Braid Prerelease Thoughts

Apparently Jonathon Blow's Braid is about to be released via Xbox Live. Finally. Quite frankly, hearing about how life altering this game supposedly is and all of the pretentious rhetoric has worn thin. I am looking forward to finding out if the guy can back up all of this posturing that has been going on at every game dev event and conference for the past few years.

Perhaps the game really is all that wonderful; I do not know yet. Honestly, I have actually been wondering if all of Mr. Blow's grandstanding is part of a very calculated marketing effort. Would a 2D platformer with pixel art really have gotten any press were it not for all of his antics? We have seen this tactic before; it is all very much in the vein of a Denis Dyack, Derek Smart, Jeff Minter, or Peter Molyneax type modus operandi: generate a lot of hot air about how you are bringing the most profound experience to market, downplay or critique the most popular and mainstream titles, take forever before releasing and build anticipation.

It is not a bad move, all things considered. The anticipation builds, the press feeds into the hype, and if it bombs, so what? Just promise the next one will be the game you REALLY wanted to make. Just wait and see. Rinse, repeat.

Interesting choice to release it as an Xbox Live Arcade title though, where a demo is required. If the game is not everything it promised, that would seem like a critical flaw in the plan.

Who knows though. Perhaps all of Mr. Blow's high theory is on the money and Braid is all that. If it is, I will gladly acknowledge the fact. I suppose we will find out in a couple of days.