When Game Advertising Goes Wrong

[Griking]

Check out this (http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156754) thread. That's just wrong. :embarrassed:

Here's (http://boards.1up.com/zd/board/message?board.id=egm_comm&message.id=3937) a thread where they talk about it at EGM magazine where the picture was printed.

[Ze_ro]

Wow, that's pretty bad... doctoring a photo of a memorial service and all. They must have been taking advice from Acclaim or something.

--Zero

[Flack]

It does seem a bit crude, although I don't think it'll cause quite the international uproar those guys are referring to.

[SoulBlazer]

Wow. First time I heard about this, and I agree -- that pic is in REALLY bad taste.

But it seems this happened a while ago. What's happened since? Has EGM published the printed apology yet? Who actually manip'd the original pic, cause they are the one who should be at a fault?

Do we need any more proof that EGM is a bad magazine? O_O

[nesuser2]

hmmmm, The thing I don't like is that it states that EGM didn't know the story behind the photo. Then, how did they get rights to use the photo? They just rip things off the internet without a care in the world who owns it and what the picture is off. Look at the expression on the mens faces......get a clue.

[Cmosfm]

While it's in very bad taste, I do agree on that...nothing offends me so I don't take offense to it nor do I really care. Don't get me wrong, I'm not being heartless. I understand that it is disrespectful.

I just wonder what the soldiers that saw it think, 1/2 probably got pissed, the other 1/2 probably laughed. I don't know, and won't know, but EGM does and says a lot of fucked up shit...but I still like the magazine, I don't think shunning off a publication like some has solves anything, just gived you less to read.

[crashdummycow01]

would be kinda like a Russian magazine using a 9/11 memorial picture in an article about a game about terrorism.. like socom.. and that wouldnt be coo at all.. and even though no harm was meant by the article, its still not cool to do something like that

[Cranduit]

@SoulBlazer This is the Feb 2004 issue meaning that it is just hitting news stands. Therefore a printed apology would still take a couple of months (Apr 2004)

[captain nintendo]

It will be interesting to see what, if anything transpires because of this.
I agree, it would be like the Russians using a 9/11 photo in the same way in a gaming magazine.

[Dahne]

Tht's horrible, and tasteless, and really, really funny.

[Dahne]

I can just see the creative meeting.

"Hmm...funny things we can use to sell a strategy guide..."
"How about dead kittens? People love things with dead kittens."
"I know! A puppy with lukemia!"
"I'VE GOT IT! A war memorial!"

[KirbyStar27]

what the hell is up with that editor! :angry:

[brandver3]

Wow....just, wow.

How did that get past ANY living human being with a shread of humanity?

[brandver3]

Double post....uh....I like ice cream!.....

[brandver3]

(Triple post)...with fish sticks!!!!!

[punkoffgirl]

I'm particularly amused at the threat of a lawsuit for "unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted material." Did they even get permission to use that photograph in the first place?

[Flack]

Is anybody else brainstorming on how they can photoshop that pictures?

It's the fark in me.

[kainemaxwell]

That's really bad. You know alot of people will complain regardless.

[Ed Oscuro]

If anybody's interested, I made a topic at GameSpy Forums:
http://www.forumplanet.com/gamespy/topic.asp?fid=1422&tid=1262487

'an another here:
http://www.forumplanet.com/classicgaming/castlevania/topic.asp?fid=6090&tid=1262490

I'd like to also mention something that I did there...the black bands of mourning have been left intact in the edit, which seems to be saying that Socom 2 could somehow take the place of these fellows' lives.

[MarioAllStar2600]

I rember another big controversial Atari (?) ad in EGM a couple months back. Involving a girls area x_x

BTW I cant get the first link to work, can someone post the picture

[hu6800]

Hahahahah

Those soldiers are trained to kill americans..
you should be more worried about where the russians missle targeting systems are set to as default ,, then the altered pictures they are holding.
Nothing will ever hurt more than the truth...
that dead comrad in the picture they are holding could have been
the one that killed an american in war had he still been alive.
think about it.

[NvrMore]

^ and now we know the mentality that buys into this sort of crap ^

Unfortunately, a large number of advertising strategies come down to the principal that any reaction is a good reaction.

Had this been a doctored pic of Americans mourning loved ones or a comical take on people jumping from the buildings on 9/11 (as previously mentioned) there would have been utter outrage (rightfully), but sadly a large number of Americans seem to hold the limited mentality displayed above, namely "it's okay if it's not us and if it's not us it's entertaining".

Best thing you can do is show your distain for such advertising with your wallet.. namely don't buy the mag and don't buy the game.

[Kevin Listwan]

Well put NvrMore.

[AB Positive]

Well put NvrMore.

agreed, can't say more than that.

-AG

[rbudrick]

This just goes to show that EGM has always been, and always wll be a bunch of pompous, arrogant assholes who think their shit doesn't stink. Fucking jerks.

I don't care if those were the North Koreans or the Iraqis...that is in really fucking poor taste....

-Rob

[TheSmirk]

Is it Computer Gaming World (as stated in first post on Gun Site) or EGM as stated everywhere else, or both? And yes, its in poor taste, but they were probably figuring that no one would find the original (since you're only supposed to know and think about games! Right?) Or the artist found the image , didn't know or care about what it depicted and photoshoped it up.

[kainemaxwell]

Read about this yesterday on some other boards:
http://www.gunsnet.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156754

[punkoffgirl]

Oh, another great line is the part where they say they had no idea the original context of the picture. I guess that answers my question about having permission to use/alter the image.

[crashdummycow01]

i bet no Russians work for EGM :o

[rbudrick]

i bet no Russians work for EGM

Probably Sushi-X.

lol, j/k

-Rob