Is SWTOR hype peaking too early?

by Brooke Pilley Jun 2nd 2009 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Sci-fi, Opinion, Star Wars: The Old Republic

We were bound to get juicy new details about Star Wars: The Old Republic at E3 2009 and we surely haven't been disappointed thus far. In this week alone we have learned about the new Smuggler class, fan art ownership policy, full in-game voiceovers, and an amazing cinematic trailer. Hype is definitely in full swing, but is it peaking too early?

MMO blogger, Tobold, believes it is. He suggests players have seen very little of SWTOR's in-game substance at this point and BioWare is raising expectations to unrealistic heights by hyping the game so early. He cites Mythic and Funcom as examples of companies that built early hype based on fancy words, design concepts, and trailers and then experienced a fan backlash when players perceived that they did not meet those targets.

Darren of the Common Sense Gamer disagrees and believes that the Star Wars lore is being over-hyped, not the game itself. He also argues that anything Star Wars-related traditionally hypes itself and that a great trailer about the game's history and story should be appreciated for what it is and set apart from the game itself.

Tags: bioware, blogging, common-sense-gamer, funcom, hype, mythic-entertainment, star-wars-the-old-republic, swtor, tobold

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Dude said on 3:15PM 6-02-2009

Would help if they actually released something.

RJGiskard said on 1:52AM 6-03-2009

Hype? Well, it hasn't caught me. Bioware turned me off when they advertised their disposable lightsabres and cool loot that progressively shows how your character advances. Sorry, but neither are a part of Star Wars, IMO. I plan on steering clear.

LaughingTarget said on 3:21PM 6-02-2009

It is partly the Star Wars mythos, as Darren says, but I don't exactly see this being hyped up the Amazon. They aren't posting development journals every 5 minutes, going into huge detail about how their game is going to completely redefine the entire MMO genre, they put out a cool trailer and a couple of character videos. Basically, they are nothing like Mythic or Funcom.

JP said on 3:24PM 6-02-2009

I agree w/ the Dude.

While the cinematic may be the single coolest Star Wars fight scene ever, it shows/explains/offers little in the way of info about the game.

I don't know about "over hyping". B/c thus far it's only been "We're making a new Star Wars mmo". The amount of info beyond that, other then setting up the lore, has been minimal at best.

So, I think instead of over hyping, they're just making their media presence alone on an IP, rather then actual game features and aspects.

Which is fine. Mythic and Funcom hyped about the game, less then the IP (Mythic did some, it was more about how epic the RvR would be) and failed. For Bioware, it's more Lore hyping then anything right now. I'm a huge SW fan, but I see through these shenanigans and I won't form an opinion until I see some substance regarding the game, world, and playability.

Until then, it's EA/LA/Bioware's money they are wasting on frivolous fluff.

Cicadymn said on 3:25PM 6-02-2009

I don't know what Darren is talking about. If anyone has ever played Kotor they know that Bioware's old republic is amazing. I'm more worried about gameplay. I'm sure the story will be fine, but gameplay is what I really want more information on.

torak said on 3:33PM 6-02-2009

OMG, a game company hyping their product before it releases???

No way...what is the world coming too? Next thing you know, they will want money to play it, the nerve!

:P

gegner said on 3:51PM 6-02-2009

Defiantly hyping too early. It looks like they are nowhere near being done. Q4 2010.

slimj091 said on 2:47AM 6-03-2009

and you would know this how? good game companies can make their fans think they only just started planning when in fact they are nearing the end of development, and begining alpha testing. and saying bioware is just a "good" game company is an understatement.

you forget that this game has been in development for 3 years already. if it had just been announced yesterday that bioware was starting planning for ToR. then yeah i would agree too early. but at this stage i think they are on the right path. besides it's bioware. i think they know how to promote their games.

ScytheNoire said on 3:52PM 6-02-2009

Tobold is wrong, again, of course.

The game itself isn't being hyped, they have shown little to nothing of the game. What they have been doing is getting players interested in the back story, and with Star Wars, that's not real hard to do.

I think BioWare has been handling things pretty good. Although they have been doing too much talking and not enough showing, but at this point, that's probably a good thing.

At least they aren't comparing themselves to Led Zeppelin and talking smack they can't live up to. And BioWare can probably live up to any smack they might want to talk.

Bill said on 3:55PM 6-02-2009

Is SWTOR hype peaking too early?

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

THAC0 said on 3:55PM 6-02-2009

I am discounting everything i see about this game until release. Yes they are winding the hype machine up waaay too early getting people excited for it. Everyone is going to be a burnt out jaded hater when the game releases because of it.

Xyuleos said on 1:19PM 6-09-2009

No way of telling how far along in development the game is, really.

My impression is actually that they are closer to be being finished than just starting out. Its been in development since 2005 iirc.

Maybe I'm a little biased, being a KOTOR and Star Wars fan, as well as (obviously) an MMO fan; but I don't think its being overhyped. I actually believe they've been reasonably low-key, up until the new trailer.

I believe this game has the potential to be the biggest MMO (and one of the best games) ever, its being made by one of the most well reknowned developers, has massive financial backing and huge fanbases: older SW fans of the original trilogy, younger SW fans from Clone Wars and newest live action films, gamer fans from KOTOR 1&2 as well as those burnt out on the current crop of MMOs and waiting for the next 'big one'.

Bill said on 4:00PM 6-02-2009

I find this amusing, I waited on WoW for over a year and a half. I also believe the game will be ready a lot sooner than people are guessing. My guess is spring of 2010.

Hypester said on 4:05PM 6-02-2009

I'm going to have to land on the "they are side."

I completely realize that they are hyping the lore, getting people interested in Star Wars lore again is important, and after some shabby prequels and a kiddie CGI cartoon, making Star Wars epic again is long overdue. Long. Overdue. It is necessary that they do things like this that have to do with the lore rather than gameplay, ESPECIALLY if they are trying to make story as integral and fulfilling a part of the MMO as combat, advancement and exploration.

That said, these cinematics and 'full vo' tidbits are in reference to a game, and gets us looking forward to information on the game that may not even be implemented yet. This is for a game that's not coming out this year. Maybe not next year either.

The only way this won't backfire, is if they continue to feed more tantalizing bits of story and the game delivers on its promise of story as a pillar. There are plenty MMOs and questlines therein with decent storylines... in order for this to pan out, they'll have to deliver a story I care about and am engrossed in, while at the same time delivering a story to a million others, without dismantling my immersion.

Doesn't sound likely, does it?

Goonja said on 4:06PM 6-02-2009

I agree that the hype machine has started a bit too early.Such a trailer is so inspiring that it will set people's mind reeling back and forth.

Archipelagos said on 4:06PM 6-02-2009

I would disagree with the analysis that it's being hyped too early. Bioware probably know that to maximise initial purchase there needs to be a lot of information released early (it worked very well for Funcom and Mythic.) It's the continuation of subscriptions that cannot be controlled by hyperbole, only content; something that Funcom and Mythic learned much to their chagrin.

dmaculate said on 4:10PM 6-02-2009

BioWare aren't hyping shit. Tobold: "can we please slow down the hype machine." Lower the tent in your shorts bro. Bottom dollar says that in three months, Tobold's going to write a blog saying "where is SWTOR?!" / "vaporware!". I don't see any sort of hype machine. I see an entertainment expo about video games, and a top company releasing a video about their video game. Anybody who sees anything more than that IS ADDING THE "HYPE" THEMSELVES. They release the video, you watch it. That's all. Anything you feel after watching the video is your problem.