Paris Hilton shills for Nintendo; Microsoft flattered

by Vladimir Cole on Jan 25th 2006 9:45PM

Microsoft and Sony have each caught a fair amount of heat from hardcore gamers for shilling their products via celebs who have very little interest in gaming. In fact, when we posted a photo on Joystiq showing Paris Hilton holding a brand new Xbox 360, one reader wrote the following response:

"It's good to know that Microsoft recognizes that celebrities really are better than everybody else... I don't know who they think they're marketing to--but, as a gamer, I don't give a crap what celebrity owns or prefers which system. As a matter of fact, I think most gamers probably resent Microsoft for this move."

Sorry to break it to all ya'll Ninty Fanboys, but Nintendo's no different. Today we received a press release headlined "Nintendo Draws an A-List Crowd at Sundance" which gushes:

"Celebrities from the worlds of music, film and television lined up to check out the coolest Nintendo products on display at the Sundance Film Festival. Luminaries like Paris Hilton, Good Charlotte, Rob Lowe, Jessica Biel and the Beastie Boys visited Nintendo this week in Motorola's Moto on Main celebrity lounge in the heart of Park City, Utah."

This is not to say that we have a problem with it. Companies can and will use celebrity endorsement to pitch their products to the masses. Celebrity endorsement is as old as celebrity worship, and that's as old as Helen of Troy. We're just pointing out that none of the big three are above the tactic, so stop already with the holier-than-thou stuff, fanboys.

Source

Tags: DS, GameCube, PS2, PSP, Xbox-360

Reader Comments (49)

I don't think you have to be a fanboy to realize that the big difference with Paris Hilton here is that there seems to be an abundance of Mario Kart DS's...not so with the 360. So, it's just advertising.

The thought that Paris Hilton had a 360 collecting dust rather than a game, on the other hand...

Am I wrong?

i think noone should get mad about this, since there's no reason to.
On the other hand, Paris Hilton getting a free 360 is completely opposite (but no complaining about that in here, thats old news)

True #1. If the Xbox 360 was readily available, and the masses could go out and pick one up, it would be fine. As it stands, the people who WANT an Xbox 360 know that one is being 'wasted' on someone with little interest in it.

I read Madonna threw hers out.

I think ZaBlanc completely missed the point of that article.

Paris Hilton got a DS the holiday season where they were sold out everywhere. All three are the same.

Good Charlotte. Paris Hilton.
Luminaries?
Sure, the marketing world is comprised for the most part by a collection of total assclowns, but come on.

Ehm, I didn't see too many Ninty fanboys pissed off at Microsoft for sending Paris Hilton an Xbox 360 ... it was actually the dedicated Xbox fans who were pissed that Paris got one early, while they had to camp outside a night, shell out twice the $$ over eBay, or wait impatiently for weeks for the oppurtunity.

Ahh, the classic psychological case of 'projection'. Vladimir Cole, instead of telling us exactly what happens, distorts it to bash Nintendo fans. And then, after squeezing a Greek 'Illiad' allusion of "Helen of Troy" into a story on video games, tells a huge part of joystick's audience to stop with the 'holier than thou' stuff.

Vladimir, why are you whipping other people for your own sins? With the tone, plastering Paris Hiltons' photo up (where she is little part of the story), and accusatory finger pointing, there is only one person here that is "holier-than-thou".

Vladimir Cole.

the situation is a little bit different here: People were not appalled at the fact that microsoft hosts celebrity parties, or gets endorsements, or makes an infomercial on MTV to show off the 360. The problem with MS was that gamers were expecting a shortage of 360s and MS gave away this "gold" to people who didn't deserve it. Who are more casual than casuals.
In this case, Nintendo just handed out DS's (the same ones everyone can find at wal-mart) and got celebrities to play 'em. Now, if these celebrities got to play Revolution Demos, and took revolution consoles home with them, then I'd be upset.

Wait a minute... that look on Hilton's face... oh my god... it that Blue Steel?

Chalk up another image for the "Paris Hilton Doesn't Change Facial Expressions" gif.

