Legendary game designer Masahiro Sakurai, director of the Super Smash Bros. series, has ignited a conversation about video game trailers in his latest YouTube video. Sakurai takes a firm stance against trailers that rely solely on CGI visuals and cinematic sequences, urging developers to prioritize showcasing actual gameplay footage. He’s got a good point.
Sakurai acknowledges that established franchises or games by renowned creators may have the leeway to employ purely cinematic trailers but emphasizes that prioritizing gameplay demonstration should be paramount for the vast majority. In his latest video on making games, he pointed out this habit.
“In some cases, trailers like the ones seen on a game’s Steam page won’t show any gameplay footage at all – please don’t do that!” Sakurai said. Sakurai’s message resonates with a common criticism within the gaming community: trailers heavy on CGI often fail to convey the true essence of a game’s mechanics and core gameplay loop. This disconnect can leave players feeling misled and unsure whether the final product will live up to the hyped visuals.
In his video, Sakurai said no matter how much work the marketing team puts into their trailer, it will never be on the level of a film. He encourages developers to move beyond the pursuit of cinematic spectacle and instead focus on what truly matters. They should just hurry up and show what makes their game appealing.
I don’t think Sakurai is saying that gameplay has to be done on every trailer because that’s not always been the case. There are plenty of CGI trailers that are good and gain interest that don’t have gameplay. Assassin’s Creed and Dragon Age are well known for these. There should definitely be a good mix, as the gameplay shouldn’t be a surprise, but CGI trailers are amazing when done right. What he specific said was not to have CGI trailers on the Steam Page, which is a great point.
While Sakurai’s own Super Smash Bros. Ultimate debuted with a CGI trailer, it is mostly there to show off a huge gameplay element: the characters. Super Smash Bros. would be the exception to the rule because fighting games tend to focus heavily on who the player can control. The rest of the game is pretty predictable: you fight. There is no misconception on what is being highlighted, but we’ll have to see if more developers start removing CGI trailers from Steam pages.
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