Selling Star Was Battlefront II: A paratextual analysis of video game trailers

Abstract

This is a paratextual analysis of the trailers of the game Star Wars: Battlefront II. Trailers of a game which was met with some controversy on release. This analysis focusses on the connection of the trailer to the Star Wars franchise to see how the trailers try to influence fans. The analysis shows how trailers can be used to influence fans in order to increase the hype surrounding the game and amplify the message of the trailers. Turning fans into brand ambassadors of the game. The success of the hype before the game lead to scale of the controversy when the game did not perform as fans had hoped. The analysis shows why it is important to stay critical of promotional paratext and to keep examining their intentions.