Square Enix deceives with lowkey mess of misleading quotes in Forspoken launch trailer.
Square Enix’s upcoming open-world action RPG, Forspoken, has been shrouded in controversy regarding its marketing. A viral TikTok video called attention to the game’s launch trailer, which took quotes from previews out of context to imply praise for the game. The video showcased several examples of this, such as the quote “beautiful” being taken from a preview that was actually referring to the game’s potential for storytelling.
The video also pointed out that the trailer included a quote from Game Informer that was taken from a news write-up of a gameplay trailer, not a hands-on preview. Moreover, the actual review of the game gave it a 7.5 out of 10, and the quote in question did not include the word “impressive.”
The video’s creator, Derek Lieu, stated that the intent was not to claim that the game is bad, but to point out that the misleading framing implies that Square Enix was not confident enough in the game to let it stand on its own. This type of marketing is nothing new, as companies often search for any source, reputable or not, that says their game is awesome. However, companies should get permission before using other people’s quotes in their marketing.
The video also showcased two trailers that successfully showcased the game without resorting to lies. The first was a trailer for the demo released last month, and the second was a recut of a trailer that was heavily criticized for its fourth-wall-breaking dialogue. This recut showed that it is possible to make a good trailer without lying.
In conclusion, Square Enix’s marketing of Forspoken has been highly controversial. The viral TikTok video pointed out how the company used misleading quotes taken out of context to imply praise for the game. This type of marketing is not uncommon, but companies should get permission before using other people’s quotes and should be transparent about how they will be used. The video also showed that it is possible to make a good trailer without resorting to lies.
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