Guys, how do you feel about game trailers are now using real life action? Does it help sell the game?
Here are some examples:
Skyrim
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NOO_VfErEzw
MWIII
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zuzaxlddWbk
Halo: Reach
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ULu1zxOfEIQ
Prototype 2
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KqDL4zN9ZDA
Cool post, I find this topic really interesting as I plan to work in advertising.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind in watching these is that by humanizing the actual gameplay experience, the game producers are simply able to illicit a heightened emotional response from the viewer. Advertising in general is very much about this - harnessing the emotions of the viewer to get them to behave (and purchase) accordingly. And I think it is safe to assume that one can form a stronger emotional connection with a human character than a computer-generated one.
The Modern Warfare 2 spot was the product of a top tier agency out of LA called "72 and Sunny", and I find their approach to it pretty radical. It builds off the ideas we talked about with the guest lecture of many spots not recognizing the type of people that play the games, which they represent with the 'noob' character. Never before have I seen a game producer acknowledge the fact that some of their players may be flat out crummy. And bringing it to your question, I think this would have been flat-out impossible without live action. The story is so much stronger (and more entertaining) embedded into the game than simply showing players playing, like the classic Nintendo commercials we saw.
Would love to hear other people's thoughts on these spots as well.
- Roddy