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Buying on a whim - The curse of hype
Track Nine
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Registered User regular
Damn the hype..
Recently I've been plagued with the not unfamiliar urge to buy a game based solely on the hype surrounding it's release. So bad was the urge that, even though I knew I wouldn't necessarily like the game and hadn't liked it's predecessors, at one point I was seriously considering buying a 360 just to play this game.
The game in question was GTA4 and this urge to spend stupidly just to play a single game was, on hindsight, the product of the sheer hype and palaver surrounding it's release. I knew I wouldn't necessarily like it, and that it was in no way buying a console for, and yet the sheer hype and seemingly perfect reviews for it managed to get me anyway.
Now, I'm not saying that game hype is a new phenomenon but it struck me that it is a driving force behind many a purchase and often catches even the most restrained of gamers from time to time. I've been suckered by hype in the past and have bought something convinced it would be more than I knew it could be, blinded by the hype and seemingly oblivious to the folly of my purchase.
So, how big a factor has and does hype play in your gaming purchases and what do you do to avoid/fight it? Likewise, what games have you bought on the crest of hype only to regret it later?
In the case of GTA4 mentioned above, I eventually had to take to getting a hold of a copy of San Andreas to remind myself what I didn't like about the series. Now I'm not saying GTA is bad, but sure enough an hour of SA's cardboard world let the rational side of my mind kick back in until time enough had passed for the more honest views of GTA4 to start emerging.
That's pretty much my defence - reviews and press these days are seriously skewed when it comes to hyped releases, so much so that you'll be hard pressed to find any honest critique. I've found the only way to truly measure whether a game is worth it's hype is to hold out a week or two and see what the post-hype views that emerge have to say.
Recently I've been plagued with the not unfamiliar urge to buy a game based solely on the hype surrounding it's release. So bad was the urge that, even though I knew I wouldn't necessarily like the game and hadn't liked it's predecessors, at one point I was seriously considering buying a 360 just to play this game.
The game in question was GTA4 and this urge to spend stupidly just to play a single game was, on hindsight, the product of the sheer hype and palaver surrounding it's release. I knew I wouldn't necessarily like it, and that it was in no way buying a console for, and yet the sheer hype and seemingly perfect reviews for it managed to get me anyway.
Now, I'm not saying that game hype is a new phenomenon but it struck me that it is a driving force behind many a purchase and often catches even the most restrained of gamers from time to time. I've been suckered by hype in the past and have bought something convinced it would be more than I knew it could be, blinded by the hype and seemingly oblivious to the folly of my purchase.
So, how big a factor has and does hype play in your gaming purchases and what do you do to avoid/fight it? Likewise, what games have you bought on the crest of hype only to regret it later?
In the case of GTA4 mentioned above, I eventually had to take to getting a hold of a copy of San Andreas to remind myself what I didn't like about the series. Now I'm not saying GTA is bad, but sure enough an hour of SA's cardboard world let the rational side of my mind kick back in until time enough had passed for the more honest views of GTA4 to start emerging.
That's pretty much my defence - reviews and press these days are seriously skewed when it comes to hyped releases, so much so that you'll be hard pressed to find any honest critique. I've found the only way to truly measure whether a game is worth it's hype is to hold out a week or two and see what the post-hype views that emerge have to say.
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For GTAIV, the hype did nothing for me - I know it's not my thing, it's never been, so I just ignored it. When people started raving about 'It's A Wonderful World', it was something I'd never seen before, so I started paying attention (and it paid off in spades.)
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Isn't the game called "The World Ends With You"?
Also, the hype about GTA4 is 100% accurate, if you're a fan of the GTA series. As the OP stated, the GTA games aren't his bag of chips, so naturally the game isn't going to live up to the hype. However, I am a fan, and the game did live up to the hype.
XBL - Follow Freeman
Platinum FC: 2880 3245 5111
Wii U NNID: MegaSpooky
I played through it once, tried to start a second playthrough and then realised I hated it. I know loads of people love it, but I found it to be unpolished and lacking in fun.
At least I have that stupid coin.
I think the one game I really regret buying for the hype was Oblivion. I'm a huge fan of RPGs and big world styled game. Everything in Oblivion interests me. But I start playing and I can't wait to get out of a situation so I can save and exit the game. I can't figure out what it is and every time I mention this tale to someone, they immediately think I'm bullshitting. So the game sits there on my shelf, $60 game that I haven't played for more than 2 hours.
Hype also got me to buy GTAIV on the 360. In this instance, I love hype.
But you know what, I didn't know jack about Persona 3, saw it budget priced a couple weeks ago, and I picked it up. I ended up liking that game. Games like that probably account for the 1 time out of 10.
The only hype that matters to me is hype from other like-minded gamers. If I hear a ton of buzz about a game on this board, before or after its release, then I consider buying it.
I bought The World Ends With You on release day because of hype from this board, and I don't regret it.
Hype purchased regrets for me are aplenty though, thanks to these forums, they include:
contact
StarFox adventures
Oblivion (I love it and still play it but it was way over hyped)
Disgaea
What I do to overcome the hype is just play one game at a time I'm working on, or if the game is a sequel or something I'll play an earlier game in the series. Right now I started a new game of GTAIII and it should keep me occupied at least until the PS3 that I want comes back out.
Similar for me. I've never really been able to get into a GTA game, so for me it's just been looking at it from the outside. I'm sure it's a fun game for other people but it's not really my thing.
