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[CaviarMeths]

Understanding that huge corporations don't owe you a damn thing will set you free. No, it's not wrong. It would be incredibly entitled to think otherwise.

I saw the Jimquisition episode yesterday and I'm not in agreement on him with this one.

 

[Nairume]

A game like BG&E2 obviously needed a strong E3 showing, considering both the situation with Vivendi and the on and off development of the game itself. I'm sure Ancel and Ubi were nervous about info coming out ahead of time, because they needed to come out guns blazing.

In retrospect, this honestly should have been apparent for Mario+Rabbids as well. The very concept of the game as an unconventional genre featuring an out of nowhere crossover with highly divisive characters pretty much meant that they had to show the game in as best of a state that they could (ie a couple months from release) and in an environment where they could easily show the game of and then immediately turn around and have the press and public try it out in order to best start the good word of mouth that did help carry the game to success.

While I appreciated some of the leaks at the time (the way LKD outed Kirkhope as the game's composer was exceedingly rude and uncalled for), they absolutely gave the game an even harder uphill battle to win people over

 

[kiguel182]

Who is even hurt by this?

Companies don’t need to reveal stuff just because it was leaked. Leaking a game and ruining the work of advertisers and marketing people is what could be considered wrong if anything.

If a company says they aren’t working on something and then, surprise, they are how does that impact the customers?

Given how people act when stuff is announced and if things change or are different from when they were announced its normal that companies want to control their message as thightly as possible.

Edit: people should stop acting like leaking a game is an altruistic journalistic behavior. This isn’t Watergate. It’s just a game being announced. Knowing now or later is the same thing. You aren’t entitled to this information and companies don’t have to bend over backwards just because it got out.

 

[Shadowfrosty]

I don't get how this is even a question, leakers and leaks have never been thought of particularly fondly, at best they lead to no negative effects on games, gamers, and game developers, and at worse can have a neutralizing effect on the sales and hype of a game reducing the likelihood of another coming and reducing the chance of a pay raise for PR people and possible the happiness that devs could get from seeing people raw reactions to their creation and puts a damper on the efforts of near a hundred people and could lead to layoffs.

I could go on and on about potential effects that leaking can cause, however I think most of us already know all this, though even ignoring these perspectives don't you think that the reaction to Mario and Rabbids would have been far more interesting if it hadn't leaked, like I could see it even becoming the highlight of this years E3.

 

[Greedings]

Who is even hurt by this?

Nerds. Only nerds give a shit about this kind of thing.

 

[Zafir]

I think they should just say "No Comment", or that they "Don't comment on rumours" or whatever. That's usually the standard in most other industries when it comes to not wanting to answer to the press.

I totally get why they deny it, since they've likely spent a lot of time and money on preparing an announcement exactly the way they want it. However, it's pretty ridiculous that sometimes they vehemently deny, while calling all journalists liars/putting down their work, and then proceed to announce the game the week after. (see the Randy Pitchfords of the world)

That all said, outside of the Randy Pitchfords of the world, whom insult while denying. The bigger issue is a good loud minority of video game enthusiasts are very quick to start slinging insults over so called "incorrect" information or even anything they don't like really. See leaked news of delays, or whatever.

 

[Lutherian]

I really disliked when Jim said basically :

"When Laura Kate Dale leaked about this game, the developpers said they weren't doing this game, leaving Dale in the hands of putrid people, and a few months later : the game that didn't exist, finally exist ! Developpers are liars ! Liars !"

As much as I like Laura Kate Dale, I can't really be ok with Jim's statement, witch then compare this situation with the Randy "Big Mouth" Pitchford about Aliens : Colonial Marines lies.

I'm sorry, it doesn't match. The one have made tons of people sign NDA to keep a secret, the other blatantly LIE about a game that was not what he promoted / showed.

 

[NeonBlack]

No, didn't hurt anyone. Jim's example of journalists getting harassed for companies saying it's not true speaks more to the attitude of consumers rather then the company.

And saying no comment is basically saying yes. Now people will wonder why you didn't just say no.

 

[ClosingADoor]

What happened to "no comment"? I don't get why they would either deny or confirm anything.

