We understand that teaser trailers are part and parcel of a game's unveiling. But enough is enough. Today's teasers are getting out of hand and we're here to point the finger. There was a time when one teaser would be followed by a reveal, but now we're subjected to a couple of teaser trailers (free adverts) before the actual reveal.
Here are the worst offenders that have made dissecting ten seconds of teaser footage for a 1000 word article nothing short of an art form.
Offender: Sega Talk about a poor first showing of one of gaming's greatest comebacks. there's a lot riding on this remake the teaser showing nothing of the actual game at all. We know it's got aliens, predators and marines in it and we already know who we're going to play as. If your game looks awesome, don't be afraid to show it. Or at least one frame.
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Splinter Cell teaser movie
Official trailer
0:27Setting the scene for Conviction
Splinter Cell teaser movie
Official trailer
0:27Setting the scene for Conviction
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Offender: Ubisoft We know Splinter Cell is coming. It's been coming for as long as we can remember. But after all the original hype, a huge delay and the devs talking up the new vision, did we really deserve three voice-led recaps? No.
F1 2009
F1 2009
Official trailer
0:39Teaser trailer
F1 2009
Official trailer
0:39Teaser trailer
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Offender: Codemasters Everybody's been looking forward to this one, especially since the official F1 license has been PlayStation exclusive for years. So why does Codemasters think we want to sit through two minutes of TV credits? We know you're working on it because you told us you were. Just show it us please.
Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
1:59Teaser trailer
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Official trailer
1:59Teaser trailer
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Offender: Infinity Ward Talk about a dicktease. It's going to be the biggest game of 2009. Anyone with a console and PC WILL buy it. Honestly we only hated this so much because we desperately wanted to see more. You could show us the ending and we'd still run out and buy it day one. But a Casualty-esque set of credits? ARGGGGG!!!!
Halo Reach
Halo Reach
Official trailer
1:19Reveal trailer
Halo Reach
Official trailer
1:19Reveal trailer
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Offender: Bungie So it's got planets in it. Who would have thought? But seriously, Bungie, you can't announce a new Halo game and not show ONE single shot of what it might look like. It's almost as if you've got nothing to actually show.
Brink
Brink
Official trailer
1:17A teaser trailer - more at E3.
Brink
Official trailer
1:17A teaser trailer - more at E3.
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Offender: Bethesda So this is the top secret game that UK-developer Splash Damage was handed coding honours to. But when is a reveal not a reveal? When it's a teaser trailer for something we know nothing about. We didn't even know what you were teasing. Thankfully we do now.
Assassin's Creed 2
Assassin's Creed 2
Official trailer
1:00A, err, "first reveal" trailer...
Assassin's Creed 2
Official trailer
1:00A, err, "first reveal" trailer...
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Ubisoft (again) - This one's in our bad books because publisher Ubisoft actually called it a "first reveal" trailer, when it was nothing of the sort. After a terrible first tease, we thought this was it. But no, it was ANOTHER teaser that showed no gameplay at all. The shame of it.
i get all tingly when i watch the reach trailer, and i dont even have an xbox...
Even though it shows absolutely nothing in regards to what the game will look like? I'm 100% behind CVG with this one, these teaser trailers are getting out of hand, bloody developers, teasing little bitches.
I hate teasers but they obviously work. Ive itched for an F1 game on 360 for ages and I automatically think that it's gonna be class due to the trailer which gives nothing away (gameplay wise) at all.
My understanding of teaser trailers is just that... to tease. I try not to watch these kind of trailers purely for the fact I know that are going to show F all in thwe way of gameplay.
I've got no problem with teaser trailers themselves, the big problem is that they don't draw the line at a teaser trailer.
These days we are getting a teaser of an announcement that a countdown is beginning for something, which turns out to be the announcement of a date that something else will be getting revealed - and it's this that turns out to be the teaser trailer (if we are lucky...)
I just don't pay attention to them all anymore, I'll watch the teaser/trailer when I see it appear, but I don't bother about anything else now, it's just too much hassle!
If I were a cynic, I'd say something about the fact that there's a video on almost every post now, with lots of tenuous links to videos that have already been posted. Is CVG making decent ad revenue from videos do you think?
Aside from the Halo References (Spartans etc), That Halo Reach trailer really did feel as a CG Movie Trailer. Quite nice, though I dont like halo unfortunately.
Oh come on the film industry has been doing this for years. I really like the brink and Halo: reach ones. You don't see any gameplay footage becasue its a teaser. they are there as the name suggests. To tease. Their job is inform the world of its existance and make people wonder what its going to be like. not give away everything. Thats what full trailers are for.
i get all tingly when i watch the reach trailer, and i dont even have an xbox...
Even though it shows absolutely nothing in regards to what the game will look like? I'm 100% behind CVG with this one, these teaser trailers are getting out of hand, bloody developers, teasing little bitches.
I would be inclined to agree with you, but considering anyone has the means to find out the story of Reach already, it doesn't need to reveal much information.
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