Games should not be announced AT ALL unless they release within a calendar year

[Exellus]

Not 3 years, not 2 years. ONE year.

How many times. HOW MANY GODDAMN TIMES do we see a game announced Way, WAYY too early? With nothing to show WHATSOEVER except a logo?

What is the point? What does this gain you?

This hype culture is so stupid man. I miss the days when a new Castlevania would get announced at E3 and release THAT OCTOBER.

That's the way we need to go back to man. Don't tell me your game exists at all. Cause lord knows how many times they get stuck in development hell, renamed, retitled, rebranded, restarted, or canceled entirely before you've even hired the freaking art director for the game or even finalized WHAT THE GAME IS EVEN FUCKING ABOUT.


Just STOP IT.

 

[Neoxon]

Capcom handles it pretty well these days, only announcing games when they're at most a year out. I'd say games coming in the spring of the following year is fine, but nothing too far out (delays aside).

 

[Deleted member 45414]

I agree, hype turns toxic real fast. If it was up to me (it isn't) I wouldn't want to announce them until they've gone gold.

Edit: this is in regards to gigantic AAA releases. Indie titles with smaller marketing budgets if any needs more time to garner attention

 

[Mediking]

Is there...a particular game you're referring to..?

 

[Themaddestgamer]

I can get behind this. Ive been waiting on FF7 remake for a long time.

 

[Zojirushi]

I hate these long ass hype/wait cycles too but I guess marketing departments know what they're doing

 

[Rei no Otaku]

I agree. More than a year out and the game might as well not even exist for me.

 

[Greywaren]

I agree. In my case, at least, waiting so long from announcement to release only kills the hype.

 

[blamite]

Would you ask the same thing of the movie industry?

 

[Wrexis]

Square-Enix are the worst from this. They announced FF13 when it was at 3% completion.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

But I like the antici...






































...pation.

 

[Rad]

I'm fine with 2 years but yeah, anything more than that is BS. SE announcing Versus/XV back fuck-when is still hilarious to me.

 

[Shining Star]

Yes I agree. It's annoying and hard to remember otherwise.

 

[Anno]

I love long cycles if they're willing to show the game frequently during development. Give me gray-boxed levels and someone talking about how they're working on getting the jump physics down just right or something.

 

[MP!]

wouldnt that be nice?

 

[Smurf]

I don't have a problem with games announced early and I actually like CGI trailers. I like getting hyped for stuff dont @me

 

[dean_rcg]

But you don't know what might go wrong when you announce it...

 

[Halbrand]

I can't believe RDRII was announced with a trailer in 2016

 

[Stinkinmushroom]

For Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo annoucning games in advance makes sense to make you wanna buy the consoles.

 

[Zephy]

There are also people complaining about the secrecy around games before their annoucement, citing movies which are announced before production even starts.

There is no pleasing everyone.

Personnally, I have stopped being super excited for games until they are a few weeks from release.

 

[Pagusas]

Cry much OP? There is a lot to gain by announcing early. Investor interest, share holder understanding on R&D investment directly tied to a product, mindshare in the market with a slow burn marketing campaign, project interest from outside talent who will want to work with you (best possible type of recruiting) plus the internal cultural benefits to a project that isn't under lock and key from the public. There are many draw backs too, some you pointed out, but all you did in your OP is come off like a little crying brat who cant be patient for something.

Hell the best example of this is FF7R, with the development crew feeling down after the first year due to project hardships, but being invigorated due to the insane support coming from the public. I remember one youtuber posting his story about the team being almost in tears from the outpouring of support and amazing fan response, and how much it inspired them to continue and make the best possible product. Sure some of that is PR spin, but I know how having people be excited over what you are doing is the fuel of the gods when you are feeling down.

If you are excited about a product and its taking a long time, why not try putting some of that passionate anger you have there into a message to that development staff showing your support for the long hours they are working to get something out.

 

[Ushojax]

I think it's definitely the best way to keep people excited without building expectations too much. Even though we all know they had disastrous developments, announcing things like Kingdom Hearts 3 when they barely exist can only lead to disappointment when the final product arrives 4 years later.