No, didn't hurt anyone. Jim's example of journalist getting harassed for companies saying it not true speaks more to the attitude of consumers rather then the company.

And saying no comment is basically saying yes. Now people will wonder why you didn't just say no.

This is only the case if your policy isn't being followed all the time. If you just have a no comment policy all the time, people don't know what it is.

 

[Plum]

I really disliked when Jim said basically :

"When Laura Kate Dale leaked about this game, the developpers said they weren't doing this game, leaving Dale in the hands of putrid people, and a few months later : the game that didn't exist, finally exist ! Developpers are liars ! Liars !"

As much as I like Laura Kate Dale, I can't really be ok with Jim's statement, witch then compare this situation with the Randy "Big Mouth" Pitchford about Aliens : Colonial Marines lies.

I'm sorry, it doesn't match. The one have made tons of people sign NDA to keep a secret, the other blatantly LIE about a game that was not what he promoted / showed.

What makes it worse is that Jim purposefully twisted two entirely separate statements to make SM out as the bad guy. One regarding the rumour which was "no comment" and another regarding Until Dawn DLC as a whole (where the denial comes from).

He essentially called Supermassive bastards and implied they lied as much as Pitchford did for something that was, on Jim's part, a lie.

 

[Maledict]

No, not at all. Jim has a real bee in his bonnet about this topic, but it’s simply how the world is in any medium. It’s not specific to computer games - products have a marketing plan and a launch plan etc. And confirming that stuff beforehand ruins all of that.

Yes, it’s a lie when they deny it to you. Not every lie is bad. I lose nothing by them doing this and it doersn’t hurt me at all. I have no right to have them tell me the truth and ruin their marketing plan because someone leaked something they shouldn’t have.

 

[Various Artists]

Companies plan and form a strategy for their reveal so it has a large of impact as possible. I think it is fine to deny knowledge until they are ready, especially if the game is early in development. If games journalist don’t want to hear back from the user base in a negative way they shouldn’t leak information. I didn’t get a chance to watch the video but see LKD mentioned above with regards to her getting hammered because it wasn’t being confirmed. I don’t think in that case it is so black and white. I thought I read here that she was not exactly spot on with all her leaks (wasn’t Mother 3 coming to US one?) so since there wasn’t a perfect or near perfect track record on leaks I can understand why there could be push back, but for God’s sake, it is just video games, there is no reason to harass people.

 

[J-Tier]

Marketing and PR costs a lot of money. When information leaks, it could change everything for the individuals who were involved in that process. Therefore, I don't think denial of a game's existence for the sake of a proper reveal that was long planned--is a problem in any way.

Journalists know well the risk they are taking when given an opportunity to leak information. They know what video game fans are like. When you put yourself out there...

 

[Mass Effect]

Yeah it's ”fucking pointless" to just let all that money they put into a reveal or marketing be used for the purpose it was meant for. It's MUCH BETTER to just go ”oh some ass on the internet leaked our game. Please buy it. Bye." with as little fanfare as possible.

I completely understand why a company would want to reveal a product on their own terms. Often a well-designed reveal can shape people's perception of a product for years (See: Sony's entire E3 2015 conference). I'm sure we all have our favorite reveals burned in our memory forever.

But this is a two-way street. Much like how we're not entitled to product information until the company sees fit, we're also not obligated to be beholden to those companies' glorified marketing blitz. If there's a leak, people are gonna jump on it, especially if it sounds very plausible.

As for whether it's right or wrong, it's neither. These are entertainment products, not politics or breakthrough science discoveries.

 

[shoreu]

I personally feel that they owe us nothing until they want to confirm it. If you want to run off with rumors that's your issue.

I also feel like some devs like to have fun with their base and do small leaks or teases. Stinkles does from time to time. Having a no comment rule removes that option

 

[Maledict]

I really disliked when Jim said basically :

"When Laura Kate Dale leaked about this game, the developpers said they weren't doing this game, leaving Dale in the hands of putrid people, and a few months later : the game that didn't exist, finally exist ! Developpers are liars ! Liars !"

As much as I like Laura Kate Dale, I can't really be ok with Jim's statement, witch then compare this situation with the Randy "Big Mouth" Pitchford about Aliens : Colonial Marines lies.

