Is the wonder of AAA video games dead?

I remembered when I finally received my copy of Pokemon Red. The vast world of Kanto and the creatures that inhabited the land motivated and intimidated me, but I walked into the tall grass, ready to face any challenge. That same feeling hasn’t reemerged for some time. Because the overwhelming amount of information that's released before the game is available – trailers, features, leaks –  any sense of mystery and wonder is gone. 

Alpha, Beta, and lots of trailers

Before a game is released, it’s the job of the publisher to advertise the game as much as possible to make sure the product sells. This means the consumer is bombarded with information about the game and by the time we have it in our hands, we already have an understanding of what will happen without having to do anything. This predictable nature destroys that wonder and at the same time the allure of playing that game. It didn’t matter how large the open world of Watch Dog’s or how Outlast would end because most of the content was already shown prior to the game’s release.

Back in the day, before everyone had regular access to the internet, people relied on one another for information about the latest games. Whether it was discussion on an unknown level, a new cheat code, or a secret project in development, the source was usually a magazine, someone’s relative, or most of the time completely made up. Without the ability to instantly Google and see the validity of these rumors or look up videos on YouTube gave these rumors life. This was because the media held all the power.

Explore the vast mysterious world of Kanto and discover all its secrets

Gaming magazines and commercials were the primary ways of getting up to date information. They would tease gamers with morsels of information, screenshots, and interviews to keep us interested until we finally made our purchase. Now we can learn almost everything about AAA titles by the time they come out.

Trailers, multiplayer details, interviews, leaked information, alphas, betas, Twitch streams and so much more are constantly revealing new information. It becomes overwhelming, and when the game is finally released, we can predict what abilities will become available or how the story will end. The desire of exploring new elements disappear before the player has a chance to discover them for themselves. Often times we get caught in a never-ending cycle. Publishers attempt to maximize exposure only to oversaturated us with information. Instead of attempting to searching for new information about the latest game, we get forced fed the latest trailer revealing a new enemy type or level. 

Curiosity is lying in wait for every secret

Games like Rust, Minecraft, and The Forest show that gamers crave the unknown. In fact, people are willing to pay full price for game in its beta form and endure the glitches just to reinvigorate that feeling of wonder. That same feeling I had when choosing my starter Pokemon and ventured into the tall grass without knowing what lies ahead. While learning about Far Cry 4's new weaponry may satisfy my appetite until the game is released, it also takes away another exciting moment that I could have had while playing the game.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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