Titanfall 'really tough to market,' producer says

"Its actually been really tough trying to accurately market Titanfall."

32

Titanfall is a game that features giant robots shooting each other. It's also won tons of awards. Yet, Respawn producer Drew McCoy claims that the game has been tough to market because it doesn't feature a single player campaign.

"It's actually been really tough trying to accurately market Titanfall," he told NeoGAF (via IGN). "Without a bunch of highly scripted SP moments to recam from different angles, the usual 'movie like' trailer is just about right out."

Instead, the company has been focusing on simply showing off gameplay, hoping that the flow will appeal to gamers. "Starting as a Pilot, taking on AI and other player Pilots, wall running around a Titan, earning your Titan, climbing in, battling other Titans while stomping on humans, ejecting, etc. There's a huge amount of gameplay mechanics available at any one time, and encompassing them in a few minutes is actually quite hard to do."

Of course, even amongst hardcore gamers, it's been difficult for the Titanfall team. Although the game has always been 6v6 at preview events, players were upset to find out recently that there will be no larger player counts in the final game.

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

From The Chatty
  • reply
    January 13, 2014 2:10 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Titanfall 'really tough to market,' producer says.

    "Its actually been really tough trying to accurately market Titanfall."

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 2:17 PM

      Oblivion with guns. Quake with mechs?

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 2:38 PM

      Is there no SP element at all?

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 2:43 PM

        Much next gen. Wow. So killer app.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 2:46 PM

        It seems pretty crazy, given how all of the content *looks* like it would make a killer SP game.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 2:51 PM

        There's no SP story line. It's just a bot mode for the regular game. I guess kinda like Brink.

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 3:13 PM

          I think there is an SP story line but it's integrated with the multiplayer. There's no offline SP as I understand it.

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 3:14 PM

            Or I guess more correctly there's a story but it's all in the MP, so yeah there's no SP storyline in that sense. I guess that's what you said to begin with, lol.

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 5:03 PM

          [deleted]

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 5:59 PM

          [deleted]

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 6:29 PM

            the difference here being this game is made by a team trying to refine their old formula that is tried and true (COD) rather than one that never took off (Enemy Territory)

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 6:05 PM

          OMFG. welp.

        • reply
          January 14, 2014 5:36 AM

          They had a pretty good article on it in Game Informer. They make it sound like a type of game that we just haven't seen yet. It sounds like they are combining multi-player and single player in a way which hasn't been done yet. Basically you will be playing a single-player game with a story and you have AI buddies running around with you... then some kind of events will happens and you will seamlessly drop into multiplayer matches and then come back out of them. At least that's what I got out of it. It is a multiplayer only game, but not in the traditional sense where you go to a lobby and choose a server type thing. You are playing a story and then you are fighting against other players, but it sounds like it will be difficult to tell who is real and who are bots? There is a bigger war going on around you and you are just part of it. If they can pull off what they were describing it sounds pretty awesome actually.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:40 PM

        [deleted]

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:51 PM

        Nope which sucks because this would be a purchase for me if it had one.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 6:27 PM

        As someone who has yet to play any of the BF or CoD campaigns, the lack of SP doesn't affect me at all. I would rather they use the resources they have to improve and further develop the multiplayer, but I understand why many would be disappointed at the complete lack of offline play.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 2:46 PM

      Fallout with mechs.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 3:24 PM

      Here is what you do.

      You pay $15,000 to Day9 and a couple of his buddies. You bring them in and let them play the game for day, record the action and voice chat, then cut that into a trailer. 3-4 dudes on the same team, laughing it up, oooing and awwing about the graphics and robots, and plenty of action shots. Even if people dont know Day9, they can relate to gaming with their friends.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:17 PM

        If people don't know who Day 9 is, I'm sure we can find some random mopes to do this for $20 instead of $15k.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 4:57 PM

      How do you have difficulty marketing a game with GIANT ROBOTS?! Morons.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:08 PM

        This, and "Waaah, it's tough to market a game; all we have is gameplay videos!"

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 5:14 PM

          Gigantic posters on buildings with the tagline "Size matters." Gameplay videos are out there. Done. Where's my check?

          I'm considering buying an Xbone for this damn game. (Well, that and Dead Rising 3)

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 5:26 PM

            Maybe they are more worried that the game isn't standing out in a crowded space. I haven't really followed this game except watching a few gameplay videos, but I guess since it's 6 vs 6 you will be killing bots most of the time or the maps are going to be really small? Those are mostly all bots I see flying about in the gameplay video?

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 5:36 PM

            "Now you can finally apply that 'Crush your enemies, see them driven before you' line literally: TITANFALL."

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 7:46 PM

        Well, the fact that so many people went nuts over the fact that the game is 6v6 is indication that it isn't quite so simple.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 5:24 PM

      Natural Selection 2 did just fine (more than 1 million copies sold) and it's MP only, and had basically $0 marketing budget. Focus on making a good game, marketing is for shitty games like the ones EA sells.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:26 PM

        Oh wait, EA sells this. Too bad, it looks kinda fun, but I'm done with EA's QA shittiness and all the bugs all their games launch with.

        • reply
          January 14, 2014 7:44 AM

          yeah I was interested in this till I read about all their Marketing Bullshit as well as who publishes it.

          no longer interested.

