Adverts leave me disappointed in GRAW...

[Shifty Geezer]

GRAW has sold 260,000 in the first week. I saw a TV ad the other day that looked very good (as far as FPses go!). I think to myself 'I ought to check that out' and go over to IGN to try some vids and pics. And I'm left disappointed. Why? Because the TV ad showed a CG simulation of the game, not actual in-game footage.

This was raised a while back. I know one ad was removed because of this. It's only this gen that I've noticed it on TV ads though. Prior gen have tended to show actual in game footage AFAIK.

Isn't this approach kinda contrary to what' best? I guess it makes people think 'Wow' and go investigate the game, but unless they buy it before viewing it based on the ad, surely they'll be left disappointed? It's bad enough seeing promo stills with 12,500x AA, but totally artificial graphics, animation and gameplay is nought but misrepresentation.

Is the future going to be one of 'don't believe what you see' when it comes to TV ad campaings?

 

[swanlee]

This is one of the best looking games made today, PC, Xbox 360 anything right now, It simply looks and moves better than almost any game ever made at this point. Rent it and see for yourself, the graphics are nothing to be disapointed about.

 

[London Geezer]

Well maybe the point Shifty's trying to make is that he wouldn't be so disappointed in the game's graphics if the ad he saw on TV was the real thing and didn't raise his expectations with CG footage. I can't imagine what kind of disappointment people will face when seeing some other company's real games, whenever they come out, after the gorgeous CG videos they showed.

 

[Gubbi]

I can't imagine what kind of disappointment people will face when seeing some other company's real games, whenever they come out, after the gorgeous CG videos they showed.

TROLL!

Cheers

 

[rosman]

Who cares ?

 

[Titanio]

Who cares ?

Tonnes of people. At least in some quarters. See: Sony's E3 showing and the hub-bub about using CG (and they weren't even advertisements as such).

I'd heard recently, though, that for example in the UK, an advertising standards agency had barred companies from using CG to promote games like this, I think after complaints re. CoD2 ads.

edit - the specifics are that Activision was barred from airing those ads - it wasn't a general ruling covering all companies and games. Though it should hopefully deter others in the future from using prerendered footage in ads for the UK, although I'm sure some will chance their arms. The details on CoD2 are here: http://www.firingsquad.com/news/newsarticle.asp?searchid=9325

 

[nintenho]

Who cares ?

Care isn't absolute, but happiness is! I'm just joking. However, it's pretty stupid that they used CG for GRAW's advertisements when the last Ghost Recon games didn't have CG in their movies.

 

[nintenho]

Tonnes of people. At least in some quarters. See: Sony's E3 showing and the hub-bub about using CG (and they weren't even advertisements as such).

Um...people will take those movies a lot more seriously since they are supposed to show the possible potential of a system. The advertisments that Shifty Geezer is complaining about are about one game that we already know looks really good...





......yeah, huh?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Who cares ?

Ubisoft for one, because...

This is one of the best looking games made today, PC, Xbox 360 anything right now, It simply looks and moves better than almost any game ever made at this point.

...yet looking at game vids I'm disppointed. How can I be disappointed by one of the best looking games made today? Because the advert Ubisoft had was way above what the best-looking game can achieve.

It's like those cleaning products that remove stains instantly, or washing powder adverts that remove 100 different dried in stains perfectly, but the thing you buy is never that good. By putting out such a good looking advert, Ubisoft are only going to harm the perception of their game.

I guess I'm wondering why, if you've got one of the best looking games ever, would you show an over-the-top CG rendering instead?

 

[Shifty Geezer]

The advertisments that Shifty Geezer is complaining about are about one game that we already know looks really good...

I didn't really, not by name, and I doubt most people who see the advert know much about the game either. If people already know about the game, why are you wasting money running a TV ad in the first place?! The point of the ad is to tell people the product is out there, get them interested, then they pop into the shop and buy it. If they demo it and see the graphics are far short of the ad, how are they going to feel? If they buy it and get it home and see the graphics there, and don't get that CG quality, are they going to be happy?

 

[Lysander]

No Shifty, GRAW sold 360K units first week (240K in US only).

 

[Titanio]

Um...people will take those movies a lot more seriously since they are supposed to show the possible potential of a system. The advertisments that Shifty Geezer is complaining about are about one game that we already know looks really good...

Well I'm sure many of the games represented at E3 with CG footage will look good also..

Ads are supposed to also present the game as it is, or the "potential of the game". And thus the systems they're on, by implication. CG in advertisements is a pretty general problem anyway, something I'd have hoped we might be moving past with next-gen. The game is good enough looking not to use CG, it's a pity they did.

 

[nintenho]

Well I'm sure many of the games represented at E3 with CG footage will look good also..

Ads are supposed to also present the game as it is, or the "potential of the game". And thus the systems they're on, by implication. CG in advertisements is a pretty general problem anyway, something I'd have hoped we might be moving past with next-gen. The game is good enough looking not to use CG, it's a pity they did.

Well, this generation doesn't look like as big of an improvement as last generation was. They need to get people interested somehow...

 

[liolio]

i think this gen is a huge improvement.
But more and more People have PC and have already see things with matching graphics.
It wasn't the same thing in 2000 the Pc user base has grown by a huge margin.
if I consider Xbox and ps2 only, I see nothing near to what xbox360 and ps3 (should) deliver.
Honestly i'm WOW by what I see in first gen titles, especialy with footages I've see in games TV show.
I'm perhaps easily pleased.

 

[Platon]

I hoped tht CG wold be a thing of the past, but whatever, I hope there will be a ban against CG in commercials for games...

 

[fearsomepirate]

But more and more People have PC and have already see things with matching graphics. It wasn't the same thing in 2000 the Pc user base has grown by a huge margin.

All the numbers I've seen show that PC game sales are down and only a fraction of console game sales, and further, the sales of the high-end graphics boards necessary to compete with 360 are almost a statistical insignificance. Where do you get your numbers?

Anyway, I don't see why they do it. X360 graphics look great; why would you even need a CG "simulation" of your game to sell it? They didn't need it in the 16-bit era--just seeing commercials for Sonic and Mario World made it pretty clear that those machines had way better graphics than the old ones.

 

[blakjedi]

The CG doesn't look that good compared to the game to be disappointed. The gameplay helicopter scenes in GRAW TOAST the commercials. If they would just show clips of gameplay from those stages in commercials it would knock everyone's sock off....

 

[liolio]

i agree with you on CG, GRAW looks goog enought.
For PC and my personnal taste, I think graphics on consoles are nowhere near of what we find on a PC even mid/low end with DX9 gpu playing 800/600 with good image quality setting. You will tell no Pc gamers play at that resolution , I think poor Pc gamers do.

 

[rosman]

Sometimes they use CG movies to show off some cookies product, this doesnt represent the taste of the cookie... Well its just an advertisment.
They used CG movies for some tomb raider ads ( and many other games ), where you dont see any gameplay movie, and no one complained. I dont really see the point in this debate.

 

[liolio]

I've see the add for FFXII, and If I haven't see CG I've seen mostly cinematics and something like 1 or 2 second in game footage (nowhere near impressive considering PC nextgen...)
This is n ofair too, i do not play cinematics... does bizzness is now supposed to be fair? lots of marketting employes will be fired lol.
Anyway CG is worst than cinematics.