Does this bother anyone else? It'd be great to know I'm not the only one.

[IPunchWithMyFists]

I want you to imagine something. Imagine being a fan of something that doesn't exist.

Whether it's a franchise that doesn't exist or a character that doesn't exist, you are such a huge fan of this thing that you can't wait for it to exist. Having trouble imagining it? Really?

Well then imagine that a trailer assumes you're a fan of something that has not yet existed. THIS actually happens all the time, but I've never seen it used quite so blatantly as right here.


I need to know that this bothers someone else. Right? Before we're even introduced to the character the trailer is advertising, we have the voice-actress using a squeaky, stilted tone to introduce the character in a way that can only be described as "This must be an inside joke, because why else would she say it in such an odd, off-putting fashion?"

Then the viewer is shown the character's design in a static image, a developer describes the character's extremly-arch character, and then the voice-actress continues to recite lines in that same stilted tone that this character will clearly be using.

I can't recall an advertisement that ever assumed that you were onboard harder than this. Someone tell me I'm crazy because this has been driving me insane since this trailer came out. Is this awkward? This is awkward, right?

 

[Liquidprid3]

Yeah this is a terrible trailer, and that's a terrible voice. Rarely do I ever find voices annoying, but that is so off putting and obnoxiously annoying it hurts. This game looked fun, and if I do get it, you can expect the TV remote to be by me at all times, with my finger over the mute button. That voice is worse than nails on a chalk board. Does ANYBODY find that amusing or funny.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The weirdest thing about the trailer is the Ken Burns effect starting 0:44. We get these weird shots of unfocused concept art and a copy/paste of the character practically off-screen that just looks half-baked and poorly directed. I'm not sure what they were trying to do or what we're supposed to look at here. Just looks awkward.

 

[Callate]

"A good fwiend"...?

Lady, the only people who get to talk that way are Elmer Fudd, Sesame Street, and three-year-olds... And I'm on the fence about Sesame Street.

I'm also kind of the opinion that "Meet 'so-and-so'" as a trailer cliche just needs to die. There was an Andy MacDowell movie trailer a few years ago that presumed to have you "meet" three different characters in thirty seconds, and all I could think was that if I was at a party, I would be beating the narrator on the arm to let go of me and stop presuming to introduce me to people with trite summaries at a break-neck pace.

So in summary, no, it's not just you; this is a ham-handed attempt to make customers love a character that seems like it was designed by committee, and it's not going to work.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I don't really see a problem with it. Sure, the voice of the character is annoying, and it didn't particularly make me interested in the character, but that's standard for Sonic games. Still, at worst it is just a bad trailer. Letting it bother you so much just seems like an overreaction.

 

[IPunchWithMyFists]

I don't really see a problem with it. Sure, the voice of the character is annoying, and it didn't particularly make me interested in the character, but that's standard for Sonic games. Still, at worst it is just a bad trailer. Letting it bother you so much just seems like an overreaction.

Ecch. But it's SO AWKWARD. I'm not a Sonic fan, it's not that I'm worried about the game, it's PURELY the trailer.

Why is this lady immediately starting out with her horrible joke voice directly into the camera before we know what's going on?

 

[Neverhoodian]

Sooo, she's a paranoid schizophrenic?

To be fair, it's not the most grating voice I've ever heard for a cartoon:

Spoiler

I don't know much about the Sonic franchise, but aren't there a buttload of side characters? I'm not sure if adding yet another one is such a good idea at this point.

The only "Meet the..." trailers I've really enjoyed were the Team Fortress 2 ones.

The weirdest thing about the trailer is the Ken Burns effect starting 0:44. We get these weird shots of unfocused concept art and a copy/paste of the character practically off-screen that just looks half-baked and poorly directed. I'm not sure what they were trying to do or what we're supposed to look at here. Just looks awkward.

Oh my God, you're right! I played a bit of "Ashokan Farewell" during that part and it fit altogether too well.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I don't really see a problem with it. Sure, the voice of the character is annoying, and it didn't particularly make me interested in the character, but that's standard for Sonic games. Still, at worst it is just a bad trailer. Letting it bother you so much just seems like an overreaction.

