Monsters, Magic and Marilyn Manson?

[Logan Westbrook]

Monsters, Magic and Marilyn Manson?

A new trailer for Dragon Age: Origins is something of a departure from previous materials, and is causing some concern amongst fans.


What says 'fantasy epic' more than sex, violence and an alt-metal soundtrack? The new trailer, released on YouTube yesterday, is a markedly different tone than previous promotional materials and some fans are worried that it is a sign that Bioware's new RPG has been 'dumbed down' for a wider audience.

The new trailer is certainly in the '300' vein, and does seem a little at odds with a game billed as the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate. So is this simply a case of a marketing move gone awry, or the sign of something more insidious?

Well, according to Bioware, it's just marketing. In the official Bioware forum, David Gaider, one of the writers of Dragon Age had this to say in response to criticism from the community: "[Marilyn Manson] is not in the game. That said, is it such a crime to try to appeal to different kinds of people? ... We are going to try and sell as many different kinds of people on the game as we possibly can -- if the idea is that a game's success ruins the exclusivity you've built up in your head, that we've dared to approach the hoi polloi with the idea that there's something for them here, too... surely you don't mean that?"

Source: Rock Paper Shotgun [http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/05/09/blood-and-smuts-dragon-age-violence-trailer/]



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[herr.Didi]

At least it's not a Jonas Brothers song

 

[Doug]

Hmm, I can see both sides of this. The flashy advert does cry out "Frat boys welcome", but at the same time the developers need to bring in new people, or RPG's will go the way of the comic book (very rare, small ciche of niche fans).

 

[SmilingKitsune]

~facepalm~ This just looks stupid, very, very stupid. Metal, gratuitous ammounts of gore and a dopey looking sex scene, just silly.
Besides that from what I can tell this game couldn't be any more generic if it tried, so I'm hardly holding my breath for it.

 

[terribleyetfun]

hmm the music was good and the gore looked satisfying but this my first knowledge of the games exsistance and the violence seemed generic but really fun to watch so I`l keep an eye out for this one but I don`t think I`l buy it.

 

[cainx10a]

shuddup you! I actually enjoyed this new trailer, oo.oo, sex scene, cute brunette, sign me in!!! hubba hubba! [/retard]

Yes, it was a well-made trailer, and just be glad it wasn't a cheesy dragonforce music in the background > . >

 

[skribb]

Wow.

This is, hands down, the silliest trailer I've ever witnessed (at least when taken into account what this game is supposed to be).

My god.

 

[Gladion]

Yeah, how dare they try a new style for a trailer.

Edit: I wanna address something. Marilyn Manson is not dumb and neither is their music.

 

[pigeon_of_doom]

Ok, I genuinely don't know what to make of that. I suppose Bioware is taking the support of their previous fan base for granted, and now are trying to draw in the action-junkies. Don't see the point of the sex scene though, unless its some kind of shot at Fox, which I doubt.

 

[Andy_Panthro]

It's the combination of factors that is galling, poor choice of music and shoving a strange looking sex scene in the middle.

I have no problem with them trying to show their game off to those who would not normally consider buying it, but by creating this odd example of marketing they are presenting the game as something it is not.

If there is anyone who is excited by the "gore and tits" advertising that buys the game, surely they will be angry that it wasn't what they were expecting, and then they will proceed to denounce it at every opportunity.

The "western" RPG genre is a niche market, but there are surely better ways of expanding that niche.

 

[Samman]

I must be the only person who was impressed with the trailer.

It's obviously not a good representation of how the game plays but it shows off just how versatile the engine is.

 

[Anachronism]

Dear God. What in the hell was that? This is the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate? Imagine if BG2 had been like that!

Irenicus: You will suffer! You will all suffer!
Protagonist: Suffer? THIS! IS! ATHKATLA!

 

[gibboss28]

meh..its MM..I could care less. The people who are crying that its being dumbed down are just looking for faults where they're aren't any.

 

[Ligisttomten]

I thought the music fit the trailer. And an awesome trailer it is.

 

[Fingerprint]

A little stereotypical perhaps, but it could be worse. That said, I probably won't end up buying it.

 

[Rhayn]

Oh Bioware. Just had to throw more fuel on the fire with yet another sex scene?

That aside, it looks promising. I'm still looking forward to this game.

 

[Kpt._Rob]

Yeah, how dare they try a new style for a trailer.

Edit: I wanna address something. Marilyn Manson is not dumb and neither is their music.

Well, I'd say "his" music instead of "their" even though I suppose Manson does have a whole band of his own. Regardless, I'd have to agree with you. Which one of you wants to try and break down the various elements of a Manson song to try and explain what it means? People get so caught up in the Christian Right propaganda that Manson is Satan, so they don't even give him a chance. The fact is that even though he's considered pretty mainstream at this point, his lyrics are more complex than a lot of the other music out there today, and if you listen to the man talk in other formats, he tends to be pretty intelligent. Although I would certainly admit the juxtaposition of "This is the New Shit" with the scenery from that trailer was not based at all on the content of the song, more on the sound aesthetic it creates, so in that sense I suppose it could be called a dumbing down.