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Just reading that title you can probably guess that Acclaim (or as they will henceforth be referred to, 'Acklame') will feature heavily in the post...so, let's get them out of the way first.
A company that used to be on top of the world. Its WWF Warzone and WWF Attitude games were both huge hits, and their Turok franchise was hyped as a GoldenEye killer. However, the wrestling games always had fiddly controls and were up against the likes of WCW/NWO Revenge (a classic N64 title) and Turok was never really all that good. Still, that didn't stop Acklame putting everything behind both franchises, and they sold reasonably well. Fast forward to the current day, where Acklame have acquired quite the reputation for weird promotional ideas.
It all started when Turok 'superfan' Idiot McMoron (name changed to protect the idiotic and moronic) decided to get his name in the Guiness Book of World Records by waiting for ages outside his local games shop until Turok: Evolution came out. The question that begs to be asked is "why bother?"...I mean, they're hardly gonna run out or anything. Couldn't he just pre-order? He could get it delivered straight to his letter-box. Anyways, that got some pretty big press, and started the ball rolling. The next chapter in the Turok: Advertising Campaigns of Evil saga was Acklame putting up $10,000 for the first child born on T:E's release date to be named 'Turok' for at least of year. So not only have they got one fool sitting in a tent outside GAME, they have a poor sod who's just been brought into this world with the same name as a badly animated fictional dinosaur hunter!
But no, it doesn't end there. Recently, for Burnout 2's UK launch, Acklame promised to pay the fines of anyone caught going over the limit by speed cameras. So, in addition to what's already been mentioned, they're encouraging people to drive carelessly, which could lead to thousands of accidents and injuries! Of course, being AckLAME, they backed down from the promise after basically getting a right ticking off from the government.
Has it improved anything for Acklame? Well, it's got them some publicity, that's for sure. Has it shifted more games? I doubt it. People will always buy Turok, but then, people are stupid. Burnout managed to be a decent game worthy of purchase despite its publishers, so I'll let that one slide...but are shock tactics really helping anyone? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's damaging the industry.
When a company or a business sector as a whole needs to use shock tactics, it's usually a sign of desperation. Desperation is never attractive (which explains why sweaty, insecure men never get dates with hot chicks), and it will result in the games world contracting what I like to call a 'Channel 5' image - one that relies on being 'crazy' and 'outrageous' in order to get people to care.
Browsing another board recently, I saw a post on 'guidelines for making console-exclusive games'. Under XBOX the requirements were that the games contained guns, guns and guns. What followed were screenshots of Halo, Splinter Cell and DOA: Xtreme Volleyball. There was Fear Effect, a game on the Playstation, which saw cut-scenes full of lesbian action. Now there's a volleyball sim, with all your favourite female Dead or Alive stars in tight clothing, modelled with new 'bouncing jug' motion capture. Dave Mirra recently refused to be associated with BMX XXX, and retailers are refusing to stock the game that contains gratuitous (I tried my best to spell that without using a word processor) swearing and violence, and a money system that sees you achieving objectives in order to unlock DVDs of women stripping.
Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat both have new incarnations ready to be released very soon...and they've both been in the papers for their 'shocking' depictions of violence. Are games becoming sordid? Is it now less about the game engine, and more about the boob technology? A quick look at a games mag, and you'd be hard pushed to argue. Games used to be made in bedrooms, by teenagers with acne and thick glasses. Now it's a billion dollar industry, with some games costing as much as films used to a decade ago. Finally, video-gaming is being taken seriously...and it goes and shows itsself up again.
Shock tactics, sad as it is, are growing more and more popular with games companies. Films don't NEED T & A, and TV shows don't NEED violence and special effects. Neither do games...so why push for the market comprising of creeps, loners and saddos that have the Episode 2 DVD on pre-order already, so that they can try and see Natalie Portman's nipples through her suit in the fight scene again? Why not carry on as you were - striving to make better games, more original and at the same time more realistc...truer to the real world, yet even more like a living, breathing fantasy?
