Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

Consider this an open rebuttal to a post over at GamertagRadio.com entitled, “What hype does to gaming” by Anjo Banjo. It’s a rant about how the writer is fed up with Halo 3 hype and that Halo 3 will probably not live up to expectations.

I’d like to respond to some of the points that were made…

I would like to make the point that “hype” is nothing new, and I can understand getting tired of it. No one likes to listen to the same song on the radio every other minute. Hearing about something too often can leave us wanting more… of something else.

That being said, will any amount of hype (or lack thereof) change the quality of the game? Subjectively, it may color our own perceptions of that game, but just because a particular title is more advertised doesn’t mean that the people working on that title, managing the design, composing audio, or whatever else somehow managed to turn out an inferior product just because YOU think so. It’s just the way mass media is. Some things live up to the hype and some don’t.

Having played Daikatana, I can safely say that game was horrible with or without a questionably arrogant marketing campaign.

Anjo Banjo makes mention of the failure of Gears of War to live up to its own hype. I’m not sure that’s the actual case, though. I suppose, it’s up to personal opinions of each individual, but judging by the fact that Gears is still the number one played title on Xbox Live says that a lot more individuals disagree with the writer than she apparently thought.

Naturally, the writer also mentions that she was underwhelmed by the Halo 3 Beta. “Then why ask the consumer to purchase the same game with just a little bit better graphics and a few extra items? Why not just call it halo 2.5, create a boosterpack for download for half the price and have it over with?”

I’ve been trying to wrap my head around that last statement. I think it’s pretty obvious from in-game screenshots and the numerous Forge, saved films, and single-player videos that this game is miles ahead of Halo 2 in almost every degree. I suppose we could also call Empire Strikes Back episode 4.5 AM I RITE? It just had more of the same. Slightly better special effects, a few more ships we hadn’t seen before, and it also had that darn cliffhanger ending. We hate those!

Interestingly, the writer also laments that Halo 3′s saved films feature is “going to be a video of me, getting T-bagged by a high pitched little pimple pusher, telling me how much I sucked because he thinks it’s cool to do glitch cheats.” Well, I suppose so, but there’s nothing forcing you to download those films. I fail to see how you getting teabagged makes Halo 3 overhyped or unable to meet its own hype.

What I really hate is when people get their facts wrong, or at least take the facts out of context.

Now for you who say that Halo 3 pre orders are larger then halo 2, well you might be right, but so far halo3 has recently reached 1 million copies in north America, whilst halo2 has it beaten with 1.5 milion copies.

O RLY?

Let’s make sure we compare apples to apples here. According to this chart, the install base in North America for the Xbox through October 2004 was about ten million. The install base for the 360 through July 2007 is about six million. So, you’re trying to compare Halo 2′s 1.5 million pre-orders on 10 million+ consoles to Halo 3′s 1 million pre-orders on 6 to 7 million consoles? Sounds pretty even to me, about 15% of the install base in both cases. That doesn’t even take into account the fact that Halo 2 was released MUCH closer to the holiday shopping season, which DOES make a difference.

The main problem I have with this article is despite the writer’s obvious sincerity and passionate belief, her arguments would’ve made a lot more sense six months ago when we hadn’t seen Halo 3′s updated graphics, the Forge, the true depth of the saved films feature, or 4-player online co-op. If it’s not your type of game, so be it. No one says you have to like Halo 3, but don’t try and use it as an example of the failure of video game marketing, when by most accounts, Halo 3 will be a success commercially, as well as conceptually.