I personally don't even start to really pay attention to games until they are a few months away from release, I loved The Last of Us but I haven't seen the game at all. It's too far out for me to care.

 

[Vylder]

Disagree.

I like to know there are games I can look forward too in the years to come. What's wrong (in my opinion), is announcing a game and then not giving any update for like two years (see Metroid Prime 4).

 

[Deleted member 3017]

I'm perfectly fine with "logo" announcements at the start of a generation, so long as the game isn't brought up again until it's near release. The early announcements of games like Metroid Prime 4 and Bayonetta 3 were completely fine, in my opinion. When they're close to launch, we'll learn more about them.

 

[Slayven]

Been saying that for years. If your game is at 2 E3s without being in stores, you fucked up. A long hype cycle just gets folks stir crazy

 

[Deleted member 18944]

But why?

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

I think Last of Us 2 and Ghost of Tsushima did not need to get revealed that early. I am happy KH3 already released and that FFVIIR and Cyberpunk are coming soon-ish.

 

[Deleted member 274]

Let people do whatever the fuck they want with their products

 

[PeskyToaster]

Interesting comparison to like Marvel who's announcing movies years in advance. I think it's partially because making software/video games is still a young industry and doesn't really have it figured out.

Software engineering in general needs its industrial revolution.

 

[Cipher Peon]

I feel the exact opposite! For budgeting reasons, I'd prefer if games were announced at LEAST a year before they come out.
Show off a logo, makes no difference to me. Just so I know what to put aside money for and when!

The movies industry nails this for the most part. Hope games catch up!

 

[Deleted member 274]

I agree, hype turns toxic real fast. If it was up to me, don't announce them until they've gone gold.

Click to shrink...

I'm so thankful it's not up to you then

 

[NoKisum]

What game hurt you, OP?

 

[ContractHolder]

Tell that to the people demanding to see Pikmin 4 when it's not ready yet.

 

[Exist 2 Inspire]

Nah i rather like the official announcement/acknowledgment that a game is in the works. I have zero problems with waiting while it cooks.

 

[Dougieflesh]

I like when games are announced early. Let me know what you're working on.

 

[saenima]

If you suffer from hype, you've got no one to blame but yourself.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

This should be enforced BY LAW, just like trophies on PS4.

 

[Liam Allen-Miller]

Is patience really that hard? Let people announce when they want.

 

[Chopin the Third]

No thanks, I'd rather know about a game as soon as possible.

 

[LavaBadger]

I'm all for this.

 

[Zonar]

100% agreed

 

[MagicPhone]

I disagree. The secrecy around games should change to something that more reflects what we do in the film industry. As soon as a project is at all started, an article comes out talking about. Tons of movies die on the vine of pre-production. Casting changes. Release dates changes. Everything with games is just falling into the marketing tricks, and in 2019 they're unnecessary.

 

[ghibli99]

It's an arbitrary number, but ~1-2 years is about what I like. Announce it at E3, and then it comes out around next year's E3 or holiday season.

 

[CRIMSON-XIII]

I'm fine with 2 years but yeah, anything more than that is BS. SE announcing Versus/XV back fuck-when is still hilarious to me.

Click to shrink...

Funny thing is I remember an interview at e3 2006 with Square Enix saying that FFXIII was at 6-10% development completion or something and Versus XIII was even less than that. Too bad they needed their teams to work on XIII and XIV instead.

 

[Lothars]

I don't agree, it's nice to see some games announce and than release but there's nothing wrong with games being announced years before it's released.

 

[zedox]

I've been saying this forever. I 100% agree with you. 1 year...1.5yrs at MAX. E3 should just show me games I will play until the next E3

 

[bsigg]

Could you imagine studios/pubs trying to maintain silence and avoid leaks that a certain game in under development?

I mean, look at what Bethesda did with Starfield and TES6.

Also, public companies spending money need to give general ideas of what they have in the works for shareholders.

 

[Strangelove_77]

But then a lot of gamers will think developers aren't doing anything since they haven't released anything in years.
You have to update people on what's happening because it'll be years before their game comes out.

 

[Deleted member 15428]

But Disney announces movies two or even three years in advance

 

[Figgles]

I would imagine this information is important for investors.