59 replies to this topic

[NiGHTS]

Lets face it one of the best ways we all find out about games these days is with trailers and they can pretty much range the gambit from simple little teasers to long 10 plus minute epics that can put some of the best movie trailers to shame.

No matter how you look at it the trailer is a large part of the game industry (heck they have an entire web site dedicated to them). So yeah I think it might be fun and interesting to talk about game trailers. What are some of your favorites or least favorites, why do you like or dislike them, do you feel the trailer helped get you interested in the game it was for and so on. Oh and yes commercials count to since they showcase the game for people to see.

[Shulk]

Sadly I don't really like trailers all that much. Sometimes they are good, but a lot of the ones I see make the game look more like it's a movie. The trailers highlight the cinematic parts of the game completely ignoring the game play graphics and battle system. I think at times they paint a false picture of the game and enhance expectation only leading up to disappointment. Now not all trailers are like that, but I do find that a majority of them are just misleading.

[NiGHTS]

Yeah I have to say I have a love/hate thing with Square-Enix game trailers for that exact reason. They focus too much on the story and characters and spend too little time showing how the game will play and such. While I do like seeing the storyline elements and characters, I would like to also see how the game will play since that is pretty important.

[Shulk]

That's why I love game openings. The effects and transitions are beautiful and well placed. Casting a very nice impression and captivating the gamer from the start is what an opening should do. They can be very affective tools in drawing the setting and starting up the story giving the gamer a starting point. But trailers should be used to show the gamer exactly what kind of game they will be playing. If trailers showed a bit more of the battle tutorial that you would see when you start the game, and the mechanics of the game I'd like them a lot more.

[NiGHTS]

Yes well that is all and good for RPGs at least. Other genres are a bit different in what the trailers can show

Different genres have different things that are more important for them to show I find. Like with platformers usually you see variety in terms of the gameplay when possible like diffrent types of levels and fun excersions in the game like racing parts and such, shooters on the other hard you usually see things like various weapons and modes being shown off most of the time, RPGs sadly the focus usually seems to be on story although some do put some focus on other aspects like if something like crafting plays a big role in the game you will see that touched on.

The Xenoblade Chronicles US debut trailer I felt was a good balanced trailer as far as RPGs go. It had a good balance between story & characters and showing the basics of some of the gameplay aspects. Sadly games as complex as RPGs are sometimes are kinda hard to go into too much detail within a few minutes of footage. Usually it is closer to the games launch that you will find trailers that focus more on specific elements of the game.

[Decho]

Metro: Last Light has one of the best trailers I've ever seen. It's just so perfectly edited and makes me all the more excited for the game. This might also just be because I really loved Metro 2033, but it's still pretty decent.



Deus Ex: Human Revolution's trailers are actually what sold me on the game. Granted, they ended up being pretty unrepresentative and included cutscenes that didn't end up in the game (like, a lot of them), but they were still well made.

Edited by Decho, 30 March 2012 - 10:10 AM.

[Shulk]

The Metro Last Light was a very good trailer and shows you exactly what you would be getting into. Made me a little dizzy watching it lol, but it was also a good length.

That Xenoblade trailer was just WAY to long. The whole first 30-45 seconds could have been cut. I also found the transitions with the blade to be a distraction and broke up the trailer to much. I lost interest after watching 2 mins.

But yeah I can understand that trailers for RPGs can be hard, but they don't have to be. Showing a little of the menus, a little of the battle and some of the exploring would just be perfect for a trailer. It doesn't need the cinematic parts.

[NiGHTS]

Yeah that is a good example of a trailer that makes very effect use of each second it has. It manages to show a whole lot without taking a whole lot of time on anything.

But yeah that is another thing you brought up that is interesting is that yes in many trailers (especially early ones) you often see footage and areas that are never in the final game. Either it be because they got cut or redesigned you do often look back after playing a game and wonder why some of the parts got cut.

Oh and yeah that is another problem with RPG trailers, they are all almost always too long

[Razor Bern]

Somewhat. I'd say they sway my decision less than an actual game review because I'm personally not as much visual. I would rather read what another person thought of a game, their likes and dislikes, and what they like most about a title.

Now as far as an established franchise, such as Zelda, the trailer will get me hooked from the get-go based on the quality of prior titles. Those I will watch just for eye-candy.

[Shulk]

That's exactly how I feel. I tend to learn a lot more about a game based on the comments of others over a trailer. And just the same, if it's a series that I have enjoyed, I love the trailer just as a way to wet my appetite for the next game.

[Nathan]

Zelda trailer at E3 2004.

Gets me every time.

[Chris-TWA-]

Zelda trailer at E3 2004.

Gets me every time.

Twilight Princess, right?

[Nathan]

Twilight Princess, right?

Yup. I love re-watching that first trailer and seeing everyone start to scream. Good stuff. :'D

[Chris-TWA-]

This trailer is my favorite. :D

[NiGHTS]

I actually have that trailer on a DVD I got with a Nintendo Power issue. But yeah Zelda trailers almost always are show stoppers at E3 and other events they are shown at. I would say the one you showed would be my favorite for Twilight Princess.

Hard to say which one would be my favorite from Skyward Sword. Although I did rather like the one from E3 last year for that one.

[Shulk]

Makes me want to play the game again!

[NiGHTS]

Yeah trailers can do that. Another thing about trailers is when you first get one for a game you have been waiting to see footage of. I remember how excited you me and Razor got when we finally got the first trailer for The Last Story. We had all these screenshots, music samples, articles, and artwork pieces for it; but seeing the game in motion for the first time was just something to get excited about.

[Shulk]

That's because they actually did an amazing job with the trailer for that game.

[NiGHTS]

Another trailer that I have to say had quite the impact on my interest in a game was the extended Mass Effect trailer from E3 2007. Prior to that trailer my interest in the title was average at best. But after it I have to admit my interest in the game skyrocketed. It was just a well put together trailer that just made the game look very good.

[Shulk]

Now that does make the game look AMAZING! I actually have never seen a trailer for the game and they did an amazing job on that. I do plan to play the MassEffect games so now I'm quite excited about it.