More hype = More enjoyable Experience?

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Littlefields

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A while ago I finished playing through Rainbow Six: Vegas. (Original release date: Nov 2006) Although I admit that it was fun, I felt that something was missing. I sat there on my chair thinking; why did I not enjoy it as much as I wanted it to? I'm pretty sure it was not the gameplay because I felt that that the gameplay was more enjoyable than all my other games. I started to think about hype, popularity, release dates. I compared RS:V to titles I enjoyed playing through more. For example: Halo 3, COD4.

Could it have been the hype that made me enjoy the other titles more? Now the original release of RS:V was almost 2 years ago. There was literally no talk of RS:V anywhere, when I played it. This bugged me through the whole night. Could this be true? Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently?

I realize that not everyone may feel this way, and please try to understand that I am not generalizing gamers as a whole.

I soon realized that this "theory" of mine may be very true. Some other games I played that did not necessarily have hype around the time i played would demonstrate to me that it was indeed true. (Ex. Gears, COD2, GTA:SA) Some games such as Gears of War just plain old disappointed me. Now my game library is not large at all, but I don't see why this could effect my view of certain games.

Games such as Halo 3 really drew a crowd due to the amount of hype. And I think critics really gave more good criticism than it really deserved. I like the game very much, I still play it very often, but Halo 3 is a great example of what I'm talking about here.

Most importantly, I would like your inputs about this topic. I did not intend to offend anyone and I am not looking to debate. I simply want other's thoughts about this.

So do we really prefer presentation over content?
 
Actually, for me personally, it's the opposite. If a game gets hyped to death, that game better be one of the best damn games I've ever played, because if it's not, I'll be disappointed in it. Of course, I tend to flock to things most people hate (Jaguar, 3DO, THPS series, etc.), so I may not have a normal opinion about this. :lol:
 
I'm the same way as you OP. I think hype makes games more enjoyable. Except for Assassin's Creed. I was so hyped up for that game and it was a huge disappointment me to.

GTA 4 is my next super hyped game and i'm sure it won't be bad :D

EDIT:

You Said:
"Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently? "

I enjoy games when they first come out because usually the Graphics are top notch and the Gameplay is new and different. After 2 years a game ages graphics and gameplay wise. Graphics might not be as visually awing compared to current games and the gameplay may have become stale and have a been there done that feel to it.
 
[quote name='Littlefields']Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently? [/quote]

I think it may be true to an extent. I think the Halo 3 launch was more a 'social' event than about buying the game itself. Standing in line for hours made those people feel like they were apart of something special.

Buying a high profile game around release day has a certain exclusivity to it. It's something that everybody is talking about, but not everyone has played. Hype can be a bad thing though (it usually is). It sucks when that "AAA title" is a dud, and all of those raving previews don't mean anything when the final product is mediocre.
 
[quote name='facemeat']Actually, for me personally, it's the opposite. If a game gets hyped to death, that game better be one of the best damn games I've ever played, because if it's not, I'll be disappointed in it. Of course, I tend to flock to things most people hate (Jaguar, 3DO, THPS series, etc.), so I may not have a normal opinion about this. :lol:[/quote]

Agreed.

Don't really know how to explain it though..
 
[quote name='facemeat']Actually, for me personally, it's the opposite. If a game gets hyped to death, that game better be one of the best damn games I've ever played[/quote]

This but I still thoroughly enjoy hyped games too
 
Definitely don't like to listen to the hype because it ruins it for me (unless of course it's a good game).

Example: I thought halo 3 was going to be the 2nd coming of god but because of all the hype, I put it in, played 20 minutes, thought it was the worst game I'd ever played. I later realized it's a decent to average (at best) fps that relies heavily on bashing people with the butt of your weapon.

Fable is an example more people will probably agree with or even Kane and Lynch.
 
Hype really has no impact IMO. You probably enjoyed Halo3 and CoD4 more as they were more your type of shooter than Vegas. I like both more as well, and not because of hype. I just like how they play more.

And I agree with the others. If anything, hype is a negative as it raises your expectations for the game and thus it's hard to be surprised and easy to be dissapointed.
 
