EverydayBeast
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Dodge cars were important product placements in Rainbow Six Vegas
“Back when the servers were live the advertisements would change about once a day.”
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Naughty Dog Lead Editor: Product placement can be a very efficient world-building tool when done right
- Thread starter LectureMaster
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- Opinion Game Dev
Dodge cars were important product placements in Rainbow Six Vegas
“Back when the servers were live the advertisements would change about once a day.”
Nowa
Neo Member
ZehDon
Member
Sorry, how many Anime released in the year 2025 are set 500 years in the future and prominently - to the point of distraction - feature iconic products from the 1980s replicated in full detail in a vain attempt to tap an already-exhausted trend of mining 1980s nostalgia with a Marvel-esque tone that was losing steam half a decade ago? The Anime I know of with these kinds of exacting details are from the 80s and simply represented a vision of the world at that time. They have a distinctly different impression of these things because they weren't imitating decades old culture that has since been done to death.I've been waiting for a take that simultaneously, but unknowingly, takes a shot at both anime in general and this game at the same time. Yours comes very close.
From its trailer, Intergalactic doesn't read like a love letter to Anime - nor the 80s. It reads like a focus tested attempt to ride trends that executives thought were hot when the pitch was made, but that have fallen out in the intervening years of development. To me, it all feels kinda lazy, frankly. They didn't even bother dressing things up to create their own unique take on the culture or technology they're lifting. They literally just copied objects and designs verbatim. Heck, for their main character, they pretty much just stuck an actress in Kaneda's jacket with little to no actual design work applied and called it a day.
Outlining this isn't taking a shot at Anime from forty years ago. It's taking a shot at a trailer for a game that felt pretty soulless in context.
ScHlAuChi
Member
I agree with his take. There is a balance to it and it helps when the brands let you have a little fun in how you use them.
WRONG! Pizza Hut won!
March Climber
Member
And that's the reason why I said 'very close'. I knew you or someone else would reply with a bunch of qualifiers involved. I just find it funny that even if I were to find a recent (past 5-7 years) anime that pointed heavily to the 80s, 70s, etc. people here would find reasons as to why it doesn't count because 'oh that's different though'.
To me this depends on whether or not if the main character is described as 'a fan of _____' as there have also been a few anime in the present lately where a main character is 'a fan of _____' and they will dress the part or attempt to emulate that fandom in their personality, but when thrust into a story that challenges them, you'll see more of their own personality shine through.
I guess we will see what ND will do and how far they want to go with the main character's personality.
I'll tell you what I won't do though, and that's write an entire judgment summary based off of an assumption of an entire game, that had a 4 minute trailer with no further information to go by.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
It's a weird thing for me.
When it comes to sports or racing games, I'm totally ok with tons of ads and product placement banners. Just like a real telecast or watching a game at a stadium. But for non-sports/racers I find product placement crinegeworthy. I'm not sure why since it can replicate real life too walking down the street seeing all the logos or somebody walking by holding a Starbucks cup.
But some reason, I prefer it only for sports stuff.
When it comes to sports or racing games, I'm totally ok with tons of ads and product placement banners. Just like a real telecast or watching a game at a stadium. But for non-sports/racers I find product placement crinegeworthy. I'm not sure why since it can replicate real life too walking down the street seeing all the logos or somebody walking by holding a Starbucks cup.
But some reason, I prefer it only for sports stuff.
Dirk Benedict
Member
That’s bullshit and you know it. Taco Bell holds it down with the tiny gourmet shrimps.WRONG! Pizza Hut won!
ZehDon
Member
All media doesn't exist in a temporal singularity; time and place count for a lot in media landing or not. Had it released fifteen years ago, Intergalactic might stand out as something quite inspired. A real love letter, because only honest fans would conjure an homage into existence when no other homage's preceded it. But, it's not fifteen years ago, and there have been many, many like-styled things that preceded it. After Stranger Things, Marvel - Guardian's of the Galaxy in particular - and the now-lengthy trend of 80s nostalgia bait, Intergalactic is just another rehash to toss on the pile. Dismissing these "qualifiers" is just deleting critical nuance. A poor way to say: "Oh, you loved Akira? This is literally a copy/paste of that, so you must love this just as much".
Everything I've talked about is front and center in Naughty Dog's lackluster trailer. Sorry friend, that's on Naughty Dog if they're misrepresenting their own game. And don't make the mistake of dismissing criticism like this. Redfall, Concord - they raised red flags from their reveals, it was ignored it, and now neither of those developers exist any more. I honestly doubt Sony would delete Naughty Dog, but we're starting down a path we've been down before. As always, I'm happy to be wrong - I was certainly wrong about The Great Circle, which ended up being actually great.
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Bernardougf
Member
Product placement never bothered me in any media.. is something I can easily bypass and sometimes dont even notice, woke/ideology placements though...
darrylgorn
Member
MayauMiao
Member
500 years into the future, Porche can produce advance spaceships, Adidas made shoes with glowing logo, yet for some reason CDs and 80's pop songs failed to evolve.Sure, when setting a story in temporal proximity, it can be used as a Rosetta stone to demonstrate the differences between our world and the world being depicted. Blade Runner used this to unbelievable success back in 1982.
