The internet is a wondrous place. Where else can I find a wealth of information in less than a minute on any subject that tickles my fancy, complete with pictures, movie clips and links? Not only that but there's readily available porn as well. It's all good in the internet neighborhood. I can shop, order pizza, and if I really wanted to not even bother with the idiot box known as TV as my local and national news are provided for me here as well.

Being a gamer in this age of instant access to information is at once fulfilling as it is fast. So fast that any Tom, Dick, and Harry with a cellphone camera can practically become a You Tube sensation and amateur newsman overnight if they're in the right place and at the right time. Politicians now not only have to worry about the established media but the world at large, as anybody can catch a perceived slip up or snafu on their part and have it reach the millions of internet hungry masses. Times are constantly changing but are they changing for the better?



Like everyone else here in Destructoid I love me some scoops on up and coming games. I revel in the fact of having the inside scoop on games that are in development, I greedily absorb any previews of games that are just around the bend and devour multiple reviews of games out in the market. Being in the know about games is not just about being entertained but literally a process that the frugal part of my being exercises and flexes when parting with my hard earned money. Trying times like the ones we are seeing where gas is at all time highs, just taking a trek to my local gamestore is an expensive excursion already, so knowing in advance the game I'm getting is worthwhile is not a convenience anymore, it's a necessity.

But are game sites taking it a bit too far? The answer to that may vary depending on who you ask but one thing is certain, surprises and secrets in games are becoming more of a rarity. Look all around you and on a daily basis, if not hourly, we are being bombarded with more and more information about games that are in development to the point that by the games comes out, you already know all there is to it. From the art on the game cases weeks before they release said game, to having all the cheats / easter eggs from the game posted days before it comes out, to finally having all the achievements to the game posted as well, I assure you by the time you turn on that game to play it, you practically have a course of action preset from watching all those game clips that show you the first twenty minutes of gameplay in the game.



While perusing through Destructoid's front page I read Nick's Piece on possible spoilers for Portal 2. What's surprising is not that the information is indeed a spoiler but that quite a few people don't think it is. We are so used to game developers giving up the ghost when it comes to their games either by an internal leak or other questionable sources that we are being lulled into thinking it's all good. Hell while we're at it let's ridicule the people that don't want to know anything specific about the game. How dare they want to have the sheer joy of discovering plot points and gameplay elements within the game? That's just ridiculous!

My sentiments to this are not in the minority or experienced by a secluded few. More and more gamers are having a difficult time with this. A lot of people dismiss this as it's just telling you what's happening..it's not the same as experiencing it, but that's an illogical stance as ignorance of what's happening in the game story heightens it exponentially.

Another response I might hear is don't read about it. Easier said than done. Most people don't even bother with telling readers about spoilers on some game previews and reviews, the person in question doing those don't know the art of being informative and being restraint at the same time. It's a balancing act for sure but one that can be done easily as you see it being employed in some of our own previews/reviews in Destructoid. I remember when I was young shuffling through the pages of Gamefan looking for any rumors or slight secrets of upcoming games with eyes glazed. Nowadays I don't even have to look for them. It's on the front page feature to most game sites. And if I miss it, the blog echo of the internet will make sure I hear about it one way or the other. If not some of my own colleagues here at Dtoid in the Cblogs.

The sad part is secrets are not just hard to come by anymore.... they don't exist anymore in this day and age.