The Video Game Trailer, and Why There is Nothing Like it
- Ben Stembridge
- May 24, 2016
- 3 min read
Advertisements, commercials, and trailers all attempt to persuade their audience to act. While persuasion cannot influence human nature, it can indeed spark behavior. The art of visual persuasion through ads in an age-old facet of the modern age. Influencing people to buy laundry detergent and cars is one thing, but persuading someone to go see a movie or sit down to watch a new show is something else entirely. This is where the trailer comes in.
Trailers have long been used to generate public interest for films, television shows, and music videos. Hell, even trailers get trailers nowadays. Showing off bits and pieces of your product's best work can have some really beneficial effects. Trailers for films like Alien, Citizen Kane, and The Dark Knight have inspired awe and have been remembered for decades. Even trailers for TV shows have mesmerized us and stuck around in our memories. Game of Thrones, anyone? So if movies, TV, and even Broadway shows get to strut their stuff in ads, what do video games do to reach their audiences?
We here at Game Chop love video games. We really do. We love them as media outlets, we love them as narrative platforms, we love them as art pieces, and we love them because their fun, innovative, and different than traditional media. Never before have games had such a significant, yet unnoticed affect on the way we advertise. Without bragging on the genres's behalf too much, video games literally invented a new type of trailer. This trailer is far different than that of movies or TV. While many game trailers do indeed showcase scenes or instances of gameplay, many games approach appealing to audiences from a different angle. This angle is producing a "mini-movie" that is essentially an abridged version of the game's story. Let's look at Gears of War 2's legendary E3 2008 teaser.
To the tender tune of Alan Seeger's wartime poem "Rendezvous with Death," this trailer communicates a lot to a hungry audience. Gears of War fans get a peak at gameplay features to come, and a brief summary of the game's overall themes and plot - monsters, muscular armored men, and overwhelming odds. From BioShock Infinite to Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, these trailers are very good at getting their message across in unique and visually creative ways.
These trailers often feature a sequence that doesn't technically happen in the game, but reflects certain scenes and encounters. Take Uncharted 4: A Thief's End's "Man Behind The Treasure" trailer for example. It shows our hero, Nathan Drake, in a computer generated cinematic that does not come directly from the product it advertises. While it reflects an encounter during the game, it mostly acts to showcase the game's narrative strongpoints and stunning visuals.
So why is this style of trailer so unique and groundbreaking? Quite simply, shows and movie can't really use them. While certain promotions and teasers may be exceptions, almost every conventional trailer features scenes taken directly from the final product. Ever see a movie and notice that a scene depicted in the trailer isn't in it? Chances are that you never have. This limits the way shows and films can build hype machines for their benefit, and has resulted in games innovating the way we approach visual entertainment.
The video game-developing community has become known for visual innovation and wild creativity. While this isn't the most notable of video games' accomplishments, it must feel good to have collectively invented a new type of trailer.
Ben Stembridge, Editor-in-chief
Ben leads the reviews and news coverage for Game Chop. He also offers opinions on games and the industry, covering a wide range of genres and platforms. Ben especially enjoys discussions on game narratives, design styles, and independent titles.
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