The Dangers of Hype

[Guybrush20X6]

After the Pyrosphere's announcement and subsequent panic I thought back to the brawl hype and remembered there were several characters that got hype from misinterpreted updates.

It could've been simple things like thinking an Animal Crossing stage meant playable villager, to more straw grasping ideas like Krystal Voice actor stage meaning the blue fox was a shoe-in, to more ridiculous ones like Ashley's theme meaning she was playable.

Not to mention that some of the stages shown for Smash 4 have given hope for playable Pilotwings and Nintendogs characters. (Though if Sakurai can do that it'll only prove how he is the one true master of Smash).

Just remember, until we see it nothing is garunteed and if you get mad for it not being in because of your logics and speculation you have only yourself to blame... and the human brain. (Stupid smug pink loada garbage...)

 

[YoshiandToad]

Well, yes. Obviously it's a dangerous way of thinking, but that's human nature; to try and decode and find meaning behind things. We're pre-programmed to solve mysteries and puzzles. We want knowledge and we're a curious bunch. Inevitably it means often we get things wrong.

You also forgot that everyone thinks Little Mac is a shoe-in currently because of that Boxing Ring stage. Will this be another Smashville or will we have got this one right?

 

[Guybrush20X6]

You also forgot that everyone thinks Little Mac is a shoe-in currently because of that Boxing Ring stage. Will this be another Smashville or will we have got this one right?

True. But also remember (not directing this at you Y&T, just to the general audience) that because there's no info or some tiny thing that looks to be against them doesn't meant that they're not in it. Look how silly this VGCats looks now. Examples include the infamous "Up until now" comment about Ness and rumors of Zelda being Sheik-less.

 

[YoshiandToad]

True. But also remember (not directing this at you Y&T, just to the general audience) that because there's no info or some tiny thing that looks to be against them doesn't meant that they're not in it. Look how silly this VGCats looks now. Examples include the infamous "Up until now" comment about Ness and rumors of Zelda being Sheik-less.

Well that's fine, but I'm confused; are you now suggesting that people shouldn't get their hopes up due to hype or they should remain hopeful until proven otherwise?

 

[Guybrush20X6]

I'm suggesting that people keep an open mind until there's 100% proof of a character being in or out. Just keep a level head all around.

While on the topic, anyone else remember any Brawl hype taken out of proportion? I remember people freaking out over what appeared to be a Geno Trophy somewhere.

 

[Groose]

I'm trying to de-hype myself for this game. Sakurai keeps preaching caution, and none of us have been listening. Part of me has come to expect a 40-Man roster at best.

 

[Speculator]

As long as you're realistic in your hype you won't be disappointed.

 

[Deleted member]

I'm hyped for SSB4, but I am not going to consider characters like Little Mac and Ridley to be locks or whatever. However, the hype is very dangerous as I do expect some bloodshed if Little Mac or Ridley or any other highly requested characters are de-confirmed. Much like Smashville in Brawl, we have this boxing arena in SSB4; I am not going to take this and the "leak" to mean Little Mac is confirmed.

That being said, I do like how the game is turning out so far and I can't wait for more info! Though, I will embrace myself to be disappointed along the way.

 

[Hong]

I don't want to tell people how to live their lives, but my word of advice is to hope for fighters, not characters. Barring an extreme case like Sonic, popularity does not dictate character implementation (or else at least ten characters wouldn't be here), and people keep hinging on that. Going further; just because you can think of a unique moveset for that character, that doesn't mean similar ideas have not been integrated into someone else. The flagship, most integral characters like Mario, Link, Peach and Samus, have been covered since Melee. At this point, the development team is looking for good fighters to round off the roster. Do you think the Ice Climbers were important, popular or successful characters? No.

When I was waiting for Brawl to come out, I got the character I wanted. Ike.

And wow was it a disappointment.

Might be cool and funny for Smash Bros fans unfamiliar to him, but it wasn't the Ike I had wanted at all. Absolute contradiction of his portrayal, voice lines that do not match his character, and a play style that ages poorly as players improve. That led to me ask: what is even the point? If the character I like is just there in name and image and the design is ****, it is just an eyesore. At the end of the day within a month, most of us are using a character we may or may not necessarily like.. With that, I am just hoping for cool and fun characters. Not too particular about who they are. There will always be stages, trophies and music in tribute to the Nintendo legacy in its entirety, so the necessitations for fan service will be fulfilled.

