Hype in VNs

[Clephas]

As a contrary bastard of the first non-Japanese otaku generation, I naturally take an instant dislike to games that get over-hyped.  Initially, this was because of the contrariness I mentioned above (a stage every jaded gamer/reader/watcher goes through eventually), but my dislike for over-hyped games eventually transformed into a dislike for the injustice companies frequently did their games by hyping them, even if they weren't worth the hype. 

 

Companies will frequently hype a game made by a particularly experienced and successful team far beyond what any sane person would.  This will frequently lead to gamer disappointment and a general sense of dissatisfaction.  Personally, regardless of whether the game is worth this commercial hype, I think it does the game in question a disservice by raising expectations to levels far beyond what is possible.  (did anyone seriously expect Xenosaga to match Xenogears?)

 

Fan hype is... somewhat more insidious, because it is usually based in experience.  You hear that a game is good (usually hearsay from someone else who also heard it from someone else) and you find your expectations rise.  You might even recommend a game to others based on this hearsay.  This creates a self-propagating spiral of hearsay that frequently results in merely 'good' games being hyped as if they were masterpieces (ie. Aiyoku no Eustia, my personal bone to pick with community hype).   For people like me, this will frequently causes us to go berserk when we have to hear others praising the game and raising it up onto a pedestal.  It also causes us to overreact in our disappointment.  I loathe nothing more than playing a game based on hype, only to find the game is far below even my 'adjusted expectations' ( I long ago learned to tone my expectations down when I began to hear hype about a particular game). 

 

Considering the sheer number of VNs I've played, you'd think I would have gotten used to disappointment... but I don't go into most VNs with anything more than the vaguest of expectations.  I'm actually harsher on my favorite genres than I would be on moege or nakige, because I know what I like and I hate being lead into a minefield by the nose. 

 

What are your experiences with hype, commercial or otherwise, and how do you feel about it as a social phenomenon in general?

[Nosebleed]

Marketing. Plain and simple. If we are afected by the hype it means the marketing strategy worked and the devs who made the VN are grinning behind their desks while counting all the profit they've just made by getting people hooked.

The point of the hype is to get you to buy or even pre-buy their product because of your emotions and not because of your rational judgement which is something you admittedly should not do for your (and your wallet's) own safety.

Personally I admit to get hyped over certain things as a fan, I can't help it I'm a human being with emotions, likes and dislikes.

However I always try my hardest not to let the hype get in the way of how I view a product and how I feel about it.

Especially when it comes to VNs I always try and do a thorough research on what does it contain or some form of review to know if it will in any way fit my tastes.  I'd prefer waiting a couple months even for people to give their opinions and share their experiences before I myself get into a VN. That might be just me playing it safe but it's how I've always been, not just regarding VNs but any other medium I enjoy too.

So the way I feel about hype is just a social phenomenom that may or may not affect my emotions, however it will never make me take action and buy a product just because I liked the way it was advertised or even like it before i know about it a bit more, so in a way it just won't work with me.

[suikashoujo]

I've only dealt with this in terms of visual novels once or twice, since I actually have yet to make it through all the "classics" that people recommend everywhere. But I do remember feeling that way about Kana ~Imouto~ when I finally played it a few months back. Was it sas and touching? Yeah, sure. But I've certainly played better, and I certainly wouldn't call it the best English VN ever released, like I've seen in more than one area of the web.

 

In terms of anime, though, I felt that way about most of the overhyped anime in the past year or so- mainly because I hang around Tumblr so often. Free? Never watched it, but I know enough from hype that it was ruined for me. Attack on Titan? There aren't enough forum threads in the world for me to describe my hatred of that show. And I never watched a single episode.

[Flutterz]

I don't know why, but I just came up with an odd analogy. Hype is like hard drugs. It's great while it lasts, and then you die.

 

Games in general being hyped has been a non-issue for me lately, simply because I pretty much only play Dota 2. As for VNs, most of the generally hyped ones I've read before getting into any sort of VN community, so they weren't hyped much for me.

[O. Van Bruce]

Attack on Titan? There aren't enough forum threads in the world for me to describe my hatred of that show. And I never watched a single episode.

 

This is me, with the slight difference that I did watch a pair of eps just to find out a complete piece of GRimDaRK action with darky dark FEELS and  EDGY MATURE gore. Having heard about the main characters becoming Mary Sue and Gary Stue, I felt even more hatred.

[FruitsPunchSamurai]

Hype can get really annoying sometimes when people go "THIS IS THE BEST VN, anime" or whatever when it clearly isn't. Some of the overly hyped vns, can be good but not the best. Sometimes it can get you excited only to be dissappointed. 

[Izuru]

Hype can get really annoying sometimes when people go "THIS IS THE BEST VN, anime" or whatever when it clearly isn't. Some of the overly hyped vns, can be good but not the best. Sometimes it can get you excited only to be dissappointed. 

