Jimquisition: How To Sell Games Without Being A Lying Dick

[Brian Tams]

I can't help but think that we gamers are to blame for some of this.

We bitched, moaned, and sharpened our internet pitch-forks after the Watch_Dogs bullshot scandal... and it still shattered sales records.

Why should companies stop abusing our intelligence if we keep rewarding them for doing so?

 

[ex275w]

The worst thing is that the stupid pre-rendered trailers/unrepresentative gameplay tactic has worked to great success in the past. Would Dead Island and Watch Dogs have even gotten half the sales they did if it wasn't for that tragic pre-rendered trailer and that E3 2012 "gameplay" demonstration?

 

[SnakeoilSage]

I didn't even follow E3 this year but what little I saw painted Nintendo as being the more trustworthy and appealing star of the show. If they announce a new Earthbound I'm getting a Wii-U tomorrow.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

"And what was announced for Hyrule Warriors?"

The most forgettable character in the entire game the bug princess.

 

[PunkRex]

I liked the video Jim but I can't agree about Gears of War.

The games arn't gunning for realism, if so, the main characters wouldn't look like homeless Hulks and She-hulks carrying weapons that would weigh twice what they do. The games do have art direction; a dirty, greasy, bloody, toothy one but direction none the less.

 

[Captain Capra]

Bug Princess - never forget

I want a T-shirt with this

 

[LeQuack_Is_Back]

Yay Nintendo. The rest of the companies can buzz off until they're proven themselves not to be jerks.

 

[UNHchabo]

You have a new intro? THIS SHOW HAS BEEN RUINED FOREVER(I?m joking and I actually like the new intro).

And there's no longer two glitches in the audio! They got added way back when Jim added the footage of him posing with the Warhammer 40K Chainsword.

The audio still sounds a bit muffled though...

 

[Looming_Shadows]

OOO new intro, my chungus is wet already!

 

[hydrolythe]

I can't help but think that we gamers are to blame for some of this.

We bitched, moaned, and sharpened our internet pitch-forks after the Watch_Dogs bullshot scandal... and it still shattered sales records.

Why should companies stop abusing our intelligence if we keep rewarding them for doing so?

As odd as this may sound E3 is not all that important to AAA publishers. Most of the people ignore E3 and just watch the advertisements on television. E3 is just there to impress the hardcore gaming crowd.

Even the internet does not really seem powerful enough to communicate with the majority of the gamers out there.

This is why I think that most people probably do not know and do not wish to care about that incident. They just see the advertising on television and think because of it that it is a cool product that they need to buy to be cool.

 

[Yo Bo]

A while ago I began worrying that I had outgrow games. Then I realized that no, what I've outgrown is the bullshit of companies like Ubisoft and EA.

For me the next generation consists of a 3DS and a PC.

Also, loved the over the top ending in your video. I wish I could come just by thinking about myself.

I've honestly felt the exact same thing, which feels jarring since i LOVE video-games in general. Atleast until I played some Layton, Ace Attorney and Persona. Nintendo did win E3 this year because of their honesty and exceptional costumer relations (including the Smash tourney). That said though, their E3 presentation wasn't really exceptional. Although good, they basically won E3 because they didn't f up in comparison to the other companies. I do have a few gripes with Nintendo, biggest one being over-reliance on the same games and aesthetics instead of exploring new things (Pokemon being one of the worst offenders in that regard). I had hoped for a few more new IP's like Splatoon and an announcement of the Pokken fighters game rumored to be in developement, but perhaps they're simply keeping their cards close for now? I hope so, because Nintendo is otherwise the most genuine of the big three imo.

 

[Mr. Q]

A new intro for the Jimquisition?! What has Jim Sterling done?!?

Just kidding. It looks awesome, BTW.