I'm sorry, it doesn't match. The one have made tons of people sign NDA to keep a secret, the other blatantly LIE about a game that was not what he promoted / showed.

It’s a ridiculous case to make.

Companies don’t have a duty, or even a moral duty, to protect someone who leaks their private info. They aren’t responsible for Laura Dale being harassed and abused by internet twats. That’s down to the internet twats and the social media platforms that let them harass - twitter in particular.

People have been leaking entertainment industry secrets for longer than we’ve been alive, and it’s only now it gets this ridiculous response from so called ‘fans’. Blame the people doing the abuse, and the companies that give them the platform to do it. Not the company doing what they should do when confidential info leaks!

 

[moffattron9000]

Of course it's not wrong. If anything, it's better. After all, it lets the obsessives traul through leak after leak, painting a picture of what's coming out and getting themselves excited so they can test their theories. Meanwhile, more casual people can wait for the official announcements, then can dig into the leaks if they want more information.

It's in fact basically how phone announcements now work (to the point that Spigen are "leaking" case designs), and it's been a blast there.

 

[Whitephantomzx]

Man people rush to defend the company as if there stock holders why not just use "no comment" on any rumor now even when an untrue rumor comes out and the devs denie it people can say that they lied before and still push it even if that false rumor has negative implications.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Why do people even care? It's not a big deal. They can market their however and when ever they like. I don't dictate that.

 

[Acerac]

It is correct to say something that is not correct?

Uhh.... that's a tricky one.

Why do people even care? It's not a big deal. They can market their however and when ever they like. I don't dictate that.

I'd imagine it is because most people dislike being lied to. Oddly, many on this site seem to believe that only nerds feel this way.

 

[El-Suave]

That Jimquisition was dumb and clouded by personal friendship of people who Jim feels were „thrown under the bus“ by the games industry. Don‘t agree with that at all. Leaking a game is not a heroic act an it isn‘t a service to anybody except for the person who leak and raises their profile.
I think all of this is rather childish, especially if we‘re talking about a matter of days in the existencial field of video games. I wouldn‘t be mad at parents who deny their kid got a certain Christmas present when he/she found an oddly shaped package on the pre Christmas search for gift hiding spots.

 

[TannerDemoz]

Really impressed with the answers in this. Well done, GAF. Very proud of you all.

 

[John Harker]

Companies have to answer to their investors and fiscal planning objectives when announcing sources of revenue, not press.

It’s the same for any business.

It’s also a competitive advantage to know when other products are coming out so you can plan around them to maximize your shelf space and not compete, why rip your hand when you don’t already have all the deals and plans in place you want to block competitors from doing that to you? There’s only so much merchandising inventory and disposable income to go around.

 

[Plum]

Really impressed with the answers in this. Well done, GAF. Very proud of you all.

Is this sarcasm or...?

Spoiler

I'm legitimately confused here lol

 

[VillageBC]

It's lieing and just as wrong for corporations to do as well people.

Of course, is lieing really wrong? I mean we don't owe anyone anything just like a corporation doesn't owe us anything.

 

[Valkerionseven]

Nah it's just an entertainment product.

Also so many games go into pre-production and then get cancelled... combined with the more vocal and frankly scarily vicious nature of some of the fans makes it not worth it these days to say a game is coming and then have it cancelled for any number of reasons.

 

[Bits N Pieces]

The fact that this is even a debate just shows how fucked up the developer / media / fan relationship actually is.

 

[Plum]

The fact that this is even a debate just shows how fucked up the developer / media / fan relationship actually is.

Nobody was really talking about this until this week's Jimquisition episode.

 

[GLAMr]

The fact that this is even a debate just shows how fucked up the developer / media / fan relationship actually is.

Most companies designing flashy, consumer items are going to deny leaked/romoured products. Apple, Samsung, GM, Nissan, Google, IKEA, Lois Vuitton, Coke, McDonalds... Any company in the business of selling you flashy shit you don't need is going to want to control exactly when, how and why a product is revealed. I don't think it's a gaming thing.

I think where you do hit the nail on the head is fans. It's disgusting that a figure like LKD gets harassed and attacked for being "wrong". I don't know any other fandom where this happens to this extent (also I feel like gender plays a role).