When are spoilers allowed to be talked about in games publicly?

When are spoilers allowed? To me, it's the company I keep. When I hear stop, I stop.

When I wish to continue to read, I read. But if something is spoiled, most times, I saw it coming. In most cases, I quit reading.

Spoilers have never bothered me as most. I still have to play the game.

I have no idea what most of these choices even mean but I think after about a year, spoilers are fair game.

What's your mother tongue? I'm just curious.

other motherfucker.

You can talk about spoilers whenever, just put up a warning first.

Personally, for a high profile game, I generally say 3-6 months... but still drop the spoiler tag if you are going to be dropping bombs. I mean usually I don't care if spoilers are talked about, just say something if you are going to reveal the one huge plot point of the game, other than that, I think they are usually fine to talk about after 3-6 months.

I would generally say that is a good time frame. At first thought, it actually felt kind of like a long time, but really, it takes me months, if not years to get to a lot of games... i.e. right now I am playing Bad Company 2, Grand Theft Auto IV Expansions and finishing up No More Heroes on the Wii.

If a game is like years old like Chrono Trigger or something like that, I guess don't be a jerk and just drop the bomb just because with no relevant context surrounding that spoiler bomb you just dropped, but otherwise, I say you are pretty freely able to talk about an old game.

@Afroman269 said:

You can talk about spoilers whenever, just put up a warning first.

agree also when you friends are finished with the game.

Be cautious who you talk too then anything goes

When I say so.

When I say so.

@Claude:

The other other. Fuckermoth.

When Aeris dies.

@Claude:

The other other. Fuckermoth.

It varies depending on the quality of the storytelling. If a game has terrible plot and storytelling then it could be as short as 2 months (for example, in GTA Chinatown Wars the only interesting character is killed in the third mission). If it's done really well like in Heavy Rain or Shadow of the Colossus I still wouldn't post a single spoiler. If I told you who the Origami Killer was right now you would never play that game because it eliminates all the suspense.

2 weeks then you bust a nut

@Claude:

But I like both the games I'm currently blogging about. (Also, my microphone situation is kinda fucked.)

It varies depending on the quality of the storytelling. If a game has terrible plot and storytelling then it could be as short as 2 months (for example, in GTA Chinatown Wars the only interesting character is killed in the third mission). If it's done really well like in Heavy Rain or Shadow of the Colossus I still wouldn't post a single spoiler. If I told you who the Origami Killer was right now you would never play that game because it eliminates all the suspense.

It is usually best to throw up a spoiler warning no matter how old the game is. The exception to that rule would be if it is a plot point that the entire world is aware of, sort of like Aeris dies.
 
This is how I think about it. After a couple of years after release you can be a bit more loose with the spoilers, but should be mindful not to ruin the twist ending to the game or anything. If the game has a sequel that continues the storyline from the previous installment then you can use that as a way to measure when it is clear to talk about the game. After it's sequel has been out for a few months then you should be clear. Trailers and whatnot probably spoiled chunks of the original title. Just a necessary evil of marketing. You want to be careful not to spoil the game for people who stumbled across the series due to seeing some stuff about a sequel and decided to play an earlier entry before picking up the brand new one. Yeah, it is a very convoluted process, but that is the best I can explain it. Tons of exceptions there.
 
I handle spoilers differently on a case by case basis. But when I am talking to friends in public about a game, I usually ask everyone around me if they have played it or have interest in playing before just blurting out something like the explanation behind "would you kindly?"

@Claude said:

Spoilers have never bothered me as most. I still have to play the game.

It bothers me when it's something HUGE in the late guy. (I remember being bitter when someone posted that John dies at the end of Red Dead)...

When is it ok to talk about spoilers? 1 year after the game has been released.

A year is sufficient time to beat any game and I feel free to speak spoilers for any game that old.

bad/vague choices.

About a year so... Other Motherfucker is a valid answer.

In fact, it's the only answer.

When I ask if you would kindly talk about them.

There's no specific time frame when something becomes okay to spoil. Final Fantasy VII is 14 years old and the spoiler for that game is one of the most well known things in gaming but that doesn't mean I'll just talk about it at random. It bothers people and regardless of how much you don't personally care about spoilers, plenty of people prefer not to know things before experiencing them firsthand. So not blatantly talking about intricacies of a game's (or book's or movie's) plot is the courteous thing to do. Not everyone has time or money to see every movie or play every game.

That said the level of care you take in not spoiling something does diminish depending on how general knowledge it is. It's a lot more understandable for people to not know what happens in FFVII than King Kong, the latter of which is a very well known story that you're more likely to know through general osmosis whereas video games are still kind of a specific hobby.

People seem to be under the impression that only things with 'twists' can be spoiled, which isn't true at all. If you read a wiki summary before watching a movie, can you honestly tell me that you're going to get the same amount of enjoyment from watching it compared to if you hadn't? Because if the answer is yes then I really don't believe you.

Say it with your chest, motherfuckers

90 days. If you care about a game's plot then you would of played it by then.

Whenever you want. just put a warning or have a spoiler tag.

bad/vague choices.

Next Tuesday.

@rebgav said:

@Adus said:

If you read a wiki summary before watching a movie, can you honestly tell me that you're going to get the same amount of enjoyment from watching it compared to if you hadn't? Because if the answer is yes then I really don't believe you.

By that logic, it is impossible to enjoy watching the same movie twice.

No, because that's not what I said at all. I just said it wouldn't be the same amount of enjoyment. I love the movie Aliens and find it pretty exciting even though I've seen it a hundred times, but it still doesn't compare to the first time.

@Afroman269 said:

You can talk about spoilers whenever, just put up a warning first.

I find that it's always appropriate if you just ask first. If that option is not available then refrain from it if you can. I'd say it's mostly appropriate if the next game is almost released. If there is no word on a sequel, I don't think spoilers should be discussed openly without asking or declaring "SPOILERS!" first.

I normally don't care too much about spoilers, but i did Heavy Rain spoiled by a youtube comment on a trailer, day of release, so that was a bummer.

Over 6 months and there is no need for spoiler tags. If you cared you would of likely gotten it by then.

3 months and I think spoilers are fair game. Other motherfucker!

6 Months, people should not be all complaining about it when they have had 6 months to play it.

If it's been over 1 year since a game came out, and people still complain about spoilers, I would say "tough shit".

It's hard to gauge. I mean, if you manage to be 17 years old and not know the story of Fight Club like my younger brother, you're goddamned set to have a good time!

However, sometimes the story beats don't matter. Often, that's when it's really the presentation that carries you. I'd argue the Persona titles, Uncharted, and Fallout 3 are presentation-based, not story-beat based.

@GreggD said:

When Aeris dies.

Ha!

Never Not Other motherfucker!

When Snape kills Dumbledore.

Am I doing it right?

I had to choose other. They are allowed to be talked about only after I, TheGreatGuero, has finished the game in question. Thank you for your understanding.

I think it's OK to post spoilers if you use spoiler tags.

EDIT: Didn't read properly...Talking about them in public, maybe a year?

I have no idea what most of these choices even mean but I think after about a year, spoilers are fair game.

It's hard to gauge. I mean, if you manage to be 17 years old and not know the story of Fight Club like my younger brother, you're goddamned set to have a good time!

However, sometimes the story beats don't matter. Often, that's when it's really the presentation that carries you. I'd argue the Persona titles, Uncharted, and Fallout 3 are presentation-based, not story-beat based.