Of course, new characters are necessary to make the product seem fresh and to accrue interest. I am not saying not to expect new characters, so much as it is not likely what you think should be in the game. No matter how many people pile up on these characters you have convinced YOURSELF are going to be in the game, your ideology is largely inconsequential.

 

[Hippopotasauce]

I don't want to tell people how to live their lives, but my word of advice is to hope for fighters, not characters. Barring an extreme case like Sonic, popularity does not dictate character implementation (or else at least ten characters wouldn't be here), and people keep hinging on that. Going further; just because you can think of a unique moveset for that character, that doesn't mean similar ideas have not been integrated into someone else. The flagship, most integral characters like Mario, Link, Peach and Samus, have been covered since Melee. At this point, the development team is looking for good fighters to round off the roster. Do you think the Ice Climbers were important, popular or successful characters? No.

When I was waiting for Brawl to come out, I got the character I wanted. Ike.

And wow was it a disappointment.

Might be cool and funny for Smash Bros fans unfamiliar to him, but it wasn't the Ike I had wanted at all. Absolute contradiction of his portrayal, voice lines that do not match his character, and a play style that ages poorly as players improve. That led to me ask: what is even the point? If the character I like is just there in name and image and the design is ****, it is just an eyesore. At the end of the day within a month, most of us are using a character we may or may not necessarily like.. With that, I am just hoping for cool and fun characters. Not too particular about who they are. There will always be stages, trophies and music in tribute to the Nintendo legacy in its entirety, so the necessitations for fan service will be fulfilled.

Of course, new characters are necessary to make the product seem fresh and to accrue interest. I am not saying not to expect new characters, so much as it is not likely what you think should be in the game. No matter how many people pile up on these characters you have convinced YOURSELF are going to be in the game, your ideology is largely inconsequential.

WELL THAT SUCKS, BUT I GOT DIDDY KONG SO I'M HAPPY

 

[FlareHabanero]

I think the problem here is that people do have a passion, but they lack restraint on that passion. Which is why a lot of people will get aggressive if their beliefs are at jeopardy. Nobody wins if people are going to get ruthless with whatever they believe in.

 

[Hong]

WELL THAT SUCKS, BUT I GOT DIDDY KONG SO I'M HAPPY

I think the one character that I asked for that hit the mark was King Dedede. Aside from chain-grabs he was delivered perfectly, most likely as a result of the fact the director has been waiting a long time for that moment. I was very, very happy with that, since he has always been my favourite villain*. The Villager this time looks nearly spot-on with how I wanted him designed since Brawl (bowling ball is a bit random, but I am sure they have a reason for it), so I hope he turns out well in practice.

*Not really, but still ends up as the antagonist through consequence.

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

I can agree hype is dangerous you think something is going to happened but it does not

But this does not deconfirm Ridley for him to be deconfirmed is if hes a stage hazard or if its the mystery creature from other m as the stage hazard then ridley is back on top

 

[jaytalks]

It's clear from interviews that Sakurai values gameplay over characters. He has said he wants the series to evolve beyond just adding new characters and stages with every edition. Which is the mark of a true designer. He seems to be well trained in the gameplay first philosophy of Nintendo which is great for the series when you think about. Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale put the characters first, and now that franchise is pretty much dead in its current form. The reason why Smash has succeeded and ended up as one of Nintendo's premiere franchises is because of great gameplay. We aren't guaranteed any new characters.

 

[Hong]

I can agree hype is dangerous you think something is going to happened but it does not

But this does not deconfirm Ridley for him to be deconfirmed is if hes a stage hazard or if its the mystery creature from other m as the stage hazard then ridley is back on top

Listen, I don't mean to call you out, but you could communicate your ideas a lot better if you used punctuation to break apart your ideas. Without it, your post can mean very different things.

Also "deconfirm" is not a word.

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

Listen, I don't mean to call you out, but you could communicate your ideas a lot better if you used punctuation to break apart your ideas. Without it, your post can mean very different things.