Don't bottle it now. You've worked so hard.
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
A company that used to be on top of the world. Its WWF Warzone and WWF Attitude games were both huge hits, and their Turok franchise was hyped as a GoldenEye killer. However, the wrestling games always had fiddly controls and were up against the likes of WCW/NWO Revenge (a classic N64 title) and Turok was never really all that good. Still, that didn't stop Acklame putting everything behind both franchises, and they sold reasonably well. Fast forward to the current day, where Acklame have acquired quite the reputation for weird promotional ideas.
It all started when Turok 'superfan' Idiot McMoron (name changed to protect the idiotic and moronic) decided to get his name in the Guiness Book of World Records by waiting for ages outside his local games shop until Turok: Evolution came out. The question that begs to be asked is "why bother?"...I mean, they're hardly gonna run out or anything. Couldn't he just pre-order? He could get it delivered straight to his letter-box. Anyways, that got some pretty big press, and started the ball rolling. The next chapter in the Turok: Advertising Campaigns of Evil saga was Acklame putting up $10,000 for the first child born on T:E's release date to be named 'Turok' for at least of year. So not only have they got one fool sitting in a tent outside GAME, they have a poor sod who's just been brought into this world with the same name as a badly animated fictional dinosaur hunter!
But no, it doesn't end there. Recently, for Burnout 2's UK launch, Acklame promised to pay the fines of anyone caught going over the limit by speed cameras. So, in addition to what's already been mentioned, they're encouraging people to drive carelessly, which could lead to thousands of accidents and injuries! Of course, being AckLAME, they backed down from the promise after basically getting a right ticking off from the government.
Has it improved anything for Acklame? Well, it's got them some publicity, that's for sure. Has it shifted more games? I doubt it. People will always buy Turok, but then, people are stupid. Burnout managed to be a decent game worthy of purchase despite its publishers, so I'll let that one slide...but are shock tactics really helping anyone? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's damaging the industry.
When a company or a business sector as a whole needs to use shock tactics, it's usually a sign of desperation. Desperation is never attractive (which explains why sweaty, insecure men never get dates with hot chicks), and it will result in the games world contracting what I like to call a 'Channel 5' image - one that relies on being 'crazy' and 'outrageous' in order to get people to care.
Browsing another board recently, I saw a post on 'guidelines for making console-exclusive games'. Under XBOX the requirements were that the games contained guns, guns and guns. What followed were screenshots of Halo, Splinter Cell and DOA: Xtreme Volleyball. There was Fear Effect, a game on the Playstation, which saw cut-scenes full of lesbian action. Now there's a volleyball sim, with all your favourite female Dead or Alive stars in tight clothing, modelled with new 'bouncing jug' motion capture. Dave Mirra recently refused to be associated with BMX XXX, and retailers are refusing to stock the game that contains gratuitous (I tried my best to spell that without using a word processor) swearing and violence, and a money system that sees you achieving objectives in order to unlock DVDs of women stripping.
Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat both have new incarnations ready to be released very soon...and they've both been in the papers for their 'shocking' depictions of violence. Are games becoming sordid? Is it now less about the game engine, and more about the boob technology? A quick look at a games mag, and you'd be hard pushed to argue. Games used to be made in bedrooms, by teenagers with acne and thick glasses. Now it's a billion dollar industry, with some games costing as much as films used to a decade ago. Finally, video-gaming is being taken seriously...and it goes and shows itsself up again.
Shock tactics, sad as it is, are growing more and more popular with games companies. Films don't NEED T & A, and TV shows don't NEED violence and special effects. Neither do games...so why push for the market comprising of creeps, loners and saddos that have the Episode 2 DVD on pre-order already, so that they can try and see Natalie Portman's nipples through her suit in the fight scene again? Why not carry on as you were - striving to make better games, more original and at the same time more realistc...truer to the real world, yet even more like a living, breathing fantasy?
Don't bottle it now. You've worked so hard.
