How long should pass before a video game spoiler isn't really a spoiler? [Possible Spoilers]

[Darros]

I'm not putting spoilers in tags in this thread because it may defeat the entire point. But the question is right in the title. Everybody knows some spoilers by now: Samus is a girl, Sheik is actually Zelda, FE4's Battle of Barhara for a FE example. The thing about those examples are they're all from older games. Obviously spoiling something recent is a no-no and would definitely go in a spoiler tag. When do you think is acceptable for a spoiler to be talked about casually without having to protect it?

[Rezzy]

I'd say a year after a game has been available everywhere. (So if it's been out in Japan for a year, but only like 1 month in America/Europe, then not yet.) After that, pretty much everybody's had a chance to play it, and should take care to avoid discussion on it themselves, if they're trying it and want to be spoiler free.

For a FE example, pretty much everyone knows that Zelgius is the Black Knight, but I'd hold off on discussing Fates spoilers, since even though it's almost a year old in Japan, it's not even out in Europe, yet.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Rezzy

[Zera]

A year is good. Anyone who was really interested in the game and capable of getting it would have it within a year of release. After that, the door is wide open.

I saw spoilers for Kirby: Planet Robobot in YouTube thumbnails. Can the spoilers at least wait for the game to release???

Edited May 19, 2016 by Zera

[Shadow Mir]

I'd say three to five years after the game's been released everywhere, at the least. All told, I've read that the Xenoblade fandom, for one, tends to not like getting spoiled. I don't know if there are other fandoms that don't like getting spoiled...

Edited May 19, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[DarkDestr0yer61]

I'd say one to two years after the game's been released everywhere, at the least. All told, I've read that the Xenoblade fandom, for one, tends to not like getting spoiled. I don't know if there are other fandoms that don't like getting spoiled...

I mean I feel like it's a bit annoying that some people would spoil Xenoblade around the time that shulk was announced for smash. Even if the game is been out for several years, I didn't know the game existed till his announcement. Not to mention when I did find a copy of it at GameStop, it was about $60 used. This was before the 3DS version came out

I'd say somewhere between 3 to 5 years.

Edited May 19, 2016 by DarkDestr0yer61

[Shadow Mir]

I mean I feel like it's a bit annoying that some people would spoil Xenoblade around the time that shulk was announced for smash. Even if the game is been out for several years, I didn't know the game existed till his announcement. Not to mention when I did find a copy of it at GameStop, it was about $60 used. This was before the 3DS version came out

I'd say somewhere between 3 to 5 years.

Thinking about it, I guess three to five years is more appropriate anyhow..

[Quintessence]

I think it also depends on how many people play the game, and whether it will be replayed afterwards like what happened with Xenoblade. I recall people being mad at one revealing Seven even though it was 3 years after it was released and Shulk was announced. For people who played the game by that time it was pretty common to talk about LUCKY SEVEN but the thing is the game revived 3 years after its release.

[spoiler=Xenoblade Spoilers]damnit I want to openly talk sbout Fiora but I want to avoid any rage

Edited May 19, 2016 by Quintessence

[Shadow Mir]

Another thing about Xenoblade - IIRC, it had a reputation for being hard to find before the 3DS version came out. At any rate, I certainly wouldn't be very happy to have a game I'm trying to find spoiled before I even have the chance to play it (or in the case of a game that has yet to be released, getting spoiled before it even releases, for that matter).

Edited May 19, 2016 by Levant Mir Celestia

[Quintessence]

True, Operation Rainfall games where rare to find, and on top of that it was remade (Xenoblade's case).

Edited May 19, 2016 by Quintessence

[Reality]

I don't really think we need spoilers period. Like I'd say for both of my favorite games (storywise) King of Dragon Pass and PlaneScape: Torment, I read up on them obsessively before really doing much beyond the tutorial because they were just so engrossing. And I still liked it when I got around to playing the game. It was like experiencing different dimensions of the story instead of just getting the plot. When I'm looking for books to read I pour over reader's companions, and sometimes the "spoiler" heavy introductions that editors or scholars write for something ends up being as impressive to me as the book itself. I think I even read summaries of some twilight zone episodes before seeing them for the first time, and they still impressed me. I'm having trouble thinking of any time I got spoiled, intentionally or unintentionally, and ever thought to myself that it was ruining the experience for me.

[Quintessence]

I feel the same. I can read spoilers about games and stuff before jumping into them and still play them and feel good, and enjoying them. But alas, that's not the case for everyone. Most people get so strongly attached to story, characters and other elements of the game that getting spoiled is either a meltdown or a big disappointment for them. Hence why people hide sensible info.

