Poll: Can you judge a game by it's trailer?

[TehCookie]

I saw a lot of responses in the latest DmC thread saying that you can't judge a game until it's out, and do you think that's true? Or can you judge a game on it's trailer? Are there certain kind of trailers you can judge and others you can't?

I judge games based on their trailers all the time. Cutscene trailers can show you the world and the game's tone or showcase the graphics. Gameplay will show you what it is and how it flows. Trailers that don't feature any cutscenes or gameplay usually means the game is to terrible to show *cough*Dead Island*cough*. I'm not saying I can tell if the game is good or bad in general, but I can tell if it's to my taste or not.

EDIT: Bonus question! If you said no, how do you judge games before you buy them?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

That's what trailers are for...

However, a trailer doesn't necessarily paint something in a good light if it isn't put together very well.

For instance, every Dragon's Dogma trailer makes the game look friggin' terrible, but from the previews I've been watching, the game looks awesome.

 

[Strain42]

The answer to that question is No, and Dead Island is pretty proof positive of that.

Gameplay trailers are a bit more helpful, of course, but I don't think you can ever really judge a game until you hold it in your hands and play it yourself (...after putting it in the console, I suppose. Kinda hard to play a game if you're holding it...)

You can certainly decide if it's a game for you or not based on trailers, but I don't like people who try to judge how much a game sucks just because they watched 30 seconds of gameplay. What's funnier is they often try to argue with people who did play the game.

 

[burningdragoon]

Pre-rendered or live action nonsense trailers, no. Although I guess you can judge a little of the story or simply by the fact that they went with a non-game footage trailer to be a bad sign.

Ingame footage trailers (gameplay and cinematic) are kind there for that reason. Now you can't make a perfect judgement but if trails make the game look bad for some reason than either the game is bad or the trailer failed.

 

[TehCookie]

The answer to that question is No, and Dead Island is pretty proof positive of that.

Gameplay trailers are a bit more helpful, of course, but I don't think you can ever really judge a game until you hold it in your hands and play it yourself (...after putting it in the console, I suppose. Kinda hard to play a game if you're holding it...)

You can certainly decide if it's a game for you or not based on trailers, but I don't like people who try to judge how much a game sucks just because they watched 30 seconds of gameplay. What's funnier is they often try to argue with people who did play the game.

Just noticed I had the wrong game in my opening, that was the one I meant. Whoopsies on my part.

 

[Don Savik]

It certain ways yes. It helps decide whether or not I would be interested in the style of gameplay for one. Chest high wall simulator? Pass. Also, it helps decide whether or not I find the aesthetic interesting. Tera? Pass. Trailers are good for getting me interested, but I always look up more information. I don't know who buys a game just after seeing a trailer and nothing else. I don't think gamers are that stupid.

but I don't like people who try to judge how much a game sucks just because they watched 30 seconds of gameplay. What's funnier is they often try to argue with people who did play the game.

Well, I can honestly say that Diablo 3 looks less appealing to me gameplay wise than Torchlight 2. Have I played Diablo 3? No, but I can tell without a doubt that it wouldn't be as fun TO ME as the latter. And that's the thing, you may have played a game that I haven't, but people's tastes aren't always the same. It may be an alright game, but its not a game for me. Seeing gameplay of a game and going "This doesn't look that fun at all" isn't a stupid argument. Honestly, I have never played a game that looked repulsive and after playing it gone "Hey! This is the exact polar opposite of what I said it would be! I sure am dumb!" Maybe its possible, but highly unlikely.

 

[Strain42]

It certain ways yes. It helps decide whether or not I would be interested in the style of gameplay for one. Chest high wall simulator? Pass. Also, it helps decide whether or not I find the aesthetic interesting. Tera? Pass. Trailers are good for getting me interested, but I always look up more information. I don't know who buys a game just after seeing a trailer and nothing else. I don't think gamers are that stupid.

but I don't like people who try to judge how much a game sucks just because they watched 30 seconds of gameplay. What's funnier is they often try to argue with people who did play the game.

