Top 5 Most Blatant Corporate Advertisements in a Video Game

Of the many names people may label Corporate America with, one of them is not “stupid.” Over the years, major U.S. companies and institutions have put their label in video games, fashioning their product for the target video gaming base, the youth. Whether or not such efforts pay off for these companies, I’m sure they can’t even fully gauge. Regardless, they try, nowadays much more subtly than in the 1990s, to push their product. Without further ado, here is are the top 5 most blatant examples of corporate advertisements in a video game:

5) America’s Army: In the aftermath of September 11th came a surge in patriotism, the U.S. Army standing behind it’s “Army of One” slogan, and, a video game. In 2002 the U.S. Army released this free title to, as you can imagine, boost enlistment levels. Personally, I really liked this game and loved the idea of a free and solid first person shooter that provided a lot of training. I didn’t, however, rush to my nearest recruitment station. It was a clever move by the Army, so much so that my mother often told me to stop playing, as I’d want to lie about my age and join the Army, something a mother typically doesn’t want for her 16 year old son. America’s Army comes in fifth place because, while it was selling itself, it did so subtly, appealing to every young American gamer who loved first person shooters. 

4) Metal Gear Solid 4: Codec? Check. Customized M4 Carbine? Check. Solid Eye? Check. Apple iPod? CHECK. It was well known before the release of MGS4 that Hideo Kojima cashed in on corporate product placement. The Apple iPod was probably the most blatant example of corporate presence, with Snake being able to take a break from killing baddies and listening to some Metal Gear franchise tunes (I never did). Don’t feel like listening to music? You can distract enemy soldiers or have quality time alone with a Playboy magazine. War has its perks, right? Also, you can see Naomi Hunter flashing her Sony Ericsson cell phone around (Sony makes the PS3, MGS4 was made exclusively for the PS3, get it?) So, we have here a case of pretty blatant in-game advertisements, but in the case of the iPod and Playboy, at least it was optional.

3) Sneak King: Burger King has currently released three titles for the Xbox at $4 each. Two of the titles, PocketBike Racer and Big Bumpin’, weren’t completely blatant “advergames,” but there’s really no point in defending Sneak King. The point of the game is to sneak around and give Burger King meals to hungry people around town. Why the King has to sneak around, though, is beyond me. Maybe people truly don’t want to eat Burger King, so he has to surprise them? I really don’t know. I think the Burger King mascot is pretty hilarious, I mean come on, look at that face. So, sneaking around and giving food to people as the King may not have been too horrible of a game, even if it is a shameless corporate stunt.

2) Cool Spot: In 1993 Virgin Games (later Virgin Interactive) made a gaming venture on behalf of 7up. You played as Spot, who was automatically “Cool” because he wore Ray Ban New Wayfarers, apparently. The point of the game was to jump around and throw soda bottles at enemies in an attempt to save other helpless Spots. The game did surprisingly well for an advergame, but then again, many games with the linear game model Cool Spot had in the early 90s did well too. Disney’s Aladdin and The Lion King (both also by Virgin Interactive) come to mind. I played all three of these games as a kid, and I can now see why Cool Spot was so popular with me and others, it fit the model. Having a fairly new, but strong, company like Virgin developing the game certainly helped, too. Cool Spot showed us that you can take a spot on a soda can, give it arms, legs, and sunglasses, and it’ll sell as a video game.

1) Pepsiman: The most blatant example of corporate product placement in a video game is actually found in a Japanese only game. In the 1990s a popular mascot was created for Pepsi. The Pepsiman would run around in television commercials and deliver cans of Pepsi to thirsty people. The game was on-rails, so it was very linear, and involved avoided obstacles, riding a skateboard at times, collecting pepsi bottles, and above all quenching thirst. If you ask me, though, Pepsiman is pretty intimidating. The game’s box art displays the featureless Pepsiman pointing at you, with the words “DRINK!” above him. It’s almost like Pepsi was forcing their product down the throats of the terrified Japanese and had a tough guy around to make sure they were drinking it regularly. A giant blue and silver vigilante running around town causing havoc, if you ask me. So, Pepsiman takes the cake for the most blatant, and overall strangest, example of corporate influence in video game culture over the years.

What do you think?

Posted by Daniel on 08/28 at 12:36 PM
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