On the other side of the spectrum not too many people would get excited about a new Company of Heroes expansion or something but it's something that I can get in on.
In general though, I don't think hype really affects me as much as it used to. I can get interested in a game pre-release, but as far as I can tell it doesn't generally lead me to buy a game over my better judgement if the game comes out and turns out to be bad.
I think it might be because I was burned when Tibrium Sun came out. For the months leading up to its release I was absorbing everything possible about that game, I was crazy stoked for it. Then it came out and... meh. Loads of promises unfulfilled, generic gameplay and just wasn't fun to play.
There was hype for StarFox Adventures?
What an awful game.
What else... GTA:SA, though I liked that one. Shadow of the Colossus, which was a great decision. And I guess MGS3.
Oh and GTA4. I'm still kinda on the fence about it...
Do... Re... Mi... So... Fa.... Do... Re.... Do...
Forget it...
Granted, the forum can be a good measure but it's just as prone to early hype as anything else. Check the early pages on a topic for a major release game and you'll not see much criticism and a whole lot of "OMG awesome" and problems overlooked or quickly dismissed when they're raised. The issue being, posters on this board get caught up in hype too and a certain degree of hype revelry occurs in the threads for said games, thus adding to the hype until rationality slips in a few days later.
I'm not saying it's a bad resource and it's one that's more trustworthy than commercial sources of opinion - but it is still very prone to the hype curse. It's useful - invaluable even - but only after a few days when the hype love-in has passed.
What a godawful waste of money.
Same boat here, hype got me to throwdown for Oblivion, and I failed to get into it at all. It just felt like a big cavernous empty mmorpg. Graphically stunning though, for sure. Never the less, I do try my best to avoid hype induced purchases, it is often difficult. It has taken all my might to resist purchasing gta4, i know it isnt my style of game and yet the marketing and hype is so persuasive.
Gamefly goes a long way to help that.
Gamjee's Random Rambling @ FriendFeed
Back then it was "Star fox Adventures will be the next best thing until we get Zelda!" (Gamecube didn't get windwaker for a while) and alot of us fell into that trap.
What a perfect example of why you have to make your own decisions Okami is a phenomenal game, but obviously not for this dude.
Same magot.
I bought Starfox Command based on the hype and praise for it's off the rails style.. bollocks. First game I've actually wanted to sell in years.
The Wii.
Bought launch, had fun with it for a couple of moments and then went back to my 360. Not saying it's a crappy system, just not for me.
I quite literally salivate at the thought of a Shadow of the Colossus game in 1080p. <mmmmmmmmm> Anyone know if anything like that has been announced?
Gamjee's Random Rambling @ FriendFeed
Ah, I guess I fell into that trap as well.
God that game was so bad.
Team Ico is making the 3rd Ico game for the PS3. Thats as much as we know.
I just can't get into the mood, or the atmosphere, or the fact that I can't have a decent conversation with someone without the word 'titties' being involved.
Lost Planet: I didn't hate it, and I kept telling myself I liked it after bought it, but then I realized I didn't want to keep playing it.
Call of Duty 3: It's Call of Duty, right? Everyone loves the series, how can I go wrong listening to the hype. Except back then, I didn't know Treyarch, makers of the sucktastic games that weren't Call of Duty or Call of Duty 2, were making it. At least it made CoD4 that much more amazing.
Zelda: Twilight Princess: Honestly, I probably need to play more of this, since I've only played a very small amount of it. I just can't bring myself to play it again, for no other reason than I think I just find Zelda games dull now, or something. Maybe I'll convince myself to give it a retry.
Super Paper Mario: I don't know. I liked older Paper Marios, but I just thought this one was boring. I think the switch to platforming did it for me, that and the platforming seemed way simpler than the average Mario title.
The Wii itself: To this day, I still can't understand the massive appeal of the Wii. The amount of time I spend on it versus my 360 is light night and day. I don't regret buying it, since I did like Brawl, Mario Kart, and Galaxy, but I just can't understand how the thing is still in short supply.
On the flip side, the hype-train got me to buy GTA IV instead of renting it. And I'm glad it did, because the game is the best thing since...peanut butter?
|Xbox Live Tag: Omeks
|PSN Tag: Omeks_R7
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Maybe I have no soul, but I don't feel like I'd ever want to experience it again.
Epic battles, but when all's said and done, it's a depressing game.
I wind up getting games with Atlus on the cover way more often than not, even if there's no hype(usually the case).
Haha, that's true as well. Niko is a good protagonist though, I really like him. I just... Don't like anything else about the game.
(Except flying out the windshield if you're going 80 and hit a railing... That's awesome).
You sir shall be smote. I'd start ducking.
I've got to say that gamer hype is almost more dangerous then stupid publisher hype. I think most people can ignore a media blitz for a game if they really really try. But if all of the "experts" and people whose opinion you can sometimes trust (I'm looking at you G&T) tell you something's awesome and then you get it and it sucks, then it hurts twice as bad.
RE4 is a great example of this, people kept talking about this shining paragon of gaming goodness, then I got it and just couldn't get into it. It was gorgeous, it was lovely, I didn't enjoy it. Also, Ico. I've heard all of the arguments and bottom line for me is, it's slow and hard to play. It was pretty, but that's about it.
Edit: I'm adding Shadow of the Colossus to this list as well. It was completely thrilling the first time, but didn't have any staying power.