Capcom publicity stunt loses realistic fake limbs in London
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Mar 12th 2009 at 2:11PM }
Capcom is asking people who find the limbs to return or dispose of them in a "careful manner." For "added gore," chicken livers were used to make the parts more realistic and could be harmful due to bacteria -- if you found a severed appendage in London, don't eat it. Although residents did complain to police during the competition, no charges were made. We're not even going to discuss what would have gone down if this stunt had been attempted in Manhattan.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dave @ Mar 12th 2009 2:14PM
What happens when they find that body stashed in the dumpster?
Wait, what competition?
DEEZNUTZ @ Mar 12th 2009 4:27PM
Yeah seriously. It was a dick idea that could have caused unnecessary panic and possible trauma to some unsuspecting bystander, not to mention the wasted police man hours just for them to find out it was some "innocent" marketing stunt.
I'm all for creating a buzz for games and products, but not at the expense of common sense. I stand by my arrest warrant.
Turd Ferguson @ Mar 12th 2009 10:54PM
@Lars: sadly, it's not as practical in the US because of different gun regulations for everyone else. More people have firearms.
But, stupid as this stunt may seem, I think Capcom might be disappointed that nothing more serious happened. The "hot coffee" effect if you will.
DEEZNUTZ @ Mar 12th 2009 2:20PM
Wow, just wow...
That marketing team should be arrested. What a stupid idea.
B @ Mar 12th 2009 2:38PM
Yeah, it was stupid. But wanting them to be arrested? Seriously?
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Mar 12th 2009 2:43PM
You're right, B. They should be shot on arrival.
Zertoss @ Mar 12th 2009 2:44PM
Then their bodies can be hacked up and spread all over London for round 2!
Maverick Saturn @ Mar 12th 2009 3:18PM
No, but if a casual onlooker had been seen by police carrying a head down the road....
"STOP, GET DOWN ON THE &*!£ING GROUND OR WE'LL SHOOT BA@$&@RD!"
Dirty @ Mar 12th 2009 3:31PM
London cops dont carry guns.
ssuk @ Mar 12th 2009 5:02PM
Dirty: Common misconception. A lot of police officers on 'the beat' do not carry projectile weapons, however there are plenty of armed police around London and plenty more a quick call to dispatch away.
Lars @ Mar 12th 2009 6:22PM
I wish they took guns away from beat cops and patrols here. So many kids with airsoft and drunk guys have been killed by cops with itchy trigger fingers when they really didn't pose any threat.
It really bothers me when cops box a car in with their patrol cars, then get out and shoot the person trying to escape them and say "the suspect's vehicle was considered a weapon because he was driving dangerously close to officers on foot." It's like they get out of the car so they can use that as an excuse.
Anyways, I think it's safe to assume nobody's gonna find one of these fake body parts and start gnawing on it... unless it was brains.
VampireHunter Z @ Mar 12th 2009 2:23PM
LMAO "don't eat it".
Latin_Trident @ Mar 12th 2009 2:57PM
Everybody knows Hannibal Lecter is figuring out who left him those tasty treats on the street.
As we speak, he is preheating his oven.
Burritoclock @ Mar 12th 2009 2:26PM
BEST IDEA EVER!
Every aspect of this is just.... awesome!
Dirty @ Mar 12th 2009 2:41PM
No I think the chicken livers was not a good idea. Other than that, awesome.
RavenLord @ Mar 12th 2009 2:27PM
So who seriously thought that this would be a good idea? Really.....It just sounds like the marketing team is grasping at straws and looking to see how they can get more attention. This obviously has backfired ....BADLY.....LOL. I get what they were trying to do but they probably should have considered that most people don't know what Resident Evil is all about let alone even play videogames at all. EPIC FAIL!!!
NoughtSoClever @ Mar 12th 2009 2:55PM
They were most likely hoping for controversy. If RE 5 got prime time news coverage, there would most certainly be a rise in sales.
John P @ Mar 12th 2009 2:29PM
When I first read about this competition, I just knew something like this would happen. Obviously Trafalgar Square is one of the most frequented tourist spots in London. And you know who is traveling to London now? Well, they probably aren't in the same age bracket as RE5 players, that's for sure. Too bad I missed it though. I would have competed had I not had class today.
arkweld @ Mar 12th 2009 2:30PM
In what universe could anyone predict this wouldn't go wrong?
Really. It was just a perfectly fun idea just like finding hidden eggs at Easter.
I'm looking forward to the next Splinter Cell promotion in which suitcases marked "Warning - Nuclear Weapon. Radiation Hazard." are hidden around London. It will be fun. The gaming community can pretend they are in a real version of 24. And since the general public don't play Splinter Cell they'll ignore all the suitcases thinking it's just an amusing fun competition.
kal326 @ Mar 12th 2009 3:21PM
Plus if the British police/military is anything like the US military, they would never find these WMDs and there for not interfere with the competition.