When you're in 2025, and all but pause your trailer for zoom ins on existing products exactly duplicated by your artists that shouldn't exist 500 years into the future in a bid to continue the overused mining of 1980s nostalgia, that's not world building - it's the lack of it.
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
I personally don’t mind product placement.
Angry_Megalodon
Member
Good fantasy and sci-fi writers create consistent lore and worlbuilding without dumb shit. The genre is not an excuse. If anything, something that is completely made up should be even more consistent for us to be immersed in this world.
If Intergalactic takes place in an alternate future, but "our" reality ended in the 80s, the game needs to tell us what happened in that time gap and why history deviated from the course we know. I don't trust Neil Druckmann to make a coherent timeline for those 2000 years. He's not Frank Herbert, that's for sure.
It would have been better if he hadn't made any connection to pop culture. IMO it feels very cheap and lacking in genuineness. I can't believe that the first impression he wanted to make is retro bait references, from the brands to the chick looks (the bald tough girl is an exhausted trope too)
March Climber
Member
I guess we will find out, when the game releases.
These two sentences don't correlate, as it wouldn't be beneficial to state the latter due to it being so hyperbolic. You're using the qualifiers as an intentional wall/crutch, because you and I both know that a person can't find a '2025 anime project set 200-500 years into the future that features advertisement iconography' ...like c'mon man that's such a very, very specific set of parameters that there's no point in even searching for such a thing. Regardless, even if it did exist, there would be no point as people would simply find reasons for it to not count.
It's truly all front and center in their trailer? Hm...
What can you tell me about Intergalactic's story/plot?
How about the full universe?
The planet they show?
The creatures on it?
The characters and their backstory?
How does the game play?
What is the gameplay loop like?
What's the main character's objective?
Look, this isn't about Naughty Dog and dismissal of criticism. If it helps put things into perspective, I didn't like TLOU 2's story and I hated TLOU 1's gameplay. I don't dislike Abby, but I dislike that the structure in which they told the story of part 2 because it made the player not care about the secondary main character since the beginning, all for the sake of shock value. I was a Jak/Uncharted enjoyer, and I think Amy Hennig is more talented and more under appreciated than Druckmann at story and direction. I have post history that proves I've said these things.
This is literally me pointing out that people are giving a full synopsis and near-review on almost zero amount of information shown in the first trailer aside from a ship, a planet, a creature, and 'vibes'.
digimaster7
Neo Member
true, I freaking LOVE all the product placement in the Yakuza series. kinda sad when their donki license run out, first the iconic don don donki music disappear, then the whole store disappear in Y7He's right though. Everyone jizzes their pants when it's Kojimbo putting Monster Energy into Death Stranding or Calorie Mate into MGS3. Westerners put in some shit and suddenly it's treated like Brawndo in Idiocracy.
ZehDon
Member
So, we can't have an opinion on the trailer? Do you understand what advertising is?
You stated my original post was "very close" to taking "a shot at both anime in general and this game". I explained that I'm taking a shot at the trailer precisely because of those "very, very specific set of parameters". If there isn't an anime that also fits, then I can't be taking a shot at "anime in general", can I?
Just quote my posts in this thread where I'm commenting on literally any of those things and I'll happily shut my mouth.
I snipped your post because, frankly, I don't care about Naughty Dog or your opinion of it's past games. This is simply me commenting on the trailer Naughty Dog released and it's seeming creative bankruptcy. You've decided to use my posts as a spring board to jump off on a tangent about "people" giving a "near-review"... when I haven't done that at all. I could give my opinion on the meta-contextual aspects of why I think they're making something like Intergalactic, but frankly, that stuff doesn't matter. All that matters is that I watched the trailer - Naughty Dog's own introduction to set up their brand new IP - and found it pretty lacking for the reasons I've outlined. You don't have to agree, but you're trying to dismiss my criticisms, and that's not really how this stuff works. Given that I'm not the only person to voice my exact feedback, that should tell you it's valid and shouldn't be dismissed.
Gamerguy84
Member
IDC if there are McDonald's or any other company in my games. IDC if they aren't there. It doesn't affect the game for me.
I do like mcnuggets, fresh fries, and hot mustard sometimes.
I do like mcnuggets, fresh fries, and hot mustard sometimes.
Hudo
Gold Member
I mean, yes, if you use it carefully to make a point. Like, for example, in Blade Runner, whenever Deckard is flying around L.A. and you see all the ads. That just tells you what kind of society humanity has become, and it is sparingly used, actually. So it makes an impact.
I did not feel this way watching the trailer for Intergalactic. But seeing that stuff didn't really add anything for me in the sense of that my impression got changed about the world or something. At least, how they use it in the trailer felt more like "here's a brand you know!" to me.
