Xbox 360 Game News, Reviews, and Columns - XboxFocus

Stop Overhyping Games

by Steve Wysowski June 25th 2008 12:37 AM CDT5 Comments

The anticipation level amongst gamers leading up to the release of Halo 3 can be compared to the spectacle of seeing a pack of wild dogs salivate over a caged slice of filet mignon.

Invariably drooling over the slab of beef at hand, even those who might prefer chicken over steak were so taken astray by the other dogs' slobbering that they too decided to join the orgy of augury. However, when the cage's lock busted open, and the canines dove into the outer crust of the meat teeth-first as if they were owned by Michael Vick, they soon comprehended that the meat tasted less like a tender, juicy cut of filet and more like the feces that is excreted from their own asses (or colloquially known as dog shit).

Most of the canines realized that perhaps the brawn wasn't as luscious as expected, and chose to move on, gaining some valuable life lessons in the process. Some however, chose to ignore the taste impacted on their tongues and just go with their rudimentary instinct based around their original level of anticipation, and have chosen to lie to themselves everyday by eating their own excrement. These dogs can be translated as Halo fanboys, and any plans of assimilating them to everyday society is as hopeless as trying to get them to stop screaming into my microphone on Xbox LIVE.

My point is that Halo 3 didn't quite live up to the expectations we all had for it. Actually, saying that Halo 3 just didn't live up to expectations is like saying Jamie Lynn Spears turned out to be what every guy over 18 hoped she would be (a hotter, saner version of her freakishly fat sister). It was a colossal flop (except to those who eat their own feces).

However, most of the blame for Halo 3 shouldn't be thrown directly at Bungie or Microsoft, for they aren't entirely at fault. When you look back at the game now, you can easily substantiate that were it not for the large amount of hype hrown onto the Halo 3's shoulders (that made its knees snap in twain), the game may have been much more enjoyable. Would we enjoy the original Halo if we all expected it to be the best thing ever since sliced bread? I don't think so, and for that matter, I don't think we could enjoy anything in life if we had such expectations of grandeur for it. I'd rather have something good surprise me than have something great merely satisfy me any day.

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While I thought that many in the industry (particularly the Xbox community) came out of Halo 3 with a different mindset in regards to how we look at upcoming games, it now seems to be more of a pothole on the road of the 360's life more so than any kind of lasting change on a gamer's psyche. I say this in light of the vast amount of hype emanating from Gears of War 2 like the nauseating smell coming from Rosie O'Donnell's armpits these days. Not only that, but thanks to Epic Games, Gears of War 2 is being shoved down my throat with nearly every passing day, as if the game was being promoted by the USSR. The game not only gives me an exorbitant sense of Halo 3 déjà vu, but the game's designers seem to be swimming in it.


I've written this before, and I will continue to write this again: stop overhyping games that haven't been released yet. Nearly every day a new article comes out touting Gears of War 2 as "bigger, better and more badass", as if it was Jesus coming out of the tomb jacked up on steroids.

Adhere to me Cliffy B (I will call you that and you will like it): I get it, you think Gears of War 2 is going to be a mind-blowing game, maybe the best-ever, but how about you let me decipher that for myself. Don't you want to give yourself some elbow room anyway? Do you really want people to expect the best thing ever to come from you? You're merely a tiny man with the worst haircut in the world. How much do you expect out of yourself?

The problem with the gaming community these days is that we seem to live around hype and build up as if it were our breathing tubes. Sure, sometimes this system pays off (see Metal Gear Solid 4), but how often is it that perfectly fine games fall into a gaping hole of horse manure because of it. Even for the games that do persevere past whatever level of expectation is thrown at them; try to imagine how much greater they could have been if you they gave you more of a surprise than simply satisfied you. If you expect everything to be great, then great is no longer great, it is simply normal. And if the normal state of living is greatness then my life must be on par with the existence of a ham sandwich.

By all means, I'm not saying that you shouldn't have some level of expectations for video games. Some releases deserve to hold some higher beliefs, or you're not giving proper credit to the reputation that the particular developer boasts. For example, a game like Fallout 3 is more likely to induce people into awe than an overly built-up game like Gears of War 2.


Unlike Epic, Betheseda hasn't gone out of their way to tout Fallout 3 as the resurrection of Mohandas Gandhi, and is more so relying on their own credibility to convince gamers to buy a copy of the game. This plan is going to most likely pay off, for not only is Betheseda saving money from pre-release advertising, but they have put gamers into a comfortable state of assurance. While I'm not drooling over every screenshot of Fallout 3 like one of the aforementioned dogs, I do expect a quality title to come my way. This not only leaves more room for the "wow" factor to sink in, but it gives less room to the "holy shit, this game fucking sucks!" variable.

If you want to truly enjoy a game, don't hype it up with your individual views prior to its release. Despite what all of your friends may be doing, and what everyone else does, they are only detracting themselves out of whatever true experience they could possibly attain. Checking a few videos now and then, or receiving some updates on the progress of a game are all fine and welcomed. But making fan videos, flaming on forums, or debating the possibilities of the game will only damper the experience that you really want. Be calm, relax, and patiently wait for the game's release. Block out anything else, and enjoy the game the way its designers intended you to.

Unless it's Vivendi, then you might as well beat your head with an egg beater until you begin to lose your sense of feeling.