I Agree

[Undying]

I tend to doubt hype, usually I wont go with the crowd, well there are exceptions like dark souls 2 and the witcher 3.

 

What a I really hate about hype is that overhyped games tend do be over-exposed by the midia before they even launch, they pratically show all the game in videos and trailers and it gets dissapointing when yo really go an play.

 

Of course im talking about more mainstream games, Since VN are not so popular over here it gets kinda hard to generate hype, mainly because i gave no idea whats coming before someone picks for translation.

[Clephas]

Also... it takes all the fun out of playing a game for the first time when they tell you everything about it... I love stumbling across hidden gems as a result of my random game purchasing habits.

[InvertMouse]

VNs are products like anything else, and so hype definitely plays a role. Say if you lived in Japan, and you saw a new game advertised on one of those giant banners. As you see them day in and day out, you'll become inclined to think that it must be a big deal.

 

It's not just ads, either. There can be hype within the work itself, if that makes sense. Say you believe story is the most important element in a VN. Now, when you see some pretty drawings at the start, suddenly, you'll have more trust that the story is good at well. On the other hand, imagine your favorite VN. Now imagine it having horrible drawings. Is the story still good? Maybe you never would've made it to the end to find out. The same applies to music, obviously. Of course, with all that said, we can also say a work is judged based on the sum of all its parts. In that case, the discussion might become invalid.

 

Taking advantage of the hype can generate more profit, too. For instance, I watched the new Madoka film yesterday. Everyone there were obviously in a Madoka funk before and after the movie. So, the vendors set up a little stand outside the cinema to sell Madoka related goods. Akihabara does the same thing with the anime themed cafes.

 

I say all of this with some feels, certainly. Being an indie games developer, I have no funds to slap important people in the face and make them pay attention, etc. Hype is actually quite fun to get swallowed up by in my opinion. For those starting out, though, it's quite the hurdle .

[Kafunanapa3]

I've learned not to listen to hype. The way I think about it now is that everyone has different opinions on what they like and dislike. I'll start a game with a baseline interest in it and as I play, I'll judge on whether I like it or not.

 

As I said, I've learned not to listen to hype. I made the mistake when I was young and naive (still am ) of buying a game on someone's recommendation, on which I previously didn't want to buy the game as it didn't interest me. Low and behold, I hated it and I wasted a good amount of money.

[Albedo]

I've learned not to rely on hype as well, as I was pretty disappointed when I discovered that Phantom of Inferno was shit and Grisaia was nothing special. On the other hand, it can be good sometimes to have some games stand out so you try out stuff that you normally wouldn't, like Symphonic Rain in my case.

[Down]

I'm over the phase where you start hating on things because they're hyped.

 

I'm still sick and tired of hearing fans of the latest hyped anime trying to justify their stuff with bullshit instead of watching it for what it is, but, yeah, people wrong on the internet? That happens. I don't let it hinder my enjoyment of the show.

 

Conversely, I'm also seriously sick and tired of people hating on something just because it's popular. I've no doubts that a good share of those people actually dislike what they watch/play but there's always that impression that they're saying "hey, look at me, that thing that everyone likes? I don't like it!".

 

I actually like being hyped for things. I was in the crowd being mad when Kill la Kill went out, yesterday I was charged like a little girl in front of the first episode of the new Precure season. It dies eventually, but getting excited over something can be quite the thrill.

[Guest loppez]

i do not understand this topic. hype is part of an advertisement. it's been everywhere from the beginning. it is not only about vns but everything. movies, games, music. 

 

it is preety obvious that hype dosn't show true face of a product. how can somebody be surprised, that people want to play more in hyped games, they talk more about them? where do you live lol?

 

if you are not an idiot, you build your opinion after you play, watch something. you can't judge anything just by level of hype. everybody who has ability to think, knows that. others are just too stupid and you ignore them. whats your problem then Clephas? 

[Rea_x_Chihiro]

I've got to disagree about some part in this discussion,mainly about fan hype.I find nothing wrong about fan hype because every single people have their own opinion and taste towards anime/vn/music/etc.Most of them,apparently,like to share their opinion to the community.Now you might see people 'hype' over  something which is not worth the expectation for example,a person may 'hype' [insert vn's title here] as the best vn out there while as we think, it's only decent (or bad ).BUT don't forget that "beauty lies on the eye of the beholder" EVEN if the fact,in reality,it's not.Just because we don't think [insert vn's title here] is a masterpiece doesn't mean it is true to everyone's opinion.He or she might found jewel on the thing we call as trash or otherwise.Therefore, we can't just mock at other people's 'hype' just because you know that it's not even close to a masterpiece.

My way to avoid disappointment from all the 'hype' it self is by mentally positive .Whenever I play vn or watch Anime I tend to think "this is actually quite good " and it help me passed those bad moment where you think it's not worth playing/watching anymore.

