'Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2' campaign uncovered

@cylet I'm in my mid/upper 20s and I loved it. Reminds of "parents just don't understand" days. Good ad.

@sonofman Because 12yos are, as a rule, immature. It's when they start trying to be 'adult' and 'mature' yet have no idea what those words mean, so instead gravitate towards mindless violence and porn, be it in action, comedy, etc.
Also they have enough time on their hands to game all day erry day

@sonofman of course COD is full of 12 year olds. It's the most popular game and will obviously have the most 12 year olds playing it

@sonofman I'm guessing you're twelve?

I didn't like this ad campaign very much.

@sonofman When someone's 12, they're not yet a teenager, but they're also old enough to think they have the capacity for maturity.

@sonofman

Because 13 is the age at which you think you're mature and start ripping on all those 12 year olds you're suddenly cooler than :P

@cylet

Sadly, it appears that immature teens and children are who it's aimed at. Those who can actually buy this themselves won't care what their mom thinks. It's the kids that can't buy it and have to get their parents/siblings/friends to get it for them that want their mom to see it and cringe. At least that's how I see it.

@cylet
I'm 12. I hate all the stereotyping about me age-group. I don't have a xbox. I don't play COD. I own a NES and a SNES. I beat Veni, Vidi, Vici! I played beyond good and evil. I just wish people would stop thinking all 10-14 year olds have no taste in gaming.
/rant

@Xiegfried

I can see where you're coming from, but if you're relying at least partly on your parents buying this game, then you don't actually want your mom to cringe when she sees it. Because then she's certainly not going to want to buy the game for you. I see it more as a creative way to show how, er, Visceral, the game is as opposed to literally convincing people to buy it because it offend their mom.

@KirbyCommando

"about me age group"

IDEY IDEY IDEY IDEY IDEY

They're out to get me lucky chaaaaarms

@cylet Whe can stereotype 12 year olds as immature, but not gamers as being basement dwellers in their parents' home seeking constant approval from mommy?

Joystiq, once again I am disappointed!

@sonofman

I am 12 and what is this

@KirbyCommando
*my
lol FakeJamacian

@WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco
i have two little brothers that just turned 13 (they are twins) and you are spot on. cocky as all hell and for absolutely no reason.

@cylet
Tell me about it. It's like the game is being marketed directly at kids/teens. My mum's favourite show is Dexter, she enjoys horror movies etc. etc. and I have mates whose mothers have been playing games for decades and will probably enjoy this when it comes out...

Visceral games have a history of moronic advertising though, I suppose.

@cylet
and the funny thing is that the game is approved for 17+.

I am not quite sure if EA understands how to sell games or just being a dick on this campaign. Unnecessary attention in my opinion.

@kojo87
Sorry, but those twins don't fit the stereotype being 13 now. You're only able to be a douche if you're 12. Once kids turn 13 they should know the wisdom of the world.

Seriously, it's not just 12 year olds. There's plenty of immature dicks all through the teenage spectrum as well. Beyond it too.

@cylet Here's the problem with this ad.

Even as we write/read this, videogames are on trial in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, in a battle to rid itself of a law that threatens to harm gamers and game designers 1st Amendment rights to make and play games of their choosing.

The reason the unConstitutional laws like the one from the State of California which is being debated in the Supreme Court exist in the first place, is because of a perceived lack by the public sector, that gaming's private sector has the maturity or even the will to self govern itself when it comes to mature games getting into the hands of minors.

This argument extends even towards game ads. This ad in particular is not only in bad taste, but is also highly unethical. It is an ad for a mature game, being directed almost exclusively to promote said mature game at minors. There is little difference here than big tobacco targeting cigarette ads at minors. While it can be debated the effect of mature games on the minds of minors, it is generally held as acceptable practice in this country at least, that you do not target ads for questionable content at children - whether science can yet prove there is a direct correlation between exposure to mature content and delinquent behavior in children, or not.

Considering the entire industry is on trial right now, even as we read this, this is truly bad form on EA's part to even consider an ad campaign like this, much less actually following through with it.

And for the record, I'm 40 and I do find the ad funny. But I am not stupid either, and know an ad target at children when I see one. If the ad was merely being ironic, then I could see where one could say it was targeted at adults. But there is no irony here other than the face the ad is targeting children at a time when the industry is fighting the most important legal battle in it's 30+ year history, to retain the right to continue to police itself.

