Why You Absolutely Need a Good Game Trailer

When I get asked why making a trailer for a game is so important, my first reaction is to be very worried for the person asking (this is presuming they're making a game they want to sell). I get worried because I think a trailer is the BARE MINIMUM requirement to market a game, and if they're not doing the bare minimum, that tells me they're not giving much thought to marketing whatsoever.

But in this age of YouTube videos and Twitch streams, do we even need trailers anymore? There are many YouTube commenters who complain about trailers being a waste of time because they just want to see RAW gameplay not some fluffy cinematic camera angle video. So why bother making trailers?

Imagine you're composing some tweets to promote your game. Which of these variations do you think will get more clicks?

"Here's my game about a day in the life of a cat :3

Read this interview!

Watch this 20 min YouTube video!

Watch this Twitch streamer play it!

Watch this 1 minute trailer!

I don't think I'm in the minority when I say I'd much rather watch the 1 minute trailer before I commit to any of the things which will require much more of my time. Trailers are good for customers not only because they're an efficient means of conveying a lot of information about a game, but most of all, they respect the customer's TIME.

Quick, tell me everything about your game. TOO LATE, BORED ALREADY!

A lot of adults especially barely have time to even play games, so the thought of asking someone to watch several minutes or an hour of game coverage is unthinkable when there's a means to sum it all up in 1-2 minutes or fewer. Footage of a game being played is the closest thing we have to sitting a person down with a controller in their hands. Seeing a game in motion and HEARING it is something no other thing in a press kit can do.

On a more practical level, you absolutely need a trailer for your store page. Even if people initially prefer looking at screenshots on a store page, the trailer is one of the first things they see, and not having that option will make it more difficult for them to deliberate on their purchase.

When you think about it in terms of how it can help the customer understand the game and respect their time, I think it's a no-brainer. I'm sure a lot of developers think a lot about how a trailer is for themselves, but it should really be thought of as something made for the customer. Keep them in mind when making the trailer, and it will be easier to figure out how to make it good.

Respect the time of your audience, give them what they need to know to evaluate your game (the hook, the story, the gameplay, and where to buy it). It is a service to the customer both to help them find what they DO want to play and what they DON'T want to play.

When making game trailers I don't worry about addressing the needs of people who prefer watching YouTubers and Streamers to drive their purchasing decisions, because it would be extra potentially wasted effort trying to convince someone opposed to the medium itself. I'd much rather spend the energy making a trailer for the people for whom trailers are a useful introduction way to learn about a new game, and decide for themselves if they think it's worth pursuing.

Lastly, trailers are important because more people will watch your game's trailer than actually play the game. If your parents, friends or relatives don't play games, the trailer is the only means you have to show them what the heck it is you've been working on for so long. They probably have a desire to support your work and share or show it off, and a good trailer will give them the means to do it!

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