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Gaming Conspiracy Theories: Fun or F*#ked?

Gaming Conspiracy Theories: Fun or F*#ked?

Hype is an effective tool for spreading the word about games and keeping me in the loop. But as I grow older, I notice the upcoming games I’ll eventually purchase have some kind of hook. Otherwise, I’ll eventually forget about them until reviews appear on the internet, and by then I’ll have decided to spend my money responsibly like a chump.

Thankfully, there are people who work outside of the marketing department who create content that helps me to maintain interest – from the day the announcement trailer appears on the web to the day the game appears on store shelves. These content creators are capable of scrutinizing every detail from the very first trailer, and spreading their infectious passion via articles or videos.  I am, of course, referring to the theorists.

Theories are my guilty pleasure. At first, I thought I had a healthy work-life-theory balance, but by the time I caught and stopped myself in the middle of buying a theory suggesting that Majora’s Mask is actually the good guy, I knew I had hit rock bottom. In reality, I should have realized this when the “Jar Jar is a Sith Lord” theory was published. I say this because despite having only a casual interest in The Legend of Zelda and Star Wars series, I’m completely enamored with them thanks to the countless theories put forth about them. Hell, the Jar Jar theory made me genuinely excited to see Star Wars VII , if only for the vague notion that he was rumored to be Supreme Leader Snoke (which, of course, is bollocks).

Both franchises share something in common that I find makes them moist, furry habitats for flea-like theories. They are both revered in their respective mediums, and they’re ripe with lore that’s begging for elaboration. Breath of the Wind , in particular, caught my interest with its ruined architecture that somehow retains its grandeur.  There’s also a sense of mystery – have we played as this Link before, and if so, which one is he?  Already, without having had a chance to play the game for ourselves, we are a part of a mystery whose cliffhanger answers we won’t find out for an agonizing year – it is the most intolerable form of delayed gratification.

Gaming Conspiracy Theories: Fun or F*#ked?

Of course, theories alone aren’t enough to sell a game – I’d wager they’re not even a strategy in a marketing campaign. You still need big announcements to encourage everyone to talk about the game (and it doesn’t hurt if your game is part of a well-known franchise), and you can always rely on sites like Cheat Code Central to give you all of the videos, previews, reviews, and news you need. But if your game inspires awe and mystery, then that might inspire even more discussion about it. Will these theory videos make the biggest splash? No – not unless Game Theory talks about it, maybe. But they would be enough to make the obsessive gamers like me feel enamored until launch.

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