Also "deconfirm" is not a word.

Really deconfirm was not a word

And i know i do not have a good punctuation i just have a little trouble with that particular subject

 

[Hong]

Really deconfirm was not a word

And i know i do not have a good punctuation i just have a little trouble with that particular subject

Ha ha, yeah. Crazy, huh? The correct word is "disconfirm", though it usually requires that that there was some semblance of confirmation to begin with.

 

[Fastblade5035]

The only thing that could hype me up to the Ridley/Mac levels is if Sakurai makes a direct reference to Lucina and says that 'until now, Fire Emblem has only had male fighters' or something like that. Even then, I'm not the type to get hopelessly hypefd over stuff like a quote.
Now don't quote me on this if Lucina is confirmed, cause I'll probably be screaming tears of joy and laughing at Roy fangirls.

 

[ImaClubYou]

Yeah, preach more!

 

[YoshiandToad]

When I was waiting for Brawl to come out, I got the character I wanted. Ike.

And wow was it a disappointment.

Might be cool and funny for Smash Bros fans unfamiliar to him, but it wasn't the Ike I had wanted at all. Absolute contradiction of his portrayal, voice lines that do not match his character, and a play style that ages poorly as players improve. That led to me ask: what is even the point? If the character I like is just there in name and image and the design is ****, it is just an eyesore.

I totally agree here.

Both Wario and Diddy were characters I was vying for for Brawl, and indeed the only characters I wanted that made it. Wario moreso than Diddy, but I put too much stock into the character and...well...the end result is fun and quirky, it's nothing like how I imagined he'd play.

In a way my hype for Wario outweighed the reality and although he is still fun to play as, I ended up being overly disappointed with Brawl's outcome.
Melee I really had no expectations at all, and as such even with all it's cloney glory I ended up more smitten with the final outcome.

Perhaps everyone has an "Ike hype story"

...oh gosh...now I'm nervous if Toad does actually make it in.

 

[Guybrush20X6]

True we should also keep an open mind about how characters may play.
I've seen more than 1 really hair-brained ideas to work in Mega Lucario as a mechanic.

It can work both ways
Good: I'm sure all of us has Megaman's buster as his B neutral but Sakurai made it his standard attack, making more room for Robot Master attacks.
Bad: Wario Land? You have a funny way of saying Warioware.

 

[Sol_Vent]

I totally agree here.

Both Wario and Diddy were characters I was vying for for Brawl, and indeed the only characters I wanted that made it. Wario moreso than Diddy, but I put too much stock into the character and...well...the end result is fun and quirky, it's nothing like how I imagined he'd play.

In a way my hype for Wario outweighed the reality and although he is still fun to play as, I ended up being overly disappointed with Brawl's outcome.
Melee I really had no expectations at all, and as such even with all it's cloney glory I ended up more smitten with the final outcome.

Perhaps everyone has an "Ike hype story"

...oh gosh...now I'm nervous if Toad does actually make it in.

Well, I have a "Pit hype story" that's pretty similar to Hong's Ike one. It seriously took me years to admit to myself that I can't stand playing as Pit in Brawl.

I'm actually really glad this subject has come up. I think it's a pretty great thing for people to keep in mind. Characters' origins not being as important as their design in gameplay, I mean. Of course, it's subjective. Some people just want to see a character represented, but people saying "I'll totally main (X) if he/she gets in" should exercise caution.

Then again, there are worse things than disappointment over a video game, so to each his own, I suppose.

 

[Anomilus]

Luckily for me, I want Ridley in that there's a good chance I'll get teary-eyed if he's in, but I'm fully prepared to accept that he's busted as a possible playable character.

As for how he plays, as much as I've envisioned him, at this point if he flies, uses his tail, and spits fire, I'll be happy. Yeah at some point I could be saying "This is not how Ridley plays in his games", but compared to all the crap I've had to read regarding his even being playable, I'll take what I can get.

...UNLESS Sakurai somehow comes up with a Ridley that involves that Other M metamorphosis. The sheer irony that he'd be so clever as to come up with a way to implement something I absolutely DO NOT want. That is the one and ONLY thing that could turn my sheer delight for seeing Ridley on the roster into something of indescribable frustration, bewilderment, and fury.


