3 replies to this topic

[SternuS]

Aaand here I go against two of the statements I made in the previous article: that I would’ve
probably not written any other article, and that in this column I’d analyze aspects of the lore. But
recent news have made this a priority in my to-do list (because I have a to-do list of articles, I
swear).

This is Stefano, prooobably better known as SternuS, and today I’d like to talk with you about
spoilers.

Spoilers, this article is not about spoilers meaning “look at this Halo Wars 2 image”: it’s about the
concept of spoilers.

To start off, let me ask you a question: do you like spoilers? Easy question you may say (and by
the way, my answer would be HELL NO! I know many of you wondered), then let me ask you this:
why would you make a spoiler?

And this isn’t about discussing the movie that just got released and most of your friends still have
to see so you put things in spoiler tags and whatnot, I’m talking about having something that no
one else saw in your hands and publishing it.

Let’s say you get by any means, legally or illegally (and most of the time, it’s the latter), a picture of
the upcoming Halo game, let’s say Halo Wars 2 (totally unrelated), in your hands. You are now
presented with two choices:

-notify to the responsible company that you have found something you shouldn’t have found and
tell them to be more careful (or yelling at them, swearing and cursing their names…what suits you
better);

-take a picture of the thing you got and show it to the public, spreading the spoiler for everyone to
see.

Now, let’s say you take the second option. Why would you do that? Because you’re the first person
probably in the world apart for the people that worked on it to see that thing. And being a Magic
player myself, and participating at Prereleases, I know how good of a feeling can be to think that
you’re one of the few people to do something before the rest of the world gets their hands on it.

Not to mention that I’m a playtester of the greatest Halo mod in the world – whoops, I just
mentioned it, didn’t I? So yeah, being first is actually a good feeling.

Or is it?

Think about it: has any of you actually ever heard the name of the person that put that spoiler up?

And if you did, when you heard his/her name, did you actually…care?

You see, being first at something is quite the deal, be it a competition or an exclusivity, when
people notice you. Because it’s something…deeper than a 20 years old bloke on the internet with a
mechatronics degree can explain. You win a race, and many will cheer you. You’re part of a
restricted group of people, and you can share your feelings with those few lucky people around you
because you’re in that group.

But…you are the first person to (in a few words) get a spoiler in your hands. You then proceed to
publish it on a site like IGN or Reddit or whatever. And then, what? What is your outcome from
this? You think people will care more for your actions than for the scoop?

You are dead wrong. I have never, in my internet lifetime, ever seen someone even mentioning the
dude that spilled the beans. Not once. Or maybe I did, more once than twice though, hear his or
her name, and did not give a single fuck.

Because it’s a scoop! People will hear the news and immediately start debating it, for the good and
for the bad. Imagine a messenger in medieval times, carrying a missive with the news of the death
of the King. What are the people going to think? “Oh glorious messenger that brought that news to
us, you shall be remembered!”? Of course not! The most important person in your world just died!
And yet the messenger risked his or her life probably more than once to get here to give you the
missive.

I’m asking you, spoiler-man, what did you get from that spoiler? Money? Fame? Glory?
I bet all you got was a rumbling mass of angry people yelling at you for giving them an
unnecessary spoiler on their favorite game. And more importantly, a gigantic business company
high on your ass for damaging their intellectual property.

I was given restricted information on upcoming stuff about SotP that the mods imposed me to not
divulge them to the public. Of course I didn’t say a word. But, and I’m referring to you developers,
now: imagine if I did. Imagine if most of your efforts in making something in the game and in
keeping it secret just got fizzled by one of your guys.

How would you feel?

What I’m trying to say, if that had not been clear enough, is that spoilers are bad. They are the
quintessence of bad. They do not change the course of events. They do not shine light on a
horrendous hidden plot to take over the world. They do not bring you enlightenment over an
unparalleled discovery.

They just make you aware of something that is bound to happen in the future a couple months
prior to its reveal.

I know, I know. This sounded more like a rant than I had imagined. But there are things in life that
are worth fighting for. Democracy. Freedom. But most of all…NOT BEING SPOILED ABOUT THE
NEXT HALO GAME.

Please, be a better person, and fight to end this spoiler mania.

[Crisiss]

It doesn't matter because media companies already ruin their own media for the sake of advertising.

We know Darth Vader is in Rogue One because of marketing.

We knew there was another superweapon in The Force Awakens because of marketing.

The new Tarzan movie has been spoiled for the next generation and those who haven't seen it/don't know the story.

Pretty much all of the Hobbit movies were given away because of marketing (to those who hadn't read the books).

We know literally the entire story of most video games because of marketing.

Halo Wars 2 takes place on the Ark.

Halo 5 was about Guardians (despite the title of the game).

Most Call of Duty games story is leaked through the trailers, be it World War 3, robot uprising, what have you.

Battlefield is typically better at this but not before showing some of the greatest moments of the game and ruining the surprise.

I remember when we were first introduced to the Warden Eternal in the E3 trailer. "I am the Warden Eternal. The Master Chief has been granted passage, but yours is denied." Can you imagine how much cooler it would be if we DIDNT know about him? Some uber badass comes out of nowhere and kicks the shit out of you and your team? Nope, not anymore, because we already see this place we saw in the trailer and say "Oh! This is where that cool thing happens!" Completely removed the shock and awe from it.

Marketing is pretty much the death of media. Eventually there will be no point in buying games or watching movies because we already know what happens. "It's about the journey not the desti-" fuck off. The destination is the entire point of the journey and the story. Give it some weight.

[베이클라이트]

It doesn't matter because media companies already ruin their own media for the sake of advertising.
 

Basicly this. Gotta show everything the Game/Movie offers in our trailers!!!!!1111 Just look at them thousand Halo 5 trailers.

[SternuS]

Marketing is pretty much the death of media. Eventually there will be no point in buying games or watching movies because we already know what happens. "It's about the journey not the desti-" fuck off. The destination is the entire point of the journey and the story. Give it some weight.

Goddamn right. I really can't stand spoilers. I mean I've never been in a fight IRL, but I was on the brink of punching someone's teeth inside his mouth when he spoiled me the ending of ME3.

 

If you want to piss me off, like the most effective way to piss me off, is spoiling something. Anything.

 

You keep your goddamn spoilers for yourself, you empty shell of a miserable human being.