Fallout 3's Washington D.C. Metro ads

by Alexander Sliwinski { Oct 7th 2008 at 8:00PM }

Washington D.C. resident John Cangany sent us a tip this morning about a Fallout 3 advertisement he saw in the Metro last night and subsequently blogged about. Amused by this ad push in Fallout 3's setting (before the nuclear apocalypse), we actually wanted to know if there were more ads than the one we were told about at the Metro Center station.

We contacted Fallout 3's PR people and they sent us several images of various ads found in the city's subway. We didn't receive any details about which stations these images were taken from, but we've placed all the pictures we got in the gallery below. ~~So, residents of D.C., can you name the stations you've seen the ads in while going about your pre-Vault lives?~~

Update: Pete Hines, Fallout 3's product manager, wrote us to say the ads are currently only at the Metro Center station. He explains the company took over all the ad space there for the month, adding that DC residents will start seeing bus and bus shelter ads in the near future. The company plans to promote Fallout 3 in other US cities soon.

Gallery: Fallout 3 Metro ads

Tags: ads, advertisement, bethesda, bethesda-softworks, fallout-3, washington-dc

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

KeenCommander @ Oct 7th 2008 8:05PM

I want this game...NOW!

wocyob @ Oct 7th 2008 8:14PM

awesome ads

Chin-Poh @ Oct 7th 2008 8:14PM

I'm curious, have many here that are hyped about this game played the previous two installments? I feel as though they weren't popular, but because of the Halo effect of 3, people are going back to play 1/2. I played them when they came out but maybe if I play them now for the first time, I may find them a bit too old. : /

Blah @ Oct 7th 2008 8:25PM

I have played 2, its really fun but different then most games I have played. I stopped because its so old I had no one to talk about it to and sometimes the combat system was a bit frustrating. If you want to play it go ahead its great, but wears off since there are more modern games that might pull you off to play (cod4) and you can't brag to anyone about your super high stats :(.

Chin-Poh @ Oct 7th 2008 8:42PM

If you had played 1, you would have enjoyed 2 a bit more. But 1 is quite limited in scope compared to 2, so playing that after 2 may be a bit painful. : )

Only reason I discovered Fallout is because I bought Descent Freespace from Interplay back in 1998 and I could also get a free older game from them. I saw the screenshot for Fallout 1 and thought it looked cool and so got that and have wasted so many hours in 1/2. I've played 2 at least one time each year since I got it in 99. : )

I feel like one of the Fallout elitists who's upset that 3 is made by a different developer but it should be good, but too bad it won't continue the story from the first two games. Eh.

tmacairjordan87 @ Oct 7th 2008 9:18PM

I downloaded both a while ago and played 1 for about 10 minutes before quitting because of the battle system. It may have been the shit when it came out but I thought it was god-awful. So yeah I'm one of "those" people that are happy Bethesda has Oblivionized the Fallout series. It really needed it.

Chin-Poh @ Oct 7th 2008 9:37PM

Yeah, the camp's split right down the middle into two. Those who played the Fallout games years ago and are very unhappy at how its turned out and those who are quite happy at this game and most have not played the first two games, they find it too different, too old to play now.

I played both games years ago and am unhappy the previous developers couldn't work on this but I enjoy what very little I played of Oblivion so this should do justice to the great franchise.

Blah @ Oct 7th 2008 10:00PM

Im actually kind of glad that the story is different, I personally thought the story was a bit weak in Fallout 2. "find this item that will fix everything for us" And as you go around the towns there is a Mario theme building up "Sorry but the GECK is in another castle".

Now that I think about it, fallout 3 might be the same thing but with your dad instead of a GECK, but who knows it might have some twists in the storyline.

I feel with you on the how its being made by a different developer and can only imagine a fallout game in the same style as 1 and 2 just with better graphics and systems. Well we can always hope for a 1 remake ;D

mezzanine @ Oct 7th 2008 10:52PM

I played 1 for about half an hour ages ago at someone's house. I didn't like how I pissed off half a town and had to wait for 20 people to do a 30 second long action before I could do anything, but otherwise it was pretty fun when I learned how to kill people.

AwesomeTown @ Oct 8th 2008 7:54AM

I had gotten the Fallout games back when they released because I was intrigued by the post-apocalyptic setting. I was hooked from the first second I played it. I always liked RPGs, too, so that helped.

I replayed them a couple years ago, and decided not to replay them again before 3. I don't want to compare 3 to the original 2. I know it will be different, but then again, I'm not upset it will be. Though I love the first 2, I think it could use a change after a decade. I'm just glad to be back in the Fallout universe, plus I know what Bethesda is capable of.

And tmac, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I think the combat really holds up well. It's not as smooth as silk, but the SPECIAL system coupled with turn based combat is still fantastic to me.

AlphaMatrix @ Oct 8th 2008 3:17PM

I played Fallout 1/2 back in the day and each a number of times since then. I've dropped a lot of hours into both games and thoroughly enjoy them. While those games did a lot of things right, they still had their faults/annoyances (eg. long waits in big fights, quest killing bugs).

That said, I'm really excited for Fallout 3. I also have extensively played (and beat) Morrowind and Oblivion (played Daggerfall, but never finished it). While Fallout 3 is going to be a different beast than the Interplay games, I feel that Bethesda have treated it as a labor of love and that will shine through.

For those that are up in arms over the new game: try it and if you don't like it, don't buy it. No one is going to make you play/buy it. I'd rather have a new Fallout experience than nothing at all.

I just so happen to be one of the few 'old school' Fallout fans that is also an Elder Scrolls/Bethesda fan. It won't be perfect, but for me Fallout 3 is a dream come true.

