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Is Hype Is A MMO's Worst Enemy?

Let's discuss the pros and cons of hyping an MMO. 

Personally, I can't think of a MMO that has lived up the the hype. I'd even go as far to say that living up to people's imaginations is boarderline impossible. 

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Comments

  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775

    I think it migth be done on purpose to increase box sales without being to concerned about keeping customers.

    its always easier to hype up what you dont have yet then it is to explain why something you do have isnt as expected

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • ZekiahZekiah Member UncommonPosts: 2,483

    No, gamers who buy the hype is.

    "Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky

  • KrelianKrelian Member UncommonPosts: 385

    i've got 2 answers to that;

    1-Yes, probably.

    2-''I dont get hyped'' anymore, havent been hyped for an MMO since 2005 or something.

        I knew that (LIKE MOST OF YOU ALSO DID) SWTOR would be ''hyped'' to death before its release, and than people would be cursing its name soon after, and thats exactly what happened.

    Thats what usually happens with MMO's nowadays.

    But than again, I STILL MIGHT get all excited about some single player games, IMHO: they still aint gone to hell like the way the MMO genre did :XD heheh.

    As in the case of Deus Ex, Skyrim, and Kingdoms of Amalur, have all been hyped rather well, imo, BUT it was worth the hype, as it turns out.0

     

  • CeridithCeridith Member UncommonPosts: 2,980

    Yup.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    <------

     

    Though it seems to be largely the fault of many developers who push too hard in overzelously marketing their game. Exagerrating a game's features by calling a game revolutionary, innovative, robust, etc, and then failing to deliver anything close is a good way to piss off a lot of gamers.

    Take SWTOR for example. Had Bioware marketed the game as an online co-op RPG, it wouldn't have received anywhere near the bitching that goes on about it... then again, they would have sold a hell of a lot less copies of the game, which is the main reason why developers oversell what their games actually offer.

  • InFaVillaInFaVilla Member Posts: 592

    Yes, it is. In GW2's case it was the hype about "B2P" and how "P2P" is so greedy in comparison. I bought that hype and look where it got me :(.

  • RefMinorRefMinor Member UncommonPosts: 3,452
    Originally posted by Zekiah

    No, gamers who buy the hype is.

     

    This, no game is perfect and companies do make bad decisions about every release, however there is a subset of gamers who do the most damage to a forthcoming release by refusing to admit to anything that is a negative. There are many recent examples of this.
  • PuremallacePuremallace Member Posts: 1,856

    My list:

    1. Bandwagon fans are the ones who create a majority of the false hype

    2. Hype caused by unfounded promises. Looking at you Gabe Amatangelo..Ilum!!

    3. Vague and undetailed responses to questions

    4. WoW fans. Easily the biggest MMO leeches out there. They hate Blizzard, but refuse to stop riding their nuts.

     

     

  • ThorbrandThorbrand Member Posts: 1,198

    Yes, the more hype the game is the more the developers can get away with at launch. I find that the most popular games are the least likely to be successful MMOs. But I don't like themeparks anyway and those seem to be overhyped all the time.

  • grndzrogrndzro Member UncommonPosts: 1,162

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

  • pierthpierth Member UncommonPosts: 1,494

    I've found most aspects in the gaming industry that are good for business tend to be bad for the gamers. This includes hype.

  • mmoguy43mmoguy43 Member UncommonPosts: 2,770

    I think what is worse about hype is that it puts pressure on a whole group of gamers so they end up getting it just to stick together.

    Hype hasn't worked on me to get an MMO to play alone but having friends/family that wants to play I feel more inclined to.

  • ZylaxxZylaxx Member Posts: 2,574

    Originally posted by Dusntmatter

    Let's discuss the pros and cons of hyping an MMO. 

    Personally, I can't think of a MMO that has lived up the the hype. I'd even go as far to say that living up to people's imaginations is boarderline impossible. 

    I think trying to imitate or be a clone of something just to gain a portion of a games large subscription base is the #1 reason to dislike a MMO.  Hyping a MMO is not bad and greatly adds to to the overall fun of a game, if it is hyped responsibly.