They're all paid to do this stuff, folks.

http://grumpygamer.com/7742459

Paris' rate -- A cool $200,000 for a 20-minute appearance.

There are an abundance of DS's in the US, Microsoft is still sold out of 360s. There is a huge difference between these two scenarios. This article simply seems like a desperate attempt to bash Nintendo fanboys, as if we don't get enough flack in the first place. Joystiq, thats pretty lame.

Oh and who cares about Paris Hilton. Gimme Jessica Biel.. or since we're on the topic of Jessica's, Jessica Alba from Sin City...

*yum*

Good Charlotte...Ha!

pub�lic�i�ty

give me a break, you assholes. Nintendo is just as guilty of marketing tactics as Sony and Microsoft, and you KNOW it.

just because all Nintendo does is games and they bring you thigns like mario and zelda doesn't mean they aren't part of the corporate world. get real.

I don't see the similarities. From what I understand, Paris is only holding a demo unit, a "product on display," they didn't give her a free one.

all the people here are say its terrible for microsoft to use celebs to advertise their products but its ok for nintendo to do so. its like nintendo is your god.

No, Nintendo isn't above celebrity marketing, but we don't need VC to tell us that. And where do you get off saying Nintendo fanboys think they're better? If anything it's the Sony fanboys, always coming into the Nintendo.com forums blasting PSP RULZ, DS SUX ASS POOPz LOL!1!!!1 or DS HAZ TERRBL GRFX, GET PSP! In addition, most sony fanboys I've talked to are hardcorein their only sony, or no one else attitudes. Me, I'm open-minded. I own an Xbox, a 360, a Gamecube, and a DS. Eventually I'll get a PS2 for Katamari Damacy and a few others. I'll later get a PSP if they can come out with something that really grabs my eye (though Ape Escape was fairly tempting despite being a port).

See? Open-minded. And I'd actually consider myself a Nintendo fanboy before Xbox, even if my GC is collecting some dust right now.

And by the way, I'm not knocking Sony fans in my last comment, I'm just saying, you can't say Nintendo fanboys are the only ones that think they're better. You're going to have people in all 3 groups that will do stuff like this, and the Sony PSP ROCKZ FACEZ stuff is just an example.

oh, and... Sch?ingsbek?fungsmittel

Hp-

People aren't bashing Microsoft for celebrity endorsement. Every company does that, its a smart marketing plan. What people are mad at Microsoft about, and not mad at Nintendo about in this case, is that Microsoft was giving away their new, near-impossible to get, system to celebrities who aren't interested in the stuff. Nintendo's DS's are no where near as hard to find as 360's, and in addition, half the pictures make it look like all these people were just playing demo DS's.

Posted at 11:21PM on Jan 25th 2006 by hp
all the people here are say its terrible for microsoft to use celebs to advertise their products but its ok for nintendo to do so.

Try to actually read the posts next time.

Wait... People PAY Paris Hilton?

She should be paying US so she can remain famous.

Seriously, ban the word "fanboy." We need a new way to express ourselves.

for the luvva all things holy, I can't see how people find that woman attractive.

ZeroCorpse,
Right on! Somebody please tell me what the hell Paris Hilton does? Why is she famous? It can't possibly be her face or the horrid television shows and b-movies (I hesitate to even call them b-movies, not even a flash of nudity! ;) she's been a part of. If she died tomorrow would people remember come March?

Half the readers here are missing the real story,
including Vladmir and the other half aren't even reading the comments.

No one cares if companies use celebrities to advertise thier products. No one resents microsoft for using celebrities to advertise thier 360.

What pissed gamers off is microsoft pushing them to the back of the line so they could give them away to
celebrities who generally don't care about gaming and ultimately leaving thier hardcore fans/gamers to buy them from ebay for $700+ - $1500+ price tags.

3 months later, supply is still short, demand still high, and now some of those celebrities are throwing thier 360's away, which is what most of them will probably do.

Good job Microsoft.

This article makes no sense whatsoever.

Mad props to #8 for "getting it".

