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Almost broke video game NDA close to E3. How does everyone keep their info secret and why do some choose to leak?
- Thread starter golguin
- Start date
The ideas are not even bad, just remake them. So much good stuff just jumbled together into nonsenseWhoa hold up. The thread ain't even about NDA's anymore. It's about this.
I've never once been tempted to break NDAs, it's the whole reason they're so uptight about the entire process...
Safest way to go! :D
... until our Brand Manager has sanctioned it.
I haven't gotten them for big news, but the outlet I do stuff for had a NDA for a particular game since we got review copies like 2+ months early, I.e. the physical media was one pre-final without the final labeling on it. (And the internal ID was different from the final release.)
One of the people reviewing it put it up for pirates to download, and the publisher tracked them down. The bad thing was they were a LOT more strict because of that, and since this was before digital was popular it meant a lot of less-influential outlets got screwed over by that asshat.
One of the people reviewing it put it up for pirates to download, and the publisher tracked them down. The bad thing was they were a LOT more strict because of that, and since this was before digital was popular it meant a lot of less-influential outlets got screwed over by that asshat.
Sometimes leaks happen to save projects or shed light on wrong doings. It's not the game industry, but the live action deadpool movies wouldn't exist if not for that demo concept footage leaking. I guess what I'm saying is some people leak things with the best intentions and things work out for the best.
While it isn't a trade secret I have gotten to know some stuff outside the games industry that was told in confidence and would be very detrimental to a major brand if word ever got out. Naturally upon learning this I spent the better part of a few months not saying anything about it. Then I quietly told my family about it when the ghost was clear but not in big detail. Would love to say that it was awesome juicy earth shattering info. But really it was just numbers that would continue to increase by a double digit percent every year for the foreseeable future. Oh and if anyone is inquiring as to if it was good that the numbers were growing by double digit percent's. The answer is a firm hell no it absolutely was not good that the numbers were growing.
So as to answer your why people leak stuff even when under NDA. Dude it's cause I know the people I love would find the info interesting and I know they ain't leaking it.
So as to answer your why people leak stuff even when under NDA. Dude it's cause I know the people I love would find the info interesting and I know they ain't leaking it.
I don't think it would have much impact in the market but in forums like this and social media... if gamers complain about games being different from trailers, a game in early stages sometimes look nothing like the final one. Also, a lot of games get canceled after months or even years of work.
Movies would probably be like this too if it was easier to hide. I mean, you can't simply film a scene in a real world location with no one knowing about it.
There's definitely an interesting line to be considered when it comes to leaks of that nature. Deadpool is a good example and I sometimes wonder if some of these games that get revealed later on as being cancelled could've survived if the publisher saw the demand for the concept.
Writing an article at 4AM and not noticing the embargo date because seriously, why didn't I get this done hours ago when I had some semblance of a functioning brain? Thankfully the publisher was pretty cool about it, but I felt like an utter moron.
Honestly, keeping embargoed info secret isn't hard at all. Just... don't talk. The advantage of being trustworthy is far greater than a few seconds of glory from being a leaker.
Honestly, keeping embargoed info secret isn't hard at all. Just... don't talk. The advantage of being trustworthy is far greater than a few seconds of glory from being a leaker.
So let's unpack this.
If my company is pitching fir a piece of business that the current incumbent doesn't know is up for pitch, we should PR it in trade press?
If my company is working on a new product which contains several innovations on existing processes in its industry sector, we should announce that after the first steering committee meeting?
Yeah, I don't think you've really thought about what you're posting and/or ever worked in any product or business development capacity.
Does make you wonder what the secrecy is with games and tech. Do NDAs exist in other industries so prevalently?
Yes, pretty much everywhere. Commercial in confidence agreements, NDAs& a variety of other mechanisms that essentially say 'Keep your mouth shut about the new stuff.'
Interesting. We don't have anything remotely similar at our job just "don't speak to the press" when asked about some controversial thing. Which is fine because all I could do is the Jim Shrug
Outside of working at a mom & pop place pretty much anywhere corporate will have people under NDAs or similar.
On era it can be tempting to want to guide people a little when you see a completely off base discussion about something you know but sometimes it's fun to watch the insanity and crazy opinions unfold. Generally you only talk about nda stuff with your peers under the same nda.
With movies generally you can imagine what you'll get when it's done. Games is more risky to announce that early because things can change much more drastically through development, concepts get changed or dropped or shelved, etc. Sometimes a game will even get cancelled a decent way into development. The general audience also doesn't understand how games are made so if early development shots were put out people would think it looks like shit or later riot when that thing shown years ago isn't in the final build. I think there's an opportunity to share the development process with the public which in turn would hopefully educate them but it's a matter of finding a studio up to the task.
With movies generally you can imagine what you'll get when it's done. Games is more risky to announce that early because things can change much more drastically through development, concepts get changed or dropped or shelved, etc. Sometimes a game will even get cancelled a decent way into development. The general audience also doesn't understand how games are made so if early development shots were put out people would think it looks like shit or later riot when that thing shown years ago isn't in the final build. I think there's an opportunity to share the development process with the public which in turn would hopefully educate them but it's a matter of finding a studio up to the task.
There are a ton of people on this website who pretend to be insiders for attention and tease an amalgamation of information they're seen posted elsewhere online.
The fact that a lot of Era users can't control themselves and straight up buy it leads to that information or that posters status appearing more genuine.
Find any pre-E3 2018 hype thread and count the amount of "insiders" "confirming" that the game that became Sekiro was "100%" Bloodborne II. FROM threads are the worst for it but it happens with other Devs too.
