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Burger King's Disturbing Games
Gamespot reports on Burger King's disturbing foray into gaming. From the article: "Finally, Sneak King takes the stealth action genre and puts it to a friendlier use than usual. Instead of tiptoeing behind enemy guards to silently snap their necks, players will sneak up on hungry people to surprise them with offerings of Burger King food. Gamers will have to sneak up on people in a logging yard, a construction site, downtown, and the suburbs, and they will be graded on their performance 'based on how elaborate the delivery is executed.' This is not the King's first visit to the world of gaming. The genuinely off-putting monarch of meat appeared in Electronic Arts' Fight Night Round 3 as an unlockable manager character to accompany your boxer to the ring. " Some screenshots will assist you in understanding how deeply distressing these games are.
"The Burger King: He Gets It His Way"
I can't wait.
Sneaking up on someone and giving them food. How disturbing. Now if you excuse me I have to finish beating this hooker to death with a bat. Thank God GTA doesn't have any questionable material like giving food to hungry people.
360 users can get new pop-cap, low-end games (and some pretty good ones, too) for free or pay $4 for full versions on Live. These games, however, aren't good enough to give BK three Michellin stars ('worth a special trip') - they should give the games for free on XBL Marketplace to boost brand.
Oh yeah!
Once again Burger King's ad agency has drummed up publicity by getting the media (including the non-mainstream independent therefore more trustworthy blogomedianetsphere dot org) talking about Burger King. The number of people who will boycott BK forever is vastly outnumbered by the number of people who are more aware of BK. Kudos to them.
For more information, click here.
I had the misfortune of playing Rainbow Six: Lockdown on the PC. A third of the walls in the game were covered in advertising. And it was the same ad! First it was the DVD release of Silent Hill and then it was an Audi ad. But it would be the same ad for the entire level, you would literally see it 50 times.
Make all of the Burger King, Goldman Sachs or Astroglide games you want. Just keep the advertising out of the regular games!
That's fucking hilarious. The fact that we need to be reminded of how disturbing it is makes it more funny.
What the hell does the submitter have against Burger King?
Look, it can't be any scarier than the subservient chicken. Yeesh. If I drink enough and leave a light on, I can almost sleep through the night. http://www.subservientchicken.com/
This game just cries out for mods.
Wouldn't BK just be the darling of the media if there was a "Hot Coffee" type of mod, allowing the "King" to deliver his own special meat and dipping sauce to his chosen "Queen".
A "Godfather" mod could have a dark-suited, Sicilian King making you a Meal Deal you Can't Refuse.
A "GTA" mod could have the possibility of someone popping a cap in his ass when he jumps out with food.
The possibilities (for lawsuits) are endless!
Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
Gads... Aren't the game screenshots bad enough as it is?
Surprising people with free food can land you in court.
"monarch of meat" EVER.
Especially given some rather... off-colour memes on certain imageboard sites of late. George Zimmer would be proud, nay, envious.
Back when Bk used to have the rap commercials, it summoned an instant channel change.
With the "King" commercials it has been like watching a surreal train wreck.
I can't imagine playing their games.
I have just one question.
If we stop buying their food, will they please, oh just please for the love of God, stop advertising?
Don't know something? Look it up. Still don't know? Then ask.
The King commercials are a corny kind of funny that is different from the mainstream (mostly lame) humor that is always showing on TV. A king in full rainment doing the craziest stuff - from slapping steelworkers 60 stories up to sacking quaterbacks to cruising down the highway picking up the ladies (I swear, I watch 1 TV show a week and 1 football game ... I must be the target demographic) ... the commercials are offbeat funny, in a Napolean Dynamite or Kung Pow kinda way. Coveted 18-34 male demographic. Guess they can't get all of 'em.
... the two major causes of obesity together at last.
To each his own. I'm a 18-35 male and I don't watch TV -- I don't own one, and don't want one. Somehow I managed to see these ads, probably at a friend's house. But it's stuff like this that drove me away from TV. They're just aiming for the larger-than-you-think demographic of people who like to think they're above the fray because they appreciate campy, off-beat commercials. These ads are just as lame as all the rest, but they have no point and somehow people think that makes them clever.
Silly King can't sneak up on people. He smells like french fries!!
The eternal struggle of good vs. evil begins within one's self.
I can find plenty of things far, far more offensive than games like this.
--- Grow a pair, liberals... stop letting the Republicans bully you!
