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Kuma Runs Into Ad Controversy Promoting Iraq Game

Posted by simoniker on from the controversy-and-sales-not-necessarily-bedfellows dept.

Thanks to Inc Magazine for its article discussing Kuma Reality Games' attempts to promote its downloadable Kuma: War PC videogame. The piece explains of the previously mentioned title, which "lets players march in the boots of U.S. troops... fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan [or] defending U.S. battlefield commanders from assassination attempts in Iraq", that polarizing forces were at work - Keith Halper of Kuma laments: "It's hard when people accuse you, on the one hand, of exploiting the military and, on the other, of working for them." It's also noted of the press campaign around the game: "Gamespot, one of the most popular websites for PC gamers, asked Kuma to alter one ad's content, which some at the site found 'disturbing,' according to RDA's media buyers. Kuma denied the request."

4 of 20 comments (clear)

  1. Good ideas and by dave-tx · · Score: 4, Interesting
    While I think the idea of simulation recreating actual events is interesting, part of me questions the wisdom and taste of doing this with an ongoing conflict. To abuse a metaphor, it's not picking the scab off an old wound, because that wound hasn't even scabbed up yet.

    --

    >> "What would the robut do? Frame someone!"

  2. Figures. by KDR_11k · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When you have a game that by itself isn't able to stand out from the crowd (in this case a realistic war game, how many of those have been released over the last few years? no matter how many new features you put in, people will stop listening the moment you mention the genre) you have to do extreme advertising instead. And people likely remember what offended them. I hope we don't see a rise in offensive advertising or soon we'd be told to fuck off ten times, that our mothers are whores three times and that we are motherfuckers ten times per ad break on the TV.

    --
    Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
  3. Ouch. Accuracy hurts. by LordPixie · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Señor Smart is really abysmal in that regard. I recall once checking out the support forums for his latest game. He was personally abusing other posters there. WTF sort of support is that ?

    Now, don't get me wrong. I love it when developers show that they're real people too. Off-color humor, crossing the line occasionally, etc. But Smart is quite far beyond that.


    --LordPixie

  4. Re:the ad by nlindstrom · · Score: 2, Funny
    what was offensive about the ad?
    It showed an exposed left breast.