Sunday Thoughts: Teasers
No monkeys this week.
Published: 15:00, 05/06/2011 by Kris [Halbpro].
4I absolutely adore Doctor Who. I know I might catch a little flack for that, and to be honest I’m not enjoying this series as much as others, but anyway I really do love Doctor Who. What I really love, more than the show itself, is the way that as the series progresses gentle teasers are continuously dropped by the writers and actors. It really keeps you guessing about what’s coming next, and reveals just enough to let you speculate wildly about where the time-travellers might be going next. For me chatting with friends about just what might happen is as big a part of the show as actually watching it.
I’m not sure I’ve ever felt that way about games this way, even in the build up to E3. Of course I’ll speculate about what might be at the show and what’s going to get revealed in the press conferences, but I feel we rarely get teased like TV shows regularly do. If we know anything before the show it’s little tidbits of information like the news of Sony’s domain registrations.
These little morsels of information very rarely come from the companies themselves, normally either someone digs up some domain or trademark registrations, or something just leaks. Of course, you can argue that leaks may be a form of PR teasing without leaving themselves too open to follow up requests for information, although often they are genuine leaks. Teasers for other media often come this way as well but it seems PR is more willing to drop little hints officially than they are with games.
The 360 S's leak stole some of Microsoft's thunder.
With E3, and a few other expos, being the main places for gaming announcements it does make sense that companies want things to go off with as big of a bang as possible. Whilst teasers can help to build the anticipation and increase the impact of an announcement, they can also completely ruin it. If you let too much information go too early then someone’s going to piece together the entire thing and your press conference at the big show will land with a damp splat rather than the world-shattering thud you’d hoped for.
Take last year’s announcement of the Xbox 360 S or the PSP Go in 2009. Microsoft managed to keep the 360 S mostly under wraps until a day or so before their press conference, and still it lost its bombshell feeling. It was more a sense of just waiting for them to actually unveil it. Of course, these weren’t teases from Microsoft or Sony but they do show just how dull things can be when you know what’s coming.
However, if you can get the balance right, if you can appropriately misdirect before the announcement, then it can land to an even bigger response than if the announcement had been made by itself. This is exactly how magic works, there’s no impact if you just hand someone’s watch back to them. You’ve got to make it look like its smashed before you make the big reveal that the watch was on you assistant’s wrist the whole time. That’s what getting you buzz right can do for an announcement, point your fans in one direction and unveil something that genuinely surprises.
Although a lot of us moan at the use of countdown timers, look at just how much anticipation Konami’s countdown for Metal Gear Solid: Rising built. It revealed just enough to speculate but also misdirected fans enough that we didn’t get quite what we were expecting.
I guess what I really want is to be excited again, have someone make me feel genuinely excited for E3 rather than dreading the work load. Then again that’s not exactly a common situation.
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05/06/2011 at 15:04
Member since: Feb 2009
This is the second time I’ve been a bit confuzzeled at how your mind works on these articles Kris. You have no interest in Uncharted 2 but lots in Uncharted 3 and you love Doctor Who when it has lots of teasers yet you arent as keen on the current series, which has more teasers in than ever before!
On the subject of E3, I kind of feel like this year is less exciting than the previous. I just cant see anything properly exciting coming from it, or much we dont know already know a bit about. I really hope I’m proved wrong though, otherwise I might come away feeling a little disappointed.
05/06/2011 at 15:39
Member since: Forever
Know what you mean about disappointment, especially feeling that we already know almost all there is to know, thanks to a multitude of pre-E3 reveals, or just years leaks & teases
Sony’s keynotes for the past 2 years have been great, Uncharted 2 and all that followed by Move & stuff last year. Before that MS’ keynotes were mind-blowing.
Remakes, HD re-releases and bringing old franchises back, whilst good and all that, its a little difficult to go overboard about something we’ve all played before.
EA have Battlefield3 which we’ve already seen loads of videos of and of course Madden/FIFA/NHL which we all know about already leaving just ME3 to be shown off properly
Microsoft’s biggie is Gears3, which we’ve not only already seen, but plenty of people have played and of course there’s Forza4 which whilst presumably excellent isn’t exciting
SEGA’s Colonial Marines has already been revealed
Sony have already shown off loads of vids of Uncharted3 (meaning it will never have the same impact that Uncharted2 had during e3 2009) and a ton of Starhawk info which would have been mind-blowing to be revealed during the keynote but has already landed along with plent of Res3 info & vids
THQ have already dropped Metro The Last Light, Saints Row 3 & Red Faction info
and Ubisoft have already teased plenty of their stuff, with perhaps gameplay of the new Ac game the only thing missing, however can we be excited by that… the fourth time around?
I can’t see what’s left for us to be shocked about, like I have been in previous years…The only thing we haven’t seen yet is proper MW3 gameplay, which I’m looking forward to seeing, but live gameplay on stage is often rubbish (remember the ice climb reveal of MW2?)
Unless MS drop the bombshell of a new console it looks like Ninty & Project Cafe will storm this year’s E3.
Because of my current feelings on E3, I’ll probably end up being blown away again just like the good old days of 2009 http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/06/02/tsa-cry-like-babies/
05/06/2011 at 15:44
Member since: Feb 2009
The other thing that could bring some excitement would be not only a new GTA revealed but gameplay shown.
05/06/2011 at 16:09
Member since: Mar 2011
I’m hoping for surprises, I really, really, really want Half Life 3 to be announced although its pretty much a no, and remember we know nothing about Insomniacs new multi platform universe.. That may turn out to be awesome..