    Everything you need to know about Elder Scrolls Online

    Playing: GW2
    Waiting on: TESO
    Next Flop: Planetside 2
    Best MMO of all time: Asheron's Call - The first company to recreate AC will be the next greatest MMO.

    image

  • RefMinorRefMinor Member UncommonPosts: 3,452
    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.
    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 
    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

     

    I am guessing you fall on the pro side of hyping.
  • SythionSythion Member Posts: 422

     

    I think the free advertisement gained from hype is invaluable. It may mean people buy your game and unsub, but those people probably wouldn't have bought the game without the hype anyway.

    I think that developers and publishers need to be more mature about managing expectations, and have a clear view of who their game is not meant for. I think the MMO community would be so shocked by an honest discussion of a game's limitations and who will not enjoy it that it may gain a lot of respect instead of having the opposite affect of negative advertising that people likely fear.

    In the end a game's success or failure is determined by how many people try it, and how good it is. Hype only matters for the first part.

    image
  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775

    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

    Wait what?

    sorry this post is EXACTLY the hype problem.

    GW2 WILL surpass its hype because we can all see into a crystal ball or becuase the very industry that hypes said they played it and it rocks?

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • ElderRatElderRat Member CommonPosts: 899

    Originally posted by Puremallace

    My list:

    1. Bandwagon fans are the ones who create a majority of the false hype

    2. Hype caused by unfounded promises. Looking at you Gabe Amatangelo..Ilum!!

    3. Vague and undetailed responses to questions

    4. WoW fans. Easily the biggest MMO leeches out there. They hate Blizzard, but refuse to stop riding their nuts.

     

     

    This... especially number 1. Main reason I am not buying GW2 is all the rabid hype on this site about it.  It sems like every third thread is some speculative query about what GW2 might be like, or how  the cash shop will work. Any questions that seem even close to the heresy of not liking an aspect of the game are flamed. So yes bandwagon hype has killed GW2 and a few other games for me.

    Currently bored with MMO's.

  • EmwynEmwyn Member Posts: 546

    Originally posted by Krelian

    i've got 2 answers to that;

    1-Yes, probably.

    2-''I dont get hyped'' anymore, havent been hyped for an MMO since 2005 or something.

      

    I would copy your answers except turn the first one into 1-Yes, MAYBE.

    I learned a LONG time ago that hype can grow like a snowball rolling downhill fast. Sometimes doing nothing but collecting more hype to add to the original hype until about all you are left with is hype. But then I have followed and sadly tested some seriously bad games over the years. Hopefully, I have learned my lesson long since but it does leave you with a jaded view! I think though, I have bought ONE game of all the several dozen hyped up ones I have tested and that's it. I now prefer to wait until NDA's are lifted before researching too far into a game and also I won't touch a game that will not lift NDA before asking the public for money/preorders/prepurchase. That to me is a red flag warning like no other.

    And whoever below you who mentioned people jumping on the bandwagon, yes to that too.

    And @Infavilla :( If you go into it having your own reformed opinion not based on hype it's far better then going into it on someone else's hyped up view.

     

    the poster formerly known as melangel :P

  • EmwynEmwyn Member Posts: 546

    Originally posted by Puremallace

    My list:

    1. Bandwagon fans are the ones who create a majority of the false hype

    2. Hype caused by unfounded promises. Looking at you Gabe Amatangelo..Ilum!!

    3. Vague and undetailed responses to questions

    4. WoW fans. Easily the biggest MMO leeches out there. They hate Blizzard, but refuse to stop riding their nuts.

     

     

    LMAO. That needs to be someone's signature seriously.

    the poster formerly known as melangel :P

  • ZekiahZekiah Member UncommonPosts: 2,483

    Originally posted by SEANMCAD

    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

    Wait what?

    sorry this post is EXACTLY the hype problem.

    GW2 WILL surpass its hype because we can all see into a crystal ball or becuase the very industry that hypes said they played it and it rocks?

