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How Hyped Is Borderlands? (An Answer With Fun Charts)
When people want to find more info about something nowadays, they usually search for it online. That's why Google has become such a great barometer for what people are thinking about. So when I wanted to gauge the buzz surrounding Borderlands, I looked at some data from Google (sorry Bing).
Using Google Insight, I compared the number of search queries for Borderlands to other action and shooter games that will have roughly similar release dates.
It’s Borderlands by a landslide. Alpha Protocol is the game above that is probably the most similar Borderlands. It's also an action-rpg hybrid that hits shelves in October. Right now, there are twice as many searches for Borderlands than for Alpha Protocol.
So does that mean Borderlands is going to be a runaway blockbuster? It’s too early to tell. Although Borderlands is faring well compared to the group above, that only includes games that are the first in a franchise.
It turns out the best advertising for a game is to have a kickass predecessor. Look at Borderlands searches versus Left 4 Dead 2 and Bioshock 2. Way more people are curious about those sequels than Borderlands right now.
So what does this all mean? For a new title, Borderlands is faring relatively well in gathering interest. But Borderlands has a ways to go before its Pandora is as recognizable as Bioshock’s Rapture.
once it releases it wont do very good for the first several weeks but the peaple who have bought it will rave and tell every gamer they know their recomendation, not to mention that borderlands has all the ingredients for a good game so far, so critics will likley rave to. it will catch on faster then a kanyan vs a chicken.
According to GearBox, they haven't even begun the big marketing campaign yet. Even so, there are a ton of people excited for Borderlands. More than you would even think. Some just aren't as vocal about it.
Still, Borderlands isn't getting the nearly the hype it deserves. I can't see it getting any reviews under "above-average". The good reviews combined with the already-installed fanbase's enthusiasm will help a lot. I can see the game gaining much of it's popularity simply by word of mouth.
If the Bioshock and L4D sequel's popularity proves anything, it's that strong, original IP's can still do very, very well.
You have to take into consideration the fact that while a comparison of google queries may be a vague judge of the issue, that really isn't extremely accurate. I don't think I've ever googled a single one of them, regardless of the fact that I've looked up information on every one of those games with the exception of Shadow Complex. There are many gamers who aren't even going to bother googling a game as opposed to just heading straight to some form of video game site.
I definitely think that Borderlands lies somewhere in the mid-range of games as far as hype goes. Lots of people have heard about it, and just don't know the details. Also, I don't think I know anyone who has actually payed attention to the game and not been intrigued, which should definitely be a postitive.
I agree with Estabon. I have googeld Borderlands once or twice. But I'm usually more informed of the gaming market as a whole than my local GameStop employees. I stopped asking them questions long ago and have even sold several games and a couple of consoles for them (unofficially). I have people ask me a couple times a week "Borderlands, oh I've heard of that game, what's it about?" or "Borderlands, ugh. I've heard it's like Fallout, and I hated Fallout. I only play FPS's!" Ugh. If only people were more open minded about genre lines! I realize that the genre blending thing is fairly recent (last five years or so), but since all of the AAA hits that people love are either in one genre or the other, they ignore the genre blending stuff. Well, here's to Borderlands! (Hopfully) The game that will shatter the genre standards!
When stacked up against pre-existing juggernauts like Bioshock and Left 4 Dead of course Borderlands will fall short, that is to be expected. And all though I have not heard of most of the games in the first chart, that isnt to say that all of them dont have a substantial fan base. To be so far above the others is saying quite alot.
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