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Organizing Sim Protests
Shadow Wrought writes "Alternet has an article about how to go about protesting McDonald's in the Sims Online universe. According to the story "A deal struck between Sims publisher Electronic Arts and the fastfood mega-corporation allows Sims players to open up their own McDonald's kiosk and improve their game stats by consuming McD's greasy goodies." This then tells how to vent any rage that such may conjure. Mayhaps a venue to protest other issues as well?"
if they will have workers who speak english...
I remember the days when "product placement" meant that products were used as background and filler elements. They were still visible, but they weren't the focus of a scene.
These days it's blantant and in-your-face. It's disgusting. I already pay to see the movie. Then they show me ads and trailers. And to top it off, I end up watching a 90 minute ad rather than a movie.
I fully expect to see James Bond drinking a Coke in the upcoming "Buy Another Day" movie. He'll pick up the can, turn to the camera, they'll get a tight zoom on him as he takes a swing and then he'll say something like:
"The only thing I don't like shaken is my Coke. It's the Real Thing."
"Scientists prove we were never here."
-- Devo
You could also think about it this way. McDonalds is a part of the American Landscape. Sure they are advertising for McDonalds in the Sims and McDonalds my be giving them money to do so. But I think the point of the game is to make it seem more realistic. Sure the food will most likely kill us. I dont nessarly like the food. But McDonalds is basicly an American Landmark.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
At first you would think "You idiot, it just helps the economy of third world nations." Actually, it does the opposite. The profit is so good for the land owners in these South American countries that they've converted their crops (crops that sustained the country) into cattle fields. So, while the land owners get wealthier, the poor that don't farm get poorer by having to buy imported produce...or pay inflated prices for domestic produce. In addition, rain forests are being chopped down in South America to be converted to cattle farm space.
I eat at McDonalds every once in a while and enjoy it, don't get me wrong. But whoever says that people who do protest McDonalds have no basis for doing so are fooling themselves.
Wise men say, "Forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."
Admittably, I don't know exactly what stats a Sims Online Sim has. So this is also half a question - what stats does it improve? I'd imagine that it isn't something stupid like eating a Big Mac improves your charisma, intelligence, and strength - it just satisfies a Sim's hunger (and increases the Bathroom need). Which makes an amount of sense - eating a Big Mac in real life is usually done to satisfy hunger. There are plenty of other people here to make fun of McD's crappy food, so I'll let 'em do it.
(Anyone else think McDonalds fries are crap? America's favorite fries? I'd hope not...)
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
If you would like to understand the issues that these people are protesting about (and they are complex and many), then I urge you read a book called "Fast Food Nation".
The author of the article wants you to take a stance against the integration of games and advertising by protesting in the online world.
Can anything make less truth?
Let's be honest: it follows logically that there would be a plethera of McDonalds in a simulation of America, because America really is over-run with fast-food resturants, advertisements, endorsements and the associated garbage.
Do you really want to make a change? Then follow these rules:
1) Don't protest within the Sim World.
This won't get you anywhere. In fact, you may wind up wasting more of your time away playing...
2) Don't support this game.
This isn't the first game to include coroprate advertising, but it has reached a new (sickening) level. SPEAK WITH YOUR DOLLARS: don't buy this game!!
3) Boycot McDonalds.
The fast-food industry's move to tie fast-food to children at an early age is well known, (they even admit it theirselves), but you don't have to stand for it. Do you REALLY want to protest? Take it to the streets in front of a real McDonalds. Talk to families... educate them.
4) Begin a letter writing campaign to EA.
Write it out by hand. Sign your name. Tell them that you refuse to buy their games until they change their policies regarding advertising. They'll get the message.
5) Support Ad-Busters.
If you don't have the time or energy to do these things yourself, then support those individuals and organizations that do. I'm not affiliated with them, but Ad-Busters (aka: the Media Corporation [Canada]) is great. You should support them.
http://shift.com/content/web/425/1.html
I really do. I don't pay money to have ads shived down my throat. I don't like product placement in my movies, TV shows or games. Maybe it comes from living in a place where billboards are BANNED and I can actually see the world around me. Or maybe it's because I do not being treated as little more than a consumer whore bred to feed the machines.
Boobies never hurt anyone. - Sherry Glaser.
We used to protest rule changes and bugs in Ultima Online by all dressing up in black or yellow shirts and camping out at the main bank.
There was also a protest where people were asked to create a character on a particular shard to protest another shard server's constant technical issues. As I recall a lot of people were suspended from the game for a couple days.
The point is that when you are addicted to a game, or really, really, enjoy an online game - You act up! Check out these screenshots from UO where people are protesting.
1,2,3.
Does it work? Not usually, but it does get the attention of the Game Masters, and shows the world you care about an issue.
Maxis and these other companies want to create Virtual Worlds. It is only natural that the people that play these games will take an active role.
what? what I thought we were in the trust tree in the nest, were we not?
well i'm in the beta, and so far at least there are no mcdonalds anything. i suppose they're working on it, but since they're getting paid extra for it i would think they'd have put it in by now. the high end computers are intel pentiums, though.
The article notes that this McDonald's object is currently in the public beta. I played the beta last night, and unless they have placed a patch in today, the McDonald's kiosk is still not in the game yet. So no real point in protesting, yet. Of course, they haven't put in any of the job modules either. So my Sim goes around and plays carnival games in order to make money for his home. He also basically lives and sleeps in the house next door which is owned by my friend. Talk about replicating real life . . .
Actually, this is kinda a bogus story. While they may have the branding setup to appear in the game somewhere, its not there now. EA also got in a deal with Intel to brand them in the game, which IS there now. When a sim turns on a computer, the Pentium 4 logo shows on the sims computer for a moment, then it goes to him doing whatever. Gee, this sure influences me to get a P4. ;)
Even if this DOES show up in game its not going to be any different than the current hotdog stand thats there now. A sim could buy one of these and then run it charging the visitors for food to up their Food motive. Thats it. The Food motive that you have to watch can also be satisified by, a sim cooking you food, the grill, a couple different buffet tables, a vending machine, and the before mentioned hotdog stand. So whats the big deal?
Since I was in the playtest of the game, I can safely say the following things about this.
I never saw a McDonalds kiosk anywhere I played. The deal was announced several months ago, and I saw it in the game, but it was too expensive for me to put in my house.
There ARE other places to eat. You don't have to eat at the McDonalds, and you don't have to put one on your property. A generic buffet table is just as good and much cheaper.
INTEL IS DOING THE SAME THING. You can buy a computer with Intel Inside and it gives you much better stats than a lower-end computer. Your "fun" goes up quicker when you play games on it and your "Logic" goes up quicker when you're studying on it.
So, if you're gonna go after McDonalds for being available, might as well go after Intel for the very same reasons.
McDonalds maintained an *unsually* high temperature for optimal coffee taste that could (and did) cause third degree burns. Other vendors maintain *lower* temperature, that can still cause burns but not to such great extent.