Why You Should Still Be Pumped For Watch Dogs

[Ferisar]

But the entire "Why you should be pumped for it" approach is simply not very good. Nobody but me is in any position to tell me what I'm supposed to like or be excited for.

No one but you is in any position to tell you what -not- to be excited for, either. It's the same bloody thing. If you want neutrality in the opinions of the gaming press, then there's no reason to be reading any of it. What's the point? What's she gonna tell you that isn't based on her opinions of the game she played, hmm? It booted up when she clicked on the icon?

Person plays game, person is excited about game, person puts out post on why game is to be excited for based on those impressions.

Person plays game, person is underwhelmed about game, person puts out post on why game is underwhelming based on those impressions.

No one said you're supposed to be excited for this game. Hell, the title if anything is a counter-point to the recent bout of TOTAL NEGATIVITY toward the game based on, wait for it, pre-release trailers. "still should" isn't someone holding you at gunpoint going "if you don't like it, YOU BETTER START SOON, MAGGOT".

Here's a person who had some hands-on with a game. Apparently, that's not proof enough, because opinions. Fuck it.

 

[Vegosiux]

No one but you is in any position to tell you what -not- to be excited for, either. It's the same bloody thing.

When's the last time you saw a preview titled "Why you shouldn't care about X"?

If you want neutrality in the opinions of the gaming press, then there's no reason to be reading any of it. What's the point? What's she gonna tell you that isn't based on her opinions of the game she played, hmm? It booted up when she clicked on the icon?

Did you read my post to the end? Specifically "There's nothing wrong with people being optimistic, that's perfectly fine" bit?

Person plays game, person is excited about game, person puts out post on why game is to be excited for based on those impressions.

Person plays game, person is underwhelmed about game, person puts out post on why game is underwhelming based on those impressions.

And both are equally flawed. In both cases, I'd prefer a "These are my impressions after trying it" as opposed to "This is how I now know you should feel about it".

No one said you're supposed to be excited for this game.

The way it was marketed (the way ANY AAA title gets marketed), and I don't mean this particular article, I beg to differ.

Hell, the title if anything is a counter-point to the recent bout of TOTAL NEGATIVITY toward the game based on, wait for it, pre-release trailers. "still should" isn't someone holding you at gunpoint going "if you don't like it, YOU BETTER START SOON, MAGGOT".

And me taking issue with the overall "advertisement" approach isn't me saying "What the fuck, how the hell can you like it!? BETTER START HATING IT RIGHT NOW, PEASANT".

Here's a person who had some hands-on with a game. Apparently, that's not proof enough, because opinions. Fuck it.

And this person had a good time with it, that's good. But again, that doesn't mean they get to tell me how I should feel about it.

 

[Xman490]

"I think the theme of hacking is not just a little tool that you can use here or there. It's something you can use while you're driving, while you're shooting, while you're in stealth, while you're interacting with citizens," he said. "Pretty much everything in the game...is tied to that online element...We wanted it to be the entire structure of the game."

And this is why I'm glad to be going for the Wii U version. The always-on touchscreen is perfect for this and justifies having to wait some months after May for the release (though it would be nice if it came out this Club Nintendo year: by the end of June). It's funny how this is my most anticipated newest-gen game so far behind Kingdom Hearts 3 and The Legend of Zelda Wii U; both of which won't come out for another year or two, and one of which is supposedly PS4/XbOne only.

 

[Metalrocks]

im still skeptical about this game. i think i wait to hear how the pc version is since i play games on pc only. also some reviews will do fine as well otherwise i will get it once its on special.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Here's hoping the game doesn't tank once it's out...I'm waiting for the Wii U release which could very well turn into me waiting for verification that the Wii U version will be released at all. This being a triple-A game, it should hopefully deliver on at least the promise that it'll be on the U...should...

 

[Olas]

**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.

I think it's a bit hyperbolic to say this community doesn't love anything just because some of it's members choose to be cautiously optimistic as opposed to "pumped" about a game they haven't even played. Especially when that game is an upcoming triple A title, and especially when that triple A title is Watchdogs.

The job of a games journalist is to report on games and give an unbiased impression of them, not to drive up hype for them. That should be left to the fans and the community. I'd like to believe this is more of the former, and having read it, it seems to be, but it's understandable why anyone would be skeptical with a title like "why you should be pumped for X" which so closely resembles the hype pieces that other gaming news outlets are notorious for. I think perhaps if it had simply been titled something else like "A hands on look at Watchdogs" you wouldn't be seeing the same complaints.

