The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has dismissed complaints that a television ad for Bully Scholarship Edition trivialized bullying. The agency said that although some might find the game's content and name in poor taste, the content of the ad was "unlikely to cause serious or widespread offense."

It's funny that the ASA would take the stance that the Bully ads wouldn't cause "widespread offense" when it received a total of 31 complaints. Comparably, the banned ad for Kane & Lynch only received 26 complaints. The extra complaints isn't exactly surprising; remember that the original PS2 version of Bully actually changed its name to Canis Canem Edit when it was released in Europe.

Not content with simply digging up the 10 worst PlayStation ads (though we're still laughing about a few of those), our buddies at PS3 and PSP Fanboy have compiled a list of the 10 best PlayStation ads that show, despite their occasional mega-flops, the Sony Marketing Machine is capable of great promotion. Click here, get educated.

Dear Joystiq Reader,

You may have seen the above ad for a new line of HP laptops, right here on Joystiq. You clicked on a link or voted on a comment and, next thing you know, your comfortable, cozy gaming blog was replaced with a giant, full-page ad featuring a video of ... what is that? Is that a hummingbird?

For some of you, the ad appears multiple times a day; for others, you need to close your browser tab or window to get rid of it; for others still, it comes and goes as intended, but disturbs your browsing experience; and lastly, some may not mind the occasional full-screen ad at all.

We're not fans of the interstitial, but we don't call the shots. All we can do is communicate your indifference and/or displeasure to the people who make those things happen. Ads on Joystiq aren't going away, but ones that interfere with your ablility to read Joystiq should. So, sound off in the comments. We're listening.

Love,
Joystiq

We've reported on a few of Sony's marketing quirks throughout the years (we still remember the goat). Our friends at PSP and PS3 Fanboy have compiled the ten most interesting ads (some would say "worst," but their existence just makes us too happy). If the recent ad (shown above, click here to see the Full Monty – NSFW) is any indication, Sony's marketing still has the occasional fumble. Check out the other highlights.

So, there's this game called Metal Gear Solid 4 ... it's apparently a big deal for the PlayStation 3. Well, above is the movie-style trailer (with movie-voice guy) for those interested in watching it. No pressure. Watch it, don't watch it. We wish there was more we could do to generate hype for this indie title made in some guy named Hijeo Koshima Hideo Kojima's garage on a shoe-string budget.

After the break you'll find three ads involving MGS4. It's really nice to see Sony taking an interest in this title. It warms our cockles to see a giant corporation give support to a game featuring geriatrics at war.

It may seem like just a silly promotional video for Rainbow Six Vegas 2, but we like to think of the above video as an educational film. Primarily, of course, it teaches/reminds the guys from Mega64 are really ballsy. Seriously, they're bold in a way that would make Errol Flynn want to curl up with a mug of Earl Grey and an issue of Teen Vogue.

But we also learn the lengths that everyday citizens are willing to go to in the fight against terror. Terrorists can literally be dancing in front of them in Hawaiian shirts and they will still pretend to see nothing. Consider us inspired.

We're sure many of you have already seen this Grand Theft Auto IV ad, as it's floating around the internet for "a fair piece," in the parlance of the hills. But we like it and we wanted to make sure you put your eyeballs on it as well, because we care about you. Also, we had to make sure you saw the part where the guy was drunk. How cool does that look? Man, we're going to be drunk all the time while we play. ... In the game, of course.

By the way, you should know that this ad's from GameStop, which is probably just trying to trick you (and us) into pre-ordering the game. The bad news is that it totally worked.

We can expect ads to continue to be shoved down our throats in games from Electronics Arts as the company has extended its deal with Microsoft's in-game ad firm Massive to offer dynamic ads in games for the next two years.

While Massive will continue to offer in-game ads in existing titles from EA, such as the recently released Burnout Paradise, the new deal will allow more advertisers to continue to hawk wares in existing titles, as well as in upcoming games -- including the next two Madden, NBA Live, Nascar, and NHL releases. According to EA, ads will focus on appealing to guys between the ages of 18 and 34, but interestingly will just be served to versions released for the Xbox 360 and PC. For players on other platforms looking for a similar experience, might we suggest taping up ads from your Sunday circular to the television while playing -- at least that way you have the option to take the nuisances down.

In-game advertising company IGA Worldwide outlined today how it plans to provide advertising to Electronic Arts' Burnout Paradise. Advertisers cited include Burger King, CompUSA.com, Diesel, Gillette and Sling Media, among others.

