10 Video Game Trailers That Lied To Us (But Were Still Awesome)
We didn't get what we thought but it was still great.
When it comes to success, how a video game is promoted can be more important than the game itself. After all, some of the best titles bombed because the marketing was inadequate or mishandled. For this reason, gaming trailers need to make the product look as desirable as possible.
However, the trailers need to be careful when it comes to overselling. Though the advertisements for Final Fantasy XIII and Alien Colonial Marines were mesmerising, these duds found themselves a home in the trash. Such titles aren't just bad but infamous, since the promotions were filled with bold-faced lies.
And yet, some IPs received universal acclaim despite how disingenuously they were marketed. Sometimes, the teasers deliberately leave out a major aspect of the gameplay or plot because they don't want to give too much away. In situations like this, players should appreciate the deception, since it would've been a letdown if such details were spoilt.
Other times, games go through drastic alterations during development, so the finished product has little resemblance to how it was sold. Although players can be initially annoyed they didn't get the game they expected, they may grow to love it, acknowledging the changes were for the greater good.
Yes, these ten trailers are filled with fibs, but that didn't stop these games from being awesome.
10. Call of Duty 2
When it comes to overselling a game, one of the most common tactics is to pass off pre-rendered footage for in-game graphics. Many players purchased Watch Dogs, Alien Colonial Marines, or Cyberpunk 2077, only to learn the IP looked nothing like how it was advertised.
Sadly, Activision couldn't help using this manipulative ploy for Call of Duty 2. Although the sequel's commercial was a pre-rendered movie, it was deliberately stylised to resemble gameplay footage.
To avoid succumbing to an overhyped product, players usually take too-good-to-be-true footage like this with a big heap of salt. Nevertheless, this teaser managed to fool a lot of people. Since COD2 was a next-gen launch title, it wasn't clear how far the technology could be pushed. Also, fans wanted to give the developers the benefit of a doubt, considering how revolutionary the original was.
In hindsight, this deception was pointless, as Call of Duty 2 was still a magnificent first-person shooter in its own right. In fact, Activision shot themselves in the foot since the Advertising Standards Authority ordered networks to stop advertising the misleading title.