In any case the only character I've wanted that I've found some displeasure in after his appearance is Meta Knight. And I never even made a single post hyping him. He just showed up in the Brawl trailer and I was like "AWESOME!" (I think... Snake's shocking appearance may have caused memory lapses ) Everything about his moveset was acceptable... except his made-up Final Smash. I was really hoping he'd use his cyclone summoning attack. Instead we got little more than a single big slash. Disappointing, but fortunately not a major part of his moveset by any means, so I got over that.

...On the other hand his being borderline broken messed up the fun I wanted to have with him. =/


Oh yeah... Taking a cue from the TV show "Mythbusters"...

< Plausible > - Chance exists that a character could become playable
< Busted > - Character's chances of being playable all but completely evaporated
< Confirmed > - Character is confirmed to be playable.

What if we did that? Or does saying " *Character* has been busted" sound weird?

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

Luckily for me, I want Ridley in that there's a good chance I'll get teary-eyed if he's in, but I'm fully prepared to accept that he's busted as a possible playable character.

As for how he plays, as much as I've envisioned him, at this point if he flies, uses his tail, and spits fire, I'll be happy. Yeah at some point I could be saying "This is not how Ridley plays in his games", but compared to all the crap I've had to read regarding his even being playable, I'll take what I can get.

...UNLESS Sakurai somehow comes up with a Ridley that involves that Other M metamorphosis. The sheer irony that he'd be so clever as to come up with a way to implement something I absolutely DO NOT want. That is the one and ONLY thing that could turn my sheer delight for seeing Ridley on the roster into something of indescribable frustration, bewilderment, and fury.


In any case the only character I've wanted that I've found some displeasure in after his appearance is Meta Knight. And I never even made a single post hyping him. He just showed up in the Brawl trailer and I was like "AWESOME!" (I think... Snake's shocking appearance may have caused memory lapses ) Everything about his moveset was acceptable... except his made-up Final Smash. I was really hoping he'd use his cyclone summoning attack. Instead we got little more than a single big slash. Disappointing, but fortunately not a major part of his moveset by any means, so I got over that.

...On the other hand his being borderline broken messed up the fun I wanted to have with him. =/

The way your talking your saying hes disconfirmed we don't know that yet and sakurai looks at what the fans want just not the demands and in my head im pretty sure sakurai is trying to make ridley work

 

[Anomilus]

The way your talking your saying hes disconfirmed we don't know that yet and sakurai looks at what the fans want just not the demands and in my head im pretty sure sakurai is trying to make ridley work

I... I didn't say anything about Ridley being busted (disconfirmed)...

Excuse the wording, or lack of wording. Read it as "but I'm fully prepared to accept IF he's busted as a possible playable character."

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

I... I didn't say anything about Ridley being busted (disconfirmed)...

Excuse the wording, or lack of wording. Read it as "but I'm fully prepared to accept IF he's busted as a possible playable character."

Its just the way that sentence looked it sounded like your saying hes busted i just don't know what though in my defense

 

[jaytalks]

Everything Sakurai has said in interviews up until now about characters has been about managing people's expectations.
Less characters than we expect: "There is a certain charm to games that have huge casts of playable characters, but they tend to have issues with game balance and it becomes very difficult to fine-tune each character and have them all feel distinctive…"
Gameplay direction focus over adding characters: "In terms of quantity, we’ve probably already reached the limit of what’s feasible. I think a change of direction may be what’s needed."
Less third party characters: "However, introducing more non-Nintendo characters willy-nilly will lose the focus of the game, so I also recognize the need to narrow it down.”
Limited roster: "On the topic of the roster, Sakurai noted that the 3DS version of the game, with its hardware’s technical limitations, would likely keep the volume of the roster in check,
The no cuts line has been horribly misread: "though no characters had been cut so far, and any determination to that effect is a ways away."
And not every one is coming back: "I can answer that: no. We don’t have the time to fully recreate every single character who’s been in Smash Bros at this point."
Some people read this one as applying more to Melee veterans, but I would think it seems to indicate possible cuts to Brawl characters.

It's better to manage expectation than to parse a quote.