I gave in to the pack I bought IDracula because of the hype and I really did not want it all that much. Everyone was hyping it and it only cost $1. I also enjoy playing mindless violent games and relaxing puzzle games.
This has got to be the quote of the year "I also enjoy playing mindless violent games and relaxing puzzle games."
And this opinion seems to be the overwhelming majority, which makes it hard to decide what to make... Gem Swapping with blood?
I've noticed the same thing. I don't think it is "dynamic" so much as it is a "herd mentality." Excitement and anticipation are contagious! Remember CUBE-mania? And the hundreds of posts about Zen Bound--before it was even released? People are always anticipating the Next Big Thing. I don't know whether all the extreme hype is due to the demographic that Touch Arcade attracts, or whether it's just human nature. Doesn't really matter, I guess, as long as it's fun...I even found myself getting excited about iDracula, which is the type of game I would get bored with after a few minutes...
At first I could care less about iDracula but I admit getting caught up in the hype and got it anyway. At least I do enjoy it
iDracula is a pretty fun game, but I don't know if I would've purchased it if it weren't for all the fanfare around it. You could say it worked because it lured me into buying it.
You wanna know the reason??? PEER PRESSURE + HYPE. TA users usually cuddle up together and push each other to buy one game. Watch how we past payback lover and present zen bound lovers gang up on NFS.
a few things - It can be a different collection of people in each thread, but really everyone is interested in a "good" game... so it's no surprise that people anticipate what is perceived to be a good game. - Human nature to want upcoming/exciting/next best thing. Same reason why MacRumors is so popular. - The community really adds to that feeling and enjoyment. arn
Here's the link...we were talking about hype this weekend. http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=6030&highlight=
Thanks Big Albie, I'm reading it now. anyway, to topic starter: 1. I've never really been affected by hype when buying games. If it's good, I'd buy it. If I'm not sure, I wouldn't. eg: Fastlane, ExZeus and Rolando were all hyped in this forum, but I don't buy them. In contrary, I would still buy iDracula or Sway even if they hadn't been hyped. If anything, the hype introduced me some new games I didn't know before, eg: SnailMail and The Creeps. 2. I agree re different hype is generated by different people. I'm active in the iDracula and Sway threads, but not so much in Zen Bound or Payback threads.
You're stronger person than most. And, for most, like myself, I generally only buy games that I am truly interested in which are usually puzzlers/logic games, TD/strategy games, and the occasional shooter. Hype is not a bad thing in general because it does generate awareness for things that people normally wouldn't be aware of. With ExZeus and Rolando as well as Zen Bound and Payback I can relate to because those aren't things I'm interested in. But, if you're talking about others that are more impressionable, targeted hype/marketing does work, and it can push many over the fence.
That has to be it. After the game has been released though, the hype seems to die rather quickly, there is no one talking about Rolando anymore.
It's what they call a mass mentality-driven phenomenon. At one point, everyone will be talking about it due to some properly targeted messages, and one people actually start buying/using it, reality will have sunk it, and the conversation will slow down as well. Thus, it eventually fizzles out unless whoever put out those messages in the first place come up with other ways to continue the cycle.
I learned years ago (when I was heavily into PC games) not to buy into hype. One day, I realized, if a game is really good, it will still be good three months later when history will show its strength (and the price will have dropped). I'll admit, I get excited about the hype on here, and it makes me spend time focusing on reading about the games, but I still make my buying decision on whether or not the game fits with either my interests, or my kids. I have yet to buy Rolando, iDracula, Sway, or ZenBound. ZenBound might be a future purchase, but I am more drawn into its uniqueness.
Wow this thread picked up. Thanks for all the responses everyone, most were insightful. Didn't think the TA community would've had much to say, guess I was mistaken. About NFS, it's a prime example. As soon as the thread titled "NFS has been submitted!" is posted, countless pages will add up with the "where the hell is this game I've been refreshing the page for hour" posts. Then once it's released there will be a comment/suggestions thread and a week later you'll hear little chatter about the game. Amazing how that works imo.
Also, due to the thread based nature of forums, you don't see the entire picture. I'm not going to go into a highly active payback thread and talk about how much I wish there was a relaxing game, and how I want Zen-Bound, although I might in a related thread, or the zen bound thread. People want to be able to participate in discussions, and either blending in or full on arguments are the best ways. A person also wouldn't create a Zen Bound thread months before release when there is already a "big game" coming out. Plus, a lot of people have many tastes, or can appreciate different gameplay styles in different situations. Same reason people see more than just one type of movies, its limiting and even more dissapointing than hyping every movie that comes along. While I'm watching it, the Dark Knight might be the best movie ever, the next night it could be Step Brothers. Its human nature.