Well, I can honestly say that Diablo 3 looks less appealing to me gameplay wise than Torchlight 2. Have I played Diablo 3? No, but I can tell without a doubt that it wouldn't be as fun TO ME as the latter. And that's the thing, you may have played a game that I haven't, but people's tastes aren't always the same. It may be an alright game, but its not a game for me. Seeing gameplay of a game and going "This doesn't look that fun at all" isn't a stupid argument. Honestly, I have never played a game that looked repulsive and after playing it gone "Hey! This is the exact polar opposite of what I said it would be! I sure am dumb!" Maybe its possible, but highly unlikely.

Not trying to fight here, but isn't your entire point there summed up in the fragment of the sentence before you started quoting me?

You can certainly decide if it's a game for you or not based on trailers,

That part to be exact.

Trailers are a great way for you to decide if it's a game that would appeal to you. My issue is with the people who try to act like they've played it and insult the game when they haven't put in the effort to actually play it and form an opinion.

By all means, decide a game isn't for you, but to people who try to argue about it, they should make that clear.

 

[Goofguy]

Sure, as long as it is a gameplay trailer with a decent amount of footage. Obviously, the developers are trying to get people interested in their game so they're not going to show the slow parts. But at least they're a better indication than the cinematic ones.

 

[General Twinkletoes]

Only if it's a gameplay with a fair amount of footage.

I just point to dead island. That cg trailer was nothing like the game, and then they had a trailer that was so many quick cuts during actual gameplay that it didn't look anything like it actually plays.

 

[370999]

The question is more should you rather then can you.

I tend to think of trailers a bit differently. Let's say the Skyrim announcement trailer, if you disliked fantasy or frozen tundra, you know not to pay any more attention. If you do like these things then you know pay attention to it.

So take trailers more as a " this looks interesting, I'll keep my eye on it" rather then a review. Because there aren't.

 

[Slayer_2]

See Dead Island for a great example of what happens when you judge a game by it's trailer. Still a great game, but nothing like the trailer.

 

[laggyteabag]

Pre-rendered/Cinematic or live action trailers look great (ie Halo), they may even set the scene, but you cant judge a game on them. You need a gameplay trailer to actually get a feel for the game itself.

 

[EHKOS]

Fuck no. No no no no no.

 

[Blazing Steel]

In theory that's what they're for. They should give vague ideas about the game, but since so many trailers over the last couple of years have been learning towards cinematics over gameplay, now it's almost impossible to judge the game just on the trailer.

Also trailers only give you a first impression since they're <2minuets long, so it's not fair to jugde a 200hour game on something that's <1/6000 of the actual game.

 

[laggyteabag]

Sometimes.

For example, I think its fair to say one can judge Black Ops 2 by its trailer. Guns? Check. Explosions? Check. Robots? Check. Terrible dubstep song in the background? Check. Anything else? Nope.

The funny thing is, cut out the first two sentences and I could be talking about the actual game. Heh.

Then again , Call of Duty is getting predictable now, so most people didn't even need a trailer to "Check" all of those things...

EDIT - You may even go as far to say that most shooters are like this now

 

[Nexxis]

Game trailers can give me an overall sense of what the game is about, mechanics and plot-wise, but I usually don't make a purchase decision off of them. If I feel that what I've seen in the trailer doesn't appeal to me, then I may not bother with it, but if I have some interest, I'll try to look at other things like game footage and reviews from critics that I trust. trailers are usually made to make a game look fun an exciting, but without the flashiness and jump cuts, you could be left with a drawn out, boring dud.

 

[Yopaz]

Pre-rendered or live action nonsense trailers, no. Although I guess you can judge a little of the story or simply by the fact that they went with a non-game footage trailer to be a bad sign.

So it's a bad sign if the game is on such an early stage that the details about the gameplay has not been presented yet? Most announcement videos of upcoming games are pre-rendered in order to show off story, characters and artstyle. Are you saying all the games that have ever done that have turned out bad?

OT: I never judge by a trailer, but I do get excited because of the trailers. Le's take The Last Story. I saw the trailer and I though to myself that it looked awesome. I bought it and it was. Then there's games like Mad World that turned out to be boring and repetitive.