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ESPN Football's Bizarre Viral Marketing?

Posted by simoniker on from the videos-actually-kinda-hilarious dept.

LilSerf writes "Four days before Sega debuted their new 'first-person football' feature for ESPN Football 2K4, a mysterious personality called Beta-7 premiered a site detailing the injuries he suffered as a beta-tester for the game. The site is a blog going back to March 21, 2003, the day he first claims to have tested the game and blacked out as a result. The story includes mysterious packages from other injured testers, surveillance footage of his 'episodes', and bootleg video of the 'secret' game features - suspiciously not posted until after the official announcement by Sega. Consensus in the boards on his site seems to be that this is a hoax by Sega - what do Slashdot readers think?"

6 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Well... by Gunsmithy · · Score: 3, Funny

    I bet Acclaim is going to sue. They have the patent on marketing gone horribly wrong.

    --
    Kids these days. They don't know the difference between classic, and just plain old.
  2. What I think. by whee · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was also a beta tester of this game. Personally, I think it's all a hoax. There no way a game could have a permanent physical effect on someTHIRTY-FOUR! FIFTY-TWO! DOWN! SET! HUT!bfhgda;lbkaj;

  3. I know where the mystery packages came from by NSObject · · Score: 2, Funny
    From the site:
    Got a delivery today from Beta-13! It's a surveillance video showing a mailroom guy pushing a cart by some cubicles when all of a sudden this guy runs into frame and tackles the mail guy! He does a little victory dance, just like I did and then passes out. I recognized the tackler from the beta test, so I knew it was for real.
    Hey, I think I recognized the tackler too. Could anybody else dance like that? He's like a monkey, man!
  4. Not as good as... by dackroyd · · Score: 3, Funny

    the spoof Seaman website http://www.yoot.com/.

    For y'all that don't know, Seaman was a bizarre virtual creature game for the Sega Dreamcast where you had to talk to a man/fish creature and help him grow up. He'd understand what you said to him and respond intelligently eg:

    Seaman: Do you have a job ?
    You: Yes.
    Seaman: What do you do ?
    You: I'm a programmer.
    Seaman: That sounds like you're quite boring.

    I'm still not sure what the 'aim' of the game was.

    --
    "Free software as in beer, copy protection as in racket" - Telsa Gwynne
  5. Re:I think this Slashdot article is an ad too by pmz · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm not going to follow links because this Slashdot thread itself appears astroturfed...

    Then what other place could be more appropriate for discussing the merits of a football game?

    --
    Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
  6. Some more Seaman fun by Dsal · · Score: 2, Funny

    That was a cool game.

    Seaman: "You're in computers? Do you work late hours?"
    Me: "No, I guess not. Not right now at least."
    Seaman: "Hmm... You must be very good at what you do!... or not very thorough..."
    Me: "Both!"

    Seaman: "Do you love yourself?"
    Me: "uh.... I don't know"
    Seaman: "Do you love yourself?"
    Me: "Sure. Yes."
    Seaman: "I bet you love yourself at least twice a day"