    Hype is a very effective marketing tool and one that most gamers fail to recognize prior to purchase.

    Gamer junkies are their own worst enemies.

    "Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky

  • sirphobossirphobos Member UncommonPosts: 620

    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

    So hyping games and having ridiculous expectations is okay, as long as you're the one doing it, if I read that correctly.

  • Skatty2007Skatty2007 Member, Newbie CommonPosts: 231

    I don't think hype is an MMO's worst enemy.  I think creating a crappy MMO is an MMO's worst enemy.

    I'm not creative enough to have a signature

  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775

    Originally posted by Zekiah

    Originally posted by SEANMCAD

    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

    Wait what?

    sorry this post is EXACTLY the hype problem.

    GW2 WILL surpass its hype because we can all see into a crystal ball or becuase the very industry that hypes said they played it and it rocks?

    Hype is a very effective marketing tool and one that most gamers fail to recognize prior to purchase.

    Gamer junkies are their own worst enemies.

    yes..I have found that gamers do tend to hyper focus and not notice the same pattern being ployed on them or think much outside of the box which should say something about myself because I am in fact a gamer myself

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • ZekiahZekiah Member UncommonPosts: 2,483

    Originally posted by SEANMCAD

    Originally posted by Zekiah


    Originally posted by SEANMCAD


    Originally posted by grndzro

    only if the game dosent live up to it's hype.

    GW2 will surpass it's hype. The previews and hands on experience tell us this quite clearly. 

    On the flip side every pre launch piece of info on SWTOR pointed toward mediocrity.

    Wait what?

    sorry this post is EXACTLY the hype problem.

    GW2 WILL surpass its hype because we can all see into a crystal ball or becuase the very industry that hypes said they played it and it rocks?

    Hype is a very effective marketing tool and one that most gamers fail to recognize prior to purchase.

    Gamer junkies are their own worst enemies.

    yes..I have found that gamers do tend to hyper focus and not notice the same pattern being ployed on them or think much outside of the box which should say something about myself because I am in fact a gamer myself

    Gamers are starting to catch on but will enough of them? Addiction is a terrible thing. 

    JUST SAY NO!  image

    "Censorship is never over for those who have experienced it. It is a brand on the imagination that affects the individual who has suffered it, forever." - Noam Chomsky

  • grndzrogrndzro Member UncommonPosts: 1,162

    My point about the GW2 hype is that we'v seen plenty of info that is exciting. The Devs are not keeping a bunch of game details secret. We see everything that is going to be in game pretty much. 

    So the hype really isn't hype but excitement over being able to play what we have seen.

    Hype generally refers to hope.

    There isn't many surprises surrounding GW2 and it's features. and we are still excited about it.

  • BartDaCatBartDaCat Member UncommonPosts: 813

    Originally posted by Sythion

     

    I think the free advertisement gained from hype is invaluable. It may mean people buy your game and unsub, but those people probably wouldn't have bought the game without the hype anyway.

    I think that developers and publishers need to be more mature about managing expectations, and have a clear view of who their game is not meant for. I think the MMO community would be so shocked by an honest discussion of a game's limitations and who will not enjoy it that it may gain a lot of respect instead of having the opposite affect of negative advertising that people likely fear.

    In the end a game's success or failure is determined by how many people try it, and how good it is. Hype only matters for the first part.

    Very well said.

    The game industry is still in its infancy.  The flood of investors demanding a return on their investments... the race to find the next huge IP (The next "WoW")... the rush of non-gaming types looking to cash in on a successful bandwagon (marketing types, investor types, retailers)... it's a chaotic mess of take-the-money-and-run irresponsibility, ruining well-established franchises and brand names with the stroke of a pen.

    It may take years for the dust to settle, but your comments are definitely in a direction that I'd hope to see the game developing community start to steer themselves toward.

    After working for a few game companies myself, I can honestly say that --- for the most part---  marketing executives rank down there with lawyers on the grand scale of poorest excuses for human beings.  I've met a few exceptions, but they were gamers themselves.

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