False advertising for current gen games?

N

Neo

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Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that games that have next-gen versions coming soon only have gameplay and screenshots from the next-gen versions? Publishers are pushing sales of current gen games like mad but using next-gen footage/images to promote the game. So when you get home and play it on your PS3 and XBOX 360, you're getting 50% of what has actually been shown to you.

Culprits so far: Watchdogs, Assassins Creed 4, and apparently according to cinemablend.com - GTA5 as well.
 
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Not really. They've been doing the same thing for ages with games like Crysis 3 - where the marketing screenshots and videos are generated on some monster dev PC.
 
There was a vid of Watch Dogs on current gen and it looked crap in comparison with the next gen versions.

I don't think it is false advertising but just a clever marketing ploy to start selling the next gen consoles.
 
This is what I'm worried about with GTA5.

The visuals are looking amazing, and if this is the case I'll be depressed. Granted I hook my Xbox up with HDMI, while playing Forza Horizon today I thought to myself, "this looks amazing and it's open world" - though I think the case does not apply to GTA. Just hoping it doesn't look blocky, either way it'll still be fun to play. My biggest concern will probably be choppy frame rates and delayed rendering/loading. I hear/read things about past titles where by cars, pedestrians, etc load when you are just about on top of them. Hope this isn't the case, or maybe I'm getting my hopes too high.

Opinions?
 
BeoTeK said:
This is what I'm worried about with GTA5.

The visuals are looking amazing, and if this is the case I'll be depressed. Granted I hook my Xbox up with HDMI, while playing Forza Horizon today I thought to myself, "this looks amazing and it's open world" - though I think the case does not apply to GTA. Just hoping it doesn't look blocky, either way it'll still be fun to play. My biggest concern will probably be choppy frame rates and delayed rendering/loading. I hear/read things about past titles where by cars, pedestrians, etc load when you are just about on top of them. Hope this isn't the case, or maybe I'm getting my hopes too high.

Opinions?
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My opinion is that I will wait for it on PC and hope like hell Rockstar can port it properly.
 
Pooky said:
My opinion is that I will wait for it on PC and hope like hell Rockstar can port it properly.
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I had my suspicions that R* was going to make a PS4/XBONE version of GTA V but apparently they are not, so here is to hoping that they don't just port it like they did with GTA IV.
 
Quick question: if you are getting annoyed by all the games showing next-gen graphics, did you also get annoyed when Battlefield videos were shown running on ultra, or Crysis videos, or Need for Speed, or any game for that matter in the past 15 years? Every promotional video of a game I've ever seen was showing the game running on max graphics of PC no mere mortal will ever afford to own.

That's the way of marketing. It's not false advertising, it's just showing a product in it's best form to showcase it at it's finest. And if next-gen will have better graphics, why not.
 
The videos for crysis, battlefield etc. (especially on PC) opens itself up to have them run the game at the BEST possible quality graphics by using hardware that very few mortals can afford. The difference is, the PC crowd KNOWS this. However, my comments are based more around the console market where promotions are based from the next-gen versions to sell copies for the CURRENT gen market. That is still unfair and creates expectations which cannot be met.

If you think it's "fair" for a retailer / publisher / manufacturer to end up selling you something that does not have all the features of the product that was showcased (at least without a disclaimer) then you're in the minority. I think that when they show you videos or screenshots of a game they should specifically state on which platform it was run so that consumers can make an informed decision.

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Glordit said:
I had my suspicions that R* was going to make a PS4/XBONE version of GTA V but apparently they are not, so here is to hoping that they don't just port it like they did with GTA IV.
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Mark my words now. As soon as the initial sales figures for GTA V are met, Rockstar will announce GTA V for PC, PS4 and XBOX One. What's more, we'll probably find out that all of the footage and screenshots we've seen so far look eerily familiar to the "next-gen" versions.
 
This is why if you're not sure, you wait for a review before you buy, that way you don't get burned. As for GTA V, I have pretty realistic expectations of what it's going to look like on PS3 and I'm totally fine with that.
 
Next-gen gaming videos always advertise the platform it's being played on as well. There's always at the end a screen showing either Xbox One or Playstation 4 logos. And if the PC crowd knows that the game videos may not be achievable on their system, why should current-gen gamers be different? If I were a game developer on consoles, I would also show off next-gen graphics, show the next-gen logo as all these videos do have. If you think that from that video you current gen console can do the same, well then it's the same as a PC gamer that thinks his GTX250 will play Crysis on max. I still don't see it as false advertising, as they are in fact showing off next-gen...
 
