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VIDEO GAME TRAILER

SPECIFICATIONS
October 3, 2018

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UPDATED NOVEMBER 14, 2018)

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Each of the major video game platforms have different video specifications for
trailers; if your trailer doesn't comply, you can waste valuable time re-submitting.
The information on this page is a based on official branding guides, trailer
submission guides, and trailers clients of mine have successfully submit.

Where available I've provided links to websites that list specifications in more
detail for each platform. Your contact from each of the game platforms will be able
to get you access to the branding guidelines which contain more information about
branding than you could ever want.

TO SHARE THIS PAGE WITH FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES,

JUST SEND THEM TO
GAMETRAILERSPECS.COM!
I cannot guarantee that following these specs will get your trailer approved; I've
run into cases where I followed all the specifications presented to me, but still got
rejected because of one tiny detail that wasn't listed. Be sure to read each section
in its entirety to make sure you don't miss anything.

At the very least this should minimize the time spent on the submission process.
Regions outside of the United States often have different ultra specific rules, so to
be 100% sure your trailer won't get rejected, contact your console representative
for exact specifications. I'll update this as necessary, but if there's a blind spot or
edge case I missed in this post please contact me with the solution!

Platforms often require separate versions for YouTube. For those just use h.264
encoding settings of 10Mbps and up

NINTENDO SWITCH
Contact your Nintendo representative for access to Nintendo logos, mnemonics,
and branding guidelines

If releasing in all regions, these are the versions you’ll need to export:

1. North America - eShop - No Rating

2. North America - eShop - ESRB
3. North America - YouTube - ESRB
4. Europe - eShop - No Rating
5. Europe - YouTube - PEGI
7. Japan - eShop - No Rating
8. Japan - YouTube - No Rating
NINTENDO SWITCH LOGO USAGE
- Use Nintendo Switch logo in either stacked or horizontal in white, or white in red
vignette
- DO NOT MODIFY THE LOGO IN ANY WAY OR USE THE ICON BY ITSELF.

NINTENDO SWITCH END SLATES

NORTH AMERICA
End slate must include:
- Game Title logo
- Nintendo Switch icon
- Legal line: "Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo. "
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY NON-NINTENDO CONSOLE LOGOS
EUROPE
End slate must include:
- Game Title logo
- Publisher logo
- Nintendo Switch icon
- Nintendo eShop logo
- Legal line: "Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo."
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY NON-NINTENDO CONSOLE LOGOS
- Due to EU regulations your call to action cannot direct underage viewers to
purchase (e.g. no “Buy it now!” or “Pre-order now!”
JAPAN
End slate must include:
- Game Title logo
- Nintendo Switch stacked logo in red vignette on top right corner of the screen
- Nintendo eShop logo
- Legal line: "Nintendo Switch is a trademark of Nintendo."
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY NON-NINTENDO CONSOLE LOGOS
- DO NOT SHOW AGE RATING AT BEGINNING OF TRAILER

Nintendo Switch animated intro MUST COME DIRECTLY AFTER RATING WITH NO BLACK IN
BETWEEN

NORTH AMERICAN/EUROPE NINTENDO ESHOP

ENCODING SPECIFICATIONS
30 fps version
Resolution: 1280x720
Framerate: 29.97 fps
Video Codec: h.264
Bitrate Encoding: VBR 2 Pass
Video Bitrate (Target): 4000 kbps
Video Bitrate (Maximum): 4500 kbps
Keyframe Distance (frames): 60
Total Bitrate: 4.5 mbit/s
File Format: mp4

Audio Codec: AAC

Audio Bitrate: 192 kbps

60 fps version
Resolution: 1280x720
Framerate: 59.94 fps
Video Codec: h.264
Bitrate Encoding: VBR 2 Pass
Video Bitrate (Target): 7300 kbps
Video Bitrate (Maximum): 8000 kbps
Keyframe Distance (frames): 60
Total Bitrate: 8 mbit/s
File Format: mp4

Audio Codec: AAC

Audio Bitrate: 192 kbps

JAPAN ESHOP ENCODING SPECIFICATIONS

30 fps version
Resolution: 1280x720
Framerate: 29.97 fps
Video Codec: h.264
Total Bitrate: 2 mbit/s
File Format: mp4

YOUTUBE VERSION SPECIFICATIONS

Most editing software have presets for exporting to YouTube, just use one of those.
Otherwise just export using h.264 at 1920x1080p at a high bitrate.

PLAYSTATION 4
Contact your PlayStation representative for access to PlayStation logos,
mnemonics, and branding guidelines

If releasing in all regions, these are the versions you’ll need to export:

1. North America - PS Store - No Rating

2. North America - PS Store - ESRB
3. North America - YouTube - ESRB
4. Europe - PS Store - No Rating
5. Europe - PS Store - PEGI
6. Europe - YouTube - PEGI
PLAYSTATION 4 END SLATES
NORTH AMERICA
End slate must include:
- Game Title logo
- PlayStation 4 logo with Registered Trademark (R) symbol for both logo and word
mark
- Legal line: "The “PS” Family logo and “PS4” are registered trademarks of Sony
Interactive Entertainment Inc. "
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY NON-PLAYSTATION CONSOLE LOGOS
EUROPE
End slate must include:
- Game Title logo
- DO NOT DISPLAY PS4 LOGO OR ANY LEGAL TEXT

PLAYSTATION STORE ENCODING SPECIFICATIONS

Resolution: 1280x720
Framerate: 29.97 fps
Video format: h.264 at 5.8 Mbps
Audio format: AAC at 128 kbps
File format: mp4
Max file size: 100 MB
*Make sure the total bitrate isn't higher than 6000kbps!!!*

YOUTUBE VERSION SPECIFICATIONS

Most editing software have presets for exporting to YouTube, just use one of those.
Otherwise just export using h.264 at 1920x1080p at a high bitrate.

