I’ve still got a while before I can tell you guys how awesome or not awesome Dead Rising 2 is, but there is nothing in Capcom’s embargo forbidding me from pointing out the logically placed, but confusingly sexy in-game ads that may very well distract players from nearby hordes of shambling undead.
- Air-brushing, bulimia, body dysmorphic disorder
- Can you guess which one of those boxes hides a penis?
In case you aren’t familiar with the concept of in-game advertising, here’s a quick primer courtesy Wikipedia:
In-game advertising refers to the use of computer and video games as a medium in which to deliver advertising. In 2005, spending on in-game advertising was US $56 million, and this figure is estimated to grow to $1.0 billion by 2014 …
In short, there’s tons of cash to be made by letting companies fill the blank billboards and posters inside your new, online-enabled game with ads for their latest TV show, car, or magazine full of sexy, sexy, naked, sexy co-eds.
*cue record skipping noise*
Yeah. Co-eds. Nekkid. Porno, porno, porno! God bless America!
*Nex wipes a tear from the eye of a nearby bald eagle*
Hit the jump for an uncensored look at the ad.
- Capcom? Playboy? Me? Who knows?
- Zombie women: Jealous AND bitey!
You’ll have to excuse the slightly less-than-radical picture quality, as these were created by capturing in-game images off of my HDTV with my digital camera. For some reason, Capcom isn’t sending these out in their media blasts for the game.
Personally, if I was promoting the first video game to feature high resolution ads for Playboy, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops. At the very least you could probably get a couple of horny 12-year-old boys to beg their parents for a copy just for the chance to see the awesome naked parts that all the ladies they know keep selfishly hiding from them with dresses, underwear and court orders.
- Larry Flynt’s Prosthetic Man Parts
- Click to embiggen. (Yes, this is an erection joke.)
Sadly, there is no real nudity in the game, as far as I can tell. Admittedly, I haven’t seen it all, so there may very well be a hidden zombie orgy room down the next hall.
It’s almost funny that these “sexy ads” likely got some of you excited over the prospect of seeing hot Dead Rising-style porn. Yet, just like the Playboy magazines being advertised, the reality is a pretty girl strategically designed to make you spend as much cash while turning your reproductive bits into an angry shade of cyan.
Forget the zombies, Hugh Hefner is the real monster here.
Tap the right poster or graffitti and you will get the naked zombie easter egg.
I wonder if Empty Room Studios knows about this tribute ?
“In case you aren’t familiar with the concept of in-game advertising, here’s a quick primer courtesy Wikipedia:”
Really Nex? Really?
Yes tcraig. Yes.
Also, huh?
Cavalli, you frakkin dim bulb. tcraig just schooled you for a sophomoric post belaboring the obvious. I’m sure your mom appreciated the lesson on in-game advertising. The rest of us have been familiar with the concept since Gran Turismo and FIFA.
Also, quoting a wiki article is generally considered bad form. Quoting a wiki article on game merchandising whose latest reference is 2007 is beyond retarded.
I was tempted to share the job announcement at the local McD’s, but then you’d screw up my fries. You probably do less harm blogging and playing with your reproductive bits. (but do it off-screen, PLEASE)
@rabblevox: Good show, sir. Good show!
“In case you’re unfamiliar with the concept of product placement in popular media…”
@Nex: your constant belief that your readers are no smarter than a room full of retarded gibbons has pretty much turned everyone off from caring about whatever drivel you feel is somehow relevant that day. Have you considered taking a nice long sabatical or medical leave of absense? It would do your soul good.
Shit, I remember seeing ads for Butterfinger BBs (they still make those?) in Cool Boarders on the PS1 back in 1997. Playboy is a little skeevy, but this is a zombie game we’re talking here. I’d prefer undead porn, thankyouverymuch.
Well boys, congrats on having a grasp of the IGA concept. You’re certainly a valuable asset to MENSA, but you all kinda missed the point (presumably because you were too busy crafting vague memetic slights and witty barbs about fast food jobs).
Two things:
A) Not everyone knows about the IGA concept. This isn’t EDGE and while you geniuses already get this stuff, maybe the next guy wasn’t sent the “hey, let’s all spend our nights refreshing NeoGAF memo.”
B) The more salient point behind my quote was the monetary figure, which, regardless of current veracity, demonstrates the key idea I was going for here. I’d imagine that the majority of people familiar with IGA don’t grasp how much cash changes hands for these kinds of things.
I will agree that it’s seen as “less than proper” to use Wikipedia as a source, but then again some people probably see it as “less than proper” to publish articles about Hillary Duff’s cooter accessories. Fuck those people.
I’m going to have to back Nex on this one. As an adult with a job and a sex life, I had no idea what an IGA is until I read this, um, er, article…POST, I mean post. To new things!
Nex, the name of In Game Advertising is fucking IN GAME ADVERTISING. Like Advertising In a video Game. Or In a video Game Advertising. It doesn’t take an IQ above death penalty to understand what it means.
If you could stop splicing sentences for two fucking seconds you could see how condescending you are and why reading you makes me weep for video game journalism.
Portland nerds deserve better!
@The Darkness: Oooh! Good one! Congratulations on having a job and a sex life. I don’t know why you’re bothering to post in an article full of comments by people who don’t.
Some people are overreacting about the wrong thing. Good post Nex, but I’m pissed you got the game before me.
Thanks, Graham. I was gonna troll the dead girl, but somebody already got her.
@Rusty: Yeah, I agree with you about the borderline creepy jabs at all my posts here, but I’ve been told by the higher ups that I can’t actually respond in full because it would be “feeding the trolls.”
RE Dead Rising 2: If it makes you feel better, I only got it a day before it went on sale, so I didn’t even have time to drive around town waving the box at people out the window of my car.
@Darkness: Thanks for proving my point by being a normal person (and for proving that such things exist within The Merc’s readership).
You all grew up with in game advertising. Look at the pictures mom took of you playing with you hotwheels and fisher price toys. It works, I’ve seen people buy Hello Kitty Autos.