NEWS
When Video Game Marketing Goes Too Far
THQ has had an interesting marketing plan for their upcoming domestic war-themed FPS, Homefront. In the game, a war between North Korea and the US takes place. They've taken this idea and constructed weird, ARG-like advertising "events." During E3 2010, a parking lot full of cars brandished North Korean flags and signs saying "North Korean Federation Subsidized Free Parking," all guarded by North Korean soldiers (read: guys paid to stand around wearing uncomfortable uniforms in the LA sun). This is only one of several similar events that THQ has staged to promote the game.
And to think I considered it clever. Maybe even amusing in some regards. However, their latest attempt to raise awareness for the game is simply going too far.
As you can see in an earlier news post, THQ is staging a fake protest of "North Korea's human rights violations" in San Francisco this week to coincide with the Game Developers Conference. This latest event edges their mythos a little too close to reality and is quite frankly, totally inappropriate.
I'm not one who is easily offended. But to me, this just seems wrong. THQ is staging a fake protest that will focus on very real issues - not something to laugh about. Plus, if THQ were really advocating for awareness of North Korea as a totalitarian state; one in in which the people are oppressed and pose a threat to the majority of Western nations, this would at least be acceptable. But that is not their motivation. This whole event is being staged for the sole purpose of generating buzz for their game. THQ's goal does not involve informing people about North Korea at all. In fact they seem to possess no political awareness whatsoever despite handling such tender material in their narrow-sighted path to publicity. When it comes down to it, their only plan is to simply sell lots and lots of copies of Homefront, so they can make lots and lots of money.
The idea of the game is riveting, novel, and has the potential to be quite engrossing. But you walk a fine line when you deal with slight variations of current reality and near-future scenarios that have such weighty political baggage tied to them. And it's just that: THQ have crossed that line and moved into pure exploitation of actual events.
As I've said above, it's plain wrong, and THQ should be ashamed of what they're doing.
Image credit to: SFAppeal.com