game trailers, whats the point?

[shootthebandit]

as a semi-hardcore gamer i regularly visit escapist, kotaku and IGN etc. when a new game comes out i know if i want it because ive seen footage from E3 or read numerous previews and dev diaries.

then the trailer comes on TV and it says "not game footage". they could atleast show you jimi hendrix being resurrected and hitting bin laden with his guitar and it would be as equal awesome and unrelated.

you dont see clips from rambo in the trailer for high school musical and saying "not movie footage".

 

[Nostalgia Ripoff]

To build hype for the game. It's basic advertising.

 

[delet]

It's called hype.

"Oh, this trailer makes the game look awesome! I want to buy it!"

It's not for those who actually want to research their games, but those who base their opinions on graphics or fancy cut scenes.

 

[gl1koz3]

It's for those stupid impatient people.

 

[gabe12301]

Its just advertising.

 

[JaymesFogarty]

I think it's easy to see the point from a marketing perspective. If they can make a scene look more interesting by enhancing it, why not? All they want is people to buy and sometimes enjoy their games. The question is really how useful the trailers are to us, which in all honesty isn't really that helpful at all.

 

[shootthebandit]

i see where everyone is coming from but it also annoys my mum who hasnt played a game in her life

edit: that just shows how gullible people are, if a non gamer can see through the thick brown fog of bullshit

 

[blankedboy]

Advertising.

I only watch gameplay trailers, they're always the best bet.

 

[Firoth]

I only pay attention to commercials or trailers for games if they have actual game play footage. Yeah, I get the point of it, and it may look nice, but, it's completely useless to me in deciding if I want to buy it.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

It's the job of a trailer to kake the game look as good as possible and make people excited.

It's kinda like movie trailers, you see all the best bits of the movie in a few seconds.

 

[The Amazing Tea Alligator]

It's fun to watch their forums.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

It is a bit annoying to see "not actual gameplay footage", though only someone truly unacquainted with games wouldn't be able to tell that the game does not look like that.

I don't like game trailers with game footage either though, mainly because some developers/publishers decide the best thing to do is to include major spoilers.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

If it's not a video of actual gameplay, it's not really the game you're looking at. They might as well put footage of dancing penguins up there for as much as it tells you about playing the game.

Cases in point: Deus Ex 3, FF13. Yeah, keep showing me the cutscene footage, it's not like I'd want to see what the freaking game looks like.

Actually, the Deus Ex 3 trailer did have about one nanosecond of what looked like actual gameplay footage. It looked like Bioshock with a techno color palette.

 

[The Madman]

That's like asking what the point of commercials are. It's advertising! Just enjoy the ride, at least game adverts at least 'try' to be entertaining since they're advertising games, though anyone with half a brain knows to take what they see with a healthy dose of skepticism. Still, could be worse, we could have the Slap Chop guy giving the latest news on the latest and greatest games for example...

Wait, no, that'd be awesome. Nevermind.

 

[Sn1P3r M98]

they could atleast show you jimi hendrix being resurrected and hitting bin laden with his guitar and it would be as equal awesome and unrelated.

Yes. Hell yes.

OT: It's to build hype and suspense.

I like them, and sometimes they are really good like these:

Edit: Someone please teach me how to embed, It's not working. Heres the links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHLEbuj5x6Q


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmQ-R71eqUk

 

[shootthebandit]

@samurai goomba
an FF game would be better showing a cutscene because thats all youll see when playing

 

[C95J]

I don't tend to like rendered trailers, I always watch gameplay footage.

 

[Geekosaurus]

Not everybody is a hardcore gamer that searches the internet for reviews or gameplay footage. Game trailers don't convince me to buy games, but they certainly bring games to my attention.

 

[linkzeldi]

One word. Hype and because it looks cool. Five words, Hype, Because it looks cool, and gameplay doesn't look as appealing in trailers. Many words, Hype, Because it looks cool, and gameplay doesn't look as appealing in trailers, and because they want to draw attention.

 

[tlozoot]

Game trailers recently try to get you excited about the story or concept behind the game, rather than the actual gameplay. Take a look at this trailer for Assassins Creed 2


Here they try to show you the essence of AC2, dressed up outside gameplay to make it seem more epic. Even so, you've got many basic elements of the gameplay shown here. It opens by setting the scene in Venetian Italy. You have the hiring and use of courtesans (social stealth) the sudden, abrupt way in which the assassin strikes, the high-adreneline get-a-way, a glimpse of the plot at the end with the guys speech, and then the introduction of the new weapon too. It's well crafted, even if it doesn't show you gameplay.