The Gamasutra article notes that advertising will consist of static ads, "including billboards, retail stores, radio stations and vehicles into the game." If they want to be very sneaky and intrusive, might we suggest a mission where you try to flee from an army of masked Burger King fanatics? It may not sell Whoppers, but it's a scary enough thought to make us drive as fast as virtually possible.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has banned the ad for John Woo Presents: Stranglehold from the airwaves, citing the ad could be seen as "encouraging and condoning violence." GI.biz reports that Midway believes the ad was edited in a way that it would show no blood or gore. Considering there's no negotiation on the matter, it's time for Midway to go back to the editing room.

The ASA has been rather comical in its banning practices whenever they pop up on the gaming radar. Last year the ASA banned an old Xbox 360 ad depicting people doing stunts and driving recklessly despite the ad clearly stating: "Dramatisation. Professional stunt. Do not attempt." We can't wait to see what ad the ASA decides to ban next by throwing darts blindfolded at an index card covered wall.

How serious is Nintendo about the Wii shortages? Serious enough to pull some of its advertising for the console, admitting that demand far exceeds supply, and further admitting that advertising a virtually unavailable product just doesn't fit with the holiday spirit.

The UK-based Times Online reports that Nintendo plans on moving some of its already-scheduled Wii advertising to early 2008, citing unprecedented demand for the console as the main factor in its retail vanishing act. It's the same story we've heard before -- that Nintendo is working at full capacity, pumping Wii's out as fast as possible in order to sate the insatiable consumer demand.

Pulling advertising, however, is an entirely new move. A Nintendo spokesman told Times Online that the ads were being pushed back to 2008 in an attempt to "act responsibly." Charles Dickens would be proud.

Advertising Age reports Sony Computer Entertainment of America kicked their ad agency of 13 years to the curb yesterday. TBWA/Chiat/Day was eliminated from the review of the $150 million PlayStation account. After all the numerous incidents over the years and the disastrous PS3 launch ads, the company finally turned things around for this holiday season. Looks like it was a day late and $150 million dollars short.

There's still some questions that'll probably be clarified when an official announcement of the new ad agency is made. For example, all information on the issue speaks directly to Sony America, however TBWA is also responsible for the twisted, disruptive, ridiculous, and sometimes racist, European ads as well. Sony has yet to comment.

[Via GameDaily]

We approve of the recent TV advertisements for the PlayStation 3; the swift shift from the disturbingly surreal to the relatively marketable is a breath of fresh air. However, we can't say we're huge fans of Sony's apparent new theme song, which resembles a P.O.D. track as sung by a nightmarish circus ringmaster. Still, we imagine these new ads will interest a larger group of consumers than ads that involve watching some girl take a dump. That's a pretty niche target audience.

Anyone who's spent even a little time rocking out to Guitar Hero III has likely noticed the game's heavy-handed approach to product placement, with stages littered with cans of Red Bull and billboards hocking everything from Axe Body Spray to Pontiac. The whole thing feels oppressive and graceless as even the game's underground rock venues are reduced to feeling like props to corporate shilling. And things are likely to get worse before they get better, as Activision today announced that it has inked a deal with Microsoft-owned Massive to provide in-game ads in not only Guitar Hero III, but Tony Hawk's Proving Ground as well.

The two titles have been added to the growing Massive Network advertising collective, which also includes Activision's Transformers adaptation, and will made to include "contextually relevant" dynamic ads. Interestingly, it's unclear if this partnership extends to all versions of the affected (afflicted?) games, or just those for Microsoft's console. What is clear, however, is that as games are now a big business, more and more companies are beginning to get in line for their slice of the money pie, and while game companies and advertisers reap the benefits of this arrangement, gamers are left holding the controller wondering just when their games became interactive commercials.

OK, there is hope in Sony marketing. So far we've been happy with the new PS3 ads in the States and these Japanese ads are endearing -- now if only we could scrub the PS3 Euro ads from our minds.

We're not exactly sure what's being said (as our well-paid Japanese translator is partying in Ibiza), but we're sure our trusty comment crew can come up with some answers. We have a basic idea of what's being said in the ad above (the others can be found after the break), as the father is convincing the mother that buying Ratchet and Clank for their son is a good idea -- of course, in the last scene, it's the father playing the game as the son tries to take the controller away from him. We're just happy there isn't any cup-stacking, bike-riding or defecating women in these ads. These PS3 ads have people talking, a little bit of game footage, and then people playing the system. Keep it simple, stupid.