Why You Should Still Be Pumped For Watch Dogs

[andrearene]

Why You Should Still Be Pumped For Watch Dogs

Turning our greatest weakness into a strength, Watch Dogs puts you in the shoes of hacker extraordinaire, Aiden Pierce.

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[andrearene]

**Sigh** more PR department extension, 'promotional shots' and ramping up the hype train. I expect "Why you should be be pumped for X" as the title for a preview more from a site like IGN. After the PR disaster of dubious early marketing and bad damage control i think the most we can be is "Cautiously optimistic".

Is it so inconceivable to be excited for something? Because this is the Escapist I'm automatically supposed to hate everything? I had a genuinely awesome experience playing the game, plain and simple. But I love video games, and it seems more and more like a lot of this community doesn't love anything.

 

[Suicidal Zebra]

We love videogames too. Which is why the current trend of over-promising and under-delivering, coupled with popular media serving as a mouthpiece rather than critical analyser, makes some of us ever so wary of pieces like these.

 

[AnthrSolidSnake]

I'm pretty optimistic about the game. Hyped and pumped for it? I was at one time, but a couple delays later has toned that down. I mean, I'm grateful they are taking the time to fix anything that could cause the game to be less fun, but time wears almost anything down. I'll still buy it brand new I'm sure. I'm just hoping I can run the game on my PC in all its glory. I should be able to afford that 780ti I want before the end of May. I've been working a few days extra to make sure of that.

 

[andrearene]

We love videogames too. Which is why the current trend of over-promising and under-delivering, coupled with popular media serving as a mouthpiece rather than critical analyser, makes some of us ever so wary of pieces like these.

Out of sheer curiosity, what was the last game you loved?

Also: I don't do reviews by choice, and it's important to remember this is a preview. I didn't get to see the final game, so it isn't fair to judge it, and analyze it, like it is the final game.

 

[Mahoshonen]

We love videogames too. Which is why the current trend of over-promising and under-delivering, coupled with popular media serving as a mouthpiece rather than critical analyser, makes some of us ever so wary of pieces like these.

Out of sheer curiosity, what was the last game you loved?

Also: I don't do reviews by choice, and it's important to remember this is a preview. I didn't get to see the final game, so it isn't fair to judge it, and analyze it, like it is the final game.

Conversely it's unfair to encourage optimism when experience has shown us that what's shown in preview or even a review copy can have very little to do with what the public ultimately gets.

If The Escapist wants to be viewed as a higher class of website, then it must be held to a higher standard. I don't have the answer for how you should be doing previews, but all I can say is that the current model is fostering the ill will between the public and game creators (as well as those that report on them)

 

[Andy Shandy]

**Sigh** more PR department extension, 'promotional shots' and ramping up the hype train. I expect "Why you should be be pumped for X" as the title for a preview more from a site like IGN. After the PR disaster of dubious early marketing and bad damage control i think the most we can be is "Cautiously optimistic".

Is it so inconceivable to be excited for something? Because this is the Escapist I'm automatically supposed to hate everything? I had a genuinely awesome experience playing the game, plain and simple. But I love video games, and it seems more and more like a lot of this community doesn't love anything.

Didn't you know that's the way it goes around here? =P

Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to Watch Dogs.

 

[Suicidal Zebra]

The last game that I truly loved throughout was Thomas Was Alone, but I have certainly loved moments of other games more recently - Bioshock Infinite's DLC plot-twists, and the more atmospheric chapters of the Thief reboot.

--

I am sure that we all recognise that this is a preview, but I'm sure that you understand our perspective that the hype train is intended to drive pre-orders and little else. As consumers we're better off informed (which I hope was your own intention in writing this piece) rather than exhorted to part with our cash before reviews are even published. Certainly the headline/title, which I recognise may have been chosen by someone in the editorial team, makes it seem like the article is the latter type.

