Gaming In Focus: Skyrim and Live-Action Trailers

Bethesda’s Skyrim is the latest game to use a live-action trailer - bit-gamer asks why.

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2011/11/01/in-focus-skyrim-and-live-action-trailers/1

 

i dont have a problem with this trailer. video games are a gateway to a reality that we would love to be part of in real life. i think this trailer shows what it is going to look like in our heads when we are playing the game. this trailer does not spoil the hype. i am still very excited for this game to release!

 

Yeah, I'm with lizoron on this one. The appeal of a game like Skyrim to me is the fantasy universe in which it's set - a live action trailer almost realises this, allowing you to more easily immerse yourself in the universe and lore.

 

I'm not impressed by the trailer, tbh. I appreciate the previous commenter's opinions; the fantasy is what's important.

However, I'm the kinda guy who gets annoyed at adverts on TV that don't tell you anything about the product - car manufacturer's that tell you nothing about the car they're trying to sell, for example. I guess you could argue that they are selling an idea/fantasy too.

Personally, I need some facts from my ads; I need to know what I'm spending money on - it's the reason I hate game adverts that just use pre-rendered sequences that are "representative of gameplay"...

 

skyrim is gonna be badass

 

I dislike use of live action like this the same as I don't like prerendered trailers.
IT TAKES MONEY AWAY FROM DEVELOPMENT.

Much rather they spend the cash that these take on the game than fancy looking stuff that you don't get to play. Games do look good enough now, use the game to show off the game

 

BTW it is almost here

 

I think the counter-argument is that you become emotionally involved with a game character either by guiding that character through the game or by experiencing the game alongside them. It requires an extended period of time and interactivity, two things that a trailer does not have. In a passive experience like watching a trailer, any attempt at an emotional connection to a character relies on fooling our brains into thinking that the guy in a silly hat is a real guy. This can be achieved by means of a voice over - as we are evolved to detect emotion in each other's voices - or by having realistic body language and a convincing representation of a human face. Each has it's own pros and cons. Giving a voice to an in game character automatically makes that character someone else, it is a barrier to the desired reaction of 'won't it be cool when I'm doing that!'.

I think that actually it comes down to how well the trailer is made and how well it fits the game, regardless of the technique employed. For example, every time I see an in-game GTA (or GTA rip-off) ad I cringe at the characterisation, graphics and 'plot'. I've enjoyed some of those style of games but the trailers always crush any sense of anticipation for them. Conversely, the BF3 in-game trailers were excellent.

In the case of Skyrim, how exciting is an in-game trailer going to be? Here's what is good about Elder Scrolls games:

• Loot
• Inventory management
• Leveling
• Back Story

And here's what's bad about Elder Scrolls games:

• Combat mechanics
• Voice acting

If anyone ever felt that they were talking to real person in Oblivion, or that their sword ever actually hit something, feel free to make yourself known. I love the series and am greatly looking forward to it, but I'm looking forward to the things from the first list. And those things do not make a good in-game trailer. I accept that if they had nailed the combat and voice acting then in-game could make a great trailer, and that they really should get round to doing that at some point. For now, though, I don't think they have much option but to go with the live-action.

 

^ ha wow, I had that same talk with my gf the other day. But with the back story that includes the actual universe/environment.

I disagree about live action being bad (matching the ideas from Pyro and Lizoron). How do you feel about CGI based trailers? - Similar to the live action?

For me CGI trailers i.e. the Arkham City Hugo Strange, Assassin Creed, The Old Republic had me so gripped that it made me a part of their audience where for say The Old Republic I dislike the game play. These kinds of trailers may not show off the game play but it does such a fantastic job of creating a lure revealing the world/environment of the game and the characters. Sometimes I wish it was feasible to make a movie instead of a game - as some of these small clips are better than most films related too the franchise (heck, look at the DC Universe Online trailer).

But like said above.. some games really should avoid live action/CGI trailers as they don't fit the lure.

