You may have seen these ads on TV and the Internet. They are for Dead Space 2, a Sci-Fi / Survival Horror game made by Visceral Games and published by EA.
The ads show the reactions of middle-aged mothers to the graphic violence and gore in Dead Space 2, along with bits of what I assume were interviews taken after the viewings. The ad campaign is called “Your Mom Hates This”, and they even have a dedicated web site with the same name. www.yourmomhatesthis.com
This is a great example of how to not market a ‘M’ Rated game, as it appears to be marketing to kids and teens that are not supposed to be able to purchase the game.
Dead Space 2 is rated ‘M’ for Mature. That is supposed to mean that no one under the age of 17 is allowed to purchase the game, yet the ad is trying to say that that the graphical nature of the game could freak out your Mom. If you are of legal age to actually buy this game, who cares if your Mom hates it? You know who this appeals to? Teenagers. Teens who want to rebel, show their Independence and like nothing more than to freak out dear old Mom and Dad.
I’m a well educated man in my 30’s. I love the Sci-Fi and horror genres. Why would I care if a game is going to freak out my Mom? I asked a few of my gaming friends who are in their early to mid 20’s if they thought those commercials appealed to them, all but one said it didn’t. They wanted to know about story continuity, multi-player, new weapons, etc. None of which is mentioned in these ads. So again, who is this marketing campaign for?
I would say that most adults (meaning people over the age of 18) probably don’t care much if their parents think a game is too graphical and violent. Kids and teens do though. When it comes to those coveted ‘M’ rated games, being able to have those is a status symbol. You want this game because it’s going to piss off your parents.
Currently Common Sense Media, a family based rating and advocacy group is trying to get sanctions against these ads for the exact same reason. They state that the ads seem to be designed to appeal to a younger demographic who are not supposed to be able to purchase the product.
What really amazing me here is that this ad campaign was approved by the ESRB according to EA Games. The group that provides game ratings and is fighting to keep that control in their hands and out of the United States Government. Patricia Vance with the ESRB states in a letter to Common Sense Media that “Just because a product desires to be seen as 'cool' or 'edgy' does not in and of itself necessitate that it is directed at children."
The question is ‘cool’ and ‘edgy’ to who? So far I haven’t found anyone of legal age who thinks this marketing campaign is either. I bet if I went to just about any high school in America though I would find people who did.
What really annoys me about this ad campaign is that it could be a talking point for various political groups who like to demonize the video game industry. The game industry is being brought before the Supreme Court to see if games should be granted the same First Amendment freedoms as literature and art. We really don’t need something like this giving us a black eye right now.
The ads show the reactions of middle-aged mothers to the graphic violence and gore in Dead Space 2, along with bits of what I assume were interviews taken after the viewings. The ad campaign is called “Your Mom Hates This”, and they even have a dedicated web site with the same name. www.yourmomhatesthis.com
This is a great example of how to not market a ‘M’ Rated game, as it appears to be marketing to kids and teens that are not supposed to be able to purchase the game.
Dead Space 2 is rated ‘M’ for Mature. That is supposed to mean that no one under the age of 17 is allowed to purchase the game, yet the ad is trying to say that that the graphical nature of the game could freak out your Mom. If you are of legal age to actually buy this game, who cares if your Mom hates it? You know who this appeals to? Teenagers. Teens who want to rebel, show their Independence and like nothing more than to freak out dear old Mom and Dad.
I’m a well educated man in my 30’s. I love the Sci-Fi and horror genres. Why would I care if a game is going to freak out my Mom? I asked a few of my gaming friends who are in their early to mid 20’s if they thought those commercials appealed to them, all but one said it didn’t. They wanted to know about story continuity, multi-player, new weapons, etc. None of which is mentioned in these ads. So again, who is this marketing campaign for?
I would say that most adults (meaning people over the age of 18) probably don’t care much if their parents think a game is too graphical and violent. Kids and teens do though. When it comes to those coveted ‘M’ rated games, being able to have those is a status symbol. You want this game because it’s going to piss off your parents.
Currently Common Sense Media, a family based rating and advocacy group is trying to get sanctions against these ads for the exact same reason. They state that the ads seem to be designed to appeal to a younger demographic who are not supposed to be able to purchase the product.
What really amazing me here is that this ad campaign was approved by the ESRB according to EA Games. The group that provides game ratings and is fighting to keep that control in their hands and out of the United States Government. Patricia Vance with the ESRB states in a letter to Common Sense Media that “Just because a product desires to be seen as 'cool' or 'edgy' does not in and of itself necessitate that it is directed at children."
The question is ‘cool’ and ‘edgy’ to who? So far I haven’t found anyone of legal age who thinks this marketing campaign is either. I bet if I went to just about any high school in America though I would find people who did.
What really annoys me about this ad campaign is that it could be a talking point for various political groups who like to demonize the video game industry. The game industry is being brought before the Supreme Court to see if games should be granted the same First Amendment freedoms as literature and art. We really don’t need something like this giving us a black eye right now.