I enjoy games "I" am hyped about often. I mean, a game that is hyped for me with it's ads and TV spots and countless articles looks like something that is trying to get more than it deserves in terms of both attention and later on; sales. But that does not make the game bad, just saying.

If I am hyped about a game and I go out and actively look things up about it, that will most likely make me enjoy it a bit more. This is contrary to being force fed hype.
 
I don't pay attention to hype; I look at the developers' past games, the details released, and if those entice me I'll check out gameplay videos and previews.

But then, most of the over-hyped games come out for the 360 or PS3, and it's looking less and less likely that I'll ever want to invest in either of those.
 
Depends. If I'm hyped for it, definitely. If everyone else but me is hyped for it, it almost always ends in disappointment. See: LoZ:OoT.
 
Hype hasn't really made me enjoy games any more, but they have made me want to finish them. I was really getting tired of BioShock and Assassin's Creed after a few hours in each of them. But everyone kept making them out to be games you HAVE to finish, so I did.
 
[quote name='Littlefields']Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently?[/quote]
i think we do. going back to gaming mags, i think when a game is covered/featured in more than 2 or 3 gaming mags we tend to focus our attention to that specific title. these days theres way too many places to get info on the hottest games. but unlike gaming mags, the blogs and trailer websites stands out because they show previews of the games. gameplay footage and storyline is what sells a game. if you have 1 you might not have the other. youre lucky to get both these days (ie. bioshock, mass effect, uncharted, etc).

[quote name='Littlefields']
So do we really prefer presentation over content?[/quote]
for me, not really. i will not buy or play a new game without seeing a gameplay footage. or if theres no demo at all. it was harder to get demos before, now its so much easier with the 360, Ps3, & PSP.

[quote name='RelentlessRolento']hype 90% of the time kills it for me.[/quote]
i agree with you. its better to be safe than sorry. i didnt buy uncharted when it came out. but i played the demo days after its released. i liked it, so i bought it.
 
[quote name='Malik112099']Hype killed Halo 3.[/quote]
well the game sold 2.4 million copies in day one. the hype didn't kill the game since it sold that many. second opinions probably did for the rest of the world that didnt buy it like myself.
 
[quote name='Littlefields']Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently?
So do we really prefer presentation over content?[/quote]
i think we do. going back to gaming mags, i think when a game is covered/featured in more than 2 or 3 gaming mags we tend to focus our attention to that specific title. these days theres way too many places to get info on the hottest games. but unlike gaming mags, the blogs and trailer websites stands out because they show previews of the games. gameplay footage and storyline is what sells a game. if you have 1 you might not have the other. youre lucky to get both these days (ie. bioshock, mass effect, uncharted, etc).
[quote name='Littlefields']
So do we really prefer presentation over content?[/quote]for me, not really. i will not buy or play a new game without seeing a gameplay footage. or if theres no demo at all. it was harder to get demos before, now its so much easier with the 360, Ps3, & PSP.
[quote name='RelentlessRolento']hype 90% of the time kills it for me.[/quote]i agree with you. its better to be safe than sorry. i didnt buy uncharted when it came out. but i played the demo days after its released. i liked it, so i bought it.
[quote name='Malik112099']Hype killed Halo 3.[/quote]
well the game sold 2.4 million copies in day one. the hype didn't kill the game since it sold that many. second opinions probably did for the rest of the world that didnt buy it like myself.
 
Personally I think your argument is insane and based on non-reality; but really, it is going to be based on the fantasy of you playing the game and imagining experiencing what you're reading about. But when it comes down to it, once you're playing the game in reality, regardless of whatever prefabricated images, experiences, or ideas you've heard, read, or thought about, the game will be what it is and nothing more. If it's really hyped or if you are expecting more based on a past sequels' brilliance, your mind may try to trick you but, ultimately, upon playing through and/or completing (hopefully its good enough to do that), your own real and completely valid opinion should be formed without the aid of others.

