You all are probably aware of the fact that I’m a gamer. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be qualified to put articles on this site. Like all of you, I buy games, and enjoy them just about every day.  They are my passion. Like most of you, I too have to deal with one of the hardest parts about being a gamer: The wait. It is a simple truth that games take a long time to develop. Depending on the team, budget, and many other factors, we’re usually in for a wait of at least a couple of years. Fortunately, for the most part, when we wait for these exciting games, we don’t even know we’re waiting yet. That’s because we have no idea the game even exists. Even right now, sequels to some of the biggest games are in production and we don’t even know it. The next original IP that will become the biggest hit might be in production right now and we haven’t a clue about it.
 
When it finally does come time to announce a game; THAT is when the wait begins. No matter what, if you’re really interested in a game, the wait will be hard regardless. That’s how developers hype the game, by making you wait, and showing you things from behind the curtains until release day. I know, it really does sound like a cruel process, but it’s an important one nonetheless, and it usually pays off for both of everyone. For developers and publishers, it allows them to prove why their game is worth having which will, of course, equal sales. For the gamer, it’s a bit different. We profit in a different ways. We see just enough to make us want the game, but never enough to satisfy us. When it finally comes to that release date, it’s practically as if we’re kids again on Christmas morning. That is, theoretically, the proper hyping process. Not everyone hypes their game very well.
 
You more than likely realize this by now, but hyping a game up is all a matter of time and information flow within that amount of time. Too much, and people might start to feel like the game is just being spoiled. Too little, and people start to lose interest. Chances are you’re all much more familiar with the “Too little” side. It’s true, and it’s a bad way to hype a game. There are many examples I can use for this. Know that it all comes down to when a game is announced.
 
For my first examples, I will use two games that have already hit our consoles, one especially recently. I’m willing to bet most don’t even know this, but Dead Island was actually supposed to be released as early as 2008, about three years ago. Obviously, things didn’t go as planned, and not much of anything was heard from the game until a trailer hit in May 2009. That was about all we would hear until 2011, where we got the famous and heartfelt (re)Announcement trailer. The game finally hit on September 6, 2011. Looking to an Xbox 360 exclusive, Alan Wake was first announced at E3 in 2005. Since then, it remained relatively silent until; finally, word of the game had finally come to our ears in 2009. The game went on to enjoy a May 2010 release. It is accurate to say both these games suffered delays, so perhaps we can’t really blame them for their hyping process. Many unforeseen things can happen in the development process that can hold back the game.
 
Yet, what of games that seemed to have no official delays so far? Why are they announced so early only to be kept so hidden out of the public eye? Tomonobu Itagaki’s newest game, Devil’s Third, was announced back in 2010 and featured an action filled trailer that would probably lead anyone to believe the game wouldn’t be too far off, but just a few months ago it was reported that the game is only about 30% complete, and is scheduled for an early 2013 release. This is just one of many other games that seem to excite games too early. Need I mention Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Half Life 2: Episode 3, or that mysterious Guillermo Del Toro game known as Insane, which was announced this time last year for a 2013 release? Waiting sucks. That’s all there is to it, but it’s a normal part of being a gamer. It’s very important that, when gamers wait, gamers remain interested. Few people remain constantly interested in an upcoming game that goes silent. While we know that games like Devil’s Third or Half Life 2: Episode 3 should come out eventually (hopefully), the lack of steady information flow leaves very little reason to care about these games right now. In other words, gamers will care when the games are relevant. If there are little to no signs of life, why bother looking for something that isn’t there?
 

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