The fact that a lot of Era users can't control themselves and straight up buy it leads to that information or that posters status appearing more genuine.
Find any pre-E3 2018 hype thread and count the amount of "insiders" "confirming" that the game that became Sekiro was "100%" Bloodborne II. FROM threads are the worst for it but it happens with other Devs too.
OP
OP
It was a timing issue. Images/content can be disclosed once the time is up. Some things can only be shared years after the fact. This particular case would have been a bit early.
The cool thing was almost unidentifiable to me and I knew what it was. The company was getting ready to share the work, but the message hadn't gone live yet. The email after the fact was to clarify that it was a sneak preview for us and not for sharing yet.
It doesn't work for every industry. If you have for example innovative tech, like a new phone that people haven't seen before, why would you want to give up your competitive advantage?
There's nothing wrong with wanting things to be secret or a surprise.
If I care about something, of course I want to learn more about it, but I get why companies are secretive.
HA HA HA. NOPE
secrecy is done for meany reason, spoiler, control of information, hype, timeline/ schedules, competition
see Prime 4, Nintendo announced it likely when it was just on the drawing table, and up to the "we are resetting production" video, every single month, event, we got people rambling, BUT WHY IS THERE NO MORE NEWS ABOUT METROID!!!!!
Pretty simple to be honest.
First you Google their name to see if their one of those people who really just are that open about who they are. Then you go and pursue legal against the places where their accounts are held. If it's a QA Test leak you run through and question everyone involved in each test. See if their typing styles are the same. Depending on what their leaking if it's MP that would be almost trivial to figure out who leaked. If it's a SP game you most likely already implemented hidden watermarks into the game that only you can see. Sorta like how Microsoft embedded your information into the pulsing rings on the old NXE dashboard.
Personally I've leaked a good lot of things before, but it's almost impossible to link me to that name as I went through many many different precautions to do so. Though on topic it basically it comes down to if the person is seeking attention or not.
Some companies are really damn good at it some are pretty bad at it.
Hey at least they gave us podracing and two great games based off that... we need a new one
You don't share anything until after it's been publicly announced?
I don't think that's hard to do. Rather keep my job and my livelihood. Leaking anything can basically get you marked in the industry.
Is there any reason to share it earlier other than bragging rights about preemptive knowledge?
I don't think that's hard to do. Rather keep my job and my livelihood. Leaking anything can basically get you marked in the industry.
Is there any reason to share it earlier other than bragging rights about preemptive knowledge?
I'm happy not to share anything with the wider world after signing an NDA but you can bet your ass I've had my closest friends coming over and checking those games out. Especially since I know they aren't posters on online forums.
Honestly breaking NDA would be too much effort for me. No one would believe me and I'd be risking a lot.
So instead I just go into speculation threads and observe people's theories. Some folks definitely have a good sense of what's to come, others not so much.
So instead I just go into speculation threads and observe people's theories. Some folks definitely have a good sense of what's to come, others not so much.
For years I worked for (and then managed) a gaming website, and during that time I hit 'publish' on multiple articles that leaked major AAA games or new information about them.
Now I work on the other side of the industry, and I see how much anxiety, sadness, disappointment, and *extra work* leaks and NDA breaks like these cause for so many people.
On one side, writers and editors answer to their executives, and leaks provide tons of pageviews, link-backs, revenue via ads, and reputation (assuming the leak is accurate). It's like an unspoken golden standard of reliability and reputation. Kotaku and Eurogamer publish great content, but would we hold them in such high esteem if they weren't leaking consoles and games?
On the other side, these developers and publishers spend literally years of their lives pouring so much hard work into a project they love, and entire teams are hired and spend months preparing exactly how the project will be revealed and what details will be shared. So many details at that point are still up in the air and unconfirmed, too.
That makes it especially frustrating when someone decides to leak all of the information according to when *they* decide it should be shared. That not only belittles the work of hundreds of people, but also taints the reveal in a huge way if the leaked information isn't accurate, or contains elements or mechanics that are no longer viable in the final product.
I understand both sides, truly. Looking back though, I understand now that pushing leaks and breaking NDAs is a profoundly selfish thing to do, and is mentally harmful and taxing on the people who make the games we love.
If they spent years of their lives making something, why can't we wait months for them to reveal it on their own terms?
Now I work on the other side of the industry, and I see how much anxiety, sadness, disappointment, and *extra work* leaks and NDA breaks like these cause for so many people.
On one side, writers and editors answer to their executives, and leaks provide tons of pageviews, link-backs, revenue via ads, and reputation (assuming the leak is accurate). It's like an unspoken golden standard of reliability and reputation. Kotaku and Eurogamer publish great content, but would we hold them in such high esteem if they weren't leaking consoles and games?
On the other side, these developers and publishers spend literally years of their lives pouring so much hard work into a project they love, and entire teams are hired and spend months preparing exactly how the project will be revealed and what details will be shared. So many details at that point are still up in the air and unconfirmed, too.
That makes it especially frustrating when someone decides to leak all of the information according to when *they* decide it should be shared. That not only belittles the work of hundreds of people, but also taints the reveal in a huge way if the leaked information isn't accurate, or contains elements or mechanics that are no longer viable in the final product.
I understand both sides, truly. Looking back though, I understand now that pushing leaks and breaking NDAs is a profoundly selfish thing to do, and is mentally harmful and taxing on the people who make the games we love.
If they spent years of their lives making something, why can't we wait months for them to reveal it on their own terms?
Although tempting, it's really not that hard unless you already have a strongly established social media presence. I just avoid chiming in any discussion related to the projects I'm working on, Studios I worked at or Companies I was associated with. Better safe than sorry. When in doubt just do nothing.