 

[Windcaler]

Alright I havnt read the article yet, I only saw the title and my knee jerk reaction was "this sounds oddly like a hype piece akin to the poor quality marketing articles IGN publishes. It has no place on the escapist". The title makes it look like a journalist creating a hype piece for the sake of marketing. Not because of their own experience and a desire to share that experience with others. I want to reiterate that thats what it looks like, Im not saying thats the way it really is.

Since I dont know you (I cant think of an article you've written in the past) this hype sounding article makes me mistrust you. For a reviwer/critic/whatever you want to call yourself when readers genuinely mistrust you thats it. You've lost a reader that you probably wont get them back. For now I want to give you the benefit of the doubt but again this is a "knee jerk reaction" before Ive read the article.

This bothered me so much that I wanted to come here and put in my feedback before I read the article because I dont want the article effecting my current point of view. Once I read it Ill post the rest of my thoughts

Now Im going to go read the article...

and the article reads like a hype piece. While it can be said that you played an incomplete game and can therefore be changed that does not shield the game from criticism. If you can accentuate the positive points of a game before its complete you can do the same with the negative points. As I read this I see no bad points which puts you off on a bad foot for gaining my trust as a competant critic. I understand not being able to point out flaws in front of a dev, that just makes you look like a jerk, but I dont understand why you wouldnt do it afterwards when you want to give an honest opinion on the build you played.

Articles like this that give information about the game, talk about how fun it is, and conspicuously lack any kind of criticism make me wary. Wary of both the product and the critic. We've all been burned before and were getting burned more and more due to marketing. In my case its a once bitten twice shy sort of thing

 

[Arawn]

The method I buy games is similar to the method I use to purchase books. Since story is the main focus when I buy a game I look at this first. What's going on? Aliens attack and you lead a team of human resistance. Nifty. Next comes the genre and mechanics. A first person brawler horror game? Sign me up. So far Watch_Dogs has, for me, a pretty solid hook on both parts. An sandbox 3rd person game with hacking various devices. Interesting setting and mechanic are almost enough to get me to buy the game.

 

[Strazdas]

So this is the killer game? Is the video compression on the escapist so bad (well, irs pretty bad judging from other videos) or the game really looked that bad? because looks sell, big time. Then again, why i didnt expect this limit from current consoles....

Is it so inconceivable to be excited for something?

Yes. Why? Because this is a videogame industry. and by now you should know better. Being excited only means you will be dissapointed when the game comes out. nothing more.

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.

yes, it IS fair to judge and analyze it. If it wasnt, they wouldnt have shown it at all. This is why "preview events" are a problem in this industry. People think all they can do is praise when they get there. In fact previews should be judged more harshly than the final game. this is to point out any possible flaws that still can be fixed till launch.

Most players seem to be grumpy old guys, distrustful against anything....

...for a reason.

And you yourself claim your going to wait for reviews


capcha: i like people
capcha can be wrong too.

 

[Amir Kondori]

Anytime a game has the kind of delays this game has had you have to be worried about the final quality. I hope it is great but I won't be buying day one, that is for sure.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

I want to express an opinion that doesn't get me banned from these forums, but still gets a point across.

...............OK, here it goes...

Pretty much the entire gaming industry has lost the trust it once had. After all of the scandals, all of the hype-training and all of the bullshit, a majority of the gaming crowd has no need to be told "Why You Should Still Be Pumped" for ANYTHING. Especially when you take into account the history, reputation and attitude of the developer and/or publisher in question, and even more so since one of The Escapist's own content creators already made a scathing video regarding the very game you're attempting to hype!

You can make as many articles like these as you wish, just remember: not only are you attaching yourself to the very game you hype, you are attaching your employer and their reputation to it, as well. Every stigma and label that game carries, it carries from its creators and their actions. Gamers know this by leaps and bounds, it shouldn't be ignored by outlets that operate within the industry.

Oh, and just to make sure I'm on topic: an open world sandbox with a control gimmick does not impress me in the slightest and that's before I start to apply what I mentioned above.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

I want to express an opinion that doesn't get me banned from these forums, but still gets a point across.

You should be sweet, some other posters have already brought up similar points and video.