As far E3 goes, the only thing that got my interest outside of Nintendo was Sunset Overdrive, a game that wasn't in the color pallet of dog shit brown or gravel gray. Maybe fighting games like Mortal Kombat X and season 2 of Killer Instinct. Aside from that, I was more hyped about what Nintendo had to show us. At least they lived up to expectations without having to bullshit people or come off as arrogant fucks. I'd like to be proven wrong and see, one day, the triple A game companies learn from past mistakes and do better. Unfortunately, they're all still driving the short bus off a cliff like it was the best and only idea they have. -_-

 

[Rad Party God]

Yup, I'm dying to get a WiiU, I didn't have this feeling since the PS2/GameCube days and I guess the WiiU is kinda/sorta returning to those days, but with HD graphics. And I like it.

WiiU + PC might be a great combination to consider.

Though MGS V looked incredible... so yeah... I hope it gets a WiiU/PC release someday :3

 

[Reaper195]

While I do agree mostly, I do enjoy the completely CGI/Rendered trailers. It has less to do with the game and makes me go "Wow, they have a great animation department, assuming it's the same people working on the game. If only they would split off and make a CGI movie. Maybe about said game. Lookin' your way, Blizzard.". I also know that this is definitely not what I'm getting. Maybe it's because I'm long over the concept of pre-ordering (Even though that seems to have suddenly exploded the moment I stopped), and hardly ever even buy a game the month it comes out. But I'd much rather watch a CGI trailer than a gameplay video that might not be gameplay, or similar to what Shadow of Mordor did, which was show gameplay, but the camera was panning around unattached to the playable character with no HUD (The worst kind of "First Gameplay Trailer" ever).

 

[Lunar Templar]

Yeah, Nintendo is churning out decades old IPs on their current console as usual and everyone hails them as heroes, just because the other contenders are soulless idiots.

There are no winners here.

and yet, Nintendo does more to change up and try new things those IP with most releases then anywhere else.

You don't need a new IP to be innovative, besides, Capcom abandoned almost all of its 'old IP', and we all see how well that's worked out for em.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Ufff. You are, for once nicely and to the point idealistic. It would be awesome to have games represented from the get go as they are. I would love that. However...

Let me premise this with stating that I despise marketing as it stands today and that I do not agree with their actions. But at the same time I must admit that they know what they are doing and that their tactics work.

Simply said honesty doesn't sell, or more truthfully, honesty does not sell as well as deception and confusion. Yes, it would be great if we had, from the start, only true gameplay videos (even if that idea is stupid for variety of reasons including that game does not get final polish until late in development cycle) but job of marketing is not to tell us the truth. It's job is to sell us things. And hype and elation does that better than truth. When commercial ends and we go on with our lives content more or less goes forgotten and what is left is tone and feeling it provoked and that is what lures people into purchasing product (except for borderline fanatical hobbyist and professionals which are in majority on any gaming forum)

Let's just look at a classic example, Coca Cola. Their commercials have absolutely nothing to do with their product. And why would they? Product itself is a guilty pleasure, we know it's bad but we like the taste and sugar rush we get. Therefor their commercials go with generating positive feelings within us. Joy of friendship, music, love... Carbonated caramel soda has nothing to do with any of that but feelings linger. And look at how successful Coca Cola is.

I really have to go, I just hope I gave you people some food for thoughts.

As of 2014 advertisement from firms like Mc-Donalds and Coca Cola are shifting from the old lies and deception into honesty, as honesty sells better in the modern day.

Studies have shown that people are becoming less affected by the hiring of renowned actors and celebrities to showcase products, of humor and comedy and other plastic presentations, and more affected by say, the Coca Cola campaign of *Share this with a friend* aswell as Mc Donalds videos about how awesome their employees have it and how they are enjoying their jobs (Though the latters more my country than the U.S where employees are not treated well enough for such an ad not to be outright lies)

Simply put, people are not buying into the bullshit as much as they used to after several decades of being lied to. They are started to only buy it honesty, or at least perceived honesty.

Honesty is the new Deception in marketing.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Swanky new intro and outro animations.
Worthy of a god, one might say...

 

[JimB]

Just for the sake of providing feedback, I will observe that though I am a bit saddened to see the old intor/outro go, the new one is fun and interesting and will surely be okay with me after a proper adjustment period.

Bug Princess - never forget

I want a T-shirt with this.

I'd buy one.