I have to disagree with you. There are a ton of videos showing gameplay from upcoming titles such as Watchdogs (which is a good example) where the PS4 logo is nowhere in sight, and at the end of the video you're told that the game is launching for PS3 and later for the PS4. A normal consumer would assume the gameplay he just saw is from the game coming out NOW, i.e the PS3 version.

Another example is Assassin's Creed 4. I haven't even seen gameplay footage from the PS3/XBOX 360 version because the only screenshots and gameplay we're seeing is from the next-gen versions. They're ALSO not labelled unless the video is specifically about the "tech" inside the next-gen consoles.

That is misleading. Period.

Add: never compare the PC crowd to the console crowd. That's just ignorance on your side. Don't do it.
 
Neo said:
I have to disagree with you. There are a ton of videos showing gameplay from upcoming titles such as Watchdogs (which is a good example) where the PS4 logo is nowhere in sight, and at the end of the video you're told that the game is launching for PS3 and later for the PS4. A normal consumer would assume the gameplay he just saw is from the game coming out NOW, i.e the PS3 version.

Another example is Assassin's Creed 4. I haven't even seen gameplay footage from the PS3/XBOX 360 version because the only screenshots and gameplay we're seeing is from the next-gen versions. They're ALSO not labelled unless the video is specifically about the "tech" inside the next-gen consoles.

That is misleading. Period.

Add: never compare the PC crowd to the console crowd. That's just ignorance on your side. Don't do it.
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If people aren't smart enough to either see the bullshit or wait for reviews then too bad for them.
 
Why can't I compare the PC and the console crowed? I see myself as part of both, as I love playing on both those platforms. While you do make some valid points, I am still on the side that it's not false advertising. I just don't feel that I've been mislead to believe that my Xbox 360 will be capable of next-gen gaming, just as my older PC will not be able to play any of the new games on high settings. I do agree that they can add more labelling to show exactly what platform they are using, but it may be because most of the videos currently are still captured using PC's.

What would have made it misleading is if they used next-gen footage to directly market and sell current-gen gaming consoles. Then I would agree. But from the videos it's clear to see they are not focused on current gen, and rightfully so.
 
I have to say YES! I am getting flippin annoyed at this. I can handle promo shots of a PC game running at max settings because if I wanted to I can upgrade my PC and be able to run it just like that but thats not possible on a console. To me that is false advertising.

As Isengard said: Im waiting for proper gameplay footage and reviews. screw hype. Never falling for it again.
 
I mean I don't think it's too much to ask for people to be a little more mindful of what they are doing. If you cant be bothered to do a little research before blindly buying a game then why should I feel sorry for you? People need to take a little responsibility and not be so easily fooled by media.
 
Well, out of personal experience I remember buying Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat for the Sega Genesis back in the 90's. All of the advertisements showed the game as it was played on the arcade machines and really gave the impression that I would be playing the arcade game, complete with quality graphics and sound, at home. Imagine my disappointment when the game looked like a dog's breakfast compared to what I was expecting.

I was just a little kid who didn't have a master's degree in electronics to understand that what advertisers were punting was physically impossible.

All I'm saying is that if publishers and developers were to show gameplay from the actual versions that they're going to sell you, sales would drop dramatically. I bet you now that Watchdogs and Assassin's Creed 4 look like CRAP on the current gen consoles compared to the video's that have been shown so far. In the end, there's no justification for lying.
 
Some valid points here, from all parties. I don't condone what they are doing, I can understand that publishers want to display their product in the best possible light. But in the same time, if they are releasing a product under current gen times and for current gen consoles, they should at least release screenshots/video that has been played/demonstrated on said console. I would like to see the end result and not be fooled into a false sense of purchase.

Granted I will end up getting this title simply because I am a fan of the franchise and am sure it will indulge me with plenty a good times. But again, I don't want to be forced into having to watch leaked gameplay footage due to being the only means of being able to get actual representations of what the game may (or may not) look like.
 
when you look at a Wimpy or McDonalds menu, the burgers look big fat and juicy, but then when you get it you realise it is not quite the same as the picture. the picture is the product in its perfect state and perfect environment. the same goes for video game promotional material. if the game can look big fat and juicy on a monster pc or on next gen, then that is the image you will see.

in the end your game / burger might not look exactly the same as the advertised picture, and to a certain degree of acceptability, i dont mind. once they start taking off the beef or replacing it with chicken, THEN i will get upset.
 
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