      • reply
        January 14, 2014 2:45 AM

        [deleted]

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 5:35 PM

      Man, this game is going to be such a letdown for so many people. Generic shooter with AI bots on your team.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:38 PM

        And the games press is salivating over using "TITANFAIL" in their headlines. They should have thought that one out better.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 5:42 PM

        They've said many times that the AI aren't bots on your team but are used in a different manner. My thinking is they use AI to 'fill out the world' for lack of a better term. The 6v6 battles are the primary gameplay and are meant to be the focus of the battles, from what they've said.

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 5:51 PM

          Any AI at all in a low numbers, fast paced (?) shooter seems like a net negative to me. Either take them out completely and make the core gameplay that much better, or increase the player count.

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 7:55 PM

            The are a part of the core gameplay, like it or not. They've always been in there to give people who suck a chance at some fodder kills and extra xp for calling down Titans faster.

            Whether or not that random element detracts or adds to the experience remains to be seen. It's probably not going to become a pro competitive shooter with that stuff but if it's balanced out loke DOTA's creeps who knows? Writing it off without even trying it or saying it should be removed before you know how it works and plays is just fucking asinine. Same goes for changing the player counts that they've tested thoroughly and settled on what was the best for the game. I though it would be a 10v10 game initially but 6v6 still makes sense to me with the player mobility and high powered mechs in the mix (which can also be put on autopilot modes). Reserving my judgement on all of this until I actually play it.

            • reply
              January 13, 2014 8:15 PM

              I'm have to take the side of optimism here, the L4D series versus mp was some of my favorite competitive online gaming in recent years, and it was filled with tons of AI fodder enemies. It may not be designed for pro-reports-bros but it was a lot of fun.

              They're something different at least, and different is better than just a mostly straight CoD clone with jump jets and mechs. Judging from the negative response to all this junk that's probably all people really want, unfortunately. Or think they want.

          • reply
            January 14, 2014 4:09 AM

            Right, because those are the only options.

            Come on, pay attention and read about it before speaking.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 6:04 PM

        I haven't picked up a One yet for my BF4 group but they keep telling me this will be the next big thing. I've gotten burned by them telling me to get things to play and then they never touched them again. Brink immediately springs to mind. :(

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 5:49 PM

      Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait... this game has NO single player? No story mode? That sucks! This one of the few games I was really looking forward to this year.

      • reply
        January 14, 2014 5:19 AM

        They always said it's MP only. Which is why I don't care about that game at all. Also, "from the makers of COD" makes me double uninterested, I never liked these games. I wonder how big the market is for online only FPS locked on one platform - I guess we will know soon.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 6:01 PM

      Holy shit you guys are such a bunch of negative Nancy's lately.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 6:19 PM

      "The best parts of COD multiplayer, only better, by the people who invented it. Plus mechs"

      Done.

      • reply
        January 14, 2014 7:45 AM

        "by the people who invented it"

        Since when is DICE working on this?

        :)

      • reply
        January 14, 2014 10:39 AM

        The developers of COD didn't invent MP fps by a long shot. ID and 3dRealms were doing this before their time. Then you had FPS mech games like MechWarrior as well. Its a cool synthesis of ideas but original it isn't.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 6:22 PM

      Call of Duty meets Pacific Rim. Bam. I'll take my money in gold coins please.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 7:17 PM

      Tough to market... at full price.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 7:22 PM

      I think it's because it's symmetrical sides. In COD, you're clearly AMERIKANS FIGHTING TERRIRS. In this... you're fighting other humans w/ the same mechs.

      I can see the difficulty. It'll look like a big mush to all but the educated.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 7:27 PM

        I know when I saw COD Ghost trailer where they had a gun fight in space on some sort of space station weapons platform I instantly thought it's the typical americans vs terrorist scenario.

        • reply
          January 13, 2014 7:28 PM

          I felt that contextually made sense because of established CoD lore w/ the Russian war however, wouldn't you agree?

          • reply
            January 13, 2014 7:39 PM

            Well really what I want to say is EA/Respawn are probably not sure if they should market the game as sci fi or something more grounded because people in marketing think you can't sell sci fi. I don't think it's a merica vs enemy thing.

      • reply
        January 13, 2014 9:01 PM

        this was a huge problem with that natural selection knockoff nuclear dawn. it was the same units each side.....online games are very odd when its symmetrical

      • reply
        January 14, 2014 5:20 AM

        So you are saying GOP supporters will not buy Titanfall.

        • reply
          January 14, 2014 5:53 AM

          they don't like science, why would they like science-fiction? ololol

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 8:23 PM

      If only there were other multiplayer only games that they could learn from. Sadly, such a thing does not exist.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 8:30 PM

      Make live action commercials/trailers.

    • reply
      January 13, 2014 10:17 PM

      [deleted]

    • reply
      January 14, 2014 2:24 AM

      Couldn't care less since it doesn't have any single player campaign, so done with these multiplayer only fps games...

      Only games that still excite regarding multiplayer are games like Assetto Corsa and good old Quake and Doom. Never gets old those two.

    • reply
      January 14, 2014 5:49 AM

      [deleted]

Hello, Meet Lola