Comments on: The Future of Trailers http://www.binarycreativity.com/2006/12/10/the-future-of-trailers/ Matt Gilgenbach's blog on game development and creativity through this nascent medium of self expression. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:22:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Hussain http://www.binarycreativity.com/2006/12/10/the-future-of-trailers/#comment-50 Hussain Sun, 10 Dec 2006 23:01:05 +0000 http://www.binarycreativity.com/2006/12/10/the-future-of-trailers/#comment-50 Dang it Matt, I was thinking about this subject too and put it in my big pile of things to write articles about. Now you have stolen that from me. Every trailer I watch, my eyes go to the comments section with fanboys fighting left and right over graphics, suckage, etc. And I could care less. I think the point of a trailer is to get the game on your radar. That's where these pre-rendered things come from. They are barely in any way like the finished game in most cases, but they let you know the game is out there. Take the FFXIII Versus trailer that came out. Fake graphics, fake scene, etc. But I like the music in it, and I like the first 5 seconds where it tells me the KH people are working on it. I think that alone is what the company considers mission accomplished. Their trailer is unique enough and has enough backing that that is all they truthfully need to flex, that's all they want to show to get people to remember that game's name, the rest they assume is fake. Too bad fanboys go ape and argue or assume the impossible is magically possible. For Halo 3, it's probably that they wanted to remind everyone that this thing is still here. Hence why they let the trailer play without telling anyone, so it showed up on every game news site. Is a trailer good enough that if I ask you about that game a week from now, you'll remember it's name? Doesn't matter if you hated or liked the game, will you remember it's name. Obviously, later you'll base your decision on ratings, what friends tell you, etc. But at least you'll recognize the name in a few months when they release it. The last thing you want to be is a sleeper hit that's incredibly rated (I miss Clover). But of course, trailers with in game graphics are the best. But I don't think those are usually suited for TV. It's hard to present gameplay in 30 seconds and make it look cool. Prince of Persia did it, but how would Halo do it? It's much easier to play to plot or some other non-gameplay aesthetic to sell the game in a 30 second trailer. On the other hand, the internets allow for long trailers. And that's where gameplay can shine and actually get me excited for a game. Hussain Dang it Matt, I was thinking about this subject too and put it in my big pile of things to write articles about. Now you have stolen that from me.

Every trailer I watch, my eyes go to the comments section with fanboys fighting left and right over graphics, suckage, etc. And I could care less. I think the point of a trailer is to get the game on your radar. That’s where these pre-rendered things come from. They are barely in any way like the finished game in most cases, but they let you know the game is out there.

Take the FFXIII Versus trailer that came out. Fake graphics, fake scene, etc. But I like the music in it, and I like the first 5 seconds where it tells me the KH people are working on it. I think that alone is what the company considers mission accomplished. Their trailer is unique enough and has enough backing that that is all they truthfully need to flex, that’s all they want to show to get people to remember that game’s name, the rest they assume is fake. Too bad fanboys go ape and argue or assume the impossible is magically possible. For Halo 3, it’s probably that they wanted to remind everyone that this thing is still here. Hence why they let the trailer play without telling anyone, so it showed up on every game news site.

Is a trailer good enough that if I ask you about that game a week from now, you’ll remember it’s name? Doesn’t matter if you hated or liked the game, will you remember it’s name. Obviously, later you’ll base your decision on ratings, what friends tell you, etc. But at least you’ll recognize the name in a few months when they release it. The last thing you want to be is a sleeper hit that’s incredibly rated (I miss Clover).

But of course, trailers with in game graphics are the best. But I don’t think those are usually suited for TV. It’s hard to present gameplay in 30 seconds and make it look cool. Prince of Persia did it, but how would Halo do it? It’s much easier to play to plot or some other non-gameplay aesthetic to sell the game in a 30 second trailer. On the other hand, the internets allow for long trailers. And that’s where gameplay can shine and actually get me excited for a game.

Hussain

]]>