The Stages of Game Anticipation

Ahhh, games. No other media breeds such anticipation and passion within its audience. When a new game or sequel is announced gamers seem to go through phases that are unique to the demographic. You don't see movie buffs analyzing trailers frame by frame or avid readers gathering information on a publisher's previous efforts. We are a special bunch, and when there's a promising game on the horizon we all seem to go through several stages of which we're all familiar with (especially Sonic fans). And it all starts with a kiss an announcement.

The publisher announces the game, usually with a brief statement about how it will be the next big thing. Topics are made as everyone guesses what the game is about, while threatening developers if their demands are not met. There is no way for the publisher to avoid this. If a publisher came straight out and said 'hey, this game is only above average, please do not threaten us anymore, our families cannot sleep without fear', sure enough comments such as 'this game better be perfect or I'm gonna punch this guy then eat his family" will arise. For some reason a lot of people tend to believe that the new title will surpass their already wild expectations because they violently suggested something somewhere on the internet.


The next wave of hype crashes with the release of screenshots. The eye candy is released to the public and we glaze over it like a delicious donut (does glazing apply to anything else?) It is at this point that many people boldly claim that either 1) it's a day one purchase, 2) they'll wait and see how it turns out, or 3) that its graphics are horrendous and are an affront to their very existence. Most people tend to forget that screenshots are from projects that are still being worked on. The developers have eyes too, they know when graphics are 'bad'. It's just that creating graphics for games is very time consuming so they use place holders which may not be so appealing to the eye, so that there's something to look at while they test the game engine. With a release of a screenshot the developer is generally trying to give the public a glimpse of the design (camera perspective, level design, HUD, story, etc.) in conjunction with the visuals. For every five comments nitpicking the graphics there'll be a person stating that something looks interesting, and that's the comment the developers want to hear.

The arrival of the trailer brings with it excitement and genuine arousal. All aboard the hype train! People begin to analyze these videos, at times to an unbelievable depth. This is usually followed by a developer interview, in which people will scour for information, and reform their opinions based on this new intel. At this point they forget that a developer isn't going to say their games anything less than perfect, and wholeheartedly believe everything that's advertised. "Honestly, what do you think of the game, developer?"
"To be honest ,it is the best game, nay, experience I've ever had the pleasure of partaking in. I would sacrifice my first born child to merely lay my eyes on its cover art."
"Sounds pretty fantas-.,wait, what are you doing?!"
"The Gods' desires must be appeased..."
"No, developer, noooo!"


It is at this point that the criticism floodgates really open, unleashing a torrent of threats towards the developer, publisher, and any innocent bystanders. It is at this point that some people fall off the bandwagon and others jump on. Take for example Zelda Windwaker, which at first promised a slightly more realistic approach to the series as was the case with Ocarina of Time. Then the next year the audience was treated to this, leaving half of the audience to despise the new Zelda based off its cel-shaded approach, and the other half embracing the new visual style as an evolution of the series art style. The one Zelda title we were all frothing at the mouth for was Twilight Princess, which sort of caused the opposite effect. People set their expectations low for Windwaker, and so those who did experience it claimed it was one of the greatest games at the time because what they experienced exceeded what they expected. On the other hand Twilight Princess set the bar so high at its reveal that it could not possibly meet some people's expectations, leading to disappointment. Oh Zelda, how good you are at exciting the masses!

Don't get too excited for your game yet kid, because we live in Australia and you are bound to have your heart broken. Ask those who desperately awaited the release of Super Mario Galaxy 2 (approx. 1 month delay after initial release), Metroid Prime 3 (3 months), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (4 months), and the various others of which are too numerous to list. Anticipation dips and the gamer must now either decide to import the title, pirate it, or wait around while comforting themselves by believing it'll be worth it. And it better be worth it, because if it isn't they'll once again say something naughty about the publisher and where they can shove their release dates (in their butts). In rare cases the release is unexpectedly early such as with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, which caused a mass degree of excitement, resulting in 200,000 copies selling within seven weeks. Who would've thought that releasing quality titles on time would result in high sales? That question is not rhetoric.

It's now two days before the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ on a disc. Now is the not-so-calm before the malevolent storm. Videos of the gameplay are being uploaded everywhere, with gamers watching spoiling the game they've been anticipating for months, or even years by viewing them. After watching these and reading supposed pre-release stories, 50% of gamers drop-off the 'this is going to change the way you see life' band wagon and quickly jump onto the 'that other band wagon is stupid because it's a band wagon' band wagon. Expectations are simultaneously crushed and reinvigorated. Forums are flooded with 'this did/did not meet my expectations'. At the fever pitch many do nothing but fantasize about the game, demanding that the rules of time bend so that they may experience the game now, now, now! Nothing is more important, not even sanity. Even critics get caught up in the moment, proclaiming that certain games are the best before letting the hype die down and giving certain games near perfect scores despite them being panned by the general gamer community.


Midnight launch madness kicks in. People line up for hours beforehand so that they can claim they were the first to get a game that they'll play for an hour or two than sleep, rather than wake up early the next day to enjoy it for as long as you like, without the waiting and drowsiness. This happens a lot. Some people will even offer 'favours' to get what they want. Of course, because females are trying to get stuff using their sexy, sexy ways it's alright. Then there's the crimes that seem to occur at huge releases, especially in the case of consoles. All this so people can get a slice of the pie before everyone else, despite the pie tasting just as good forever and costing less the more you wait.

Finally, there is the aftermath. It's been a week since the game slipped from the gaming communities mindset. The game is widely panned as being 'good', but not as good as its predecessor. In just a few short months a sequel is announced and the cycle begins anew, reinvigorating the demon god of misery, Hype'káa, who collects wasted time to fuel his underworld of torture and pain. Publishers can also shoot themselves in the foot during this crucial period by talking about a sequel too early, destroying all that precious hype they've spent months building. The game is shunned by the buyer because why should they buy the first iteration in the series for $100 when the new and improved sequel will be out next year?

I understand the excitement and sheer joy of buying a game you've waited to get your mitts on. After all, I'm a gamer too, and gamers just wanna play video games. It's cool to see screenshots and trailers to get a glimpse of how the next chapter in the story will unfold. I'd say to calm down, but screw that man, did you hear a a new Sonic game is coming out? My colours are running with excitement (and if the running animation isn't the same as in Sonic 2 by god I'll buy the next Sonic.)

- Jack Niehsner (BoonMcNougat)