First, I (a nintendo fan) was never mad at MS for giving away 100's of 360s to celebrities when hardcore fans couldn't even pay for it. I don't think any Nintendo fans were pissed at MS. The people bitching were the people standing in line to get a 360 but couldn't. Not Nintendo fans. It was a good marketing gimmick.
What nintendo is doing is a good marketing gimmick as well. Getting celebrities to play with DS's in public for photo ops is a good idea to raise awareness among the masses. Thats what MS SHOULD have done. Instead they flaunted their first consoles by giving them away while there was a huge shortage. Whereas when ninty had a shortage of DS in japan they offered a PUBLIC APOLOGY. Thats why stuff like this doesn't piss off the nintendo fans even though it was clearly the motive of the poster. There is a big difference. If you don't see it then you are probably an MS drone.

Thing is though, Nintendo doesn't need the likes of Paris Hilton pushing their brand. Anyone with an I.Q. above that of a pack of bubble gum could see that. There was a booth, celebrities stopped by, the banged on bongos and played Mario Kart DS, okaaaay... what am I missing here? Very few people (gamers anyway) give an eff if Bai Ling poses with a Gameboy Micro.

Who cares...at all. This is not news...I mean what is this, US? #8, you hit the nail on the head...

As a former child celebrity myself, I think it's unfair to resent the celebrities MS has chosen to promote the 360 with. True, most of them probably won't ever use their new 360's, but that doesn't entitle you to it, nor should MS feel compelled to sell all units rather than use a few for advertising/publicity. Don't like paying $1500 for on on Ebay? Don't buy one. Mad about 360 shortages and MS marketing techniques? Show it with your dollars; don't resent celebs for being more fortunate.
-JS

During last year's DS shortage, same story: http://www.joystiq.com/2005/01/26/celebs-drop-14gs-on-custom-ds-units/

Stop being such blind fanboys.

Nothign wrong with hiring celebrities to show off your goods but the guy woh wrote the article made a huge omission, these celebrities didn't get any money from Nintendo for those photos. They weren't paid in the form of games, game systems or cash money. The microft celebrity promo thing... that's a whole another ball park.

Sloppy sloppy journalism.

If you ask me, Paris Hilton is probably the best suited out of almost all celebrities to be a corporate whore. I mean, being a whore to individual people has to get boring after a while. But come to think of it, this spaced out slut makes a perfect pitchwoman for all three companies.

Touching is good? Perfect match.

Join in? Perfect match.

Live in your world, play in mine (ours)? Again, works pretty damn well.

I've had my DS for about a year, so I'm not mad. I would be mad if I had waited in line and not gotten one, just to see Nintendo handing them out to celebs...but ya know, I wouldn't be that surprised if they just gave them shells. I mean, Paris Hilton doesn't give a fuck, she's gonna get paid either way...

Zoro, did you miss the part of that post you pointed out where they mentioned it was a charity auction? Just a tad different than handing over a console to *throws up in mouth just a little* ...Paris Hilton 'just because'.

Zoro,
1) Microsoft GAVE away 360's to celebs before it was available to the public.

2) Nintendo sold custom DS's to celebs, 2 months after it's holiday release to raise money for charity. There was never a shortage, only unexpected demand.
Even if there was a shortage, they still BOUGHT thier DS's, AFTER it was released.

A publicity stunt by Nintendo? Yes, Nintendo uses celebs to advertise thier products. No one ever denied it and No one gives a damn about celebrities being used in advertising.

This is Vladimir's way of twisting an article to rally fanboys to bash Nintendo.

"During last year's DS shortage, same story"

"Stop being such blind fanboys."

Zoro,

It seems to me you are the blind fanboy. SELLING DS's for charity is NOT the same thing as giving them away for no reason other than marketing. I doubt paris hilton donated her xbox to the tsunami relief fund. Good Lord, you blow me away with your lack of perception.

