{"id":579,"date":"2011-01-21T12:30:31","date_gmt":"2011-01-21T18:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sebersole.wordpress.com\/?p=579"},"modified":"2011-01-21T12:30:31","modified_gmt":"2011-01-21T18:30:31","slug":"your-moms-gonna-hate-this","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebersolemedia.com\/blog\/your-moms-gonna-hate-this\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Mom’s Gonna Hate This"},"content":{"rendered":"

Electronic Arts has taken an edgy and controversial approach to marketing Dead Space 2, a videogame described as a, “third-person horror survival game in which players must battle an alien infestation” by “strategically dismembering” necromorphs. In a viral marketing campaign, [see clip below], 200 “moms” were invited to participate in “market research” that turned out to be a way to collect their on-camera reactions to some of the most horrific scenes from Dead Space 2.\u00a0 Here’s the clip:<\/p>\n

[youtube=http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jri8LFci4xQ]<\/p>\n

In case you missed it, the VO said, “A mom’s disapproval has always been an accurate barometer of what is cool.” But wait, this video game is rated M the by the ESRB <\/a>(Entertainment Software Rating Board), meaning it is to be sold only to buyers age 17 or older. Last time I checked that crowd wasn’t overly concerned about what their moms liked or didn’t like. Is it possible that EA is actually marketing a game rated “M” to kids younger than those allowed to buy it? This marketing campaign is going to give more ammunition to critics of video game violence: people like Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the FTC, who, according to Wired <\/em>magazine, was quoted as saying that “the videogame industry\u2019s self-regulatory efforts around the marketing of violent video games to minors are still ‘far from perfect.’\u201d<\/p>\n

There’s another issue here that centers on ethics of research. According to the video, “over 200 moms were recruited to participate in market research, only this wasn’t market research.” Obviously the moms were asked to sign a release form that gives EA’s market researchers permission to use the video from the hidden cameras, but the breach of standard research ethics is obvious and appalling. Beyond that, the moms may have legal recourse based on the emotional and psychological distress that they may have experienced in the process. I’m sure EA has a large legal team, but they may be well advised to “lawyer up” in order to defend this controversial example of ambush marketing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Electronic Arts has taken an edgy and controversial approach to marketing Dead Space 2, a videogame described as a, “third-person horror survival game in which players must battle an alien infestation” by “strategically dismembering” necromorphs. In a viral marketing campaign, [see clip below], 200 “moms” were invited to participate in “market research” that turned out … <\/p>\n

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