That and with an empty meter the only way you could be banned would be by repeatedly posting spam links or cussing a storm (and even those cases the posters were new to The Escapist, long term posters get a group decision by several mods if I remember the Vault saga correctly).

The biggest mistake was to put 'Why You Should Still Be Pumped For Watch Dogs' as the title, the average Escapist poster is more cynical and view the resulting article as a paid shill piece the likes of IGN would produce.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

I want to express an opinion that doesn't get me banned from these forums, but still gets a point across.

You should be sweet, some other posters have already brought up similar points and video.

That and with an empty meter the only way you could be banned would be by repeatedly posting spam links or cussing a storm (and even those cases the posters were new to The Escapist, long term posters get a group decision by several mods if I remember the Vault saga correctly).

The biggest mistake was to put 'Why You Should Still Be Pumped For Watch Dogs' as the title, the average Escapist poster is more cynical and view the resulting article as a paid shill piece the likes of IGN would produce.

The whole point is criticizing a content creator, and not attacking them. To make that point in text alone, and to make it clear it isn't an attack, can be rather tricky. Hence, my introduction you saw in my post.

 

[Metalrocks]

i do have to agree with others that the title is a little that of IGN. sure you have played the game a bit but i think a better title would be "first impression" and state your opinion then telling us why we should be hyped.

you may have liked the game but it doesnt mean the rest will agree with it. im not hyped to get this game after reading this.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Hmm...how mightily strange it is, that the comments seem more concerned with criticising the journalist than anything else, for not sharing the dulled cynicism they wear. Ubisoft have been very impressive on the game front for a while, i know a lot of my game collection holds many delights they are responsible for. Even if they secretly feast on childrens frozen tears to sustain their work hours, i will still appreciate their games, unlike EA.
Marketing will be marketing and as games are becoming more popular, advertisement will get stronger. We are all adult enough to see through any advert as its main job is to banish doubt. Just ignore the collossal continent of marketing and it may just pass you by without scarring you with cynicism. Im looking forward to what this game has to offer, screw the media around it. I dont care for release dates or graphics, just a damn good story with an involving world.
Plus im getting bored of trials fusion now. Entertain me, goddamn it!!!

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Umm also i think peeps need to calm down about the 'pumped' thing. It's really horrendously trivial. Or is it just me?

 

[lacktheknack]

Because this is the Escapist I'm automatically supposed to hate everything?

Aaaaaaaaaand nail'd it.

The Escapist is populated by the most joyless, legalistic and unyielding killjoys I've met. For a community that's so proud of its atheism, I could have sworn they were Calvinist grandparents.

If it makes you feel better, the article pumped me up.

 

[andrearene]

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.

This website is not a collective mind. We are all individuals with differing opinions, that's what makes it great.

 

[grey_space]

Umm also i think peeps need to calm down about the 'pumped' thing. It's really horrendously trivial. Or is it just me?

No not just you.

'Pumped' is just a word.

And last time I checked it was a perfectly acceptable one.

Unless it's the 'should'.

How dare people be told how to feel!!


Ah, Feel the feels guys, Feel the feels...

 

[andrearene]

Oh for the love of god...

Look guys. A healthy level of cynicism is a good thing. You should always look up multiple previews and reviews before buying a title, especially one such as Watch Dogs which has had a bit of controversy surrounding the final product's quality.

HOWEVER. That does not mean you should go and attack someone who writes a positive article so venomously. Instead, why not ask questions like "were there any issues or bugs you encountered" or "how do the visuals compare to the trailers" etc. Obviously Andrea really enjoyed the game and had a great time with it. She recounted what she got to play and gave her general impression of it. There's nothing wrong with doing that!

First of all, nothing personal to andrea.

But the entire "Why you should be pumped for it" approach is simply not very good. Nobody but me is in any position to tell me what I'm supposed to like or be excited for.

Hype advertising is bad. This isn't a "cynical bitter hater" speaking. It's a person who's had it up to here with the hype trains all over the place and is really fed up with the entire "You're supposed to be excited for this" and "You're supposed to like that" stuff.

No. I am not supposed to do either. There is nothing, nothing saying I "should" do either. I prefer to judge things on their own merits, and not on what the marketing machine is trying to tell me my judgement is supposed to be.

I don't mind people being optimistic. That's perfectly fine. What I do mind is people trying to tell me what I'm supposed to like, and people trying to drag me into hype I don't want to get dragged in.

So basically you're saying if we went with a different title, you wouldn't have your panties in a bunch?