Samsung Launches Galaxy S4 With Baffling, Overproduced Broadway-Style Show

This seems somewhat common now. First Qualcomm's Kafkaesque E3 keynote, then the PS4 launch (which is seeming sane now), and now this. What goes through these people's heads when they put these things together? Do they have so little faith in their products that they think they need to outsource these things out to people more clueless than them? Or are all these ideas cooked up by some high up exec that everyone is afraid to defy? Or is it group think? I just don't understand how anyone could watch this ahead of time and think "this is <i>perfect</i> for our launch". Especially because I think the features of the new phone are actually pretty impressive. Just show those... like on a slide or small demo. That's all you need.

This is ghastly.<p>Bachelorette party: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&#38;v=IDXILsX7_QI#t=4722s" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&#38;v=I...</a><p>They literally have seven grown women on stage chirping over a calorie counter, eyefucking an actual topless man, making cheesecake jokes, and doing a lush mommy dance number.

Lately, these events are a source of press and discussion. Now you've got articles centered around the phone and articles centered around the event. It's marketing.<p>It's showy, it's exaggerated, it's fun. Although I've preferred their previous events where they focus on the device, this one is being marketed towards being a personal companion, and with that comes a lot of personal demonstrations.<p>It's not classy, or maybe not as classy as they'd hoped. But it's launched now and people are talking about it. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

It's the worst launch show I've ever seen, by far. Corny, tacky, misogynist, and not a single line anyone said sounded natural.

I liked some of the features of the new Galaxy S4, but this show put me off so much. They were trying SO hard to make it 'cool', but it was getting more and more awkward with every new scene. That's why at some point I just couldn't take any more of their 'humour' and turned it off.<p>I don't like Galaxy's look but I quite like some of its features and I think they should re-think their next presentation very carefully and try make it look less cheap.

Where do I get a job making stupid crap like this? Obviously no oversight and probably pays better than what I do now.

I'm inclined to believe that they saw the equally ridiculous Qualcomm CES 2013 opening[0] and were inspired by it<p>[0]<a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/3850056/qualcomms-insane-ces-2013-keynote-pictures-tweets" rel="nofollow">http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/8/3850056/qualcomms-insane-ce...</a>

Not sure why anyone's baffled, "big overproduced skits" has Samsung written all over it. Or have you forgotten about Zoll?<p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/live-from-samsungs-ces-2011-keynote/" rel="nofollow">http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/06/live-from-samsungs-ces-20...</a>

I just don't get this. There is no amount of production that is going to make me care about a phone, or any other type of tech, any more than I already do. If anything it makes me want it <i>less</i>. Stop trying so hard to make tech "exciting" for an hour.

Yes, this was cheesy and over the top, but hey, it's Radio City, it's New York, it's theater!<p>The tongue-in-cheek show might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was a refreshing change from the usual routine.<p>Also it kept me entertained/interested long enough to learn about some of the new software features and their potential use cases.

Why can't Samsung release one penta-band UMTS version of each GSM phone?<p>Releasing an international version and several U.S. versions segments the market, slowing down 3rd party ROM development particularly for the U.S. versions. Carrier ROMs are bloated, non-standard android environments, and lag behind the latest version. That situation is unacceptable; no new Samsung Galaxy phones for me.

Samsung execs: "Americans love Mad Men, Two And A Half Men, and reality shows. Turn them into a product announcement presentation."

I was completely distracted by the awful dialogue and performances. What a terrible way to show your flagship gadget.

This was quite helpful since I base most of my purchase decisions on the entertainment value of the launch event.

Bizarre. I was constantly reminded of this old soundgarden video; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efc7njKAfgo" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efc7njKAfgo</a>

Oh man, this was the funniest thing I've seen all year. Yes, it was bad. It seemed almost intentionally so. I definitely enjoyed it.

Samsung is baffling. No surprise here.

No skydiving??

Damn, the S4 packs a lot of really cool stuff, as someone who had finally lost the desire to upgrade phones, it made me pause (though really, my Galaxy Nexus with CM10.1 is faster than I need it to be). But this was just WOW-level embarrassing. And TouchWiz is still ugly, especially given how nice stock Android 4.2.2 and even Sense 5 is.