Ecch. But it's SO AWKWARD. I'm not a Sonic fan, it's not that I'm worried about the game, it's PURELY the trailer.

Why is this lady immediately starting out with her horrible joke voice directly into the camera before we know what's going on?

They probably thought that starting the trailer in the character's voice was a clever way to do a "meet this new character" trailer. It might have worked if not for the voice being your standard Sonic-character voice that's designed for an audience so young they likely aren't even watching the trailer.

 

[scorptatious]

Where have I had that voice before? I swear... she sounds so familiar I just...

Spoiler

...

FUCK.

Also, "Sticks is very funny. Without TRYING to be funny."

Yeah, sure. Whatever you say.

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

hahaha oh my god i hadnt seen the trailer, im sorry but its so horrible and cringe worthly, i dont see why sonic must have even more bloody friends, its not like sonic team doesnt already have a huge rooster of characters to pick from, but of course, sonic character, besides the main ones, are pretty much what i call "condom characters", they are used once and then everyone completely forgets about em

 

[josemlopes]

What I think is the most retarded is that they never actually show the character talking.

The voice it self doesnt seem bad in an actual character but showing it like this isnt doing them any favors

 

[IPunchWithMyFists]

I don't really see a problem with it. Sure, the voice of the character is annoying, and it didn't particularly make me interested in the character, but that's standard for Sonic games. Still, at worst it is just a bad trailer. Letting it bother you so much just seems like an overreaction.

Ecch. But it's SO AWKWARD. I'm not a Sonic fan, it's not that I'm worried about the game, it's PURELY the trailer.

Why is this lady immediately starting out with her horrible joke voice directly into the camera before we know what's going on?

They probably thought that starting the trailer in the character's voice was a clever way to do a "meet this new character" trailer. It might have worked if not for the voice being your standard Sonic-character voice that's designed for an audience so young they likely aren't even watching the trailer.

Good point.

 

[Ten Foot Bunny]

All I see is a half-assed, kiddie knockoff of Tiny Tina.

Spoiler: Best tea party ever

 

[Brian Tams]

Somebody take that abomination outback behind the shed and put it out of its misery.

Seriously, that is one of the worst voices I've ever heard, and I'm drawing from a history that includes the Final Fantasy X Awkward Laughing scene.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Wow, is that what Sticks sounds like? I can't wait to play this with the Japanese voices on again!

Anyway OP I get what you're saying but luckily, they only really seem to do this (or rather, I only seem to notice this) when it comes to kids being aimed at kids. All it's missing is the overly enthusiastic, "HEY KIDS" preamble that a lot of those commercials started out with in the olden-times.

 

[Barbas]

(Snip).

I am hearing you on FM there, shawty...although she does sometimes scream a little too loud for my hearing range.

OT: If you ever think it can't be worse, just remember: Tidus laugh. Japanese version. The shrieking of angrily manhandled crows. Still, this is a rather grating advertisement. You are most definitely not alone in disliking it. If I were a Sonic fan, I imagine I'd be pretty well put off by this trailer. Have some upbeat music [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdCslA8xs98#] to take your mind off it!

[...]but of course, sonic character, besides the main ones, are pretty much what i call "condom characters"[...]

Spoiler: ...

That's a new one on me! :I

 

[scorptatious]

"condom characters"

So uh...

What happens if they "break"?

 

[Asita]

"condom characters"

So uh...

What happens if they "break"?

The dev team deals with that for a few months before giving birth to a new character?

 

[FPLOON]

Where have I had that voice before? I swear... she sounds so familiar I just...

Spoiler

...

FUCK.

*facepalms* It's the voice that comes back worse than before... How's this possible?!

OT: I... uh... uh... Wow, I got nothing smart to say about this...

I'm just waiting for that cliched "what's wrong with your voice" joke to pop up in both the game and, I guess, the show...

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

"condom characters"

So uh...

What happens if they "break"?

then the game becomes total wank

"(birth control) IS NO USE!"