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I don't know if hiding that the game is gory would be right, but making the gore seem like the most pleasant part of the game isn't really nice either
Never really thought of gore as a selling point. It's a bit of a strange market now that I think about it. Fans of horror I can understand. Fans of violence, maybe. But fans of gore? That's just a bit bizarre.
That rating description at the end of that film trailer said "Contains drug use and gore!" Oh my god!
Well to be fair, the quote does not really make the assertion that the game "wants" to be gory. What it makes me wonder, though, is if the game would still be considered a "masterpiece" without the gore.
Commercials have many different purposes depending on the circumstance but the copy really comes down to the target audience. Besides, I prefer the advertiser to be transparent enough to just leave it all out there as it were and say what its all about than try and sugarcoat it.
Commercials have many different purposes depending on the circumstance but the copy really comes down to the target audience. Besides, I prefer the advertiser to be transparent enough to just leave it all out there as it were and say what its all about than try and sugarcoat it.
Whether something is "gory" has NEVER been a selling point for myself. I do understand there is a market for it, but using it as a selling point does seem strange. Hell, have of the time the marketing department for these games are completely separate from the individuals who worked on the game. Consequently, they latch onto aspects to market their games that are sometimes out of touch with what gamers want. However, they cast a wide net and hope to reel in as many people as they can. People fail to absorb those little snippets until it hits on something they care about, then they remember what to associate the game with.
I'm still pissed they used that song. It doesn't cheapen the song, just the game. I know Heller loses his family but.... I don't know. Maybe I love Cash too much and that song has a deep personal meaning for me, which makes me feel that way. I don't know. I don't like it.
All I could think while reading this is that a front page post about my mom wouldn't have been nearly as classy.
Not as bad as "Your mom will hate" that EA did, but one of the jobs of the marketing department is to know when and where to run the appropriate ads. Say, if they said "gory masterpiece" on this site or another gaming site, then "gory" might be alright as a buzz word. But on a sports program that anyone could be watching? I'm surprised that they didn't think that some people aren't going to be able to contextualize the "gory" as being "video game gory." You yourself jokingly asked "some video gamer, right?" which further indicates the detachment between these programs and gamer demographic.
Some marketing department's not so good at is job, is it?
Some marketing department's not so good at is job, is it?
It fascinates me that one brief quote could have more of an impact than any of the visuals. Human psychology is a strange beast.
I think the industry should step away from cringe worthy live action advertising and not shit on the grave of Johnny cash.
@BrowneyeWinkin
Agreed. Ever since GOW had that madworld trailer in 2006 we've had so much of this wannabe shit it makes me sick.
Agreed. Ever since GOW had that madworld trailer in 2006 we've had so much of this wannabe shit it makes me sick.
"Should there be more of an effort by the industry to avoid living up to those negative stereotypes"
Nah, fuck 'em.
Nah, fuck 'em.
I used to have to lie to my mom that I wasn't killing people in Wolfenstein 3D. She was fine with the monster killing in DOOM, but the people -- Nazis or not -- were off limits.
So yeah. Not sure why I brought that up.
So yeah. Not sure why I brought that up.
@Phil
It was a mine inch mails song first. But I'm sure you knew that.
Yo he fair tho, even Trent reznor has stated that the song is better done and takes on a whole new deeper meaning with cash singing it.
That music video still has the power to bring me to tears.
It was a mine inch mails song first. But I'm sure you knew that.
Yo he fair tho, even Trent reznor has stated that the song is better done and takes on a whole new deeper meaning with cash singing it.
That music video still has the power to bring me to tears.
@tekbunny: indeed I did. Used to love NIN in high school. But Cash took it to a whole different level. Makes me cry too. *brohug
I find the trend of using somber emotional music to market shallow and heedless action games more upsetting. These games aren't mature drama.
@janklogs I don't know, why haven't you? Wether or not you think its silly to use a video game to prepare for killing people doesn't change the fact that he did.
What I'm saying is that one does not exclude the other. You may not become a fantastic athlete but you will become familiar with certain concepts of the Olympics, no?
This is something I've always found frustrating myself. I know these kinds of discussions are often shut down by reactionary gamers with the argument that we shouldn't care what non-gamers think of our genre, or indeed of ourselves (see worm jerky's comment), but at the end of the day I do care--I care massively, in fact--what my loved ones think of me. My parents, for example, know about my passion for games and while they don't make a point to condemn it outright I know there's at least parts of them that think it's a waste of time for someone of my age (22). They think video games are kid's stuff which lack the power to enrich lives in the ways, say, literature or films can.
