games is that the marketing teams create unrealistic images/videos of these games to increase sales. The problem with this is that is creates unrealistic expectations amongst gamers because sometimes the content in trailer doesn't look anything like what it looks like in the game. That's why I love trailers that have been created using the game because they have much less made up crap in it. No Man's Sky is the biggest example, their marketing and advertising was on point but the game just wasn't what everyone was looking for.

 

[WitchAssassin]

Thing is, don't developers make games over hyped or is that just fan reaction? Either way pay attention to more than one review of the game, all reviews will make the glaring issues obvious.

I think the developers make games over hyped but that's my personal opinion. The fans overreact to it because the games are way too hyped by the developers. It's one thing stringing the other along.

 

[Zyni]

I think so. That's what they do to sell games now. It happens with a lot of products. They start hyping early and often, never knowing what might not work or which features might cost too many resources to include. Then, they cut stuff, and people are unhappy. This is especially true when players have pre-ordered.

I say stop giving them money in advance. See if a game lives up to the hype first (or at least comes close enough to make you reasonably happy with it).

 

[WitchAssassin]

I think so. That's what they do to sell games now. It happens with a lot of products. They start hyping early and often, never knowing what might not work or which features might cost too many resources to include. Then, they cut stuff, and people are unhappy. This is especially true when players have pre-ordered.

I say stop giving them money in advance. See if a game lives up to the hype first (or at least comes close enough to make you reasonably happy with it).

I agree with you there. Don't give them money in advance. See if the game is going to be any good first before you start expecting too much from it.

 

[Denis_P]

I think that while there might be some games that end up being overhyped, I feel like after the last debacle with No Man's Sky, the internet seems to have learned a lesson about overhyping games and false promises.

I frequent the gaming subreddit on Reddit, and I've noticed a distinct lack of hype for any video game after the downfall of No Man's Sky. It's like the internet got burned and learned a lesson. But then again the internet also seems to have a short attention span so I'm sure a game will come along one day that people go ape for again.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

I think game devs become lax when they get a successful franchise into mainstream appeal. Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, I'm a fan but I know Fallout is right there as well. Their last game was horrendous; it was just one radiant quest after another to basically generic dungeons with the loot chest at the end containing the McGuffin item that the generic quest giver wanted to obtain. Games like these just ride on their predecessor's coattails, meaning they can do a subpar job at it and still have fans from older games buy it, for the sake of loyalty and curiosity as to what will happen in the story.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

I think that while there might be some games that end up being overhyped, I feel like after the last debacle with No Man's Sky, the internet seems to have learned a lesson about overhyping games and false promises.

I frequent the gaming subreddit on Reddit, and I've noticed a distinct lack of hype for any video game after the downfall of No Man's Sky. It's like the internet got burned and learned a lesson. But then again the internet also seems to have a short attention span so I'm sure a game will come along one day that people go ape for again.

No Man's Sky was utter cow manure. The best thing about this game, and I'm quoting here a Steam user, is that the refund button works. I remember all this hype about it, how it will save the year for gaming, and then boom. It was an empty promise filled with filler, hoping the gamers won't mind. It was horrendous. You know what didn't get that much hype? Witcher 3. It delivered one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had; from story, to graphics, to the overall adventure tone of the game. The devs gave 2 DLCs, both introduced new and large areas to explore, while giving away mini DLCs like skins and quests for FREE. Other companies would make you pay for all those items, and would under-deliver in the end.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

The problem with these games is that the marketing teams create unrealistic images/videos of these games to increase sales. The problem with this is that is creates unrealistic expectations amongst gamers because sometimes the content in trailer doesn't look anything like what it looks like in the game. That's why I love trailers that have been created using the game because they have much less made up crap in it. No Man's Sky is the biggest example, their marketing and advertising was on point but the game just wasn't what everyone was looking for.

I remember seeing comparison shots of games from their E3 debut and the actual game screenshot. Literally night and day difference, so of course gamers expect high when the presentation in these events promise a lot of things that they will not deliver - or worse, they deliver, but at the cost of a Day 1 DLC or microtransactions in the future. It's pathetic, really, that all they see from the audience are a bunch of wallets and money clips, and not fans of their franchises that would actually be loyal and willing to pay any amount, as long as they delivered with the quality of their games.

