It's a habit that generally raises some questions among players. Indeed, before showing the gameplay, the developers like to shower us with computer-generated image videos for their new game. And teasers of this type would have a hidden utility…
Because in addition to making it possible to announce their production, the studios would use this practice to refine their phase of recruitment.
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Videos that don't show much
It has become rare to see a big budget video game announce itself with gameplay. Most of the time, it is rather a teaser in computer generated images (or CGI) which is used at the launch of the communication. And if these trailers are generally eye-catching, they never represent the final rendering of the game concerned. Worse still, they often indicate that the product in question will not be released for several years.
That's why these CGI trailers are starting to get bad press from a handful of gamers. Last week, during the PlayStation Showcase, Sony distinguished itself in this area by releasing a video for Marvel's Wolverine. But after the announcement, Insomniac Games confirmed that the project was only in its infancy and that we would therefore have to be patient. Enough to piss off the most eager internet users…
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A kind of note of intent?
So how to explain this recurring practice in the gaming industry? David Ellis, designer on Halo Infinite, may have just given us an answer. In a tweet, the developer underlines the fact that these computer-generated videos not only make it possible to announce a game, but they would above all be used as "bait" to recruit many talents. So, could a CGI trailer like the one for Marvel's Wolverine be aimed particularly at industry professionals rather than gamers? Hard to say…
However, it is true that companies like Xbox frequently use this ploy. The American giant, for example, announced Fable, the next Forza Motorsport, Everwild or even Avowed very early on before launching a big wave of recruitment. It remains to be seen whether each publisher actually uses CGI videos for this specific purpose. Either way, it's a rather interesting prospect.