05/06/2011 at 17:01
Member since: Mar 2009
Rockstar know how to build anticipation, especially when it comes to GTA, they are very good at teasers.
05/06/2011 at 19:16
Member since: Mar 2009
You sound like I know how my brain works!
On Doctor Who I like the teasers around the show (although those in the show are cool as well), but the show itself feels weaker.
05/06/2011 at 15:22
Member since: May 2009
I really wish Sony would release a boomerang version of the DS3…
05/06/2011 at 15:29
Member since: Feb 2009
Or Nintendo release a boomerang version of the 3ds. Thing is, if you were to throw that, you wouldn’t want it to come back (im hear a lot of people are highly disappointed with the total lack of good games).
06/06/2011 at 00:37
Member since: Forever
Funny, I’ve been playing Dead or Alive Dimensions more than any console game recently. A lot more.
06/06/2011 at 03:07
Member since: Aug 2009
Or total lack of “games” ?, meh, its typical of new consoles. It’ll get more success once it gets a good supply of games monthly, hopefully better than half of the shovelware that plagued the DS.
05/06/2011 at 16:11
Member since: Mar 2011
I think it looks cool, but apparently they tested it and it was super uncomfortable and gave hand cramps or something, so I’m happy with the DS3..
05/06/2011 at 19:06
Member since: Dec 2009
Ds3 forever. * grabs ds3* Playstation, playstation, playstation. hooooooooooooo!
05/06/2011 at 19:35
Member since: Apr 2010
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06/06/2011 at 01:27
Member since: Apr 2009
And I hope they don’t accidentally forget to include the DualShock function next time too. :P
05/06/2011 at 16:16
Member since: Jan 2011
I’m hoping for more footage of Resident Evil 4 HD & Code Veronica HD Collection, Tomb Raider too!
05/06/2011 at 16:16
Member since: Apr 2009
Just like everyone else, I want some nice surprises.
The main thing for me this year is the NGP though.
05/06/2011 at 22:52
Member since: Aug 2010
I think the NGP has the potential to steal the show. Just hope that the games are there to keep it standing after it comes out. I hate the feeling when something with so much promise fails to deliver. Fingers crossed for this time, eh guys?
06/06/2011 at 00:10
Member since: Apr 2009
Yup.
I think it’s between the NGP and the Nintendo Puu to steal the show.
Hey, don’t look at me like that, they named the last one Wii, didn’t they? :P
06/06/2011 at 03:11
Member since: Aug 2009
Well all that it needs is a version thats below £199, of course I’d gladly part ways with cash for the dearier option which should have alot of memory.
05/06/2011 at 16:25
Member since: Nov 2008
Nothing surprises me anymore. Im only 29 but I feel ive seen it all. You can throw out a teaser and i think ive seen it 100 times before… “nothing new here”.
E3 doesnt excite me, not at all. It will be a whole bunch of stuff we kinda know is coming with the odd bombshell that will attract my attention. Either way its a load of games we cant play for ages (Sorcery and Last Guardian anyone?).
Not buying what E3 sells.
06/06/2011 at 12:16
Member since: Feb 2009
Totally with you there Roy , its just a few extra news articles on my favourite site confirming in the main what we already know , I never understand the fuss . It’s just basically one big jolly for the gaming industry.
05/06/2011 at 16:49
Member since: Apr 2009
although i don’t like leaks i dislike it when someone announces an announcement first. that to me just ruins the point and instead of getting excited about the game i get kind of annoyed and tend to block it out and ignor it
05/06/2011 at 18:05
Member since: Feb 2011
Completely agree. There is nothing worse than when devs and companies etc announce when they are going to announce something.
By announcing that they are going to announce something then surely that is them announcing it anyway?
Hope that makes sense when read back.
05/06/2011 at 17:00
Member since: Mar 2009
Interesting choice of homepage picture, it’s unlikely to be announced but Sony were developing some sort of new controller.
05/06/2011 at 17:19
Member since: May 2011
It’ll be interesting to see that.
05/06/2011 at 17:17
Member since: Dec 2009
When TLG was leaked before, i still enjoyed the E3 announcement and trailer, probably my favorite E3 memory.
I like to see some surprises so it can seem slightly annoying when all these ‘leaks’ appear in the week leading up to E3 but as long as there’s plenty more info to be revealed at E3 i don’t mind too much.
05/06/2011 at 17:27
Member since: Jun 2009
The more i know the more excitied i get even if it includes spoilers. Know it ruins the surprise but i like knowing the set up.
05/06/2011 at 18:04
Member since: Jan 2010
Nothing can beat last years Portal 2 announcement. NOTHING. Absolutely no speculation, out of the blue, Boom Gabe Newell and Portal 2. Best ever.
05/06/2011 at 18:27
Member since: Apr 2009
Final Fantasy XIV in Sony’s 09 conference was the biggest shock I’ve seen at E3.
Although… where is it?! :P
05/06/2011 at 19:01
Member since: Nov 2008
Sorcery and TLG were mine. Where are they? The title says it all “Teaser”. Hence my lack of interest in announcements of new games that the next E3 will be more likely to give info on other than its existence.
05/06/2011 at 22:41
Member since: Apr 2009
Sorcery looked really good, but we’d already heard of TLG.
But a lot of the talk before E3 was Final Fantasy XIII going from PS3 exclusive to multiplat, and suffering because of it, when bam! FFXIV.
Don’t even know if it’ll be released on PS3 at this rate though…