Acclaim Tries Bloodvertising To Promote New Game

Thanks to Ananova for reporting that Acclaim UK are trying what they call 'bloodvertising' to promote Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance, their PlayStation 2 and Xbox title billed as "the bloodiest ever [videogame]." The UK promotion will include: "Advertisements in bus shelters.. [where] cartridges of red dye will be placed behind clear sheets of film and released over a six-day period. The 'blood' will slowly appear to spill out on the streets and drip onto the pavements." This continues Acclaim's increasingly desperate series of publicity stunts, including using "spray-painted homing pigeons" at the Wimbledon tennis tournament and trying to place game adverts on gravestones.

Comments

This is a problem

[Apreche]

While this advertising is kind of crappy and cheesy it represents a disturbing trend in video games. The trend for developers to concentrate more on theme than gameplay.

Don't get me wrong, I'm totally against censorship and such. I'm not one of those that think violent video games are evil or some such, hell I play cs lots. But Acclaim (seemingly the worst offender) is trying to sell a game because the game is bloody. Give me an hour and I'll code some blood in opengl. I'll make a program where every time you click a huge pool of blood explodes and spills everywhere. Is it a fun game? no.

I've noticed that lately a lot of people have been buying games based on theme. Like all the people who buy a Final Fantasy game just because it says Final Fantasy on it. Or all the people who put down the GameCube just because it looks like its for kids. These are the shallow minded retards that probably buy games Acclaim makes. You know a video game is a good game when you can replace every sprite with a stick figure and replace every thing else with color coded squares and it's still fun to play. That's a damn good game. If a game is only fun because the pictures happen to be pictures of trademarked characters or guns or blood or whatever the game still isn't a good game.

Look at Smash Bros. Sure they used their entire Nintendo lineup of characters as the theme. But if you took it away and replaced them all with stick figures the game would still rock the house. Now take any Acclaim game, do the same. What no gameplay?

If you want to see some blood there are a thousand websites with videos of hideous injuries you can look at. These ads are just one more way stupid developers are cheapening the industry.

Re:This is a problem

[alphaseven]

Don't worry, Acclaim will not do this, it's just another stupid Acclaim press release.

Every time they got a game coming out the make up some outlandish proposal to get some press. You'd think people would catch on by now.

Re:This is a problem

[Babbster]

Whether you enjoy Final Fantasy games or not, there are people who do. It hardly makes them "retards."

The "crime" of which you seem to consider others guilty is one that you yourself have committed in deciding before playing that Acclaim's game is bad. In other words, you seem to be indicating that buying a game because you've enjoyed other games from the same series or company in the past is wrong, while insulting a game from a company that has done bad games in the past is perfectly acceptable.

I would also suggest to you that just because you feel that Super Smash Brothers, with or without great graphics, can "rock the house," it doesn't make it a great video game achievement - it's a fighting game with Nintendo characters. There are probably plenty of people who DON'T like the game (I didn't care for it that much myself). It's certainly not like Nintendo started some revolution with the series, and the unassailable fact is that the game would NOT have been as successful had it not included Nintendo characters from other games.

Me? I think that Acclaim tends, on average, to produce sub-par games and that their marketing strategies are often tacky and inappropriate. Of course, that's true of most advertising and probably shouldn't warrant extra attention just because they happen to be selling video games.

I want to note, too, that I managed to write all of the above without referring to you or anyone else by using offensive terminology. My rule of thumb is that anyone who would throw the term "retard" around is probably someone in a glass house.

Re:This is a problem

[falcon5768]

hmmm I like final fantasy games,

I ALSO like Xenosaga, Dragon Warrior, and other RPG's.

Im not buying it cause its Final Fantasy, I could give a rats ass, Im buying it cause I love the RPG genire and square does put out a good game even if some people cant stand them.

And having played Smash brothers, I HIGHLY doubt the game would rock if it wherent Nintendo characters. The charm and reason I love playing that game is the pure fact I can beat the shit out of other characters with my favorite character. It would be every other generic run of the mill fighting game with a few cool bonus levels thrown in if it wherent for the fact it allows you to play as your favorite nintendo character. Maybe very fun, but not nearly as much as it is as it is now.

Also Acclain if I am not mistaken tried to sell a game that was sexual exlpicit (BMXXX) but not bloody..... It TANKED. Maybe the reson they market so many violent games is because, well, we are addicted to violence (we in the collective sense, I could do without most of it) Even after getting trashed for night stalker, and getting trashed for columbine, not once did violent game sales go down. They see that message as hey people dont care they like violence. Only if the audience changes will the marketting change

Why always Acclaim UK?

[Rayonic]

What I really don't get is why, in all these crass advertising campaigns, it's always Acclaim UK that's doing it. (Go and check if you don't believe me.) Are Britons forever cursed to be the testing bed for low advertising? Any real-life Brits care to illuminate us on this subject?

Uh, guys... the earlier ones weren't REAL.

[AllenChristopher]

Regarding the Turok contest:

About Identity Marketing

Dr S. Cantrell isn't real. His book, "Market Their Pants Off!" (Engell International, ISBN 0552546925), isn't real. The whole thing was a hoax. I mean, my God, look at the man.. could that more clearly be a prop bow-tie?

The gravestone thing was a hoax as well... I haven't the link at the moment.

So the chances of this being real are terribly, terribly low. Especially with the cleaning of the sidewalks....

In a few days, we'll find out this was a hoax. Those of us who were here to read about it will remember, but a whole new set of people will get interested, and maybe angry, about the next one. Yay. Pthppht.