“Destiny,” released in September, sold about 5 million copies in its first week of release. The game, from the studio behind “Halo,” is available for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Credit: Activision Publishing, Inc.
This week's Digital Savant column, available in Tuesday's print edition and on MyStatesman.com, is about two very experiences I had with recent video games "Destiny" and "Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor."
With one of those games, the hype cycle had built up so much that it was tough to enjoy the finished product without feeling a sense of dashed expectations. With the other game, lowered expectations actually made me appreciate a well-crafted game even more.
Here’s an excerpt from the column:
I was expecting smart and savvy, a "Guardians of the Galaxy." Instead, I got a lifeless "Star Wars" prequel.
And that may be my fault. I followed the game's progress as it was being developed, enjoying beautiful screenshots and absorbing gameplay trailers as they were released. I was hoping I would fall in love with "Destiny," that it would be my new regular jam. I had a lot of time to build up the game in my mind before I actually played it, and by the time it got here, the shortcomings in "Destiny" felt like dealbreakers.
The reviews and reaction of players like me haven't stopped the juggernaut, though. It sold about 5 million copies in its first week, and Sony says that "Destiny" is the most-played game on the PlayStation 4 console, "with total gameplay 5x higher than the second most-played title," according to a press release sent out Thursday. It will get sequels. The franchise is just starting.
You can check out the full column right here.
Does pre-release hype for games get you more excited for the final product or does it built up unrealistic expectations? Let us know in the comments.
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