In Battlefield 5 , a traditional setting is chosen for the Gamescom trailer. This cools heated emotions to room temperature. It also shows how delicate it is to make creative decisions, especially regarding politics, believes our author Schuhmann.
The first trailer: On May 23, the first reveal trailer for Battlefield V was released. The star of the trailer was a woman with a metal arm prosthesis.
It was an unusual trailer largely without music, presenting the gameplay elements and innovations of Battlefield V in a series of rapid, interconnected action sequences.
The look was realistic and cinematic, trimmed to be “gritty” – like a war film from recent years.
The chaos of battle was supposed to be represented through weapon switches, explosions, and rapid sequences of highlights.
What did the trailer want to convey? Battlefield V, in this representation, was not an epic battle, but it had an intentionally artistic and cramped feel.
More dislikes than likes and heavy controversy
How was the trailer received? The first trailer was discussed controversially. Many focused especially on the prominently featured woman. The creators were accused of trying to push a “liberal agenda.” They were said to be placing women in a position that they historically did not hold.
There was significant resistance against the trailer. It “triggered” many, as they say. The official reveal trailer for Battlefield V garnered many mocking, sharp comments accusing it of excessive political correctness.
There were also several complaints about how Battlefield V was presented here. Many didn’t like it, deviating too much from expectations. The trailer has had a lot of views so far (almost 12 million), but more dislikes than likes on YouTube.
Better safe than sorry
The second trailer: A new trailer was released on August 16 for Gamescom.
It is so traditional and conservative that some compare it to “Saving Private Ryan.” Over the action, a classic soundtrack with “House of the Rising Sun” plays. Many shooters have layered well-known songs over dramatic action scenes. This is generally customary, a gaming convention.
The new trailer seems to tick off all the boxes from the textbook for “This is how a shooter trailer should look.”
The Gamescom trailer does not tell a coherent sequence of scenes, but rather jumps from scene to scene, as matches the viewing habits of players. The machinery and destruction of war take center stage.
While women also appear, they are not so central that the developers could be criticized for it.
What does the second trailer want? The presentation of the new “Battlefield V” trailer is cinematic-dramatic. Here too, much is broken, yet it has something majestic. The camera work and scene design resemble classic war epics like “Saving Private Ryan” more than the chaotic look that the first trailer aimed for.
The statement here: This will be the Battlefield that fans of the series have been wishing for.
How is the second trailer received? It did not trigger any controversy. The likes are 10 times higher than for the first trailer.
Big game franchises move in a narrow corridor
What does this show?
- The comparison of both trailers clearly shows how dangerous it can be for developers to deviate from the “established norm” and to break with the viewing habits and expectations of players.
- Especially statements and decisions that could somehow be interpreted as “political” are highly risky in such blockbuster productions as Battlefield V.
- One recognizes the power the Internet and the pressure from social media has. In the echo chambers of the net, such negative sentiments amplify and then confront strongly. The backlash was sharp and seemingly forced Dice to react for the second trailer.
Narrow corridor: Comparing the two trailers, it also becomes clear why large game series are often accused of repeating themselves year after year. The corridor in which these series operate is narrow. Fans have a clear idea of how a “Battlefield” should be. Deviating from this is risky.
What may have prompted developers to rethink this:
