Introduction
(Found via , ) So, EA is publicizing a new game called Dante's Inferno, and they chose a contest at Comic-Con to promote it: Sin to Win. There's a decent synopsis here. Take a picture with a "booth babe" at Comic-Con, tweet about it with the hashtag #lust, repeat the process.
Executive Summary
Bad idea.
Detailed Analysis
This is a contest sponsored to promote the game? They're only at the second circle - what happens when they get to the seventh (the violent)?
You know, maybe it's true that "all publicity is good publicity." I wouldn't know. I haven't gone after bad publicity intentionally, so it could be that I'm just missing out.
I don't think the single act of the contest was a disaster. No, they've put a lot of effort into spinning this into the PR nightmare it has become. Their reactions - and make no mistake, these are reactions - are worded in the vein "We know you're upset but that's your problem." Take this image, for instance, posted at twitpic:
I grabbed this image because similar messages posted at TwitPic have disappeared. I'm not confused by what EA did, and neither are the people who are complaining. I understand exactly what they want folks to do in this contest. Side-stepping the issue isn't working out well here. And it's difficult to take an apology for the offense seriously when the contest hasn't been cancelled.
Here's hoping they stop now, seriously analyze where the money for purchasing video games originates (in families), admit their utter fallacy, and identify and promise to counsel the marketeers involved.
Andy