This Weird Nier: Automata Video Tries A Different Approach To Attracting Preorders

Promotional videos encouraging fans to preorder an upcoming game are generally pretty formulaic: Show off the game with a cinematic or gameplay, remind people of the release date, done. This new one for the Square Enix-published Nier: Automata goes a different route.

As you can see below, the video features game director Yoko Taro in his signature mask along with Platinum Games designer Taura Takahisa. The latter is wearing a special Emil t-shirt, which Taro says you'll receive by preordering Automata (or getting your hands on the Day One edition) for PS4 in Europe. That's when the standard marketing handbook goes out the window.

Taro hands Takahisa the microphone and proceeds to steal the shirt, then rolls around on the ground with it while repeating, "Nier: Automata t-shirt!" over and over. He then punctuates all of this by saying, "S*** Square Enix."

The preorder/Day One edition offer is only available through select retailers in Europe, including Amazon UK. At least at this point, it doesn't appear to be available in North America; Amazon US only lists digital bonuses for picking up the Day One edition. These include the Machine Mask accessory, Grimoire Weiss Pod, Play System Pod skin, Retro Grey Pod skin, Retro Red skin, and Cardboard Pod skin.

Automata launches for PS4 on March 7 in North America and March 10 in Europe and Australia; a PC version is also on the way this year. A demo is available now on the PlayStation Store, and you can see 30 minutes of gameplay in a recently released video.