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
Just reading that title you can probably guess that Acclaim (or as they will henceforth be referred to, 'Acklame') will feature heavily in the post...so, let's get them out of the way first.
A company that used to be on top of the world. Its WWF Warzone and WWF Attitude games were both huge hits, and their Turok franchise was hyped as a GoldenEye killer. However, the wrestling games always had fiddly controls and were up against the likes of WCW/NWO Revenge (a classic N64 title) and Turok was never really all that good. Still, that didn't stop Acklame putting everything behind both franchises, and they sold reasonably well. Fast forward to the current day, where Acklame have acquired quite the reputation for weird promotional ideas.
It all started when Turok 'superfan' Idiot McMoron (name changed to protect the idiotic and moronic) decided to get his name in the Guiness Book of World Records by waiting for ages outside his local games shop until Turok: Evolution came out. The question that begs to be asked is "why bother?"...I mean, they're hardly gonna run out or anything. Couldn't he just pre-order? He could get it delivered straight to his letter-box. Anyways, that got some pretty big press, and started the ball rolling. The next chapter in the Turok: Advertising Campaigns of Evil saga was Acklame putting up $10,000 for the first child born on T:E's release date to be named 'Turok' for at least of year. So not only have they got one fool sitting in a tent outside GAME, they have a poor sod who's just been brought into this world with the same name as a badly animated fictional dinosaur hunter!
But no, it doesn't end there. Recently, for Burnout 2's UK launch, Acklame promised to pay the fines of anyone caught going over the limit by speed cameras. So, in addition to what's already been mentioned, they're encouraging people to drive carelessly, which could lead to thousands of accidents and injuries! Of course, being AckLAME, they backed down from the promise after basically getting a right ticking off from the government.
Has it improved anything for Acklame? Well, it's got them some publicity, that's for sure. Has it shifted more games? I doubt it. People will always buy Turok, but then, people are stupid. Burnout managed to be a decent game worthy of purchase despite its publishers, so I'll let that one slide...but are shock tactics really helping anyone? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's damaging the industry.
When a company or a business sector as a whole needs to use shock tactics, it's usually a sign of desperation. Desperation is never attractive (which explains why sweaty, insecure men never get dates with hot chicks), and it will result in the games world contracting what I like to call a 'Channel 5' image - one that relies on being 'crazy' and 'outrageous' in order to get people to care.
Browsing another board recently, I saw a post on 'guidelines for making console-exclusive games'. Under XBOX the requirements were that the games contained guns, guns and guns. What followed were screenshots of Halo, Splinter Cell and DOA: Xtreme Volleyball. There was Fear Effect, a game on the Playstation, which saw cut-scenes full of lesbian action. Now there's a volleyball sim, with all your favourite female Dead or Alive stars in tight clothing, modelled with new 'bouncing jug' motion capture. Dave Mirra recently refused to be associated with BMX XXX, and retailers are refusing to stock the game that contains gratuitous (I tried my best to spell that without using a word processor) swearing and violence, and a money system that sees you achieving objectives in order to unlock DVDs of women stripping.
Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat both have new incarnations ready to be released very soon...and they've both been in the papers for their 'shocking' depictions of violence. Are games becoming sordid? Is it now less about the game engine, and more about the boob technology? A quick look at a games mag, and you'd be hard pushed to argue. Games used to be made in bedrooms, by teenagers with acne and thick glasses. Now it's a billion dollar industry, with some games costing as much as films used to a decade ago. Finally, video-gaming is being taken seriously...and it goes and shows itsself up again.
Shock tactics, sad as it is, are growing more and more popular with games companies. Films don't NEED T & A, and TV shows don't NEED violence and special effects. Neither do games...so why push for the market comprising of creeps, loners and saddos that have the Episode 2 DVD on pre-order already, so that they can try and see Natalie Portman's nipples through her suit in the fight scene again? Why not carry on as you were - striving to make better games, more original and at the same time more realistc...truer to the real world, yet even more like a living, breathing fantasy?
Don't bottle it now. You've worked so hard.