I'm waiting for the Hot Dog patch.
just got home DRUNK with a poutine black angus combo
the employees were not sneaky, just really cranky, even tho i tried to be as polite as possible. one of the cashiers had an xtra thumb, so u know they got super powers...
they shud make this into a mmorg and call it BTK...make of that what you will--oh wait there already is one, its called minimum wage...long grinds, low xp and very little coin to get new money making powers (like said xtra thumb).
their king looks like a very creepy, stalking version of what "the king of the jews" might look like today, had he lived. guess he knew what was coming and escaped a "fate worse than death"
and satan thus tempted: "don this uniform, king, and all you see before you shall be your customers!"
"no shit" replied the messiah "do i also get that spiffy pocket bike?"
"thats up to corporate" said the devil "i'm not burger king, they just hire me as a consultant."
I can't be the only one to think this is hilarious. :)
Atleast they're trying, other fast food is too scared to step away from the mainstream to make something funny for a targeted audience.
Dragging people kicking and screaming into reality since 1996.
BOOYA! I've just been offered food from a guy jumping out of a garbage can at me. How could I possibly turn that down.
God spoke to me.
I'm surprised that no-one has drawn the comparison with the Ninja Burger card game yet.
I absolutely love this advertising. It's different and gets people's attention. When's the last time an advertising campaign lasted for two years and maintained this much interest?
Personally, I find the King to be less creepy than Ronald McDonald.
It's a shame that such a wonderful mascot is stuck with such shitty food. I love the King, but I'll choose the other big headed mascot's food any day.
Many of the comments in the linked article are people all excited about getting achievement points from these games. I've never used an xbox, so can someone explain why getting these achievement points is such a big deal? My Google search just brought up tons of web sites telling how to get points from various games, and I found a page on the xbox web site that only seemed to indicate to me that it's just bragging rights. Like "w00t! I have 50,000 points! I am so 1337!"
Is that truly all there is to it, or is there more, like unlocking extra minigames on Xbox Live once you reach x points for example? I can't believe that people would be getting so excited about playing the Burger King games so they can get more achievement points if these points aren't actually worth anything.
Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
This brings back fond memories of Ralston Purnia Chow, Coke Wins, and Yo! Noid. Why bother making games that aren't marketing tie ins?
Why not just make a Burger Time 3D? An updated Burger Time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_Time using a modern graphics engine like Doom3? Maybe a grittier version. I mean, if American McGee reinterpreted Alice? They can do it with Burger Time.
I agree with you. I don't mind if it's done in a realistic, subtle way, like say, having a real Coca Cola / Pepsi / whatever vending machine in Doom 3 instead of the fictional one, or a billboard for a real product advertised on the wall of a real product, as long as it fits in the game and doesn't flash or blink and draw attention away from the game.
...or at least their ad agency does. The running theme in all their PR material is "we don't take ourselves seriously." The King's vacuum-formed head. The Whopperettes. The tray liners which currently have NFL-like referee calls for various dining-related fouls. The Subservient Chicken. None of these try to be real; they are all laughably NOT real.
McDonald's could instantly get a lot more street cred if they did the same thing with Mayor McCheese. Or had a big "What in God's Name is Grimace?" campaign. Or had the Hamburgler hanging out with mafiosi, committing white-collar crimes or something. Except now they'd just be copying BK. And really, they take themselves too seriously anyway.
Good grief, it's after midnight and I'm posting on slashdot about fast food advertising. I think I'm going to go to bed.
Sam! If you will let me be,
I will try them.
You will see.
Burger King's Underground 2: Skateboard off of dumpsters and drive-thru window awnings while you throw french fries at customers and tag their cars with ketchup.
Someimes I wish real life was more like games. Especially now I'm hungry.
*silently prays*
Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
Like.. umm.. little black kid and his friend go shooting green ooze on things using Super Soakers?
Or was that McDonalds?
another game ?
hahaha
I'd much rather play a game as the Kool Aid guy. The ultimate in destructable environments. Just keep busting through walls till I find you and use your blood to add to my pitcher...
On second thought, it'd make a terrible game. It would, however, make a hilarious horror movie.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
I think everyone would get something out of Porsche ads in WWII games. Something like "Mein Panzer uber Ford". :P
Great Intellect...
One other poster mentioned it, but didn't provided the link to The Subservient Chicken. Alternately creepy, and at the same time addictive ! Try making it moonwalk or do yoga
"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech."--Benjamin Franklin
Last night I went to bed hungry and I had a nightmare that I was racing midget bikes against The Burger King, Brooke Burke, a giant Chicken, and a Whopper Jr., and then today I see THIS! Spooky.
