Massively shows the official Issue 17 trailer

I agree. I just watched it again with this in mind, and it made things... um... not so great. Let me put this one way, as I suspect the video's creator will read this:

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Dear awesome person who bleeds cool and sweats sexiness,

I want to groom your hair. Keep that sexual awkwardness in mind as I write this, because it's the rations that I recommend you pack for this trip.

This video isn't for anybody. I don't mean that it's not technically good, I mean that no matter whom I consider its target audience to be, I consider it to have missed. For example, a very large emphasis is placed on Ultra Mode. Here, however, are two problems with this:

• Ultra Mode doesn't make the graphics better than anything else out there. If graphics were a race, Ultra Mode catches City of Heroes up to a much closer 2nd. Though I can't truly empathize with a non-fan of our beloved Paragon, it seems to me that shouting "Now with relevant graphics" doesn't seem like where we should be throwing our ticker tape externally. Party for you and me, but not newcomers.
  
• Cubemap Reflections: I defy you to find a way to say that sexily. The second I saw that phrase in the video, I literally assumed that this was meant to pull in tech-geek retired heroes. That phrase doesn't even make sense to people. (To test this theory, I told my coworker that I heard a rumor that her favorite PC Game is getting Cubemap Reflections. Her response? "What the **** is that?")

In short, I don't think Ultra Mode is as big a deal to random passers by (Let's call them citizens) as Marketing thinks it is. I'm not knee deep in focus group, though, so take it for what you will.

Next, the Positron Task Force Update. How is saying "We fixed the issue" a good advertisement to newcomers? I'm being rhetorical, because it isn't. Highlighting this wasn't good for newcomers.

Mission Architect Enhancements. This would have been better if you had focused on how these are instantly cool to new people. Sure, Jack of Irons is in the video, but if you want it to pop, you say something like "Creating your own missions just got bigger. A LOT bigger." Then cut to Jackie boy offing some dudes. It should be immediately clear what's been added. When you say "Enhancements" and then show me three seconds of video, I feel like I'm playing "Spot the differences" between said three second clip and a snap shot I took in my mind long ago.

Um... you're really pretty? That's your next ration. I really hate telling people what they did "wrong", because that's pretty subjective. If we meet at Hero Con, remind me to buy you a drink and tell you how much I respect your hair.

Where were we?

New Story Arcs. Fantastic. I loved this. In my opinion, the entire video should have been focusing on the new arch-enemies being "Evil You". This is the shortest, quickest way to sell people. It's one of the most well known comic book tropes and something that you can explain to people in a second. This is new content, it's dramatic, it's fun, and it demands that players consider the "individuality" concept of City of Heroes in order to fully appreciate a tailor made baddie.

Demon Summoning & Dual Pistols. Yes, Dual Pistols already came out, but your press releases and such are acting like the double guns are fresh with I17... so use it. These are the sexiest things in I17 on a completely aesthetic and shallow level, but that's the level on which trailers should work. I mean, if you were at a gamer bar, and you're trying to pick up on some sexy young thing making eyes, do you want to tell them that you "Updated cubemap reflections" or "Designed the demons and dual pistol powers"?

And that's what a trailer should be: A pick-up line. You gave yourself 2:08 to convince newcomers that they've been missing out on 6 incredible years that are, pardon the cliche, "just getting started". Instead, this video was glorified patch notes. And none of this is mentioning the frame rate drop right around the Positron Task Force section. I'm not sure if that was intended to be slow-motion, but it looked to me like the Marketing department wasn't allowed to Fraps on the good computers. Which is depressing.

Ending on reminding us that this is a build up to Going Rogue was a brilliant touch. I wouldn't have thought of it myself, and it leaves whetted palettes. For that, I offer you a high 5.

^5.

You're cool, Marketing. We love you, and we love the work that you do. I spend my time writing this in the hopes that you consider it going forward. Not to flame, and not to trash. Believe me, I feel bad writing this, but I felt as I should say something.

Thank you for your work. Your trailers and other efforts are consistently appreciated, and I wish you nothing but the 2nd best*.

~Marcian

*1st best reserved for the person who enables female MM Pets.

That's how I roll!

Oh, and while I was away, I realized that Ultra Mode might be a good pill to swallow if "the masses" feel that our graphics are outdated. If that's the case*, I alter my feedback to suggest that it be explained more charmingly than "Cubemaps".

*If being used, because I don't have access to the marketing research and don't want to imply that I do.