 

 

Conversely, I'm also seriously sick and tired of people hating on something just because it's popular. I've no doubts that a good share of those people actually dislike what they watch/play but there's always that impression that they're saying "hey, look at me, that thing that everyone likes? I don't like it!".

 

But I hate JB with the impression "hey, look at me, that thing that everyone likes? I don't like it!".
And I know we all do.(Probably)

[Down]

 

But I hate JB with the impression "hey, look at me, that thing that everyone likes? I don't like it!".

And I know we all do.(Probably)

 

JB? What is it?

[Rea_x_Chihiro]

JB? What is it?

Okay I'll give you a big clue : Canadian

[Katatsumuri]

Plz people, no thread derailing...

 

 

Well, I usually ignore hype and just try to form my own opinion, but...

 

Sometimes, someone hyping something is going too far. And if they do, I will think that for example, what I think is an average show will become a sub-par show.

I accept hype if it is constructive in nature, but not if it is simply based around arguments like "This thing is so good!", "It is the best thing ever." or "This is so original!"

 

In truth, it's all about opinions. And since we all have opinions, we will not always agree on things. But forcing other people to agree with your opinion is just the thing that would make me dislike something just because of hype.

 

While Hype might make me dislike something, I ignore it until the hype is rubbed in my face, despite the fact that I want no part in it.

[Jiharo]

I'm not bothered by it cos I read what I like. I don't go around following what others read.

[rainsismyfav]

I'm not bothered by it cos I read what I like. I don't go around following what others read.

Well said. We have something called choice. You're affected by how much you're willing to get affected by hype, if that makes sense.

[Kaguya]

Hype never affects me in VNs. That's because I generally read them without knowing if they're hyped or not (or knowing anything about the VN, for that matter) since I'm always in the batch of the first players when a VN is translated and I avoid news about them in the first place. I believe liking a VN because of the hype is as irrational as disliking it because of the hype- it doesn't matter and you shouldn't let it affect you before you read the VN per se and draw your own conclusions. 

[Okami]

I don't have any problem with hype as people hype something that they like a lot and I respect the difference in taste, so even if I dislike something and people hype it, I don't see a big deal in it as it just means I have a different taste from people hyping it. But I do hate people who hate VN or/and anime just because it is hyped and they don't even give it a chance or those who go around the net saying that it is a total sh*t even true, they honestly think that it is at least so-so but say that it's sh*t just because it is hyped.

That is for fan-hype and for commercial hype, I have even less problem as it is only natural that companies want to sell their product well.

[Yukiru]

I'm pretty dense when it comes to tendencies so i usually don't know of the hype unless it is shamelessly huge.

I remember liking Mirai Nikki before the fandom got it hyped, nowadays i don't remember any detail of Mirai Nikki like i would do with other works.

I stepped into School Days with NO knowledge whatsoever, naturally it was a bad idea.

I stepped into Clannad to get rid of the after-effects of School Days thinking it was easygoing and it ended up giving me more after-effects than School Days.

 

On the other hand, if i know of  hyped series i give them try to see if they worth the hype, if i like them it's pretty fun since i can talk about it with others; if i end up disappointed i dislike them and underrate them more than i should. A good example of the former is Fate/Zero and a good example of the latter is SAO.

[Wahfuu]

I think it really depends on where the hype is coming from. The general populace doesn't always pick the anime/visual novel/whatnot that would suit you. If you go into a work based 100% off what you hear the general fandom say about it without taking in to account what you like/personally prefer, you're pretty much just setting yourself up for failure.

It's different when you get a recommendation from a large friend circle/friend, because odds are they have more of an idea what you like then the hype train does.

Anyway, personally I'm pretty over reverse-hype. A lot of the time it comes off as someone trying to hate something for the <sole> reason it's popular and that's just as silly if not more so then giving into the hype in the first place. Just keep an open mind but remember what you like/what worked for you.

[Supah Kawaii Weeaboo]

That is for fan-hype and for commercial hype, I have even less problem as it is only natural that companies want to sell their product well.

 

Fan hype and official hype sometimes go together. But at times, you'll see only fan hype. In my opinion, it usually happens with niche products that are not likely to sell millions or become world famous. It seems to begin when at least one enthusiast gets interested in a product based on early information, previews, or first impressions. They start to talk it up before any company can begin marketing it.

 

It's kind of like comparing a catchphrase with a meme. The word "Wassup?" was used in a Budweiser commercial to promote the product, and it's basically a catchphrase. The phrase "All your base are belong to us" began in the poorly translated 1991 game Zero Wing, but became a meme almost a decade later when fans rediscovered the game and created some remixes.

 

The audio podcast RetroforceGo talked about hype in video games. You can find the episode (#40) in two formats at archive.org.