Of course, the discrepancies can always lie in how many past games one has played of a particular type (for instance, your first RPG compared to your 14th RPG) but, for some, they have experienced enough. If it's a good game, it's a good game; whether it's a super, amazing game, well, that would depend of the individual's own past experiences and personal likes and dislikes (obviously, but just saying).
 
Chronicles of Riddick was one of my favorite games last generation because it had no hype. I got it for cheap at CompUSA and was amazed by the game when I played it. I wish there was a good game on the 360 that wasn't hyped before it came out.
 
I believe hype has nothing to do with it. I mean Halo 3 was extremely over hyped but I found it boring. I much preferred CoD4 and that was rather over hyped as well. So in my eyes hype has nothing to do with it, and its all about game play.
 
I like hype. Who doesn't like getting excited about something? Do you people not have pulses?

And to counter all the hate, I thought Halo 3 was a great product. It far exceeded my expectations. The theater mode alone was pure genious... I thought Assassin's Creed was good too. Not much replay value, but a great thrill ride for what it was.
 
Some hype is beneficial to the gaming experience. Especially if a game is getting attention after it's released. It's a confirmation that a game is indeed worth looking into. Pre-game news coverage is a good way to pass the time if you're bored....

What really annoys me are the news posts that read something like "WOW, we just saw some screen shots of this really awesome game, but we don't know anything about it... just trust us, it'll be amazing when it comes out !!!" Case in point, Too Human... The game has been in development hell for years... when they showed it off back in 1999 at E3 for the PS1, well, um... yea it wasn't ready. I'm hoping that it will be good when it's released (soon?).

I wish companies wouldn't release information about a game until it's almost finished.
 
I think the OP makes an interesting point. I think there might be a way to prove this out to, not for everyone, but for many players. Just look at those threads, top 5 games of all time. But, just think about your favorite games over the past 10 years (since, I think, in the past 10 years, with the internet and gaming magazines, it'll be easier to quanify the hpe.

I think many games that are on the favorite lists are the hyped games that make it. I know I was personally upber hyped for Oblivion, and it met every one of my expectations (and it's probably my #1 favorite game). Of course, hype works the ohter way too. Final Fantasy X is one of my favorite games, so I was hyped for the sequal X-2, only to be disappointed. It was only in replaying the game years later that I see that it wasn't a bad game, it was just too hyped.

But, I think there is something to it. Hype can definitely add to an experience.
 
For me, the Wii was the last time I decided to get hyped about anything. It turned out to be a piece of shit and not worth waiting in line for.

After a while you come to realize that these are just games and it's not like Jesus is going to pop out of the TV and make everything all right. No matter how fun or how amazing a game is at the end of the day it's just entertainment and so I take it as such.

I seem to be having my most fun with budget games lately or just games that I pay quite a bit less than retail for. It's not so much the thrill of saving cash that I enjoy but when I pay full price for something it's almost as though I'm expecting it to be worth every last penny and if it's not I end up disappointed.
 
Some positive hype sucks. It completely ruined Bioshock for me as I was expecting the greatest game I've ever played with the greatest plot twist in the history of the universe. Instead, all I got was a really good game with only a pretty cool plot twist.

Some negative hype can be good. I was expecting Assassins Creed to jump out of my 360 and kick my in the balls and then steal my dinner and beat my dog. Instead I enjoyed it a lot. I expected a balls ass awful terrible game and instead I got an above average game.

No hype can be fantastic. I hadn't heard that much about Portal and I had no idea what to expect. I was floored by the incredible experience that I never saw coming.
 
[quote name='Littlefields']A while ago I finished playing through Rainbow Six: Vegas. (Original release date: Nov 2006) Although I admit that it was fun, I felt that something was missing. I sat there on my chair thinking; why did I not enjoy it as much as I wanted it to? I'm pretty sure it was not the gameplay because I felt that that the gameplay was more enjoyable than all my other games. I started to think about hype, popularity, release dates. I compared RS:V to titles I enjoyed playing through more. For example: Halo 3, COD4.

Could it have been the hype that made me enjoy the other titles more? Now the original release of RS:V was almost 2 years ago. There was literally no talk of RS:V anywhere, when I played it. This bugged me through the whole night. Could this be true? Do we tend to enjoy games more when it is put out in the media/websites frequently?