XDragon @ Mar 12th 2009 2:32PM
Yes its a bad idea; imagine a child stumbled into this?!
Yet given that, even more attention will be given to RE5 because of this.
I'm surprised no public mischief charges have been made.
iFester @ Mar 12th 2009 2:33PM
See, the game isn't racist. They used a white dummy.
Dirty @ Mar 12th 2009 2:40PM
No its even more racist. What are there no black people living in london? Are we only going to have white dead people now! JUST WHITE ZOMBIES! OUTRAGE!
Sir Buzz Killington( The Artist formerly known as Jakka) @ Mar 12th 2009 2:35PM
Damn, I though I accidentally hit my /b/ bookmark.
Dante @ Mar 12th 2009 2:42PM
(sarcasm)when somebody walks down the street with severed human head everybody knows its just a competition.(sarcasm/)
Brodo @ Mar 12th 2009 6:09PM
Cut the (Sarcasm) crap. Please!
Mazzy Star @ Mar 12th 2009 2:46PM
What the hell Joystiq!?
I just came home and turned on my computer to go to Joystiq and while the page was loading I was yawning and stretching when this showed up.
Cosmo @ Mar 12th 2009 2:48PM
This will not end well.
John Z @ Mar 12th 2009 2:51PM
If there's some legal repercussions for this, I bet the fine will cost them an arm and a leg.
BlaqueBeird @ Mar 12th 2009 2:57PM
Hey-oh!
AmazingAaron @ Mar 12th 2009 2:53PM
How could a big company like this, come up with such a BAD IDEA! I mean come on, realistic fake body parts with chicken liver on them laying around a big city!
Pvt. Joker @ Mar 12th 2009 3:08PM
Well yeah, sure loosing body parts is bad...but at least it wasn't battery powered lightbrights with cartoon charecters flippin' the bird...now that would have been dangerous.
John C @ Mar 12th 2009 2:59PM
Yeah. If they did it in Manhattan, the democrats would've held a mannequin anti-defamation rally at city hall. Celebrities would have shown up to raise awareness and Al Sharpton would be scrounging around for a reporter looking for someone to interview.
Sir Doctor @ Mar 12th 2009 2:59PM
How on earth was this not expected?
F1 Gamertag: Cadablog @ Mar 12th 2009 3:09PM
I can just imagine one of the participants walking down the street with a holding a severed head by the hair.
Maverick Saturn @ Mar 12th 2009 3:16PM
Told you this was a stupid idea :P
If the advertising team needed advice, they should have asked me for a hand, besides, my head is always better then 1, and it wouldn't have stupidly cost them an arm an a leg :D
MaxShrek @ Mar 12th 2009 3:20PM
Body parts.. the other white meat.
.. wait #5 takes place in Africa!
Kyle @ Mar 12th 2009 3:48PM
I thought this was a hilariously brilliant idea, but obviously something was bound to happen. Perhaps using uncooked chicken on them was a bit stupid, but I'm still in love with the premise. In this day and age of over-the-top political correctness, it's a breath of fresh air in all honesty.
ducttapeBigSexy @ Mar 12th 2009 5:01PM
London citizens are so mad that heads will roll over this!
No good? Okay, how about:
The London police will have someone's head because of this!
Optimaximal @ Mar 12th 2009 5:28PM
Didn't some games journo find one in a shop doorway last week?
bearcall @ Mar 12th 2009 5:28PM
does capcom think vegetarians don't play games and/or want to participate in their events??
if i had gone there (being a vegetarian) and had not known in advance i would have been pissed.
either way i think thats a bad idea on their part and though i think their games are good i will think twice before buying their products without an explanation...
MJ @ Mar 12th 2009 9:07PM
Didn't Sony get frowned upon for doing a similar stunt to this (the goat thing for GOW), though that was a little ott lol.
I think this was a little bit daft, especially seeing how the police could potentially shoot someone for carrying a 'body part' around, they have been known to shoot innocent people without any intelligence (as in the spy kind, not for just being dumb b'stards.
dphizzle @ Mar 12th 2009 9:45PM
"We're not even going to discuss what would have gone down if this stunt had been attempted in Manhattan."
or in Boston? A la Mooninite LED FURY
drun @ Mar 12th 2009 11:42PM
reminds me of that "Kamaitachi no Yoru" thing
John @ Mar 13th 2009 3:38AM
Had I found zombie parts in my city back home, I'd have to hop into the zombie shelter and start locking and loading.
daniel.shahak @ Mar 20th 2009 9:12AM
That's just pathetic.