 

[snekadid]

Except what you wrote is a fluff piece, there's no critical eye. As a preview of an unfinished product, there needs to be notes about what is wrong, with the reminder it could be fixed by release. If anything, a preview needs to be MORE harshly judged than the final product because there is NO word of mouth from alternative sources, either warning or promoting the game, because the public has no access to it.

You trying to build hype with such a poorly concealed promotion deserves skepticism.

As for games I've loved? Dark souls, I just got it two weeks ago. More recent title? Saints row 4, love it endlessly. I can keep going and it will stay pretty constant. I don't hate games, I hate this flow of media bull crap that lacks a sense of responsibility towards the people whose attention is what keeps them afloat.

So you keep pushing hype that will inevitably fall flat because you're making it nigh unobtainable. Then when it collapses, you just pretend that you had nothing to do with it.

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I'm actually more interested in the new Spider-Man game that's coming out in a week or so. This is a Ubisoft game. I'll be pumped when they release the full version next year. I'm not getting anywhere near their games on launch ever again.

 

[Sgt Blackout]

But I love video games, and it seems more and more like a lot of this community doesn't love anything.

On the contrary, we DO love video games, which is why we are critical of games that could have been so much more than they end up being. Especially with the influx of Bullshot promotion lately, I find it difficult to understand how anybody can say with a straight face that they honestly trust the game industry in it's current state.

 

[ShakerSilver]

[HEADING=3]Why You Should Still Be Wary Game Journalists Hyping AAA Game Releases[/HEADING]
I'll reserve judgement for the game until reviews come out.
Although with how professional game reviews are, I think I'll have to wait until non-professional reviews come out.

 

[Roofstone]

I am hyped for this. Have been for a long, loong time! I pre-ordered deadsec for my 360 and I am looking forward til it arrives, very very much so.

Thanks for adding to my hype. Now I am even more impatient. ;(

 

[Casual Shinji]

Is it so inconceivable to be excited for something? Because this is the Escapist I'm automatically supposed to hate everything? I had a genuinely awesome experience playing the game, plain and simple. But I love video games, and it seems more and more like a lot of this community doesn't love anything.

In this case I think it's just an issue of overexposure.

This game has been covered to hell and back, largely thanks to the delay. And with the added "bullshot" scandal, I think people have kind of had there fill with this title for now. Even if it is a quality game, which I'm sure it is, there's just too much bagage for many people to get really excited.

 

[andrearene]

Except what you wrote is a fluff piece, there's no critical eye. As a preview of an unfinished product, there needs to be notes about what is wrong, with the reminder it could be fixed by release. If anything, a preview needs to be MORE harshly judged than the final product because there is NO word of mouth from alternative sources, either warning or promoting the game, because the public has no access to it.

You trying to build hype with such a poorly concealed promotion deserves skepticism.

As for games I've loved? Dark souls, I just got it two weeks ago. More recent title? Saints row 4, love it endlessly. I can keep going and it will stay pretty constant. I don't hate games, I hate this flow of media bull crap that lacks a sense of responsibility towards the people whose attention is what keeps them afloat.

So you keep pushing hype that will inevitably fall flat because you're making it nigh unobtainable. Then when it collapses, you just pretend that you had nothing to do with it.

Have you played the game? Or is it that you are just pontificating about something you have no personal experience with?

Lack of responsibility? Responsibility for what? Advising you how to spend your leisure money? I am reporting on the basic facts of the game, features, release date, platforms, background info, and developer insight to provide context for an entertainment product. I throw in my impressions when I think they are substantial enough to do so but this is still a form of entertainment we are talking about.

Also, pretending I have nothing to do with it when it collapses? Nothing to do with what? People not liking the game? I don't care if you don't like the game! I'm not making money off its sale.

I enjoy sharing things when I have a positive experience with them, thinking that maybe someone else will really like it too. That is what I did. If you want to believe I am part of the "hype train" and have no "responsibility" for consumers, because I *gasp* didn't rake it over the coals, so be it. You're entitled to your opinion and I won't even call you irresponsible for it!

 

[Sgt Blackout]

Have you played the game? Or is it that you are just pontificating about something you have no personal experience with?

