General unreleased games

Punisher · Post by **Punisher** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:06 am

Not sure if this should go here, but the question IS specific for unreleased games....

With all the latest delays and heartache...

Would people prefer not to even know about a game until it's GOLD?

Forget all the logistics involved, such as hype, previews, packaging, etc... Would YOU prefer not to know about it.

ChrisGrenard · Post by **ChrisGrenard** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:10 am

I'd like to learn about games when they hit beta stage, but not earlier.

Gumps · Post by **Gumps** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:13 am

I will assume that your posted questions is as such (the negative in your question can make it confusing).. If you vote yes - you don't want to know about the game until it is gold, if you vote no - you want to know about it earlier.

I voted no...I like taking a look at the concepts or games that are coming out. I don't get worked up over release dates. I would be just as happy having every game tells us it will be out when it is done. I can wait, I have enough games to play in the interim.

baron calamity · Post by **baron calamity** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:26 am

Naa. I like the pregame hype.

Eightball · Post by **Eightball** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:32 pm

I like watching Hetz run around tearing his hair out

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 3:54 pm

Gimme a date. I'm not rich enough to not have a date. Take Oblivion. I'd love to know when Oblivion is coming out. I can afford to buy one game before Christmas. If Oblivion is coming out in November, I'll buy it. If it is coming out in mid December, Christmas present. If it isn't coming out until after Christmas, I'll buy FEAR now, and get Oblivion later. If I buy FEAR now, and Oblivion comes out in a few weeks, I won't be able to get it for another month or two.

I could be playing FEAR right now, but I'm not because I don't have a date for Oblivion.

Unless you can afford to buy every game on a whim, dates are vital.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 4:08 pm

They shouldn't and they won't for a few reasons. EDIT: Shouldn't and won't keep a game quiet until gold, I mean.

The first is marketing. Previews, even of the concept or an alpha, are vital to generate interest. This can backfire if there are long delays, but it is industry standard and it probably won't change.

The second is corporate. Investors want to see that a company is working to generate revenue. A publisher can't simply sign a deal with a dev and then sit on it. Same with a devs on their own. So they announce current projects with great fanfare.

Finally are the inevitable leaks. It's hard enough for them to keep design specifics, even code, secret. They are completely unable to squash rumors. Imagine if they tried to keep an entire project secret? The convoluted leaks would get out and they'd be stuck with an announcement on some forum or fansite, one they had no control over.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:03 pm

At least one company (HPS) refuses to discuss any games in development until they ship. Not coincidentally, they do not enjoy massive sales figures.

Developing pre-release hype is vital for blockbuster titles. Look at some of the companies that are best at it: Blizzard, for example, starts their media blitz 2-3 years before the game is released. By the time it comes out, gamers are frothing at the mouth and they sell massive numbers right off the bat.

Of course, some companies are better at this than others. Bethesda might be considered one of the "others" :::cough SeaDogs II cough:::.

Octopus Overlords

General unreleased games

Should publishers not annouce new games until they are GOLD!

General unreleased games