(Possible Spoilers) South Park And The Shtick Of Advertisement

[TAGM]

I've got a beef with South Park. But it isn't anything to do with the show or the game.

No, actually, it's the advertisement of said game. The advertisement of Stick Of Truth seems to be fairly indicative of gaming's advertisement ethos in general for a few of reasons, including:

1) No Gameplay
Trust me when I say, that all the official advertisements for S.O.T (That I've seen, anyway) told me less about the gameplay of the game then the god-damned Steam Tags. I mean, reviews I could maybe let go, but The Steam Tags are offering more information?

2) Obsession with looks
The advertisers seem obsessed with telling me that South Park looks and feels like South Park, and plays like a 14 hour episode of South Park. Erm, thanks guys. I saw the words South Park on the title and all, but I wasn't quite convinced. I was expecting friggin' Dark Souls until you told me. I mean, I realize that that's the whole point of the game being made in the first place, I realize that's what everyone wanted, but I also assume that people wanted some gameplay in their game. I did, at the very least.

3) FUCKING SPOILERS!
I mean for jesus's sake, at the very least when Game Grumps gave away bits in the plot, you could ignore it. But I swear that youtube brought up a 30 second unskipable advertisement for S.O.T. that managed to give away one of the final bosses in the game. (Third to last, if anyone's got that far.) Prior to that advertisement, that boss would have been a surprise, but not anymore, because the game's advertisement spoiled it. After I got the fucking game.

Now don't get me wrong: The game's fantastic, if a little short. But if I was buying it, rather then getting it as a gift, I may not have ever actually played it just because of how badly it's been advertised - at least, in my view. What do you guys think? Do spoilers in advertisements piss you off? Do you like to hear about bits of gameplay in your game advertisements? Am I just being overly cynical here?

[sub]P.S. Catchpa: Have Courage
If you're asking me to Have Courage about what I think you are, Catchpa (No names mentioned because rules) you've got no bloody chance.[/sub]

 

[Wasted]

1. True. That is a problem with game ads these days. The trailer looks akin to a Michael Bay film with constant explosions and no indication of game tone or mechanics.

2. I did not have an issue with this. This game is a visual achievement even though it is not a technical one. It looks, sounds, and feels exactly like the show. It is the reason I was aching to play the game. If it wasn't for the South Park name this game would have been an alright JRPG theme adventure game. The humor and involvement of Matt Stone and Trey Parker made this game a blast for me to play even with its shortcomings.

3. I never have an issue with this. Without context that small moment meant nothing (I know exactly who you are talking about OP). Yes many games do show major spoilers in their trailers, but they are only evident once you actually play the game and rewatch the trailer. Are you telling me you honestly knew immediately that scene showed one of the final bosses when you first saw it? If you didn't then what is the issue?

 

[Smeatza]

snip

These are all problems with trailers in general. I've honestly found movies to be the worst offenders with some trailers literally handing you the entire plot in a couple of minutes.

You missed a problem though.

4) Advertising Cut Content
I was expecting a Boss Battle with a giant Clyde. The trailer showed at least showed Clyde becoming giant. Why would you put this in your advertisement if it isn't in the game?
Fucking Obsidian cutting shit for time.

 

[-Dragmire-]

snip

These are all problems with trailers in general. I've honestly found movies to be the worst offenders with some trailers literally handing you the entire plot in a couple of minutes.

You missed a problem though.

4) Advertising Cut Content
I was expecting a Boss Battle with a giant Clyde. The trailer showed at least showed Clyde becoming giant. Why would you put this in your advertisement if it isn't in the game?
Fucking Obsidian cutting shit for time.

According to Obsidian, after the Ubisoft buyout changes were made during the delay. He was very tight lipped about it though so maybe I'm reading too much into it.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-03-12-south-park-it-all-started-with-a-suspected-prank-call

On cut content though, some cut content is still up on the official website... I wanna fight crab people!

Check the screenshot section.

http://southpark.ubi.com/stickoftruth/en-ca/home/

OT: Saying that the game is like playing an episode is important. Previous South Park games were generic games with South Park skin on top.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

1. True. That is a problem with game ads these days. The trailer looks akin to a Michael Bay film with constant explosions and no indication of game tone or mechanics.