I realize that not everyone may feel this way, and please try to understand that I am not generalizing gamers as a whole.

I soon realized that this "theory" of mine may be very true. Some other games I played that did not necessarily have hype around the time i played would demonstrate to me that it was indeed true. (Ex. Gears, COD2, GTA:SA) Some games such as Gears of War just plain old disappointed me. Now my game library is not large at all, but I don't see why this could effect my view of certain games.

Games such as Halo 3 really drew a crowd due to the amount of hype. And I think critics really gave more good criticism than it really deserved. I like the game very much, I still play it very often, but Halo 3 is a great example of what I'm talking about here.

Most importantly, I would like your inputs about this topic. I did not intend to offend anyone and I am not looking to debate. I simply want other's thoughts about this.

So do we really prefer presentation over content?[/quote]

Usually if there is a ridiculous amount of hype around a game, I set my expectations WAY too high and I get disappointed. For example: Assassin's Creed.....

I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more had I not expected it to be the greatest thing.
 
Hype will make for a more enjoyable experience initially, but as you play through the game and the hype dies down [and the novelty] you will see the game for what it really is. If the game isn't good you stop liking it, and if its good then you'll continue to enjoy it.


Robotech Battlecry.. I was so hyped for the game, I love that game, cause I love robotech, but now my self imposed hype for the game is down and it wasn't that great, I can't even go back to enjoy it. I played it I finished it, but once the novelty wore off, I could see the imperfections of the game.


The thing is, enjoy the game for what it is.. I don't expect every game to be perfect. But I just enjoy each game as it is, and as long as it can get the basics right I'll pretty much enjoy it.
 
The only time a hyped game is really any good is when it lives up to the hype. Look at Super Smash Bros. Brawl and you'll notice that the hype actually did make the game better as it was everything it promised to be and more. Then if you grab a game like Halo 3, which is a pretty good game IMO, whch just wasn't the messianic game we made it out to be. They really didn't change much and kept mostly everything the same, thus making the play feel stagnant and boring and alienating already fans of the series.

It's one of those things where if it succeeds, it will be heralded as one of the best games. If it doesn't, then it falls flat on its face and the developer must make a drastic change just to appease the gamer (or not make it at all anymore).
 
[quote name='phear3d']well the game sold 2.4 million copies in day one. the hype didn't kill the game since it sold that many. second opinions probably did for the rest of the world that didnt buy it like myself.[/quote]

i didn't say hype killed the sales....hype killed the game for me....it was so over hyped that by the time I got to the end I was like "WTF? That's it? THATS THE END? I played through a mediocre over-hyped FPS to get to a shitty end to this long ass trilogy?" Haven't touched it since...
 
Hype can work both ways, I suppose. But when everyone gets excited for a game and it turns out good, it feels so awesome. You know you're a part of something. Everyone is talking about it or writing about it and it feels good to be in the know. It's a community thing, I suppose.

That said, when I game comes out of nowhere and blindsides everyone with how good it is, that's probably the best way to go. Kinda like Portal. Nobody saw it coming, but once it hit everyone jumped on the bandwagon fast.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']And I agree with the others. If anything, hype is a negative as it raises your expectations for the game and thus it's hard to be surprised and easy to be dissapointed.[/QUOTE]

If its a game that already looks like something I'll be into, its good. If not, hype means nothing. Thats probably pretty standard though. ;)
 
[quote name='pete5883']Depends. If I'm hyped for it, definitely. If everyone else but me is hyped for it, it almost always ends in disappointment. See: LoZ:OoT.[/quote]I'm pretty much in this boat, even with the same Zelda game as the illustration.

There's something to be said for getting swept up in hype before the game comes out, but that's usually a personal thing. Sometimes it coincides with what's exciting on the net, sometimes not.

Once people start saying "YOU'VE GOT TO PLAY THIS GAME / WATCH THIS MOVIE" I lose almost all interest, and probably when I do play/watch it, it won't live up to its hype.
 
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