Comments on: CGI Trailers: A Complete Waste Of Time http://blog.martincrownover.com/2008/04/13/cgi-trailers-a-complete-waste-of-time/ The musings of Martin "FredFredrickson" Crownover Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:22:46 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: FredFredrickson http://blog.martincrownover.com/2008/04/13/cgi-trailers-a-complete-waste-of-time/comment-page-1/#comment-166 FredFredrickson Mon, 14 Apr 2008 04:55:40 +0000 http://blog.martincrownover.com/?p=35#comment-166 Excellent points, Xot... I agree with everything you said. I was really hoping that with this generation of consoles / DX10 powered PC games, we'd finally be seeing some game footage, or at least some in-engine renders for commercials, but so far, I have been sorely disappointed. There have been a few steps forward though; I was pleased to see that the Gear of War commercial was all done in the game engine itself, but since the cinematic featured a scenario that wasn't in the game, the same misrepresentation remains. Still, I personally can't understand why a developer wouldn't insist on using real footage - especially since so many studios these days put out such amazing work, and are (hopefully) proud of what they've done. At this point in the evolution of games, it just seems that the graphics speak for themselves. But anyway, again, some excellent points made, including those about Hollywood. Glad you remembered the Spider Man movie too (another Sony production... coincidence?). I've been duped by movie trailers myself so much so that I usually read the synopsis and multiple reviews before even considering seeing most films in theater. It's the safest way to go! Excellent points, Xot… I agree with everything you said.

I was really hoping that with this generation of consoles / DX10 powered PC games, we’d finally be seeing some game footage, or at least some in-engine renders for commercials, but so far, I have been sorely disappointed.

There have been a few steps forward though; I was pleased to see that the Gear of War commercial was all done in the game engine itself, but since the cinematic featured a scenario that wasn’t in the game, the same misrepresentation remains.

Still, I personally can’t understand why a developer wouldn’t insist on using real footage – especially since so many studios these days put out such amazing work, and are (hopefully) proud of what they’ve done. At this point in the evolution of games, it just seems that the graphics speak for themselves.

But anyway, again, some excellent points made, including those about Hollywood. Glad you remembered the Spider Man movie too (another Sony production… coincidence?). I’ve been duped by movie trailers myself so much so that I usually read the synopsis and multiple reviews before even considering seeing most films in theater. It’s the safest way to go!

]]> By: xot http://blog.martincrownover.com/2008/04/13/cgi-trailers-a-complete-waste-of-time/comment-page-1/#comment-165 xot Mon, 14 Apr 2008 03:57:58 +0000 http://blog.martincrownover.com/?p=35#comment-165 You observations are right on the money, Marty. I'm just as fed up as you about this kind of (I'll say it) deceptive marketing. A few years ago, it didn't matter, the CGI cut-scenes / marketing was obviously not possible as game play on the consoles of the day. Today, with console makers promising interactive Pixar-quality visuals, they need to be held to a higher standard of truthfulness in their advertising because much of the CGI fakery seems utterly plausible to the non-expert. The infamous "target renders" presented for the then-unreleased PS3 and X360 consoles are the worst kind of deception because they were unequivocally passed off as game play footage. I think you might be going a little too easy on Hollywood as well. How many times have we seen a trailer for a film that was nothing like the film we saw? How many people went to see Sweeney Todd without knowing it was a musical? The reality is, it was carefully marketed to hide that fact because musicals are death at the box office. And to hit upon your specific scenario, the film Spider-Man was marketed with a highly deceptive CGI sequence involving a web-swinging helicopter escape amid the World Trade Center, something that was never intended for the final film. The game industry is making a huge mistake if they continue this practice. They are fostering consumer distrust and resentment which will bite them square in the ass as consumers become more cautious and less impulsive at the retail channel. You observations are right on the money, Marty. I’m just as fed up as you about this kind of (I’ll say it) deceptive marketing. A few years ago, it didn’t matter, the CGI cut-scenes / marketing was obviously not possible as game play on the consoles of the day. Today, with console makers promising interactive Pixar-quality visuals, they need to be held to a higher standard of truthfulness in their advertising because much of the CGI fakery seems utterly plausible to the non-expert. The infamous “target renders” presented for the then-unreleased PS3 and X360 consoles are the worst kind of deception because they were unequivocally passed off as game play footage.

I think you might be going a little too easy on Hollywood as well. How many times have we seen a trailer for a film that was nothing like the film we saw? How many people went to see Sweeney Todd without knowing it was a musical? The reality is, it was carefully marketed to hide that fact because musicals are death at the box office. And to hit upon your specific scenario, the film Spider-Man was marketed with a highly deceptive CGI sequence involving a web-swinging helicopter escape amid the World Trade Center, something that was never intended for the final film.

The game industry is making a huge mistake if they continue this practice. They are fostering consumer distrust and resentment which will bite them square in the ass as consumers become more cautious and less impulsive at the retail channel.

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