2. I did not have an issue with this. This game is a visual achievement even though it is not a technical one. It looks, sounds, and feels exactly like the show. It is the reason I was aching to play the game. If it wasn't for the South Park name this game would have been an alright JRPG theme adventure game. The humor and involvement of Matt Stone and Trey Parker made this game a blast for me to play even with its shortcomings.

3. I never have an issue with this. Without context that small moment meant nothing (I know exactly who you are talking about OP). Yes many games do show major spoilers in their trailers, but they are only evident once you actually play the game and rewatch the trailer. Are you telling me you honestly knew immediately that scene showed one of the final bosses when you first saw it? If you didn't then what is the issue?

yepp completely agree to this.

snip

These are all problems with trailers in general. I've honestly found movies to be the worst offenders with some trailers literally handing you the entire plot in a couple of minutes.

You missed a problem though.

4) Advertising Cut Content
I was expecting a Boss Battle with a giant Clyde. The trailer showed at least showed Clyde becoming giant. Why would you put this in your advertisement if it isn't in the game?
Fucking Obsidian cutting shit for time.

I honestly didn't remember that from the trailer, but that does suck it was put in and not in the game. that shouldn't be allowed, because it is particularly decieving (there is a difference between a cinematic trailer and showing what is actually in game.)

slightly off topic, I think I remember on the KOTOR physical case itself it

Spoiler: possible spoier? no idea

showed a giant rancor in front of the black rakatan settlement, and perhaps I'm wrong...BUT THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE. IT IS CUT CONTENT ON THE CASE.

now I could be wrong, but considering I've played that game over 30 times and I usually play all the little details in that game, I would like to think I know it back to front.

 

[Laughing Man]

1) No Gameplay
Trust me when I say, that all the official advertisements for S.O.T (That I've seen, anyway) told me less about the gameplay of the game then the god-damned Steam Tags. I mean, reviews I could maybe let go, but The Steam Tags are offering more information?

The adverts show you gameplay but it is cut in with the out of gameplay elements and given the shotgun way in which the adverts are being shown for this game I am not sure exactly how they would explain or show the the gameplay in any meaningful way in the the 30 or so seconds that most adverts run for.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IYeI1iY0XM

That's the advert for the old PSX South Park FPS game, the reason why it contains a large segment of gameplay footage is because it is blisteringly obvious that those parts are gameplay. The new South Park game merges gameplay with the story part so well that it would be next to impossible to show or explain the gameplay significantly in the 30 seconds that the adverts are shown. It would also be massively pointless given that the purpose of the game is to give the player the feel of a South Park episode that they are in control of.

2) Obsession with looks
The advertisers seem obsessed with telling me that South Park looks and feels like South Park, and plays like a 14 hour episode of South Park. Erm, thanks guys. I saw the words South Park on the title and all, but I wasn't quite convinced. I was expecting friggin' Dark Souls until you told me. I mean, I realize that that's the whole point of the game being made in the first place, I realize that's what everyone wanted, but I also assume that people wanted some gameplay in their game. I did, at the very least.

They do? What adverts, the pre launch stuff perhaps tons of reviewers have said it but the actual adverts, like this one for example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbuUATJ4O6U

don't say anything or reference at all that it is LIKE playing an episode of South Park but even if they did then they are welcome to do that because they have achieved quite a thing it is an episode of South Park that works as a game. I am not really sure what your complaint is here, you want the advert to contain gameplay, why without context and with the amount of time a typical advert runs for it wouldn't show or explain anything so would be pointless. The advert for the new game is a hell of a lot better than the advert for the old one despite the old one containing far more 'gameplay' in the advert.

3) FUCKING SPOILERS!
I mean for jesus's sake, at the very least when Game Grumps gave away bits in the plot, you could ignore it. But I swear that youtube brought up a 30 second unskipable advertisement for S.O.T. that managed to give away one of the final bosses in the game. (Third to last, if anyone's got that far.) Prior to that advertisement, that boss would have been a surprise, but not anymore, because the game's advertisement spoiled it. After I got the fucking game.