Thanks for reading.
-swander87
A company that used to be on top of the world. Its WWF Warzone and WWF Attitude games were both huge hits, and their Turok franchise was hyped as a GoldenEye killer. However, the wrestling games always had fiddly controls and were up against the likes of WCW/NWO Revenge (a classic N64 title) and Turok was never really all that good. Still, that didn't stop Acklame putting everything behind both franchises, and they sold reasonably well. Fast forward to the current day, where Acklame have acquired quite the reputation for weird promotional ideas.
It all started when Turok 'superfan' Idiot McMoron (name changed to protect the idiotic and moronic) decided to get his name in the Guiness Book of World Records by waiting for ages outside his local games shop until Turok: Evolution came out. The question that begs to be asked is "why bother?"...I mean, they're hardly gonna run out or anything. Couldn't he just pre-order? He could get it delivered straight to his letter-box. Anyways, that got some pretty big press, and started the ball rolling. The next chapter in the Turok: Advertising Campaigns of Evil saga was Acklame putting up $10,000 for the first child born on T:E's release date to be named 'Turok' for at least of year. So not only have they got one fool sitting in a tent outside GAME, they have a poor sod who's just been brought into this world with the same name as a badly animated fictional dinosaur hunter!
But no, it doesn't end there. Recently, for Burnout 2's UK launch, Acklame promised to pay the fines of anyone caught going over the limit by speed cameras. So, in addition to what's already been mentioned, they're encouraging people to drive carelessly, which could lead to thousands of accidents and injuries! Of course, being AckLAME, they backed down from the promise after basically getting a right ticking off from the government.
Has it improved anything for Acklame? Well, it's got them some publicity, that's for sure. Has it shifted more games? I doubt it. People will always buy Turok, but then, people are stupid. Burnout managed to be a decent game worthy of purchase despite its publishers, so I'll let that one slide...but are shock tactics really helping anyone? I don't think so. In fact, I think it's damaging the industry.
When a company or a business sector as a whole needs to use shock tactics, it's usually a sign of desperation. Desperation is never attractive (which explains why sweaty, insecure men never get dates with hot chicks), and it will result in the games world contracting what I like to call a 'Channel 5' image - one that relies on being 'crazy' and 'outrageous' in order to get people to care.
Browsing another board recently, I saw a post on 'guidelines for making console-exclusive games'. Under XBOX the requirements were that the games contained guns, guns and guns. What followed were screenshots of Halo, Splinter Cell and DOA: Xtreme Volleyball. There was Fear Effect, a game on the Playstation, which saw cut-scenes full of lesbian action. Now there's a volleyball sim, with all your favourite female Dead or Alive stars in tight clothing, modelled with new 'bouncing jug' motion capture. Dave Mirra recently refused to be associated with BMX XXX, and retailers are refusing to stock the game that contains gratuitous (I tried my best to spell that without using a word processor) swearing and violence, and a money system that sees you achieving objectives in order to unlock DVDs of women stripping.
Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat both have new incarnations ready to be released very soon...and they've both been in the papers for their 'shocking' depictions of violence. Are games becoming sordid? Is it now less about the game engine, and more about the boob technology? A quick look at a games mag, and you'd be hard pushed to argue. Games used to be made in bedrooms, by teenagers with acne and thick glasses. Now it's a billion dollar industry, with some games costing as much as films used to a decade ago. Finally, video-gaming is being taken seriously...and it goes and shows itsself up again.
Shock tactics, sad as it is, are growing more and more popular with games companies. Films don't NEED T & A, and TV shows don't NEED violence and special effects. Neither do games...so why push for the market comprising of creeps, loners and saddos that have the Episode 2 DVD on pre-order already, so that they can try and see Natalie Portman's nipples through her suit in the fight scene again? Why not carry on as you were - striving to make better games, more original and at the same time more realistc...truer to the real world, yet even more like a living, breathing fantasy?
Don't bottle it now. You've worked so hard.
Thanks for reading.
-swander87