The Moment They Had Your Money: Trailers and Clips that Sold You

Guek

As part of a small community of gaming obsessives, I know that I'm not the only one that religiously scours the internet for trailers and footage to appease my unending gaming desire for more...MORE..MORE. After all, anticipating games is half the fun (and occasionally more enjoyable the the end product itself :P).

What gaming footage or trailers in your lifetime as a game has sent chills down your spine? What clip made you spooge your proverbial pants through scintillating short lived cinema?

Personally, I remember first watching the original starcraft intro and having my jaw drop. At that moment, I knew it was a game I MUST play. Unsurprisingly, the same thing has happened with the starcraft 2 reveal.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/19777.html
GOOD GOD, I want that game. As a long time starcraft diehard, that trailer really pushes all the right buttons. The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw "blizzard" and a futuristic setting was "...it's about fucking time." The pacing, the music, the montage clips, the last line...pitch perfect. "All marines, prepare to drop." Chills.


So what about you?

Lunker

I'm usually immensely skeptical, so it takes a while for me to get interested in a game. That said, the footage that sold me on the games in question:

Prince of Persia

Mirror's Edge

Ouendan 1

Karl

The moment i heard that there was a FEAR 2 coming, they had my money. I didn't even need to see any videos.

Dodge Aspen

Final Fantasy 7 and the first 2 Metal Gear games both had trailers that blew me away.

Khavall

I have all the prince of persia trailers and the Mirror's Edge trailer saved on my hard drive.


That's how much I love them

urahonky

The No More Heroes trailer sold me. And I'm glad it did.

Trailer

GoodKingJayIII

I'll talk about positive and negative experiences. I'll start with the bad stuff.

Assassin's Creed had lots of great trailers and whatnot, interviews, and marketing. I ate it up. The game turned out to be a mere shadow of my expectations.

The positive experiences? Let's see: Mass Effect and Fallout 3. Both had some awesome hype build up, and both turned out to be exactly what I wanted.

Lunker

I almost forgot about the Assassin's Creed trailers—they sold me on the game, even if the game itself didn't. I was able to trade it off for a good price, so I don't feel bad, but between AC and PoP, whoever's doing the trailers at Ubisoft lately deserves a big fat raise.

StopAndSwish

Metal Gear Solid 2 E3 2000 Trailer. Never mind that it was subbed, and that in the end the game wasn't the greatest thing ever, no other trailer will ever endear me to a game like this one did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DL05r5Qi2hQ

CygnusZ

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=TluRVBhmf8w

Glenn565

The Rogue Galaxy and Persona 3 reveal trailers both sold me on them. Prince of Persia '08 and No More Heroes too, but they've been mentioned already.

Arasen

The original Gears of War "mad world" trailer. That sold me a 360 and am damn happy it did. Lost Odyssey "white rabbit" sold me, awesome game until the damn kids get involved, just couldn't keep going after that.

UncleSporky

House of the Dead: Overkill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKUD2sLE5rM&feature=related

Captain K

Seriously, the very first MGS2 teaser was boner-inducing. I couldn't believe I was seeing gameplay footage from a console.

I must have watched that trailer at least 20 times.

Dissociater

Guek wrote: »

As part of a small community of gaming obsessives, I know that I'm not the only one that religiously scours the internet for trailers and footage to appease my unending gaming desire for more...MORE..MORE. After all, anticipating games is half the fun (and occasionally more enjoyable the the end product itself :P).

What gaming footage or trailers in your lifetime as a game has sent chills down your spine? What clip made you spooge your proverbial pants through scintillating short lived cinema?

Personally, I remember first watching the original starcraft intro and having my jaw drop. At that moment, I knew it was a game I MUST play. Unsurprisingly, the same thing has happened with the starcraft 2 reveal.

/movie snipped/

GOOD GOD, I want that game. As a long time starcraft diehard, that trailer really pushes all the right buttons. The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw "blizzard" and a futuristic setting was "...it's about fucking time." The pacing, the music, the montage clips, the last line...pitch perfect. "All marines, prepare to drop." Chills.


So what about you?

I was the same way about starcraft 2 when I saw the cinematic trailer. I told all my friends about it, and posted it on message boards etc. Then I saw the gameplay footage and lost all interest in the game.

But more to your question, once I saw gameplay footage of Left4Dead they had my money in their pocket already.

Johnny Chopsocky

The Ace Combat games have particularly amazing trailers, but the two that grabbed me the most were these trailers for Ace Combat Zero and 5.

Ace Combat Zero trailer
Ace Combat 5 trailer

Airan

Seconding the Mirror's Edge trailer. The first time that theme hit me it felt so bloody perfect, with the camera spinning around Faith then zooming back. :^:

[edit]I was a big fan of DMC anyway, but after the dismal reviews of DMC2 I was a bit hesitant on DMC3, especially hearing the same director was working on it.

