Another Sony State of Play has come and gone so the debate, once again, begins on whether it was a “good” showcase.
This is an inevitable discussion that happens whenever Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, or others drop a digital showcase. I’ve noticed a trend that seems to come up each time this debate happens: the determining factor largely boils down to personal interests.
If the showcase doesn’t feature games you are interested in, then people will deem it a “bad” stream. Sure, many will argue it’s the pacing, presentation of it all, or production value that is the determining factor, but we all know that’s not what shapes public opinion.
The purpose of a showcase such as the Feb. 12 State of Play is to sell video games. These companies want gamers to get excited about what is upcoming and potentially sell some backlog items as well.
Take the opening announcement of the recent State of Play. Kena: Scars of Kosmora being an announcement during the State of Play is likely to get people wanting to play Kena: Bridge of Spies if they haven’t already.
All of that said, none of that will matter if the consumer isn’t interested in that game in the first place.
That consumer may be frustrated that Kena got the spotlight over the third installment in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. If the State of Play didn’t include enough games that consumer is interested in, they may deem it a “waste of time” or “bad” State of Play.
The games themselves determine the final evaluation of the showcase.
True, there are some out there who analyze production quality or communication strategies, but those are the minority. The larger gamer is more interested in what the company will do for them now.
Is personal interest the best measuring stick? Maybe, but it is the one that is primarily used.
If the purpose is to sell games and the showcase hasn’t piqued the interest of the consumer, then it’s fair to say that showcase “failed” on some level. On the other hand, it is impossible to cater to everyone.
The problem becomes the consumers judge its quality based on the lack of interest rather than saying it was simply not for them. This mindset doesn’t measure the quality, it measures its effectiveness on an individual.
Unfortunately, that assessment isn’t sexy enough for the YouTube and social media algorithm so calling it “the worst” or some other dramatic synonym that will generate the clicks. This leads to an Agenda Setting of sorts that spirals until personal interest has, once again, determined the worth of the showcase.
I don’t think we can know the worth of a showcase until months later, when the games actually release. There are other measurements you can do to see if your showcase has kept a game in the public’s eye. That said, you can’t properly determine if the showcase achieves its purpose of selling games until the title has actually released.
As for the quality of the showcase, it will always be a subjective assessment. As much as people try to make it about anything else, the focus seems to be set on how interested the individual is on the games showcased.
What about you? How do you determine the quality of a video games showcase? Does your personal interest affect how you view the showcase and how you rate it? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.
Featured Image: Sony (via Metro)
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