 

[Denis_P]

No Man's Sky was utter cow manure. The best thing about this game, and I'm quoting here a Steam user, is that the refund button works. I remember all this hype about it, how it will save the year for gaming, and then boom. It was an empty promise filled with filler, hoping the gamers won't mind. It was horrendous. You know what didn't get that much hype? Witcher 3. It delivered one of the best gaming experiences I have ever had; from story, to graphics, to the overall adventure tone of the game. The devs gave 2 DLCs, both introduced new and large areas to explore, while giving away mini DLCs like skins and quests for FREE. Other companies would make you pay for all those items, and would under-deliver in the end.

At the risk of sounding like the know-it-all, "I told you so" type of person, I knew that the game was going to be either a complete failure or just a generally mediocre experience. I'm generally not a pessimistic or cynical person, but with the amount of grandiose promises that the developers were dishing out for that game, I knew it wasn't all going to be possible. The claims they were making were comparable to Elon Musk announcing today that we're sending humans to Mars next year. I found myself thinking, "You must have gotten some sort of alien technology over night because there is no way that is technically possible unless you've made some revolutionary engine. And they don't seem like a developer capable of that."

I do agree that Witcher 3 was amazing, and CD Project RED are a fantastic company. Let's hope it stays that way.

 

[WitchAssassin]

I've always picked games based on whether or not I've enjoyed them. I've never picked games that the companies tried to "push" onto people by consistently showing commercials for their products to the point that people think they have to have that game.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

I've always picked games based on whether or not I've enjoyed them. I've never picked games that the companies tried to "push" onto people by consistently showing commercials for their products to the point that people think they have to have that game.

You have no idea how much media can affect you. When everyone keeps raving about how good it is, you'll have no choice but to check it out. Sometimes they're right, sometimes they're just following the trend. Usually in the latter case, it's going to be a short lived game. For games that have hype AND is great, it will live on years after it got released and after its DLCs and updates have stopped. Case and point: Skyrim.

 

[Makefort]

Hype isn't necessarily a bad thing, but nowadays, too many companies use the hype and "fake" trailers to get the hype train going. When you get the game, its filled with bugs, the graphics are nowhere near the trailer (even the gameplay videos).

No man sky was a great example of why people should not go with the hype and even worse, pre-order it. NMS was working hard after all the hate they got to add more to the game, but the things they have promised will probably never be realized.

As for hype, I seriously hate to see teasers for the game series I love but the release date is years away. Just don't do it. It is evil lol

 

[PenguinManiac]

Hey, that's marketing for you. I think that this whole trend of blowing expectations out of proportion was cause by the developers themselves: just have a look at how much E3 has changed during the years. When games had little to show off besides gameplay, demos and videos of the actual game dominated press kits and advertising (they also had their fair dose of misguiding material, but they didn't have access to our same means).
Nowadays, most presentations don't even show games. It's all about trailers. They leave it all up to our imagination to make hypothesis about the game, and, in the meanwhile, they provide us with material that can only boost our hopes.
We have grown used to this without even realizing it. We hype ourselves over freshly announced games solely over their outer shell, and we often lose track of rationality. We trust promises that we know can't be real, and No Man's Sky is living proof of it.
Another factor at play here is nostalgia: those same expectations we feed are fueled by our previous experiences with the series (which is fine, to a certain extent). And when it gets out of hand, that's when things like Mighty No.9 happen. The game got 4 million dollars (if not more, I don't remember the exact numbers) during its Kickstarter campaign, even though all we had was an artwork and a concept. But hey, that's Inafune, and Mega Man was great, so this will totally be an amazing game, right?...Yeah, sure.

Hype for games is natural, because humans themselves live off hopes and dreams. I don't think this is just a trend that will die disappointment after disappointment: it's radicated into the videogame market itself.

 

[Makefort]

Hype for games is natural, because humans themselves live off hopes and dreams. I don't think this is just a trend that will die disappointment after disappointment: it's radicated into the videogame market itself.

Well, I think this is one sentence that pretty much sums it all up. Although, in most cases our hopes and dreams are crushed. Rushed projects. Terrible. How can you release a solid game if you schedule has at least 1 release per year. Its impossible unless you're gonna use the same assets all the time and just change the story, characters and the map a tad bit.

 

[OursIsTheFury]

Well, I think this is one sentence that pretty much sums it all up. Although, in most cases our hopes and dreams are crushed. Rushed projects. Terrible. How can you release a solid game if you schedule has at least 1 release per year. Its impossible unless you're gonna use the same assets all the time and just change the story, characters and the map a tad bit.

Or the devs can blatantly lie on their trailers to make the game look more interesting than it actually is, and they also can show "gameplay footage" that would eventually look nothing like their final game. It's all about hype so people would buy it at release, or even get some people hooked for the preorder package that are immediately set up after a big showcase like E3.