Playtests Are The New Trailers

A trend we’ve noticed and focus on with ELO is participation over consumption, and success of recent playtests seem to prove us right; no longer do you build real hype through trailers, but the first real taste for players is participating in closed alphas/betas and playtests.

Games like semiwork’s R.E.P.O., Jagex’s Dragonwilds and Arc Raiders by Embark Studios didn’t wait until launch to let players start their story, they gave early access. This turned access into authentic feedback and engagement, and community into creators.

And with Steam wishlists more important than ever, building trust with your community pre-launch is crucial.

So while a great trailer can generate lots of views, playtests and early access builds participants.