Lack of responsibility? Responsibility for what? Advising you how to spend your leisure money? I am reporting on the basic facts of the game, features, release date, platforms, background info, and developer insight to provide context for an entertainment product. I throw in my impressions when I think they are substantial enough to do so but this is still a form of entertainment we are talking about.

Also, pretending I have nothing to do with it when it collapses? Nothing to do with what? People not liking the game? I don't care if you don't like the game! I'm not making money off its sale.

I enjoy sharing things when I have a positive experience with them, thinking that maybe someone else will really like it too. That is what I did. If you want to believe I am part of the "hype train" and have no "responsibility" for consumers, because I *gasp* didn't rake it over the coals, so be it. You're entitled to your opinion and I won't even call you irresponsible for it!

You're missing the point; This website has previously declared Watch Dog's marketing to be untrustworthy. For that same website to run an article about how "pumped" I should be about it's release, it's clear as day why there's at least some backlash. Whether or not you personally enjoyed the segment of game that Ubisoft cherry picked in order to impress game journalists is irrelevant because they now have precedent for misleading advertisements.

 

[Mahoshonen]

Except what you wrote is a fluff piece, there's no critical eye. As a preview of an unfinished product, there needs to be notes about what is wrong, with the reminder it could be fixed by release. If anything, a preview needs to be MORE harshly judged than the final product because there is NO word of mouth from alternative sources, either warning or promoting the game, because the public has no access to it.

You trying to build hype with such a poorly concealed promotion deserves skepticism.

As for games I've loved? Dark souls, I just got it two weeks ago. More recent title? Saints row 4, love it endlessly. I can keep going and it will stay pretty constant. I don't hate games, I hate this flow of media bull crap that lacks a sense of responsibility towards the people whose attention is what keeps them afloat.

So you keep pushing hype that will inevitably fall flat because you're making it nigh unobtainable. Then when it collapses, you just pretend that you had nothing to do with it.

Have you played the game? Or is it that you are just pontificating about something you have no personal experience with?

Lack of responsibility? Responsibility for what? Advising you how to spend your leisure money? I am reporting on the basic facts of the game, features, release date, platforms, background info, and developer insight to provide context for an entertainment product. I throw in my impressions when I think they are substantial enough to do so but this is still a form of entertainment we are talking about.

Also, pretending I have nothing to do with it when it collapses? Nothing to do with what? People not liking the game? I don't care if you don't like the game! I'm not making money off its sale.

I enjoy sharing things when I have a positive experience with them, thinking that maybe someone else will really like it too. That is what I did. If you want to believe I am part of the "hype train" and have no "responsibility" for consumers, because I *gasp* didn't rake it over the coals, so be it. You're entitled to your opinion and I won't even call you irresponsible for it!

So you played a portion of the game in a tightly controlled environment. In the wake of Battlefield 4, Sim City and Aliens: Colonial Marines (just to name recent examples), is it any wonder that we the readers have a great deal of skepticism with regards to any pre-release promotional material. I don't know what it will take to win back my trust, but just saying "no really, this is going to be great!" isn't the way to do it.

And it's true that you work in the entertainment industry and don't have the same degree of responsibility as, for example, a CPA. But that doesn't mean you can't have standards, and when game after game is mounted on a pedestal of greatness by game journalists before release and regardless of the quality of the end product, forgive me for feeling that the game journalists are contributing to the problem.

Its true that I'm entitled to my opinion just as much as you are. But unlike you, I don't have a platform to broadcast that opinion or present it as some sort of authority. As a regular contributor to the Escapist, you do. And while it's not necessarily your fault, right now there is a crisis of confidence between games journalists and the public.

 

[ghalleon0915]

While my excitement for Watchdogs has certainly dimmed, I'm hoping it will still be a good game, despite its recent stumbles. There have been so much negativity surrounding the video games industry ( most of it self-inflicted) I'm trying not to be completely skeptical and try to be positive, especially when a game is trying to be innovative. I am curious as to how the entire hacking mechanic will end up working out, and I sincerely hope Watchdogs does deliver on that end. At least I hope it is good enough for me to finally buy a game for my PS4, instead of just playing on my pc most of the time.