EA should seriously pull this ad. It has no place in a self regulated gaming industry. And if EA does not pull the ad, then the ESA should step in and sue the pants off of EA until they do.

@KirbyCommando
Don't worry, when you turn 17 you can make fun of 12 year olds too. I just find it funny that so many people pretend like they were never 12 and immature.

Also, I'd like to add that my mom bought me GTA3 when I was 11. I'm glad she didn't know she was supposed to hate GTA3, either that or she knew she was a responsible parent that made sure I was aware of mature themes before being exposed in such a way.

@Tachyonic Cargo Exactly my reaction to this. It's hard enough getting people to understand that the average gamer is now in his/her mid-30s without the game companies themselves painting it as kids-vs-grumpy-grownups.

@Tachyonic Cargo I don't really find this ad to be targeting minors at all quite the opposite. If anything, it seems to me that it's relishing in the fact that mom's will hate it and not be buying it for their underage children, but adults who remember what it was like to have mom regulate your game purchases enjoy the fact that they can buy it.

@Lerkero: I find that, as a general rule, it usually takes around a quarter of a century (which gives one a good seven years to make some "adult" mistakes) before one can be called anything akin to mature.

Basic principle: If being called a kid offends you (as opposed to amusing you), then you're not mature yet.

@TheDarkWayne Hey, I'm in my 40's (and married to the "mom") who informed me one day (since I play games like this with my tween/teen kids) that I would be responsible when the note came home from school for use of "in game language"...

So this resonated well with me!

@Tachyonic Cargo [slow clap]

@sonofman It's because of internet word usage. When a phrase, sentence, word,ect is used by the internet community then its most likely that it will be overused, with no variety what so ever. Such as; overrated, fail, epic, or in this case 12 years old.

@Tachyonic Cargo

Best post ever. Even if the ad was genuinely intended as ironic and aimed at an older demographic it still can (easily) be seen as a direct ad towards kids. Totally irresponsible by EA's part in wake of the current legal battle that you highlighted.

Whatever happened to game commercials just showing us some footage in an artist or gripping style? I seem to recall that working pretty well for Final Fantasy VII back in the day or the more recent Bioshock 1 commercial (utterly fantastic). I think Dead Space 2 could've just followed the Bioshock commercial model (or even the Gears of War commercial with Gary Jules' cover of Mad World) and upped its sales without irresponsibly attracting unnecessary controversy.

@MrAlex

Why care?

@Getchow hands out my fries

Because anti-games hype leads to support for stupid laws etc...

@MrAlex People are taking these ads way too seriously.

@MrAlex

Fairplay, I'm sure we'll be fine though : )

@MrAlex Who cares as long as it get's a ton of publicity.

@sonofman You're 12, aren't you

@FriedConsole I don't think it's targeting "12 year olds" though. Nevermind it being Mature rated, because half those women are old enough to be grandmothers to those so called 12 year olds.

@FriedConsole

While I think it was a stupid idea for a contest, taking pictures with the girls who are paid to stand around and look hot at E3 is hardly demeaning.

@sonofman

Would just saying "kids" make it better? I mean adults don't care about pissing off their mom. I did when I was a kid because that's what kids do. As an adult my Mom isn't concerned with my video games and much more concerned about when I am going to make a grandkid.

@FriedConsole I'm 22 and my mother has no idea what I play, as I no longer live with her. I enjoyed this ad, and not because of some juvenile idea of sticking it to the parents.

I think this ad's appeal has more to do with a kind of cliquey feeling; you see these "outsiders" commenting on something you like, and you feel a sort of superiority because you and a group you are part of (in this case, "gamers") understand it, while everyone else has misconceptions. It is kind of an "in joke".

Talk about completely missing the point. Why would you think its about pissing off your mom? Its saying this game scares fuddy duddy old ladies, so if you arent a fuddy duddy old lady then youll probably like this game.

@Everyone on Joystiq

I thought the official 'immature age' was 8.
Right?

@ISpam

Either way, he's definitely not helping his case by deliberately double posting.

@Burnflare

I should just stop trying to comment on the Joystiq app. It always makes you reply to the wrong comment.