[Busterman64]

The best number would probably be 5 years. 1-2 years and even 3 years isn't enough because not everyone can get a game when it first comes out, whether it be because of money, not having said console, bad timing, or all of the above (or many other reasons).

For Example, Awakening came out in 2012. I didn't get a 3DS until 2013(thanks to my mother) and I couldn't get Awakening until 2014, when my Mom gave me money for my birthday. I personally didn't get a lot money growing up(...well, not enough to get new stuff a lot of the time...oh well).

HOWEVER, It honestly depends on what the game in question is.

Something like Sonic or something isn't that big of an issue.

Things like Phoenix Wright, games heavily relying on story, are a NO-NO no matter how much time passes.

Things like Fire Emblem kinda go into the middle.

Either way, it's still a good idea to be somewhat careful when talking about spoilers for a game. Ever.

That's because some people may like going into a game completely blind and experience it themselves or at least want to found spoilers out from their own intentions and not being unfortunately spoiled. Also, not everyone can see a spoiler for a game they are playing or want to play coming. If they aren't told that some spoiler is ahead or is in a post or something, they'll get info that'll ruin the fun for them because it's assumed everyone knows about it.

Another example would be me not being able to get a PS2 until the Christmas of 2012. Yes, you heard me right...2012. So games like Persona or Final Fantasy, Jak & Daxter, and all those other games were unreachable for me for a gooood long while. Then again, my Mom was trying to stick with consoles with mainly child friendly games, something mostly Nintendo provided, while I was a kid. That and...well...other personal issues, but I'm not gonna get into that now( because I'm kinda killing the good mood a bit...sorry).

Anywho, that's my stand on this(and hopefully my point is clear enough and not a mess). 5 years is the best amount of time, but it's still a good idea to consider others and be cautions when talking about spoilers!

Edited May 20, 2016 by Busterman64

[Hardin]

Personally I think a year is more than enough time for the statute of limitations. Ultimately everyone is responsible for their own protection, and it is unreasonable to expect everyone else to walk on eggshells for them.

[Captain Karnage]

someone spoiled the revelation in Revelations in the spoiler free zone, I find it impossible to not get spoiled especially when people have video's titled INSERT CHARACTER's DEATH SCENE on the side bar on youtube

[Tamanoir]

HOWEVER, It honestly depends on what the game in question is.

Something like Sonic or something isn't that big of an issue.

Things like Phoenix Wright, games heavily relying on story, are a NO-NO no matter how much time passes.

Things like Fire Emblem kinda go into the middle.

Yeah, I was gonna says this.

One more things, not every spoils have the same importance for you.

​I know I'm mostly OK with gameplays related spoilers (I had no problem looking at the player classes.), but parts that are strongly story related was a big no (The difference isn't that clear cut, though...)

I think, just in case putting informations in spoilers is the best course of action.

also knows I don't l don't like to listen to the complete OST of a game before playing it, because I wants to discover them while playing, when some otehrs would consider this perfectly OK (That's an easy thing to avoid if you wants to, though...)

And it depends of the success of the game.

Everyone knows Aerith dies in FFVII.

However, I won't reveal Live a Live's ending so easily, even if the game is far older, because it's not as well known.

​(I alos accidentally spoiled myself The Magical Land of Wozz's final boss while looking around for music and didn't took it that well.

​YouTube is an awfull place if you're trying to avoid spoilers. Even simply listening to music can leads you to a heavily spoilered scene.)

It also depens how much the promotional material spoiled différents aspects.

As long as it was in the pre-release information, then it's OK.

For example, talking about Lucina is OK, even if her situation is spoilerific. (At least, it's OK in a FE Forum.)

Or new Pokémons.

[Busterman64]

Yeah, I was gonna says this.

One more things, not every spoils have the same importance for you.

​I know I'm mostly OK with gameplays related spoilers (I had no problem looking at the player classes.), but parts that are strongly story related was a big no (The difference isn't that clear cut, though...)

I think, just in case putting informations in spoilers is the best course of action.

also knows I don't l don't like to listen to the complete OST of a game before playing it, because I wants to discover them while playing, when some otehrs would consider this perfectly OK (That's an easy thing to avoid if you wants to, though...)

And it depends of the success of the game.

Everyone knows Aerith dies in FFVII.

However, I won't reveal Live a Live's ending so easily, even if the game is far older, because it's not as well known.

