Video Game analysis
Fallout 4 belongs to the Fallout series of games, which is a new upcoming game for November 2015. The games main platforms are Xbox 360, Xbox One, and newly, PlayStation 4. The trailer lasts for 3 minutes which is unusual for a typical televised game trailer. The game trailer was released after a long tail of teaser screenshots and discussions in the gaming community. As video games has evolved into immersing into audiences lives more and more, the trailers have became longer due to the impact on the internet and the new 'hype' of information age. This sort of game trailer may be posted on gaming websites such as Steam, Bethesda and also on social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. The game trailer is far too long for television advertising and was used as an announcement trailer for gaming fans. The television aired game trailer is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQvUww6fQWY
200 years after a nuclear war, Fallout 4 is set in a post-apocalyptic Boston which the protagonists emerges from an underground facility known as a Vault. The game-play being very similar to Fallout 3 in which players explore an open world with non-linear game-play. Players have quests and battles to accomplish. The trailer was released June 3rd 2015, leaving 8 months of long-tail for the company, Bethesda, to gain more interest from old and new fans. I will be analysing the game trailer in more detail.
Firstly, a fade in is used to show a Pegi 18 logo. This means the game is of mature use, for players over 18 years of age. This is due to the game containing mature themes and ideas, severe violence and bad language unsuitable for younger game players. The 'provisional rating' means this is the estimated age rating, but due to not being released since being a trailer for a game coming out soon, the creators have decided on an estimate and haven't decided on the correct age rating as of yet.
The load screen for Fallout 4 has remained the same throughout the other 3 alike games. This creates a motif for fans to follow, making those loyal fans more happy due to the fact the game won't be changing vastly, just improving.
This screen is used to depict the time period and the situation. As it is in black and white, we assume it is before the 80's due to colour TV coming out around that time. We also know emergency public announcements use this screen for live broadcasting, meaning something global has occurred, hinting at the storyline and plot.
As the camera zooms out, with a slight dolly action, we see a wider picture from the TV screen. The television itself is old and rustic, and appears the style being set in the 1950's. The television sits upon a sound system, with iconic 50's font, saying 'Radiation King'. The writing foreshadows the events of the game, thus being a nuclear war. We also see overgrowth of plants up the corner of the wall, suggesting there has been no civilisation for a long time. The rubble on the floor and the rust on the car also suggests abandonment. The sound used is of poor quality for affect, due to being set back when audio wasn't crisp and clear, giving the impression of the music being played from an old vinyl player. The song being played is called 'It's all over but the crying - The Inkspots'. The music suggests the end of something, in this case the end of civilisation. Fallout is well known for using music from the second world war period for most of their soundtracks.
The editing used in the Fallout 4 trailer is significant to the storyline. The transitions used are disruptions of signal, showing retrospective to present day. This hints at the audience that something has happened for the setting to have gotten this way, to being uncivilised. During this the camera pans around the room as the transitions from past to present happen, showing the audience the severe event that has happened all around them.
The odd mise-en-scene here is the modern 1950's house style setting, however, there seems to be a robot, which obviously didn't exist in the 50's. This gives the idea that history chose a different path, away from the normal. the graphic score used here, is where the dog transitions to the robot, and back again. This may signify how robot became man's best friend instead of the dog. The dog used is a German Shepard, usually used for loyalty, guarding and strength.
This transition shows the German Shepard sniffing the baby mobile, decorated with red and white rockets. This mise-en-scene could indicate the futuristic theme the game has. The dog also leans onto a blue baby crib. The colour blue signifies the baby is a boy due to stereotypes of the colour. The transition to the small family shows the dog is protecting the family and also knew the family or will do in the game, relating to the plot.
This long shot of the subject being the German Shepard, uses the rule of thirds. This means the whole area surrounding the subject can be seen. The mise-en-scene here is highly significant. The brown hue and the haze in the sky give a notion of atomic bombs being set off, hinting at the war like plot. The cracked ground and the ruined houses also hint at mass destruction, as well as the lack of civilisation.
The odd mise-en-scene here is the modern 1950's house style setting, however, there seems to be a robot, which obviously didn't exist in the 50's. This gives the idea that history chose a different path, away from the normal. the graphic score used here, is where the dog transitions to the robot, and back again. This may signify how robot became man's best friend instead of the dog. The dog used is a German Shepard, usually used for loyalty, guarding and strength.