On a tangent, is it always like this at the Escapist? I'm pretty new here, and I've seen so many forums just deteriorate rapidly. Having a differing perspective seems enough to initiate a backlash. Perhaps that's just my age showing though. Or perhaps just the internet, it's not like this is an isolated incident in any website forums.

OT - While I'm not pumped for Watchdogs as I was when I saw it at E3, I'm still hopeful but now laced with caution. I'll probably give it a week or so and see how it pans out, still keeping fingers crossed though! ( At least it's a new ip and not sequel number 9 of something)

 

[Barbas]

**Sigh** more PR department extension, 'promotional shots' and ramping up the hype train. I expect "Why you should be be pumped for X" as the title for a preview more from a site like IGN. After the PR disaster of dubious early marketing and bad damage control i think the most we can be is "Cautiously optimistic".

Is it so inconceivable to be excited for something? Because this is the Escapist I'm automatically supposed to hate everything? I had a genuinely awesome experience playing the game, plain and simple. But I love video games, and it seems more and more like a lot of this community doesn't love anything.

Ouch...it hurts, but it's true. For me, brand new games are expensive and I try to look at the track record of the company before making a decision. Getting something on day 1 is a luxury and it makes more sense to play Skyrim instead while I wait for the reviews to come in...man, I love Skyrim...so, so much...

Anyway, I'm glad you had fun playing the game. Simply put, though, I'm just filled with uncertainty - I am uncertain about what parts of the game you have played, whether what you played will be in the final product - at least at a similar level of quality (I recently learned of the downgrade in the visual quality Far Cry 3 pre-release[footnote]I should say that this reduction in graphical quality did not take away from my enjoyment of the game (except for some minor texture issues that made caves dark and obscured if brightness wasn't turned up high), as I learned of it years after having played and loved it. Had I seen the videos before release, however, I think I would have been annoyed about being misled. Misrepresentation is not an acceptable tactic in already ailing industry.[/footnote]) - and the policy of waiting for a price drop or the second wave of reviews has never let me down in the past.

The cynicism from customers is something that I can sadly understand, but mere elation about a game (or demo) should not be attacked. What if it were someone else here who displayed this level of excitement about something like, say, an upcoming Final Fantasy game? Despite the live volcano of uproar surrounding that series (which seems to dwarf the controversy over this mere singular game), I doubt the same level of anger would be directed at them.

I am confused by this response: are people objecting to the title of the article, or the content? You seem to have given us a fair amount of detail on several game modes, as well as an interview with a developer. You even said:

Also: I don't do reviews by choice, and it's important to remember this is a preview. I didn't get to see the final game, so it isn't fair to judge it, and analyze it, like it is the final game.

Your impressions of the developing game, your developing opinions on it (which you are, though some people may have difficulty seeing this, entitled to) and the enjoyment you got from what you have seen and played so far are something I'm mature enough to accept. Thank you for the update and I look forward to seeing how the game turns out. Take care.

 

[Zac Jovanovic]

I don't care if you don't like the game! I'm not making money off its sale.

While I'm sure that's true, you ARE selling the game. Surely you realize that.

Personally I just skimmed through the article, skipped a few times through the video and dismissed the whole thing as usual extended marketing for a game. Never giving it a second thought.

Then, I read the comments and it made me reflect on how it got this way.

Simply put, I've been burned so many times I don't give anyone any credit anymore. I've seen literally thousands of articles with this exact form, fake screenshots and nothing but praise for a game. And far too often it all fell apart at launch and left me with nothing but bitter feelings and a lighter wallet, especially with dodgy companies such as Ubisoft.

Honestly, and absolutely no offense intended, this article looks like it was written by an Ubisoft employee.
And this sentence alone, for this specific game, is very, very dangerous.

The build I played looked and felt great. In fact, it looked so great I wrongly assumed I was playing the PC version