XBOX ONE
Contact your Xbox representative for access to Xbox logos, mneumonics, and
branding guidelines

1. North America - Xbox Store - No Rating

2. North America - Xbox Store - ESRB
4. Europe - Xbox Store - No Rating
5. Europe - Xbox Store - PEGI
XBOX ONE END SLATE
ALL REGIONS
- DO NOT INCLUDE ANY NON-XBOX OR MICROSOFT LOGOS

Xbox One trailers must end with Xbox One “Jump In” animated mnemonic

- Xbox exclusive games must start with Xbox One Exclusive intro mneumonic
- Trailers must end with 3 second Xbox One Mneumonic (or Xbox One/Win10
combined Mneumonic for games on both platforms)
- Each submission requires SRT subtitle/captions file. If no dialogue is present, put
"[MUSIC]" (Here's a guide for making captions in Premiere)

XBOX ONE ENCODING SPECIFICATIONS

Resolution: 1920x1080
Framerate: up to 60 fps
Video format: h.264 or Prores
File format: mp4 for h.264 or mov for Prores

Resolution: 1920x1080
Audio Loudness: -16 LKFS/LUFS
Framerate: Native framerate, 29.97 preferred

Video format: h.264 at 50 Mbps

Audio format: AAC at 384 kbps 48khz
File format: mp4
or

Video format: Prores HQ

Audio format: PCM or AAC at 384 kbps 48khz
File format: mov

YOUTUBE VERSION SPECIFICATIONS

Most editing software have presets for exporting to YouTube, just use one of those.
Otherwise just export using h.264 at 1920x1080p at a high bitrate.

STEAM
Resolution: Up to 1920x1080
Framerate: 29.97/30 fps, 59.94/60 fps
Video format: h.264 (transcoding from other formats is possible)
Audio format: AAC (transcoding from other formats is possible)
Total Bitrate: 5000+ Mbps
File format: mov, wmv, mp4

APP STORE
Panic Software has a free After Effects template file that helps you create and
preview your app preview in the resolutions for all the devices.
Click here for this AMAZING resource!

Landscape Resolutions: 1920x1080, 1600x1200

Portrait Resolutions: 1080x1920, 1200,1600
Framerate: 30 fps
Min length: 15 sec
Max length: 30 sec

Video format: h.264 at 10-12 Mbps

Audio format: AAC at 256 kbps 44khz or 48khz
File format: mov, m4v, mp4
Max file size: 500 MB

or

Video format: Prores 422 HQ at VBR ~220 Mbps

Audio format: PCM or AAC at 256 kbps 44khz or 48khz
File format: mov
Max file size: 500 MB (lol wut???)

RATINGS
ESRB
To receive the the most current ESRB logos, icons, and guidelines. Contact the
ESRB to request access to the ARC manual. Once you have access, you'll be able
to pre-submit trailers to the ESRB to ensure they comply with their guidelines!

ESRB ratings are shown either via a full screen rating or a small icon on the
bottom left or right of the screen.

FULL SCREEN SPECS:

- Display rating with content descriptors for 2 seconds at start of video
- Must be displayed on solid black, white or gray background
- Rating's height must be no less than 50% of the total vertical height of the video.

ICON SPECS:

- Display rating icon on either bottom left or right of the screen

- Rating's height must be no less than 15% of the total vertical height of the video.
- For videos less than 15 seconds, display icon for 2 seconds at the start
- For videos 15 seconds or more, display icon for 4 seconds at the start

ANIMATED GIFS
- GIFs 5 seconds or less are not required to show the rating
- GIFs 5 seconds or more require ESRB rating in bottom left or right for first 4
seconds. Must be 15% of the total vertical height of the GIF.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHETHER TO USE A FULL

SCREEN RATING OR AN ICON?
- Game trailers with content suitable for a GENERAL AUDIENCE can use either the
icon OR full screen rating.
- Game trailers with content not suitable for a general audience rated Teen, Mature
or Adults Only must use the full screen rating.
- If you're not sure what qualifies as "suitable for a general audience" consult the
ESRB's guide (available once you're given a login), and/or contact the ESRB about a
pre-screening. In general, unsuitable content means nudity, blood, graphic
violence, people getting shot, choked etc.

FULL SCREEN "RATING PENDING"

RULES
 Rating Pending games anticipated to be EC, E, or E10+ must display this full screen rating.

Rating Pending games anticipated to be T, M or AO must display this full screen rating.

PEGI
To receive the the most current PEGI logos, icons, voiceover, and guidelines.
Contact PEGI to request access.

PEGI ratings can be displayed in either of the two options. People favor the full
screen version option so that there's no icon in the bottom corner during the
trailer.

Full screen logo

- At the beginning of the trailer, the age rating must appear on its own on a black or
white background.
- If rating is on a dark background, use PEGI logo with the white border, and for
white backgrounds use logo with black border
- Icon must measure no less than 30% of the vertical height of the screen, and
appear for a minimum of 1.5 seconds
- Icon must not be modified in any way
- Voiceover used should be in the language of the advertisement.

Icon logo
- Icon must be displayed during all gameplay and pre-rendered CGI game footage
& game logo, box art graphics.
- Icon can be left out during console or player footage, partner branding, hardware
intros etc.
- Icon must be displayed on bottom lefthand corner at a height of no less than 15%
of the screen.
- Icon must not be modified in any way

PHEW! Hopefully this works out for you, and your trailers get approved!

Again, if you run into problems, please contact me with problem you
encountered, and the solution that got your trailer submission accepted.

In Resources Tags 2017-b

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