Whenever someone started a thread on a forum about scary bits in games, loads of people would always post about how scary Ravenholm was. I just didn't see it.

I haven't even played Halo, so I don't know if it is as good as people made out it would be.

Also, GTA 4. My brother said it was "the best game you could possibly play" whereas most of the other people said it's boring and family oriantated or something, like you do normal boring things. I haven't played that either, but I will next time I babysit! xD

It's not so much the magazines and online reviews but the people who are in love with the game and then try to tell me how great it is. Public enemy number 1: Halo. Anyone I talk to about video games, no matter what we're talking about (it could be Link/Mario debate) and they'd still have to vomit out how much they want to fuck master chief or something. "Halo has the best graphics" or "Halo is the best multiplayer" or even "Halo is so original, it's the best game out there." They make it out to be better than sex, (something anyone who plays halo enough to be good at it wouldn't know) and when I play it, it can't possibly live up to how heavenly amazing all the pricks make it out to be. "It's because you're not good at it," yes because all you assholes explain the controls to me in twenty seconds and then think you're great for "no-scoping" me. To be completely honest it's the gamers who play Halo that make it suck so much. It might be a great game but I'll never find out. The same people who call me "retarded" for not liking Halo are the some people who make it a horrible experience to play. Also, back to the over hype thing, Super Smash Bros. Brawl was made out to be amazing and it was... for the first couple of months. Sorry for being an ass and bashing Halo, I got off track there. But yeah, hype ruins games.

Codgo:

Leodiensian:
Ravenscroft was hailed as "SCARIEST LEVEL EVAR" but I was going "gravity gun fuck yeah" through the whole thing and the fright never got to me.

I never heard anyone say that the Ravenholm was scary, most people however said it was a damn fun level and was a playground for the gravity gun. Its seems you enjoyed it then.

Now I get to be embarrased to admit that I was actually freaked out by Ravenholm at a few points. Particularly the first poison-headcrab-zombie.

GTA4 - Free mode is good,
Halo 3 - even though i think its awsome still had loads of piping hot hype.
Im bracing for Fable 2 even though it really does look awsome.
The multiplayer of COD4
The Nintendo Wii
Gears of War - really didnt like.
Ninja Gaiden 2
Age of Conan hyborian adventures

peterwolfe:

Eldritch Warlord:
I see no one puts any stock in my idea that the only way to over-hype a game is to make less people buy it.

Everyone just keeps saying "Halo was overhyped because it wasn't that good."

Well not everyone, everyone who won't read this though.

well, i dont really get your argument. if you overhype something, youre giving it more recognition than it deserves. how would that lead to less people buying it?
and of course people say "Halo was overhyped because it wasn't that good." it wasn't as good as all that publicity made it out to be, thus overhyped.

Fair enough, I'll explain the definition of "overhype" I arrive at by the standard conventions of English prefixes.

Overhype - to hype some product too much

that kind of requires that "hype" be defined too so:

Hype - public attention given to a product before release with the intent to increase both awareness and excitement in order to boost sales

Thus, by normal language rules, overhype means to give so much public attention to a product that people start to become discouraged from that product.

And because the only things that trigger massive hype are resources and potential profit the only thing a game needs to receive hype as massive as Halo 3's is to the right thing in the right place at the right time. (As in, a shooter sequel from a highly popular franchise in the hands of Microsoft being released to a market that lacks high profile shooters that are similar).