I don't understand video game reveals.

[thedragon232]

With the recent trailers for both the new Cod and Battlefield titles I have realized that the manner that video games are revealed completely baffles me. I dislike both trailers thinking that these are for mediocre action movies. Then there are other reveals given behind closed doors, just to be described in text. Are these strategies really successful?

PS: With the lack a demos and gameplay trailers are we seeing less of a game prior to its release?

 

[Saelune]

I mostly just care to know it exists, and that they are going in the right direction. Ofcourse that's usually for pre-established series. New IPs are different, but then, I rarely go out of my way for that and let them come to me either through recommendation or some sort of sale. (I rarely buy new games I don't know I want, mostly due to money)

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

I am anti-hype. I will watch reveal videos when the game is on sale. Maybe.

 

[Lufia Erim]

What? What are you people going on about. It's called marketing. You can't sell a product without letting people know the product exists. Reveals are there to get the attention of people, so that those people would be aware of it's existance. In hopes that they would want to buy it. That's it. End of.

It's why games like battleborn are less talked about than Overwatch. The marketing for battlebotn has been nigh non-existant, whereas everyone knows about overwatch.

Seriously guys.

 

[MysticSlayer]

"Hey guys, there's a new CoD/BF/Elder Scrolls/Fallout/etc./etc./etc. game coming out! More information coming soon!"

That's all it comes down to. It is a reveal to let you know about the game and show off the basic direction. They won't remain silent until the game's release. We'll learn more by then.

 

[SmallHatLogan]

They're just trying to crank up the hype. And it works. As to why it works, that I don't know. How anyone can get hyped by a trailer with no gameplay footage is beyond me.

 

[Something Amyss]

Gaming is surrounded by hype culture. It apparently does work. I don't get it, though.

 

[Roboshi]

i've noticed this, even with games I like, that you know everything about the game before it releases over it's development cycle. It's our own fault really, we've become impatient for news about our games and the studios have been all too happy to provide full videos of early builds, open betas and general info over the coming months to build hype.

 

[Ambient_Malice]

The purpose of a trailer for a story-driven FPS game is to deliver a punchy WHO, WHAT, and WHY. Some do it far better than others.

WHO are we?
WHAT is going on? WHAT are we going to do?
WHY do we do the things we do?




Gamey "gameplay" is not a significant consideration. It rarely makes for compelling viewing in the same way a dramatic set piece shot does. The Infinite Warfare trailer shows you what the game is going to be like when you step into you space ship, or when you're fighting in Zero-G.

However, Battlefield 4 is an excellent example of how you can let the game speak for itself with a few minutes of gameplay footage. However, it requires that your campaign be really, really compelling. Also, having Total Eclipse of the Heart is really crucial.


In a nutshell, random gameplay footage does NOT capture people's interest outside of the MP fanbase. If you want people to be showing the trailer to the person next to them, you need a story hook, and some dramatic moments. Games with no SP have to fake it in various ways.

 

[Vigormortis]

I honestly thought the Infinite Warfare trailer looked fantastic. Coupled with the description of the gameplay cycle and the possibility of an open-ended campaign, this is the first time in a long time I'm actually excited to see how a new COD game turns out.

Not quite as excited as I am to see how Titanfall 2 turns out, but still excited.

What? What are you people going on about. It's called marketing. You can't sell a product without letting people know the product exists. Reveals are there to get the attention of people, so that those people would be aware of it's existance. In hopes that they would want to buy it. That's it. End of.

It's why games like battleborn are less talked about than Overwatch. The marketing for battlebotn has been nigh non-existant, whereas everyone knows about overwatch.

Seriously guys.

But that's obvious and counter to ones ability to act completely jaded and cynical. It's 2016. We HAVE to whine, *****, moan, and complain about every fucking thing ever.

Swear to god....2016 is the Year of Cynicism. (with strong undertones of hypocrisy)

 

[LordBaztion]

I really enjoyed the hype behind the BF1 reveal, I really want to play on that WW1 setting (history FTW), hope the campaign to be good but I will let EA Access decide if or worths buying at launch.