I have never had a holier than thou attitude about nintendo advertising, they had a freaking cereal I mean come on. My attitude comes from a company that removes the fan from game systems, with components in them that can over heat. My attitude, comes from a handheld that sells more UMD movies than video games, and everybody acts like it is ok. My attitude, comes from people feeling they need to bash nintendo fans, while letting sony fans go on believing, quoting and defending baseless hype on what ever sony, or MS says. My attitude comes from sites that have the PS3, xbox 360, psp up but neglect to put up the Revolution and DS, as viable game consoles. MY attitude comes from defending my choice of gaming while other companies can profit from copying Nintendos style and ideas.

In short My attitude comes from me having to defend a company that has been making games, and only game systems for the last twenty plus years: Against up start new comers who have to make all in one media machines just to come close to the glory that nintendo has been creating with just quality systems and gaming. Now that is holier-than-thou.

Oh, you people totally forgot the money Bill and Melinda Gates and their corp are giving away.

Duh. Some fanboys have a thinking depth of say, paper.

Oh, and #38, maybe you just need to tell Nintendo that. Fancy them giving you a job and we pretending it's ok. :p

Once again, my GameTab grab reminds me why I don't read Joystiq. Maybe it's the fact that this story is mainly written from looking at a bunch of PHOTOS. Screw journalistic integrity - "Celebrities from the worlds of music, film and television lined up to check out the coolest Nintendo products on display at the Sundance Film Festival. " That MUST mean they got free systems - out of all of those pictures, I see 1/50th of the celebrities with actual bags of swag in them. It might be possible that they BOUGHT a DS for a younger sibling/child/etc.

Journalistic assumption is a dangerous thing. The next time I see some fat guy walk out of Wal-mart with a 360 after camping out, I'll interview him and ask him what projects he's working on, then posit it on my site as breaking news: the war on terror.

This is the first news post on this site that has actually pissed me off. Not because of the "news" but by the way they were presented. It seems as though the one who wrote this is lashing out rather than being "witty". That or hes just stupid.

Zsavior. Welcome to the Democratic party.

There's a difference between giving celebs a system that is almost impossible to get and taking pictures of celebs playing when they stop by your demo booth. Yes it's marketing in any case but why give ho-bag hilton a system when she's probably going to throw it out when some xbox enthusiast would kill for one? makes no sense.

me? I'm just surprised that Paris could even figure out how to push buttons on a DS.

Ahem,
Bill Gates owns about 10 or so charity organizations. What's this have to do with him giving away xbox's
to celebs??

Those weren't exactly cancer or lukemia patients
he gave them to. They were celebs who can already afford to buy one for every single room in thier houses. Not to mention they were given to them before they were available to the public to even buy.

AHAHA,hohoho. The Microsoft haters spout out shit when MS gives away consoles to celebrities and say things like "Our beloved Nintendo would NEVER do that,they CARE ABOUT US!". Now I see all these comments of N Fanboys trying to justify Nintendo.

Hey,people,NINTENDO IS A COMPANY OUT TO MAKE MONEY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. Maybe if I type it in all caps it'll sink in.

I didn't realize there were people who actually bought nintendo crap till i read this

xbox fanman,
Do you live under a rock? You'd have to be ignorant not to hear about the DS's success, especially if you're visiting gaming/news websites.

Otam,
Do you honestly think the average Nintendo/Sony fan cares about what microsoft does with their products?

It's the xbox fanboys that got pissed off about it.
No one can blame them. If you were left to buy an xbox for $700+ off ebay, after celebs got thiers before you and for free, you'd be pissed too.

At least one other person here seems to pay attention to some detail. This was at the Sundance Film Festival where Nintendo had a gaming den set up for people to come relax and play games. It was nothing more than a room in a nice lush building with beanbags and comfy chairs for stars and movie heads to come and relax and check out the DS.

Just to set the record straight for everyone bitching and complaining.

The big N isn't nearly as shallow as Sony or MS. Did you guys see that Sony is going to be making Playstation shoes based off the Air Force Ones? Take super ghetto cool shoe, add Playstation logo and only give it to celebrities for free.

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Paris Hilton shills for Nintendo; Microsoft flattered

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