But really, when you see the kind of shit that gets advertised to the "non-gaming" world--and the way it is advertised--can you really blame them? I just don't understand why it's so often considered a weak cop-out for gamers to admit discomfort at the way their hobby is presented to the public at large.
But really, when you see the kind of shit that gets advertised to the "non-gaming" world--and the way it is advertised--can you really blame them? I just don't understand why it's so often considered a weak cop-out for gamers to admit discomfort at the way their hobby is presented to the public at large.
@phil
i need to stop typing on my phone and hitting send immediately afterward, especially if i am too tired to re-check my typing.
i need to stop typing on my phone and hitting send immediately afterward, especially if i am too tired to re-check my typing.
Add me to the "somber music used to market flavor-of-the-minute games" camp. When it was "Mad World" in the Gears commercials, I thought it was mockworthy and hilarious. But when Cash is used as a background for hoodie-bros with demon-spikes going blargh at each other, it doesn't even correlate in my brain.
Anyway... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Roug4qG7qCY
Anyway... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Roug4qG7qCY
Chosen review quotes always baffle me.
Goodfellas, one of the greatest reviewed films of all time, was sold on video with the chosen quote, of ALL the international praise it received and had to choose from, was:
"Makes Godfather look like Jackanory"
Lowest common denominator is almost always seen as best target.
Goodfellas, one of the greatest reviewed films of all time, was sold on video with the chosen quote, of ALL the international praise it received and had to choose from, was:
"Makes Godfather look like Jackanory"
Lowest common denominator is almost always seen as best target.
"I just wonder how many other parents all over the UK saw that trailer and had a similar reaction"
Sad thing is most parents who DO have a similar reaction will end up buying the game for their kids anyways, most likely never realizing it's the same game from the commercial. Playing Call of Duty online is an extremely sad reminder of how many ignorant parents are out there. To be fair though, an extremely small number of those kids will grow up to be threats to society, even fewer will be murderers.
Sad thing is most parents who DO have a similar reaction will end up buying the game for their kids anyways, most likely never realizing it's the same game from the commercial. Playing Call of Duty online is an extremely sad reminder of how many ignorant parents are out there. To be fair though, an extremely small number of those kids will grow up to be threats to society, even fewer will be murderers.
@DreRox - Agreed, the implication of 'a gore drenched masterpiece' is that it's the gore which makes it a masterpiece, and it just seems juvenile. It'd be like somebody actually saying Saw 3 was a masterpiece of cinema. If it was an individual saying it you'd think they were a bit daft, a publication does it and they're just written off as being a rag.
I didn't notice it said that either though lol, it makes me respect that serious tone that advert is trying to convey so very much less. I can't wait for the day when people finally figure out how to market games...
I didn't notice it said that either though lol, it makes me respect that serious tone that advert is trying to convey so very much less. I can't wait for the day when people finally figure out how to market games...
You know, Prototype 2 may be a fun action game but who reviewed this game and called it a masterpiece? I mean honestly, a masterpiece!?
Whatever happened to standards?
Whatever happened to standards?
I should point out that in the Max Payne 3 commercial nobody gets killed. Everybody fires a gun, but nobody gets riddled with bullets. The only dead people are the ones littering the floor.
It doesn't go out of its way to announce it'll be a gorefest like Prototype 2. It's very subtle; deciding to concentrate on Max's demons and the bullet time, while everything else is left up to the viewer's imagination.
It doesn't go out of its way to announce it'll be a gorefest like Prototype 2. It's very subtle; deciding to concentrate on Max's demons and the bullet time, while everything else is left up to the viewer's imagination.
I think people just need to wake up for the fact that we are animals, we are predators and we are evolved to kill for food. if you look at our closest living relatives you'd see that violence is also used for dominance and tribal boundaries. we have an innate instinct for violence and killing, it is not brought on because of videogames, videogames are brought on because of it.
The violence of prototype is the selling point, really. The violence, the fact you are super powerful and the fact its open.
My mother's never had a problem with gory games. In fact, she used to watch me mutilate people in something on the N64. I can't remember it now, but she was always supportive of the games I played.