I also enjoyed the IW trailer, want to play the dog fight scenes on space, probably it will deliver on what Reach left short. CoD campaigns are always enjoyable due to strong art direction and outstanding presentation.

 

[Bilious Green_v1legacy]

It's this years CoD/BF. You know it will be basically the same as last years version, but with a slightly different skin. They could easily just say "New CoD coming soon!" and it would have the same effect. In the end, the trailer itself doesn't matter at all.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

They're like movie trailers, they advertise and generate demand.

 

[Skatalite]

They're just trying to crank up the hype. And it works. As to why it works, that I don't know. How anyone can get hyped by a trailer with no gameplay footage is beyond me.

Trailers still give you a taste of the game's story, tone, style, etc. Things like that. The first Mafia III trailer for example got me pretty hyped, while its gameplay trailer immediately put me off.

 

[Strazdas]

They are advertisement. They are giving exposure to the game so it gets more advetisement. basic marketing there. Also hype sells pre-orders, so you want as much of that as possible as a company. It does not matter if game lives up to the hype or not, you already sold the game by the time it launches nowadays.

Trailers still give you a taste of the game's story, tone, style, etc. Things like that. The first Mafia III trailer for example got me pretty hyped, while its gameplay trailer immediately put me off.

And thanks for letting me know there is a gameplay video out now (apperently 12 minutes long). Its one of the few games im actually looking forward to.

 

[CaitSeith]

I honestly thought the Infinite Warfare trailer looked fantastic. Coupled with the description of the gameplay cycle and the possibility of an open-ended campaign, this is the first time in a long time I'm actually excited to see how a new COD game turns out.

Not quite as excited as I am to see how Titanfall 2 turns out, but still excited.

What? What are you people going on about. It's called marketing. You can't sell a product without letting people know the product exists. Reveals are there to get the attention of people, so that those people would be aware of it's existance. In hopes that they would want to buy it. That's it. End of.

It's why games like battleborn are less talked about than Overwatch. The marketing for battlebotn has been nigh non-existant, whereas everyone knows about overwatch.

Seriously guys.

But that's obvious and counter to ones ability to act completely jaded and cynical. It's 2016. We HAVE to whine, *****, moan, and complain about every fucking thing ever.

Swear to god....2016 is the Year of Cynicism. (with strong undertones of hypocrisy)

That's why The Division is one of the most successful Ubisoft releases. Yeah, the cynicism certainly feels in the air!

 

[Vigormortis]

That's why The Division is one of the most successful Ubisoft releases. Yeah, the cynicism certainly feels in the air!

Since when did cynicism preclude the possibility of people buying the thing they're complaining about? People whine incessantly about Call of Duty, yet it's one of the most successful franchises in history.

How does The Division being successful negate the perception that today's culture is overly cynical? I'm not sure what point you're trying to make...

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I never really liked how secretive the games industry is. People will say that the games industry tries its best to emulate the film/blockbuster industry and while it does in some ways, a film being produced in secret seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Sure, it would be devastating to hear about the number of times a new Metroid or F-Zero began production only for it to be cancelled within a few months but it would be nice to know who is doing what and when. It would also be great to really know how quickly a game goes from design document to final product. This is another thing in the films industry where we have at least a vague understanding of the amount of time it takes to go from scripting to Final Director's Cut Lazerdisc.

 

[CaitSeith]

That's why The Division is one of the most successful Ubisoft releases. Yeah, the cynicism certainly feels in the air!

Since when did cynicism preclude the possibility of people buying the thing they're complaining about? People whine incessantly about Call of Duty, yet it's one of the most successful franchises in history.

How does The Division being successful negate the perception that today's culture is overly cynical? I'm not sure what point you're trying to make...

The point is that it WON'T be the Year of Cynicism until cynicism makes such games flop. The Division's success shows that 2016 isn't.