Not revealing the title of the game/story right away

[kyonides]

Hi!
Do you think it's a good idea to keep the real game title secret till the player succeeds (finished the game)? I guess all players/gamers should expect to get some sort of retribution after they finished the game, but could it be one of the prizes?
I'm trying to develop a game and its title is FF0. I know, you may think this is just another Final Fantasy fangame, but it isn't. The name isn't Final Fantasy 0, it's something else. I plan to reveal the full name only after the player defeats the villain or becomes a villain. Later during some cutscene, the player would get more info telling him why the title or even the character's own life was so meaningful.
I'd give a penny for your thoughts on this. (Well... you know what it really means.)

 

[Sles]

What would be the point of waiting to reveal the title?  Will the title reveal something humongous about the game?  Will it seal things off and give the player the satisfaction of a job well done when they realize that actually did figure out everything there was to figure out in the game?

 

[SakuraPhoenix]

I think rather, unless the title says EXACTLY what the game is about, (highly doubt a coupla words could tell a whole story. I could be wrong) you should come up with a title that wont be understood unless you actually play the game.
Notes on Pulling the Sky Down..... is one example.

So throughout the game have the Villian/ Heroes/ NPC do some small monolouges or cut scenes that hint at it, even have some give mis information to keep the player guessing. THEN at the end tie it all together.

 

[kyonides]

Well the point would be that the title is part of a small but confusing conversation. It would be confusing from the hero's standpoint because he would never be a hero, he may be the greatest enemy about to come according to some ancient prophecy. Then the hero may accept this as a truth or may choose any of these 2 choices.
1. he actually accepts to be the villain. If this happens the New Game+ would be the real hero's quest to vanquish him if possible...
2. he rejects all the prophecies and the sage's words of wisdom and starts living in a remote place on that planet. The real hero would then need to finish the job the first hero could not due to his own nature or destiny.

 

[SakuraPhoenix]

aannnnnd exactly how long do you plan to have the title? Because to explain all that, at this point it wouldn't be a title anymore. It'd be a paragraph ^^; So to answer your question, have the real title and then let the player see the connections via playing the game

 

[Sles]

KieraP is right.  That would be THE longest title ever.

 

[kyonides]

I don't see why. A title is always a small description of what happens during a character's life. It's supposed to be like that. Well, it wasn't always the case, but for gaming or modern literature purposes that's how it should be.

 

[SakuraPhoenix]

Annnnd the title is usually explained somewhere in the middle or at the end. Where a reader goes..."Ahhhhh I get it now!" You don't see blank covers of books with out a title then at the end. THE TITLE in bold letters at the last page.

I'm refering to

Well the point would be that the title is part of a small but confusing conversation. It would be confusing from the hero's standpoint because he would never be a hero, he may be the greatest enemy about to come according to some ancient prophecy. Then the hero may accept this as a truth or may choose any of these 2 choices.
1. he actually accepts to be the villain. If this happens the New Game+ would be the real hero's quest to vanquish him if possible...
2. he rejects all the prophecies and the sage's words of wisdom and starts living in a remote place on that planet. The real hero would then need to finish the job the first hero could not due to his own nature or destiny.

By the time you explained all this it wouldn't be a title anymore....

what is your title anyway if you don't mind me asking?