That quote caught my eye too, I thought it was stupid, I thought it was a stupid thing to put in an ad, and I thought it was a stupid thing to say in a review. Personally, I hate games that push gore as a selling point, except Mortal Kombat because there’s at least a hint of irony there, it’s just such a cynical, almost offensive idea of what gamers like, “Gore drenched masterpiece” is an oxymoron in my opinion.
I mean, I was already rolling my eyes at the ad trying to convince us that the game is sombre and then GORE DRENCHED MASTERPIECE appears on the screen and I just lost it.
I mean, I was already rolling my eyes at the ad trying to convince us that the game is sombre and then GORE DRENCHED MASTERPIECE appears on the screen and I just lost it.
If you don't like gore then don't play gory games. It's just like movies folks. If you don't like gore then don't watch horror movies. It would be perfectly acceptable to use that quote to describe a horror movie.
I've always been a fan of gore. Hell i admit I've got games just because i liked how the blood effects looked. That's how i got into Ninja Gaiden. Blood is a beautiful thing.
1) "gore-drenched masterpiece" was over selling it a wee bit.
2) These marketing companies need to stop looking through the new intern's Iphone to pick songs to give their trailers and commercials depth.
3) Think Stevil had a good point. You can show aspects of violence and let the viewer's mind fill in the blanks without cause them to get upset.
4) Live action trailers for video games still seem awkward and weird to me.
2) These marketing companies need to stop looking through the new intern's Iphone to pick songs to give their trailers and commercials depth.
3) Think Stevil had a good point. You can show aspects of violence and let the viewer's mind fill in the blanks without cause them to get upset.
4) Live action trailers for video games still seem awkward and weird to me.
Gore is definitely a selling point how is this a mystery to anyone? Maybe I grew up loving fx and makeup I'n horror movies. Not saying it sells me on games anymore but a good head explode is a good head explode.
@Occams electric toothbrush
"These marketing companies need to stop looking through the new intern's Iphone to pick songs to give their trailers and commercials depth."
Point to you, good sir.
"These marketing companies need to stop looking through the new intern's Iphone to pick songs to give their trailers and commercials depth."
Point to you, good sir.
I read somewhere that if video games influenced us that much millions and millions of Facebookers would be farmers right now.
I lol'd.
I lol'd.
I'm sorry your mother, and the majority of the population is ignorant. Don't know what else I can say. As long as they buy into the fear mongering of the mainstream media, they're going to continue to be ignorant. As someone studying political science who follows politics and current events quite regularly, I can tell you that video games are far from the only subject that people hold misconceptions about.
And I don't give a shit about Prototype 2.
And I don't give a shit about Prototype 2.
The problem in this particular instance though wasn't the commercial itself, it was the quote at the bottom of the screen that even remotely hinted that the game would be gory in any way. Simply remove the quote in this case. Sure, it sets a bad foot forward but if people are going to get all iffy about the word "gore" then they're asking to be protected in a way that could ultimately hurt them in the future.
And even still its not unlike Horror movies. Horror movies get a far worse rap then pretty much every other movie out there that has people waving around guns in 90% of them -and its all because the horror movies are gory, or scary, or "make people go out and kill" or whatever. Its a perception, and even the people who complain about games (or movies) are horribly desensitized to guns in all forms of media, even as the speak out against the atrocities that any person can pull off with a gun. Its not gaming's (or movies) fault there, its the human brain and how it accepts data.
And even still its not unlike Horror movies. Horror movies get a far worse rap then pretty much every other movie out there that has people waving around guns in 90% of them -and its all because the horror movies are gory, or scary, or "make people go out and kill" or whatever. Its a perception, and even the people who complain about games (or movies) are horribly desensitized to guns in all forms of media, even as the speak out against the atrocities that any person can pull off with a gun. Its not gaming's (or movies) fault there, its the human brain and how it accepts data.
I'd imagine the writer of that quote wasn't trying to say gore makes it a masterpiece so much as it is a champion of gore.
Nevertheless, I believe gore should be treated as a guilty pleasure. It's fine to promote it for say, a grindhouse flick where crassness is the appeal. Then you have your regular horror, which uses blood and gore to invoke fear or unease.
Nevertheless, I believe gore should be treated as a guilty pleasure. It's fine to promote it for say, a grindhouse flick where crassness is the appeal. Then you have your regular horror, which uses blood and gore to invoke fear or unease.
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