 

i can not wait for this game ! but we all know its going to be buggy as hell on release . instead of spending x amount on live action trailers why not spend that money on actually testing the game properly ? im sure there devs could come up with a better trailer in an hour using ingame footage .

 

A live action trailer is supposed to be, above all, entertaining. And that’s what it is…entertainment. Moreover, that’s all games are supposed to be…entertainment. To start dumping on a company for providing some extra entertainment from a live action trailer is ridiculous. Come on Webster, you’re acting like this is real life here!

 

I hated the days of pretty cut scenes followed by ugly game graphics. Civilisation is one example of this. Nice intro graphics, butt ugly game. Over the past few years game graphics have advanced to the stage where cutscenes can use in-game graphics. I like that. I wanna see what I'm getting, not some pre-rendered bollocks. I haven't played BF3 yet but I am curious about something... The pre-release videos showed ultra realistic character motion. When the beta was released, the character motion looked curiously more simplistic and barely any different to call of wanky. I can't run BF3 because I am in between motherboards and cpu at the moment but the post game vids don't seem to match up with the pre-release vids in terms of character animation. I guess the post vids have mostly shown multiplayer action.

Regarding real characters to promo a game... Arma 3 has something similar. They mixed live action with some in game which served to make stupid people like me think the game would have near photorealistic graphics. I don't like it. Show me the in game graphics. Don't want to see twats running around pretending to be game characters unless they happen to be female with amazing bodies and nice breasts.

 

like+1


lol

 

I think I've gotten beyond having any feelings about trailers/adverts that don't feature real game images/footage to the stage which is worse - essentially they are now training me to ignore mention of there game.

 

I'd always prefer a trailer made from in-game cgi scenes or actual in-game footage. I mean, did anyone else miss The Witcher 2 trailer on steam with the epic classical music and footage made from all in-game graphics? It brought a tear to my eye but then I go and watch some live-action commercial for a game like Skyrim or ODST and while I don't want to bash those games I certainly won't be remembering them for their 30 second long live action commercials years down the road, it's the gameplay and all the emotions that come along for the ride that really stick with you.

 

That live action mixed with CGI trailer will be just to get peoples attention who never played or heard of elder scrolls I expect but why they have a lack of faith in their game is crazy going off some of the screen shots I've seen, elder scrolls games have always been pushing how good a game can look, elder scrolls III was the first one I played so not sure about the first 2.

So to me it's an irrelevant trailer to people who already like elder scrolls but to potential newcomers it might at least get them to look into the game more, just hope it's not a sign the game doesn't look so good in action.

 

I don't really have a problem with live action trailers ... I think the one from Skyrim is pretty cool, even if it's short and doesn't really capture the best elements of the game altogether. And while I agree with DarkEdge's wish that the developers would spend the money on development rather than advertising, the reality is that a certain budget will always be put aside for advertising, and what the advertisers do with that budget is their call. If they want to make live action trailers, I have no problem with that, as long as the coolness factor is high. It's yet another form of entertainment for me.

 

I dont mind a good Trailer if its a good product, why not show off, or promote it in a amazing way! so long the game industry doesnt start doing stuff like Hollywood. bringing out Uber trailers and the real stuff isnt even worth talking about, Like the movie Jarhead Best trailer ever, not so much the end result.

 

Same feelings. It's just a tickler, something pretty to make viewers look for more information rather than actually providing information. For someone who's already watching gaming news Skyrim is well known and plenty of more detailed trailers already exist. For someone who's never heard of Skyrim, or just heard of it in passing, this is probably a good hook. Being live action just heightens this appeal because it's something unique and never done before. (maybe)

Can't say the trailer itself impressed me much, but that's personal taste. So unbearibly cliche, it made me cringe a little bit. Overdramatic "classical" music (is that the right term for it?), stereotypical lone warrior (in a stupid viking hat, no less) facing up against some random dragon which, for no good reason, is attacking some random town. Just not what I'm into.

 

Who cares, Skyrim, had me at 'dragons'.