This transition shows the German Shepard sniffing the baby mobile, decorated with red and white rockets. This mise-en-scene could indicate the futuristic theme the game has. The dog also leans onto a blue baby crib. The colour blue signifies the baby is a boy due to stereotypes of the colour. The transition to the small family shows the dog is protecting the family and also knew the family or will do in the game, relating to the plot.
This long shot of the subject being the German Shepard, uses the rule of thirds. This means the whole area surrounding the subject can be seen. The mise-en-scene here is highly significant. The brown hue and the haze in the sky give a notion of atomic bombs being set off, hinting at the war like plot. The cracked ground and the ruined houses also hint at mass destruction, as well as the lack of civilisation.
Following this, another flashback pre-war shows a brighter contrast to make the initial emotion more happy. There is also a lot more colours rather than the dull brown hues, showing destruction in the before long shot of the dog. This happens continuously comparing the pre-war and post-war destruction and loss of civilisation.
A series of pans framing the run down deserted settings giving the viewers the area in which the game may be set, and after the camera settles on the center subject in the screenshot above after a smooth dolly crane motion towards the subject slowly. The lighting used here appears the subject is key in the plot line. The dark red and brown edges contrast with the blue spotlight which illuminates the central character. This character may be purposeful.
After many more camera pans, displaying characters and landscapes, presenting perhaps quests and battle modes, the trailer returns back to the German Shepard dog, next to a steam punk genre robot armor. The camera tracks upwards towards the mask, perhaps hinting that the protagonist is either going to be the hero in the plot. There is also product placement throughout this scene with posters of 'Nuke-Cola' and a 'Nuke-Cola' machine, which has been in the previous games in the collection, as a key element of the game.
All the heroes use a gun of some variety and wear run down clothes covered in dirt. The dogs all are large breeds of dogs, adapting to the stereotype of guard dogs and 'man's best friend'.
Following this, the final screen we see before the video ends is the website to the game, creating synergy for the fans, by them exploring into the game further, keeping the excitement alive. On this website, are updates of the game, merchandise, another form of synergy and the choice to pre-order the game, securing the game before it becomes sold out. The website follows the same theme as the game.
The symbols below the website, are the platforms and logos of the games company and what it can be played on. This is informing the fan that the game will only be released on these platforms such as Xbox One, PS4 (PlayStation) and PC Gaming. In addition to this, Fallout 4 is being brought out for the first time on PS4. Before this, the Fallout series was only released on PC and Xbox platforms, but by releasing the game also on PS4, it can reach a more variety of audience, meaning more profit off the game for the companies and more customer satisfaction as there are more available platforms.
The point of view shot here shows the subject emerging from the vault we just saw open. The first person view may also suggest the game is too in first person from this characters perspective. The colour saturation as well as the flare and blur, suggests the suspected protagonist is disorientated and confused. This might link with the plot line somewhat.
After many more camera pans, displaying characters and landscapes, presenting perhaps quests and battle modes, the trailer returns back to the German Shepard dog, next to a steam punk genre robot armor. The camera tracks upwards towards the mask, perhaps hinting that the protagonist is either going to be the hero in the plot. There is also product placement throughout this scene with posters of 'Nuke-Cola' and a 'Nuke-Cola' machine, which has been in the previous games in the collection, as a key element of the game.
The end scene of the trailer is a very cliché cinematic frame. The frame is a medium shot of a man wearing a vault jumpsuit, carrying a gun. Along side him in this two shot, is the German Shepard. This type of frame is seen a lot in similar type movies such as I Am Legend (2007) and The Road Warrior (1981).
All the heroes use a gun of some variety and wear run down clothes covered in dirt. The dogs all are large breeds of dogs, adapting to the stereotype of guard dogs and 'man's best friend'.
Following this, the final screen we see before the video ends is the website to the game, creating synergy for the fans, by them exploring into the game further, keeping the excitement alive. On this website, are updates of the game, merchandise, another form of synergy and the choice to pre-order the game, securing the game before it becomes sold out. The website follows the same theme as the game.
The symbols below the website, are the platforms and logos of the games company and what it can be played on. This is informing the fan that the game will only be released on these platforms such as Xbox One, PS4 (PlayStation) and PC Gaming. In addition to this, Fallout 4 is being brought out for the first time on PS4. Before this, the Fallout series was only released on PC and Xbox platforms, but by releasing the game also on PS4, it can reach a more variety of audience, meaning more profit off the game for the companies and more customer satisfaction as there are more available platforms.
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