The trailer removed all fears.

The_Scarab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd3E8zgqJM4

EA basically set up a direct debit with my bank account the second I saw this. Far more effective than the stilted Guitar Hero trailers with celebrities, this was a cam video in a hotel room of people playing the game. As far as trailers goes, this ranks up there as incredibly potent. I remember tycho in a newspost mentioning it.

Rami

As soon as I saw this trailer I told everyone I knew that was into gaming that this game would be awesome. And I told them again every 2 weeks until it was released.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjYxTjpCwzw&feature=related

And it was awesome.

Darlan

I thought that the Sigur Ros Prince of Persia trailer had sold me on that game too, but sometimes game footage unsells me on a game too: in this case, seeing light seed collection. The instant I saw that I knew I wouldn't be purchasing the new POP, or at least not for a penny more than $30.

Maybe I'll rent it sometime soon, but damn I'm not looking forward to backtracking for those fucking things. I'm done with that kind of padding bullshit.

Henroid

In recent times, one of the Mirror's Edge commercials (the one where whats-her-name is looking in a window that's reflecting everything and it gets a single bullet hole before she goes on the move) sold me on the game.

The_Scarab

Darlan wrote: »

I thought that the Sigur Ros Prince of Persia trailer had sold me on that game too, but sometimes game footage unsells me on a game too: in this case, seeing light seed collection. The instant I saw that I knew I wouldn't be purchasing the new POP, or at least not for a penny more than $30.

Maybe I'll rent it sometime soon, but damn I'm not looking forward to backtracking for those fucking things. I'm done with that kind of padding bullshit.

I got 800/1001 light seeds on my first run with zero backtracking or special searching. They throw the things at you.

DebaserZbs

Airan wrote: »

Seconding the Mirror's Edge trailer. The first time that theme hit me it felt so bloody perfect, with the camera spinning around Faith then zooming back. :^:

[edit]I was a big fan of DMC anyway, but after the dismal reviews of DMC2 I was a bit hesitant on DMC3, especially hearing the same director was working on it.

The trailer removed all fears.

I also remember the DMC3 trailer. God I played the crap out of this one. Also:

Digital Devil Saga Part 1

Doesn't hurt that the game was amazing. Also, the sequel:

Digital Devil Saga Part 2

Man those were great games.

DualEdge

Left 4 Dead was the only game I preordered on Steam and then stayed up all night waiting for twice. I was simply looking forward to playing the later demo and buying it when on sale, but the intro movie trailer they released sold me on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM9RDkHSEM

Peewi

urahonky wrote: »

The No More Heroes trailer sold me. And I'm glad it did.

[VIDURL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGtgqw3IsVI"]Trailer[/VIDURL]

Wow, Travis' voice in that trailer is pretty bad. I think I might have prefered it if they had kept that design for Silvia, though.

CygnusZ wrote: »

[VIDURL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TluRVBhmf8w"]Portal[/VIDURL]

I had completely forgotten about it, but that trailer instantly made me want to play Portal.

When I played Half-Life 2: Episode One, there was a [VIDURL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0l5N6Exjz0"]trailer for Episode Two [/VIDURL]that made me want it immedietly.

Also the [VIDURL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gv3XmD7-rk"]Team Fortress 2 trailer[/VIDURL], even though I never really played TFC.

The first time I saw Mirror's Edge, I knew I wanted to play it. I haven't been able to yet, though, because I don't have a computer capable of running it.

Fireflash

The first time I saw the first devil may cry gameplay videos I was completely sold on the game. It was truly the most mobile and fluid 3d action game I had ever seen. Onimusha's very grounded combat seemed like a joke then compared to DMC.

Zenitram

World In Conflict. No gameplay footage whatsoever, but it was so damn powerful I had to give it a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU74uWK_MmI&feature=PlayList&p=A53EDC2E9E83182E&playnext=1&index=5

Here is the link in HD to truly appreciate it

SuMa.Lustre

DualEdge wrote: »

Left 4 Dead was the only game I preordered on Steam and then stayed up all night waiting for twice. I was simply looking forward to playing the later demo and buying it when on sale, but the intro movie trailer they released sold me on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCM9RDkHSEM

QFT. I was like, "maybe I should wait until it goes on sale."

Then I saw that trailer and I just NEEDED to have it.

Guek

Dissociater wrote: »

Guek wrote: »

As part of a small community of gaming obsessives, I know that I'm not the only one that religiously scours the internet for trailers and footage to appease my unending gaming desire for more...MORE..MORE. After all, anticipating games is half the fun (and occasionally more enjoyable the the end product itself :P).

What gaming footage or trailers in your lifetime as a game has sent chills down your spine? What clip made you spooge your proverbial pants through scintillating short lived cinema?

Personally, I remember first watching the original starcraft intro and having my jaw drop. At that moment, I knew it was a game I MUST play. Unsurprisingly, the same thing has happened with the starcraft 2 reveal.

/movie snipped/

GOOD GOD, I want that game. As a long time starcraft diehard, that trailer really pushes all the right buttons. The first thing that crossed my mind when I saw "blizzard" and a futuristic setting was "...it's about fucking time." The pacing, the music, the montage clips, the last line...pitch perfect. "All marines, prepare to drop." Chills.


So what about you?

I was the same way about starcraft 2 when I saw the cinematic trailer. I told all my friends about it, and posted it on message boards etc. Then I saw the gameplay footage and lost all interest in the game.

But more to your question, once I saw gameplay footage of Left4Dead they had my money in their pocket already.

Oh, I hear you. I have quite a few concerns myself. Personally, I hate that they went 3D. I fear that factor alone will take out a lot of what made the original starcraft so addicting. My biggest worry is that it'll just be warcraft 3 in space (warcraft 3 was alright, but it was no starcraft, thats for sure). People said the same thing about the original starcraft, so maybe they'll be wrong again.

I really dig blizzard, and I think they really are a talented group of developers. I have a lot of faith in them. Maybe too much :P

Renzo

I came in here to post the Ace Combat Zero trailer, but it had already been done.

Crashmo

World in Conflict had me sold the second I saw an in-game screen of a nuke.

Most Blizzard games have fantastic intros that get me totally pumped to buy their product.

Greg USN

Captain K wrote: »

Seriously, the very first MGS2 teaser was boner-inducing. I couldn't believe I was seeing gameplay footage from a console.

I must have watched that trailer at least 20 times.

My friend and I were at E3 that year and caught the public premire on the show floor (it had been shown to the press the previous night). There were at least 2000 people crowded around the booth and down the aisles watching it. Everyone went bat shit crazy when it ended. The showed it ever hour for the rest of the show after that. Shit was so epic.

UnbreakableVow

Ubisoft's official website used to have this amazing cinematic trailer (with the trailer voiceover guy!), and I watched it like twenty times before I bought Sands of Time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g4Fej0x7_g

Crashmo

I know the game was already sold to most everybody who bought it before it was even announced, but the video that introduced Snake in SSB: Brawl literally made me fall over backwards in my chair.

Mildly embarrassing.

RainbowDespair

Anime Expo 2008. The Atlus panel. Persona 4 trailer (clips from other SMT games + P4 footage + release announcement). Enough said.

verpakeyes

This trailer actually made me buy a 360 too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXrYSEOg3Ro


This trailer made me happy to be waiting for this game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw8fSN15YXc


This trailer made me fall in love with the series all over again.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3zqdM9TL1E

And those are all just halo 3. Every single trailer for a halo game has been astounding.

Chance

I absolutely loved the trailer for Assassin's Creed that used Teardrop by Massive Attack. I think it's actually my favorite trailer ever - I love that trailer more than I like the game.

Recently the 'Alive' remix trailer for Mirror's Edge really got to me - and there's a fucking awesome trailer for White Knight Chronicles on the Hong Kong PSN store... lemmie find the name here... "Shirokishi Promotion Movie" is the name of the vid.

I've watched that trailer probably twenty goddamn times - and beyond the gorgeous cutscene clips and gigantic creatures, I think it's the music that really gets me going. Those flutes are rockin'.

Also, ye olde commercials for Tenchu: Wrath of Heaven got me into that whole series. They could release a can of tuna with the Tenchu name on it and I'd buy it and a copy of the strategy guide.

UnbreakableVow

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/34663.html

Street Fighter IV + Faith No More = Win

Chance

Oh, also that Mad World trailer for Gears 1 totally made me want a 360.

Peewi

Crashmo wrote: »

I know the game was already sold to most everybody who bought it before it was even announced, but the video that introduced Snake in SSB: Brawl literally made me fall over backwards in my chair.

Mildly embarrassing.

Having Snake in Brawl was a pretty big announcement, though.

Cherrn

Back in the day I was a huge opponent of games that were fully polygonal on the PS1. I always thought they looked horrible, and any semblance of atmosphere would be long gone due to the presence of legomen on the screen. Hence, this made the first Silent Hill seem like a huge joke to me, and I completely ignored it.

Then I saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmEwRpbaIlA

And was completely blown away. The music, the artstyle, everything just blended together and I knew I had to own it. I went back and played Silent Hill 1, and now the series is one of my favorites.

The first Silent Hill 3 trailer also amazed me. It contained an instrumental version of "You're not here" that I'm still sad didn't make the soundtrack.

Quality ain't that great, but hey

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ua2nnOGn4

But I don't think anything has made me go more, er, berserk, than the trailer for the PS2 Berserk game. Unfortunately no one bothered to bring it to the west

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK8v0DN3FWQ