​(I alos accidentally spoiled myself The Magical Land of Wozz's final boss while looking around for music and didn't took it that well.

​YouTube is an awfull place if you're trying to avoid spoilers. Even simply listening to music can leads you to a heavily spoilered scene.)

It also depens how much the promotional material spoiled différents aspects.

As long as it was in the pre-release information, then it's OK.

For example, talking about Lucina is OK, even if her situation is spoilerific. (At least, it's OK in a FE Forum.)

Or new Pokémons.

Wow, so I'm not the only one who likes to do that too? Cool! Hearing a piece of music normally and hearing it during a moment in a game has different feeling and impact to it. It can also help you like a track more if you wait to listen to it in-game.

Also, yeah, Youtube and spoilers are a bad mixture. Even for just the OST's because the comments' sections know no bounds(...same could be said for the videos too...).

[Rezzy]

Personally I think a year is more than enough time for the statute of limitations. Ultimately everyone is responsible for their own protection, and it is unreasonable to expect everyone else to walk on eggshells for them.

That's my thinking. For rereleases, it could be a gray area, where there's a month or two where people try to abstain from spoilers, but I think five years is a bit much. That's an entire console generation. There's always going to be people trying a new game for the first time, and the burden of avoiding spoilers shifts to them after a time.

I also am beginning to hate YouTube Spoilers. I'm planning to pick up Bravely Second soon, but every day, there's a new thumbnail spoiler for me, right in my sub box. I probably wold have gotten Bravely Second by now, but it suffered from being released right after Fire Emblem Fates.

[Specta]

I don't feel it's really easily quantifiable. I think it's more a case-by-case matter of having a sense of what in your community is common enough knowledge and not, which you'll probably just pick up from participating in the community.

Like, the trend on SF is to not hide spoilers for like anything in FE13, so I wouldn't bother being secretive about it if I was talking about it (unless, say, it's in IPC and I know some kid there wants to play it but hasn't, but that's kinda different.) But, if I was talking about spoilers for something that was over a year old but I was under the impression many people on SF might not know it and might possibly be interested in it, I'd likely spoiler it anyway in case.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Specta

[Tharne]

I really don't care about spoilers at all because I like to be spoil.

I think 1 year is a fair amount of time though.

[Darros]

It's interesting to see the range of responses in this thread and the factors people consider when it comes to this. I think maybe being on a forum dedicated to FE kind of has me in some certain way when for Fire Emblem games it's almost expected everyone knows everything by now ((which is fucked considering Fates just came out in Europe)) especially for the older games. I think a case by case approach is definitely the best though, but ultimately when it comes down to the "avoid spoilers on your own" situation it boils down to thread OPs being thoughtful too. I don't think anyone would make a super-spoilerific topic thread for anything at least semi recent ((for instance a thread in the awakening board labelled "Thoughts about Lucina being Marth??" or something like that because that's just rude.

[Zera]

You know how Mickey Mouse will be nearly 100 years old before entering public domain because US copyright laws? What if the spoiler period for games... was 100 years?

Edited May 21, 2016 by Zera

[Darros]

You know how Mickey Mouse will be nearly 100 years old before entering public domain because US copyright laws? What if the spoiler period for games... was 100 years?

Well, it's only 56 years until I can spoil Pong!

[Shin]

Well, it's only 56 years until I can spoil Pong!

You're right...

there was no right paddle, the entire game's a metaphor about dealing with your own problems and not letting them come back to haunt you.

Generally if it's a popular series, it's not as bad to spoil it after a while, like with Sheik being Zelda. I'd be more cautious with new or niche series, since a lot of their appeal can be spoilers.

[Jedi]

Generally if it's a popular series, it's not as bad to spoil it after a while, like with Sheik being Zelda. I'd be more cautious with new or niche series, since a lot of their appeal can be spoilers.

I agree with this, I mean the Xenoblade fandom still wants the appeal of the grand story to entrance newer players and I can get behind that considering I am a Xenoblade fan as well, although I've ran into some who are more than passionate and weren't happy when Project X Zone 2 announced a character from the game would be playable that was a spoiler to those who hadn't played it yet.

[DarkDestr0yer61]

I agree with this, I mean the Xenoblade fandom still wants the appeal of the grand story to entrance newer players and I can get behind that considering I am a Xenoblade fan as well, although I've ran into some who are more than passionate and weren't happy when Project X Zone 2 announced a character from the game would be playable that was a spoiler to those who hadn't played it yet.

And a Smash Bros trophy