BTW, I would love to see an Hi-Def remake of Fallout 1/2, even if it was only a graphics update.

Etoile @ Oct 7th 2008 8:33PM

The ads are ALL OVER the Metro Center station (a very popular hub where the orange, blue, and red lines all meet). A very familiar charming cartoon face is on the floor and the big banners are all over the place.

I haven't seen them at any other station but it wouldn't surprise me if they're at Gallery Place/Chinatown too.

Alejandro @ Oct 7th 2008 8:37PM

I haven't seen any in Gallery Place-Chinatown yet, and none on the Yellow or Blue line below the Pentagon. If I had to guess I'd say they're on the Red and Blue line stops in the city limits, as that's where most of the college campuses are located.

Mark C @ Oct 7th 2008 11:50PM

I'm hoping they put a few in the tunnels. Can't remember which stations they're between, but they sometimes put lit ads in the actual tunnels. Now THAT would be awesome.

Douglas @ Oct 8th 2008 1:54AM

I believe the moving ads you are talking about specifically is located between Gallery-Place and Metro Center. They motion ads for Microsoft, Speed Racer and then NesQuik there I believe.

Having another Fallout 3 ad would be more awesome there.

Mark C @ Oct 8th 2008 9:56AM

Yep, those are the ones. Not on the red line as much anymore. I'll have to go out of my way to see these tonight =D

Dirty @ Oct 7th 2008 8:32PM

That's just ballsy..... and awesome.

I want to give the ad agency reps a high five.

Matthew @ Oct 7th 2008 8:36PM

Much cooler than the 90210 ad they have at the Bethesda Metro station.

arrakisman @ Oct 7th 2008 9:31PM

You would think they would have a huge add there since thats were BethSoft is. (They may be closer to Shady Grove)

Justin @ Oct 7th 2008 8:38PM

I've only seen them in Metro Center so far. They are a little creepy though, showing a bombed out Capitol Building or Washington Monument with a guy in power armor in front of it right below those buildings.

Not that that'll stop me from buying it first day - but I'd be surprised if there isn't a little discomfort about it among the non-gaming population. Like the tipster said, people are stopping and staring at it.

mrlogical @ Oct 7th 2008 8:39PM

I saw them this morning at Metro Center as well, have not seen them elsewhere. Pretty awesome, I was going to take a picture on my way in if I hadn't been running late.

Joel @ Oct 7th 2008 8:41PM

I saw these today.

I did a double take when I saw the title "Fallout 3".

Alex @ Oct 7th 2008 8:44PM

These also went up super fast - in Metro Center, for example, they went up within the four hours between when I took the metro into and out of the city on Monday.

And yeah, as people have said - I love the entire Fallout series. To death. But these adds are very, very freaky. Seeing the buildings that you work in bombed out in an advertisement is a bridge a little too far for some people, i think. Once again, i'm a big fan, getting this game the moment I can, but in a city which is a giant target and where people go to work daily knowing full well what kind of thing can happen.... it's just a little freaky.

brian @ Oct 7th 2008 9:15PM

i always find that these types of adds are more effective in getting my attention than t.v./internet/magazine adds.

something about seeing my hobby being proudly displayed in public.

brian @ Oct 7th 2008 9:34PM

i spelled ad wrong.
i apologize, for i am retarded.

Mike @ Oct 8th 2008 12:33AM

We assumed that based on your avatar. J/K lowlz

Mike @ Oct 8th 2008 12:33AM

Too...much...hype!!! Man, I can't freakin' wait for this game.

Saria the Cat @ Oct 8th 2008 12:37AM

The "Prepare for the Future" ad is awesome. I'd also love to see a lot more vault and Fallout boy vintage-esque ads put around in clever places. It all deliciously reminds me of Bioshock and its 1920s-style plasma ads in-game. It would be awesome to see a location-appropriate vintage ad in drug stores or grocery stores.

Douglas @ Oct 8th 2008 1:43AM

Nice. I live in DC and have yet to see them. But since I will have to go to Metro Center soon, I'll definitely keep my eye out for them. Good choice for location seeing as here, Metro Center is one of the most populated stations in DC constantly.

I wonder why they have yet to put any ads out near the Gallery-Place/Chinatown (Key Downtown Station) or the Bethesda Station (Obvious)

AwesomeTown @ Oct 8th 2008 7:44AM

Those ads are absolutely fantastic. They make me want the game even more now.

mernmern @ Oct 8th 2008 8:16AM

Thanks for the tips on the placement. I might just have to take a quick ride to metro center, followed by a ridiculous run from the station with a 20' advertisement in hand.

cynic79 @ Oct 8th 2008 8:21AM

Sweet! I usually don't head through Metro Center, but I've got to switch trains there after I leave work tonight, so I'll be sure to keep an eye out.

guidedbyvoip @ Oct 8th 2008 10:14AM

If they included a Metro Center Hub in the game itself, complete with Fallout 3 Ads my head might expode. Yes, EXPODE.

Seamus @ Oct 8th 2008 11:32AM

Dammit, I was working on the Hill and commuting from Cleveland Park every morning for awhile, but now that I move away, they decide to put up Fallout 3 ads. Damn, damn, damn.

Gus @ Oct 14th 2008 9:29AM

I saw these the other day. First one i saw was coming up the escalator from the blue line. There on the floor when i reached the top was a huge ad, started thinking someone ripped off the art from fallout, then i realized what it was. Soooooo freakin awesome!
I took a few pictures and one guy who saw me commented "prepare for the future? I hope thats not what we have to look forward to."
Best metro ads ever! Love the Fallout series, but my all time favorite game is Wasteland. Looking like Fallout 3 may fulfill my longing to reduce enemies to a "fine red mist"