Dear EA and Bioware.

[darkcommanderq]

I enjoy the fancy KOTOR cut sences as much as the next movie chump, but you should realize the gamers that will keep playing your game past the 1st few months will be the ones that like the game play, not some gimmicky cinematic.

If your gameplay is that terrible that you have to tell your story though CGI, what hope do you think you have of making your money back on the cut scenes, let along the development budget.

Seriously take a point from EVE and drop the CGI bullshit.

 

[Dorian_Winter]

How about engaging in some genuine cinematic brilliance (which is what I call these trailers) in order to set the tone and engage the player in the world they're entering. I wouldn't call it gimmicky, and I would make the argument that anyone who thinks that these cinematics represent gameplay is truly deranged and deserves disappointment.

ME2, the Halo series (excepting live action), Tomb Raider, all games with powerful cinematic trailers that belied the actual gameplay. None of these games were lessened due to these trailers, but in my opinion, had their respective premises enhanced gave the player an insight into what the designers were thinking when they made the game.

Finally; the Old Republic trailers have been THE SHIT. I will not tolerate a word against such works of art.

 

[ZeZZZZevy]

excuse me for wondering how a trailer can be "gimmicky"

and (if done correctly) a trailer can give some interesting context to the game, and (most importantly) excite players about the game to come.

 

[LobsterFeng]

I like the Old Republic trailers. Why? Because I'm not into MMOs, but I can at least enjoy the awesome trailers.

 

[Nicolairigel]

I refuse to be apart of the Old republic and anything to do with it because I still have a dark grudge against that game. Seriously. I hope it does poorly but not badly enough that it bankrupts bioware, since I still think that they're amazing. I then hope they learn from their mistakes and apologize by doing what they should have done and making a third Kotor to finish off the series. I forgave Bioware partially because they then gave us mass effect, but I still to refuse to even see another person play that game let alone try it. I just have no reason to play it, I play WoW and I am about to try out rift, I don't want another MMO, I want an awesome single player game with Revan or the Exile ripping apart sith with a vibroblade.

 

[Jordi]

Are we talking about KOTOR? Because that game was awesome. Gameplay and everything.

I personally don't really mind cut-scenes all that much. It's fine as long as the game provides an easy way to skip segments where control is being taken away from the player. Especially when it's just before a difficult segment that you are bound to replay a couple of times. Cut-scnenes and trailers can help tell the story in a nice way.

 

[octafish]

Are we talking about KOTOR? Because that game was awesome. Gameplay and everything.

I personally don't really mind cut-scenes all that much. It's fine as long as the game provides an easy way to skip segments where control is being taken away from the player. Especially when it's just before a difficult segment that you are bound to replay a couple of times. Cut-scnenes and trailers can help tell the story in a nice way.

I think we are. I never had a problem with the cut scenes, I'm pretty sure they were skippable with the spacebar. It took too long to get off Taris though.

 

[Pearwood]

Cinematics haven't been gimmicky for the last 25 years. They're older than I am. And cutscenes get rid of the ingame engine and replace it with film-quality CGI, you can argue that's a bad thing if you want but I doubt many people will agree.

 

[trollnystan]

EDIT: LOL wrong thread! *slinks away*

EDIT2: I actually think s/he talking about the MMO. Which is not KOTOR. But hey, both are made by Bioware! (they really should come up with new titles =P)

 

[Laser Priest]

How about engaging in some genuine cinematic brilliance (which is what I call these trailers) in order to set the tone and engage the player in the world they're entering. I wouldn't call it gimmicky, and I would make the argument that anyone who thinks that these cinematics represent gameplay is truly deranged and deserves disappointment.

ME2, the Halo series (excepting live action), Tomb Raider, all games with powerful cinematic trailers that belied the actual gameplay. None of these games were lessened due to these trailers, but in my opinion, had their respective premises enhanced gave the player an insight into what the designers were thinking when they made the game.

Finally; the Old Republic trailers have been THE SHIT. I will not tolerate a word against such works of art.

This.

I don't see how CGI cutscenes or trailers subtract from a game at all.

 

[thiosk]

I wish someone would write an open letter to all the open letter writers on the internet telling them that the companies in question will never open their open letters.

More on topic, you're mad about advertising and development for an unreleased star trek mmo... an mmo whose success is hinged on large scale early adoption?

If they want to spend their money on something like CGI, hey! Freedom! Sell your stock in the company if you are convinced of incoming failure.

Doesn't world of warcraft even have the odd cinematic? In the actual game?

 

[Flailing Escapist]

This is why, most games given enough time, release BOTH cinematic AND gameplay trailers.
Just give them a little time there, bud.

 

[Phishfood]

I suspect the main complaint in the OP is that the trailers 100% do NOT represent gameplay. I found that with dragon age. The trailer depicts all sorts of awesome moves and such, the actual game boils down to "click on buttons til they fall over". No-one is fooled, its an MMO its not going to work like that. Stop pretending it is.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

How about engaging in some genuine cinematic brilliance (which is what I call these trailers) in order to set the tone and engage the player in the world they're entering. I wouldn't call it gimmicky, and I would make the argument that anyone who thinks that these cinematics represent gameplay is truly deranged and deserves disappointment.

ME2, the Halo series (excepting live action), Tomb Raider, all games with powerful cinematic trailers that belied the actual gameplay. None of these games were lessened due to these trailers, but in my opinion, had their respective premises enhanced gave the player an insight into what the designers were thinking when they made the game.

Finally; the Old Republic trailers have been THE SHIT. I will not tolerate a word against such works of art.

This.

I don't see how CGI cutscenes or trailers subtract from a game at all.

Truthfully, I really hate it when characters can do things in cutscenes that you can't later replicate in actual gameplay. The cutscenes make me really pumped and then the gameplay just feels like it fall flat afterward and becomes disappointing because of it.

Cutscenes that further the story and are used to tell narrative are fine, and help convey emotion and story in the most direct way. Cutscenes that show action that the player SHOULD be doing had the game not been so limiting on the other hand just totally put me off of games.

 

[docSpitfire]

This is why, most games given enough time, release BOTH cinematic AND gameplay trailers.
Just give them a little time there, bud.

Actually there are game play trailers abound on the youtubes at the very least. I've only watched bits and pieces (A trooper class intro type thing, and a game play trailer to show off one of the big missions)

 

[gbemery]

Why show the awesome CGI, because 1. Even people who like the gameplay will be drawn to it and its a win/win for those people, 2. It will draw more people in who might stay and get hooked to the gameplay, 3. Even if the people who are drawn in because of the CGI don't stay that still makes people who pay for the first subscription (unless its free for so long, but then they still paid for the game) and finally 4. who cares its still great CGI

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Trailers are gimmicks now? Pretty soon games themselves we be gimmicks at this rate.