EA stages religious extremist protest at E3

[CptStern]

A small group of 13 protesters had attendees gawking by one of the entrances to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The object of their ire? Electronic Arts' upcoming video game based on the literary classic "Dante's Inferno," which is on display at the show.

The protesters, who came from a church in Ventura County, held signs with slogans such as "trade in your playstation for a praystation" and "EA = anti-Christ" as they marched and handed out a homemade brochure that warns, "a video game hero does not have the authority to save and damn... ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE. and he will not judge the sinners who play this game kindly."

Matthew Francis, one of the protesters, said he and his fellow church members were particularly upset that Dante's Inferno features a character who fights his way out of Hell and uses a cross as a weapon against demons.

"We think this game should never come out,"

but wait, there's more:

Electronic Arts has been playing games with attendees of the nation's biggest video-game trade show.

The game publisher hired a group of nearly 20 people to stand outside the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on Wednesday and appear to protest the upcoming EA game "Dante's Inferno." EA spokeswoman Holly Rockwood says the stunt was arranged by a viral marketing agency hired by EA.

The group claimed to be protesting the third-person action game — loosely based on Dante Aligheri's poem "Divine Comedy" — because they said the game glorified eternal damnation.

The fake religious protesters passed out pamphlets and held up picket signs with messages such as "Hell is not a Video Game" and "Trade in Your PlayStation for a PrayStation."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/06/e3-protesters-target-dantes-inferno-game.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090605/ap_on_en_ot/us_games_e3_protest

lol, what were they thinking? it was virtually ignored in the media so EA then leak that it was staged? their pr should be fired. they had to be aware they were in danger of evoking Poe's Law and suffer backlash from the real deal

 

[Stigmata]

That's just... I don't even know. It's equal parts sad, depressing, laughable, and confusing.

 

[gFrohman]

Obviously these people have never heard of "freedom of religion" (or they've got their heads up their asses so far that they don't believe in it, which is probably true).

Or these people are missing the point - Dante's Inferno was created by God so that whoever can make it to level 60 will die, go to Heaven, and fight Satan's army.

 

[Krynn72]

Wait, what? So there was a real protest, and then a fake one made by EA to do the same exact thing as the real protesters?

 

[Naudian]

I gathered that there was only one protest and it was staged.

I guess that's uh, creative of the marketing agency.

 

[mindless_moder]

I think it would have been an interesting gimmick if they executed it properly. It isnt very often that you see companies taking creative liberties with their marketing , so its kind of sad to see it fail like this.

 

[Raziaar]

noclip in hell. What a novel idea. Hey look ma, I'm standing in both the eighth and ninth circles at the same time!

 

[nurizeko]

held signs with slogans such as ... "EA = anti-Christ"

Wow, way to tell us something everyone one of us already knew.

The game publisher hired a group of nearly 20 people to stand outside the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles on Wednesday and appear to protest the upcoming EA game "Dante's Inferno." EA spokeswoman Holly Rockwood says the stunt was arranged by a viral marketing agency hired by EA.

Silly EA.

Also makes my top quote more amusing.

So EA do know they are a plague on the gaming industry.

 

[Saturos]

I actually agree with Stern though.


Why would EA go through with a bold viral marketing scheme like that? I guess they must reckon negative PR is better than none at all. :/

BTW, I thought Devil May Cry belonged to Capcom? and I never liked any of the sequels anyways. After DMC1, the series nosedived.

 

[<RJMC>]

I think it was a good marketing ploy
that would have made them appear in news channel like fox

fox reporter woman: and here we are in the outside of the la center at the annual videogame exposition know as e3 where a bunch of protesters are protesting against the release of a game called "dante's inferno" which they say glorifies hell,according tot hem something that should not be made into a videogame

another comentator in studio: and here is the protest of people against the evil named videogame "dantes inferno" which our expert that havent seen anytime of the game said that in this game you play under the orders of satan to do evil deeds in the world and and get points from it"

another ultra conservative news comentator(also on fox): and if obama giving green light to the executions of unborns babies was bad enough check this, a videogame company is going to release a hell glorifiyng game called "dante's inferno" which is slogan is simply "go to hell", various representatives of the church hav protested against it saying it would spread blasphemy to the childrens,what your opinion margaret?

margaret:I think is another proof of what is wrong whit society,imagine a kid looking at the game that has written "go to hell","go to hell!" that is just unnaceptable, you agree too marvey

marvey(black dude to add "diversity" to the show): oh yeah absolutely,I am not letting my daugther near her atari 2 or whatever its called....

 

[Dalamari]

Where do I get a praystation? Is it only made in Japan?

Spot the stereotype and win a prize

 

[Stigmata]

prize

FOUND IT

wait

nevermind

 

[swan_song1973]

damn, what dumb bastard thought that up?

 

[jet_porkins]

I don't understand their logic. How is it a marketing tactic if their idea is to protest their own product? Is that supposed to anger more people into buying the game?

 

[mindless_moder]

I don't understand their logic. How is it a marketing tactic if their idea is to protest their own product? Is that supposed to anger more people into buying the game?

its supposed to gain publicity thats all. people were supposed to blog , tweet and post about how stupid the protest was and what they were protesting about and that would spread the word about it.

 

[jimbo118]

Marketing chief was obviously trying to get fired.

 

[arch5]

^ I agree, Jimbo.
-----------------------
I have one thing to say after reading this.

 

[Acepilotf14]

oh lol

also, stop, dabomb.

 

[arch5]

oh lol

also, stop, dabomb.

I'm serious that time- that was really what I did have to say.
The story made me lol', and then go wut.

 

[Acepilotf14]

Sure.
But you need to come up with a more elaborate way of expressing it, rather than an old worn-out meme.

 

[Jintor]

Why are people and companies so ****ing stupid?

 

[ktimekiller]

what kind of viral marketing is that rofl

 

[Operational]

I usually find viral marketing attempts by large corporations to be lame but this takes the cake.

 

[Sir Phoenixx]

BTW, I thought Devil May Cry belonged to Capcom? and I never liked any of the sequels anyways. After DMC1, the series nosedived.

Yeah DMC is Capcom's series, although I'm not sure what this has to do with this game/thread...

 

[Sulkdodds]

I like EA.