I did not feel this way watching the trailer for Intergalactic. But seeing that stuff didn't really add anything for me in the sense of that my impression got changed about the world or something. At least, how they use it in the trailer felt more like "here's a brand you know!" to me.
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kiphalfton
Member
Pedro Motta
Gold Member
Of course he didn't see anything yet, he just has to downplay Naughty Dog because his favorite brand is in shambles. There's nothing left to do but to create delusional false narratives.
RoadHazard
Gold Member
If a game is supposed to be set in the real world (or some alternate version of the real world) I'm fine with it, it can definitely make things more believable.
Black_Stride
do not tempt fate do not contrain Wonder Woman's thighs do not do not
Yeah, just zoom in on her feet in the middle of the fucking trailer to show shiny Brand™, it's so immersive
And it worked cuz I really want that shoe.
Hopefully they release it with Blue Glow color scheme.
Roman Empire
Member
No way, people made fun of Death Strading featuring Monster Energy as it was the most out of place shit in a post-apocalyptic setting where most of the States became Iceland and shit. How in the fuck you justify a energy drink company like that thriving in a environment like that? It was stupid there and it is stupid here with Intergalactic.He's right though. Everyone jizzes their pants when it's Kojimbo putting Monster Energy into Death Stranding or Calorie Mate into MGS3. Westerners put in some shit and suddenly it's treated like Brawndo in Idiocracy.
diffusionx
Gold Member
It can be, the most obvious example is something like MLB The Show, it would not look right without ads in the stadiums.
That said, I don't think the Intergalactic video did it well. It looked like a parody of the 1980s with random brands and gear slapped all over the place. That's not the way this stuff works. Then I read more about the game's ties to the 1980s and it just sounds stupid.
That said, I don't think the Intergalactic video did it well. It looked like a parody of the 1980s with random brands and gear slapped all over the place. That's not the way this stuff works. Then I read more about the game's ties to the 1980s and it just sounds stupid.
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crackajack
Member
I don't mind prodcut placement, but in the trailer it was very on the nose, like it was a specifically sponsored video. Deal: subtle product placement in the game, but prominent zoom ins in the reveal which was probably expected to get xy millions views.
struggler_guts
Gold Member
Based on half the replies in this thread...
schaft0620
Member
People who complain about this need to watch Back to the Future.
Yeah, just zoom in on her feet in the middle of the fucking trailer to show shiny Brand™, it's so immersive
You don't get the game.
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Toots
Gold Member
If you cannot tell the difference between people with artistic vision that had to make do with product placement, and often managed to question the practice itself by the way they were implementing it in their work, and derivative netflix tv series screenwriters chasing the next trend (because lets face it that is what naughty dogs writers are), good fo you !
You will have a great time eating whatever they put in your trough.
Angry_Megalodon
Member
Is this game a comedy, like Back to the Future?
The "profound" tone Neil is suggesting clashes with these retro references and the Pet Shop Boys song, another wrong decision.
Matsuchezz
Member
More like People have become such whiny little bitches. Trying to please every complaint out there is impossible and fruitless. Their games are great people throw tantrums as toddlers. And it’s very palpable when they write they hate x thing and feel certain way as if they were women. Men think women feel.
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mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
No WAY!!!! LOL!!!!
viveks86
Member
My read of the trailer is that clash is deliberate. That when she crash lands on the planet, there will be a tonal shift. The vibrant colors are gone, the music is gone, everything looks desaturated, foggy and mysterious. It's an alien isolated world where none of that consumerism matters (or likely even exists).
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Or social media and the internet in general have turned every whiny baby into a super hero. They have today's gamers treating Youtubers like that Asmongold dude like he's Martin Luther King or Ronald Regan trying to fight for freedom of a nation.
TheThreadsThatBindUs
Member
It's Negotiator101. He's an Xbox fanboy who is butthurt that Spencer shat his beloved brand down the crapper. So now he makes it his mission to troll every PS and PS first party thread.
Maybe he's hoping to persuade a few people back to Xbox... I dunno.
Zacfoldor
Member
It actually can.
The scene where they try to sell him Fop brand pomade is hilarious and one of the best parts of the movie. We find out Clooney's character is a Dapper Dan fanboy in the pomade wars.
This is actually a perfect example of how using branding as a story asset can help us relate to a character. The best characters have flaws. Being a fanboy is a flaw that we can often relate to in some way and it hits hilariously in OBWAT. We find out there have been fanboys of silly little things long before the first game console or extrapolating, even the first car was invented.
The scene where they try to sell him Fop brand pomade is hilarious and one of the best parts of the movie. We find out Clooney's character is a Dapper Dan fanboy in the pomade wars.
This is actually a perfect example of how using branding as a story asset can help us relate to a character. The best characters have flaws. Being a fanboy is a flaw that we can often relate to in some way and it hits hilariously in OBWAT. We find out there have been fanboys of silly little things long before the first game console or extrapolating, even the first car was invented.
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Astray
Member
Yeah we got the European version lol.
Red Letter Media has a great video about this film