Oh no the advert shows a character for 1.5 seconds with no context, no reference, no back story and no reason for the person being there and they have somehow ruined a massive surprise.

Your arguments are legit for most other games adverts but using South Park as an example they fall pretty flat

 

[Iwata]

I wanna fight crab people!

I KNOW! I actually thought they were still in the game as enemies and was surprised when I finished it without seeing more than one, and you don't fight him at that.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well it's advertisement... they don't want you to be properly informed, they just want you hyped and coughing up the damn money, if they conned you into buying stuff you never wanted that is the highest praise a advert can get.

Obviously this can shoot completely the other way and put off anyone who can see past the bullshit.

 

[DEAD34345]

The reason game adverts focus on looks is that adverts can only show looks. A video representing a game is like a poster representing a movie, it's impossible to create something that gives a full impression of the actual product.

No matter how great a poster is, it can't tell you what a movie will actually be like, you really need a trailer for that (and even then it can fail or intentionally mislead).

No matter how great a trailer is, it can't tell you what a game actually feels like to play, the depth of its strategy etc, you really need a demo for that (and again it can fail or intentionally mislead).

 

[DeimosMasque]

I KNOW! I actually thought they were still in the game as enemies and was surprised when I finished it without seeing more than one, and you don't fight him at that.

Could it be? An actual good idea for a DLC... The game had a change a publisher and with the loss of THQ they had to cut certain content and suddenly that company is gone. So they cut some content and perhaps that will be DLC for us all soon.

 

[-Dragmire-]

I wanna fight crab people!

I KNOW! I actually thought they were still in the game as enemies and was surprised when I finished it without seeing more than one, and you don't fight him at that.

Well, you do have the option of showing him your second mouth, if that's any consolation...

 

[TAGM]

3. I never have an issue with this. Without context that small moment meant nothing (I know exactly who you are talking about OP). Yes many games do show major spoilers in their trailers, but they are only evident once you actually play the game and rewatch the trailer. Are you telling me you honestly knew immediately that scene showed one of the final bosses when you first saw it? If you didn't then what is the issue?

That's the thing, though. I had enough context once I saw the ad to know where that was going to come from. (Just into the 2nd day when I saw it.) I didn't know when exactly the boss was going to appear, but I knew he was coming at some point in time. Maybe that's only a small part, but it's still a part I didn't want spoiling.

They do? What adverts, the pre launch stuff perhaps tons of reviewers have said it but the actual adverts, like this one for example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbuUATJ4O6U

don't say anything or reference at all that it is LIKE playing an episode of South Park but even if they did then they are welcome to do that because they have achieved quite a thing it is an episode of South Park that works as a game. I am not really sure what your complaint is here, you want the advert to contain gameplay, why without context and with the amount of time a typical advert runs for it wouldn't show or explain anything so would be pointless. The advert for the new game is a hell of a lot better than the advert for the old one despite the old one containing far more 'gameplay' in the advert.

The gameplay is really just turn based combat RPG, though. I'm not asking for a detailed rundown of how every single mechanic feels in my hand - I mean, at least for me, I could recognize the game-play being Turn Based Combat if you flashed about 2 seconds of the radial menu and then the main character jolting over to punch another guy in the face. That's all you'd need, really, 2 seconds, maybe 4 if you did it with a different weapon to say "Hey look, RPG elements too!" but I'm not sure I even got that. Maybe it went by too quick for me to see it. Maybe I wasn't paying attention because spoilers. I honestly can't tell anymore.

Well it's advertisement... they don't want you to be properly informed, they just want you hyped and coughing up the damn money, if they conned you into buying stuff you never wanted that is the highest praise a advert can get.

Obviously this can shoot completely the other way and put off anyone who can see past the bullshit.

That's the worst thing, though - The adverts make the game seem much more about looks then gameplay, but the gameplay is actually fairly well done. You wouldn't know that from the advertisements, though. That's what ticks me off, for lack of a better term - because honestly, I got the game as a gift, and I wouldn't have got it if I was buying it myself and relying on these advertisements. I'm just thinking of all the other people like me without generous significant others.