*Important Dilemma* Bullshots vs In-Game Screens

[RobertR1]

Its obvious misrepresentations what devs like Turn-10 and PD do to promote their titles. These photomode images are not used to promote the photomode feature, the intent of their promotions are to lead general consumers to believe that these shots represent gameplay. General ignorance or apathy is not a justifiable excuse to be dishonest.

It started with PD. You'd see GT replay mode and photo mode pics being used in PR all the time. Then you had the die hard fan base defending these to death while absolutely knowing that the graphics you are seeing while PLAYING THE GAME are not of the same quality. GT being the biggest racing franchise around, it would be silly to try and compete with the accepted fanbase used of such material with proper gameplay shots by other games. They still are quick to criticize other games for using "bullshots" but will just as quickly ignore or dismiss any such comments about GT. Other companies need to go through the same lenghts to compete or their product will be considered inferior immediately. I don't expect any of this to change. I seriously doubt that PD will start to use gameplay screenshots for their PR or their rabid fanbase will request such from them. For fun, goto a GT thread and bring this up. See how quickly the heavens crash on you.....Then post "bullshots" form any other racing game in that thread and call the company out for it. Watch how quickly you'll make friends. It's a sad and lost cause.

I have the same issue with games using QTE and cutscenes where you can move the camera around and passing it off as gameplay.

 

[DrJay24]

It started with PD.

What a sad and expected response. The OP is valid, it is irrelevent who does or did it, should bullshots be passed out to the press or web? Maybe the industry need a regulation like a water mark declaring the shot not "in game"?

 

[RobertR1]

What a sad and expected response. The OP is valid, it is irrelevent who does or did it, should bullshots be passed out to the press or web? Maybe the industry need a regulation like a water mark declaring the shot not "in game"?

The relevancy comes from having to do it to for competitive reason. No point in "keepin it real" when the competition and the established market leader has been making a living off the exact same thing you're being asked to avoid.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

When someone generally sees a screen shot or a video and asks, "in-game?" often it means "during gameplay?". Why? Because gameplay is the most relevant part of the game, not photomode or a videomode.

Fair point. I'd say you've got me there. From the POV of the person asking the question, it seems a fairly obvious expectation for them to mean the part they are most interested in. Context denotes interpretation, most times. Perhaps a few exceptions are online interviews etc. where an engineer is talking about his game and misleads by accident.

I have absolutely no trust in how most racing games are marketed so titles like GT or Forza produced no level of anticipation in me because the PR is a major turn off. I haven't looked at any PR material from GT5 in years and never with F3. My purchase or purchases will be decided by reading commerical on the net and private reviews posted here.

Thing is they can't lie thse days! All one has to do is wait for the game to come out and then view some videos online. Job done. Any fool who buys into a product on promise and never checks the final thing before buying, especially when its as easy as as previewing games, deserves to get duped!

 

[tha_con]

It started with PD. You'd see GT replay mode and photo mode pics being used in PR all the time. Then you had the die hard fan base defending these to death while absolutely knowing that the graphics you are seeing while PLAYING THE GAME are not of the same quality. GT being the biggest racing franchise around, it would be silly to try and compete with the accepted fanbase used of such material with proper gameplay shots by other games. They still are quick to criticize other games for using "bullshots" but will just as quickly ignore or dismiss any such comments about GT. Other companies need to go through the same lenghts to compete or their product will be considered inferior immediately. I don't expect any of this to change. I seriously doubt that PD will start to use gameplay screenshots for their PR or their rabid fanbase will request such from them. For fun, goto a GT thread and bring this up. See how quickly the heavens crash on you.....Then post "bullshots" form any other racing game in that thread and call the company out for it. Watch how quickly you'll make friends. It's a sad and lost cause.

I have the same issue with games using QTE and cutscenes where you can move the camera around and passing it off as gameplay.

I really don't understand the 'severity' here. For whatever reason, your post reads like someone describing members of the Soviet Union (Sony / Polyphony) and Commies (GT fans?) feeding out propaganda.

Is it really that serious? I mean, it's a videogame.

I also find it amusing that you single out GT threads, kind of tells a lot about yourself, and honestly, you're just as bad as the folks you're condemning in your post.

That said, if you know something is a bullshot, why is it even important to bring it up? What are you gaining? Why try to quell someone's excitement for a game because they are using an age long practice of using touched up promotional footage to sell a game? For your own personal satisfaction? I'm just not seeing the big reason here to get all up in arms over something like this.

 

[AzBat]

I like turtles!

 

[Neb]

I like turtles!

Me to, wanna play?

 

[holsty101]

Is it really that serious? I mean, it's a videogame. ... I'm just not seeing the big reason here to get all up in arms over something like this.

LOL. Exactly! I like the *important dilemma* tag whichever mod added to the thread spawn title, perfectly describes the level of histrionics some posters are displaying over what is (imo) a relatively unimportant topic.

 

[zed]

what is (imo) a relatively unimportant topic.

Similar to the arguments I've often see like, ' blah blah thats politician talk - youve gotta make allowances that its all bullshit'

whilst that maybe true, it does not mean its right.

There were swimming championships in rome some ppl wore swimsuits that aided them, some didnt, is that fair?
obviously not, Here is exactly the same situation ( though with a *LOT* more money + jobs at stake than swimming )
fact - ATM some companies release screenshots that are not what you see ingame, some companies release actual screenshots. This is not a level playing field!

Im of the belief (call me idealistic) that any screenshot that is not what you actually see ingame (*) posted should include a label (not ingame).

(*)including higher res or AA

on a related note - I wonder has any gamecompany been taken to court because of misrepresentation, I know recently an ad had to be pulled from the UK (for COD I think)

 

[tha_con]

Zed, I don't mean to offend, but it's still rather silly to expect them to do that. (By that I mean label "bullshots" as not in game).

"Bullshots" as you so eloquently put it, are generally renders that are done at extremely high resolutions for print mags. I'm sure you've seen what happens when direct feed shots are dropped into a mag and it looks like a pixelated mess. When we see it on the internet, it's generally downscaled, which "adds" a lot of AA to it.

Take it or leave it, that's the way it is. No one has enjoyed a game more or less because of bullshots. No one has ran out to buy a game because of a bullshot, and then screamed WTF at the TV when they started the game up.

Frankly, the discussion is nothing more than self indulgent debate.

 

[AlNom]

*Cue Ending Theme Song*



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