bullshot
- noun
- /ˈbʊlʃɑt/
- Jargon
- Players complained after buying the game because the advertised bullshot did not match in-game visuals.
Examples
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Journalists often compare promotional images to actual gameplay to spot any bullshot before release.
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The game's early trailers used a bullshot that made environments look unrealistically detailed.
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The latest bullshot from the game looks incredible.
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Many bullshots were released before the game's launch.
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Players often feel misled when they see a bullshot that exaggerates the game's graphics compared to the final version.
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The promotional video featured several bullshots that made the gameplay look much smoother than it actually is.
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Before purchasing the game, many reviewers scrutinized the bullshots to ensure the graphics were not misleading.
How Misleading
Surface Forms
Morphology
bullshot = bullshit + screenshot (semi-transparent) = bull + shot
The term is a blend of 'bullshit' (deceptive/nonsense) and 'screenshot' (image), so recognizing both source words makes the meaning clear, but the blend is not a regular morphological process.
Etymology
Bullshot in ads and gaming comes from bull, from the rude word 'bullshit' which means 'false', and shot, meaning a 'picture' as in 'screenshot'. So, a bullshot is an image that has been staged or edited to look better than the real game.