Stop revealing mystery, please!
There were written reviews, when I got into hobby. Then, with new technologies that just exploded with new possibilities, there came new ways of presenting games – audio podcasting and reviews and then video podcasting and reviews.
We all now have access to cameras and microphones. We all have Audacity to edit our mp3 and heave plenty of different video editors too. It’s never been that easy, right?
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Few weeks ago I asked on my Twitter account about best reviewers in the hobby (I cover it here). There was only one mention of reviewer who actually writes reviews. Rest of them work with camera. Tom Vasel, Joel Eddy, Rahdo, these guys use camera. And they do a great job.
But!
With cameras that are so widely available, there was born a new format. It is called unboxing. Person with camera shows components of the game. Opens the box in front of camera.
And even though I know many unboxers by person and they are my friends. And even though I – as a publisher – do like this format, because it shows that my game is well produced. And even though I know this is very popular format…
Even though!
I have to say it. I hate it.
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If there is a game on my radar, if there is a game I consider buying, if there is a chance that I will have this game in my collection… I will never ever watch unboxing.
I buy the game to open it by myself.
I buy the game to look inside with excitement and with curiosity.
I buy the game to see the components for the first time and have pure pleasure of discovering all these cute components.
I don’t want anyone to spoil that moment. New game box is a mystery. it is my precious. Don’t touch with your camera!
And since all games out there are on my radar, I just simply do not watch unboxing videos.
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
Same here. What’s the point of buying new games if you know what is inside and how to play it before even trying 🙂
But I must admit I hate unpunching tokens, unwraping and so on…
I watch them because I’m just a student and I can’t own must of the boardgames 🙁 While watching an unboxing is almost like if I had the game for a moment ha ha
I never watch an unboxing video. Showing me components of a game doesn’t tell me whether I want to buy it. The video seems like a waste of my time.
„Hate” is a strange and harsh thing to say. I don’t think you „hate” unboxings. You just don’t like watching them, as you think it will spoil your surprise. That’s fine, it’s an opinion many will probably share, and that’s understandable. And the solution is simple: you simply don’t watch them. Problem solved. Why would this make you „hate” the video’s though?
As you yourself say: it is a good format, as it shows the quality of a game. Something to consider before buying a game for many.
Many people, myself included, like to know what they’re buying BEFORE buying it. Money is tight, and there are many games out there, you can’t buy them all. Heck, you can’t PLAY them all even if you could buy them. So seeing what’s in a box before buying makes sense to me. (Is the quality good? Does the amount of content justify the price tag?)
I don’t like the word „hate”. It’s too strong an emotion to pin on something you don’t like to watch. It’s not like they’re forced on you. Nobody is spoiling the moment for you if you simply don’t watch them. They’re out there on the web, and it’s up to people to watch them or not. It’s simply information. Besides, usually the contents of a box are printed on the bottom, so it’s not really ever a „mystery”.
TL;DR:
I don’t like fish (as food, not as animals), simply because I don’t like the taste. So I don’t eat it. Doesn’t mean I hate fish. Fish never did anything to me. 😉