ALL ABOARD THE HYPE TRAIN

By Johnny_is_a_boyThu, 11/12/2009 - 11:22

This past week probably the biggest title to ever release went on store shelves across the globe. Modern Warfare 2 is already destroying previous record sales and the demand for the sequel to the biggest game this generation has certainly lived up to expectations from a sales standpoint. However, has it lived up to your expectations as a gamer? Today’s games live and dye on the hype train of which they are built upon. Every single trailer, developer diary, Podcast, and friend shape and build your expectations for a game. Are expectations nowadays being built to such a high standard that developers have no chance in hell of reaching?

Personally probably that one game I remember counting down the days was the release of metal gear solid 2 launching in North America on the PS2. I bought several magazines just to get my hands on if it just for some closer insight into the game. I remember also hating the fact that it was going to be released in Japan prior to American and being so jealous that they would enjoy it first for a couple weeks. In school me and my friends would take days sharing our demo disc of the tanker sequence and play it constantly. I went so far as to go to a store and find a bandanna and prepared myself for battle for release day. I was consumed by hype. Then of course the fateful day finally came I still remember it even today September 24th I picked up my copy. I put the disc into the tray and vanished from the world for a couple days. After 2 days of playing the game and completely being out of touch with all reality, I reached Solidus and beat his ass! As the credits rolled I was left in awe. I listened to the last codec conversation and the inevitable tease for what was to come in MGS3 and was left with a smile across my face.
All the hype had lived up to my expectations but not to everyone else I knew. My friends were livid and still to this day despise MGS2 with an unholy passion of the Christ. If Kojima were to ever step into Blanche Ely High School and come to my Algebra class back then the poor guy wouldn’t be alive today or at the very least have the ability to have any kids. Though never confirmed but I think one of my psychotic friends may have even just burnt a copy of Mortal Kombat just for the fact another Raiden exist. Every gamer I knew hid the game in shame as if they were hiding evidence to a crime scene. How is a game in today’s environment suppose to survive the immense pressure from gamers even higher expectations and avoid such a backlash.
Games nowadays must go through judgment months before it’s ever released. Constantly games are upping the graphical limits of the respective platform and gamers demand only the best. If after a 60 second trailer and your game fails to impress good luck trying to garner any attention back. In a time of limited funds and only so much time to devote to any one game any bad word of mouth can be disastrous.

What was the last game you were consumed by hype and did it live up to the expectations? What was the reaction of your friends and did you agree or disagree with them.