I'm getting this game. I predict right now that nothing will be more fun than drinking heavily and multi-player Pocket Bike Racer. At any rate, I'm sure it would keep annoying people away if all you wanted to play was Sneak King whenever "that guy" shows up.
This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
Regardless of what you think of the advertising, if you'd stop and read the article you'd see that these games are being developed by the company that made fusion frenzy, which is a brilliant choice. That entire game was nothing but fun, 4 player minigames and it remains the best drunk party game on xbox. Behind the advertising should be a solid little game. The fact that I'll be laughing hysterically and promptly going out and pounding a quadruple stacker (relax, I guarantee I work out more/am in better shape than you) is gonna make it all the better. Its a win-win situation!
I love BK commercials because they are so odd. In fact, I started eating there occasionally because of them. The food is okay, but I really just want to encourage them to make more ads. Whoever is running this campaign is a genius. I'm looking forward to playing "Sneak King". I just hope it's well made.
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I went against tradition and checked out the link first before I read the comments. To me it's obvious that it's a bunch of photoshops... Fairly good ones, but nothing that passed inspection after more than a few seconds examination. The "stalking game" is the King photoshopped into a game of "Sims 2", not sure about the others... Then again, if everyone realsied this, we would never have athread comparing UK fast food to Argentina, and a walk down commercial memory lane...
A bit off-topic, but still...
While I may or may not agree with BK's ads and marketing techniques, it doesn't change the fact that only three fast food chains offer soy burgers:
- Burger King (good)
- Harvey's (good)
- A&W (weird taste)
McDonald's doesn't have it anymore (didn't taste good anyway), and other fast food chains aren't in my area (Wendy's, etc).
So, questionnable ads or not, I only have two fast-food options for a vegan meal when I'm on the road. When you're on the go and in a hurry, burgers and fries are almost the only choice, especially when you don't know the local restaurants. A big "Burger King" or "Harvey's" sign, however, is hard to miss.
Back on topic: I just wish BK would venture even further on the "creepy" side in the ads with their king mascot, it's too borderline to understand it's supposed to be creepy/funny. If they push it, however, I'm sure they could find hilarious ideas.
Since Burger King is called Hungry Jack's in Australia, I wonder if the Aussi version of this game will have a different name/logo/artwork.
Where is your God now?
The Burger King is an evil homosexual man with a plastic face who runs around terrorizing the Burger populace. It is speculated that he took control of the Burger underground by viciously murdering long-time crime boss The Hamburglar with nothing but a spork and a smile. ... His favorite pastime is sneaking into other mens' hotel rooms at night and penetrating them in their sleep.
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
If they come out with a game that has Dr. Angus then I will not only buy the game, but I will buy a 360 just for that purpose.
Do you know why they wrap up the burgers in a piece of paper? ...
It Doubles the nutritional value !!
Gaaaaaaaah!
Free ?! Does that mean I can't get a Discount ?!
This message was
As GTA is to hookers, Burger King is to.... your colon. Same level of violence, just a different victim.
isnt food the ultimate front for any dope dealer? I think this is more a dopedealer training crashcourse than anything else....
Unless he's in a comic book store or Vampire LARP, where everyone smells like french fries. Burger King is a frickin' ninja in those places.
Uploading now...wait...who the fukk is that?! Is that an angus steak whopper?!! FUKK!!! (begins secure wipe script and runs away)
Maybe. But you don't know hilarious until you've seen him mocking the competition while doing the Safety Dance. (And no, this isn't really from BK).
Happy people make bad consumers.
I think in the GTA mod, you will find yourself waking up with the king.
I was wondering if BK still offered the veggie burgers, after I found out McDonalds nixed theirs. I also didn't know that Wendy's has them (we don't have A&W or Harvey's here). Thanks!
Is it just me, or is that "Burger King" character just a lame Richard D. James ripoff?
np: Root 70 - Nightheat (Heaps Dub)
"I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole
Does anyone remember the Pizza Hut cupons & product placement in TMNT for the NES?
Or hell, I have an old DOS game called "Avoid the Noid" somewhere... Yeah, remember that crazy Domino's Pizza guy? That's the one...
BK is swell, onion rings are better than fries, and the King is wonderfully creepy and he makes people uncomfortable, which is cool.
Geez, with all the grass and raw-food eaters you'd think this was some kind of commie kuro5hin hippiefest or something...
Fast food corporations ftw!