Dante's Inferno new marketing stunt: Stupid or Genious?

What would you do if you found an unsolicited check for $200 in your mail?

That's a question that's been on the mind of a number of video games journalists this week. In the latest phase of what's rapidly becoming one of the most bizarre, imaginative, and downright troublesome marketing campaigns of recent years, publisher EA mailed out ornate -- but very real and negotiable -- checks for $200 to several notable game bloggers.

Ironically, EA may have secured a spot in the Eighth Circle themselves.

Intended to promote upcoming EA title Dante's Inferno, the checks arrived in presentation boxes accompanied by a note reading:

"In Dante's Inferno, Greed is a two-headed beast. Hoarding wealth feeds on beast and squandering it satiates the other. By cashing this check you succumb to avarice by hoarding filthy lucre, but by not cashing it, you waste it, and thereby surrender to prodigality. Make your choice and suffer the consequence for your sin. And scoff not, for consequences are imminent."

How did the bloggers respond? Kotaku's Brian Crecente burned his, and invited EA to donate the money to a good cause. Joystiq's Chris Grant cashed it, but will donate the money to a prominent women's charity in EA's name.

Why a women's charity? We're guessing it has something to do with a past Dante's Inferno promotion, which invited attendees at a July comic-book convention to perform "acts of lust" upon so-called "booth babes" in order to win various prizes.

Other shameless attempts to gain publicity -- sorry, we mean "marketing stunts" -- committed in the interests of promoting Dante's Inferno include staging a fake protest outside a video games trade show, and mailing journalists cakes in the shape of severed limbs.

Source

Sorry if old.

Commendable for thinking outside the box and potential bad publicity.

But hey, I'm buying the game so no biggie :D

Well, they're certainly getting their game a lot of gratuitous coverage with these gimmicks.

Anyone who sees this as a "bribe" or whatever is missing the point.

Brilliant. So brilliant I'm starting to wonder if EA hired this guy:

I think that is kind of a creative idea. I just wish I got one of the checks. I'd put it right in my bank account

actually, that was a pretty cool promo

This is a genius way to get the games name around the web....

Well it has made me check this game out :P Did not care about it at all before as I'm a Wii only owner but I am intrigued now.

Edit: Looks awesome! Hope it has psychology/mind F*** elements to it :P

Brilliant. So brilliant I'm starting to wonder if EA hired this guy:

PBSnipes

This is genius lol. I've never heard of anything like it. Apperantly they have a new marketing stunt for each hell they promote. I think Wrath is the next one if I'm not mistaken. Wonder what they'll do.

Don't know why people think this is bad... It's a great idea to get publicity for a new IP.

It works most effective to people who take offence. Because they spread it all over the internet.

yes, yes they did. I'm very interested in seeing how this game turns out.

Well done to EA for thinking out the box in my opinion, The Devs that are making this did dead space right?ImOldGreg

Why would it be stupid? No site/reviewer would give DI a higher score because of mere $200. But they are giving the game more attention,meaning the marketing is working well. So it's a great (and funny, btw) move.IronBass

It was a publicity stunt. If it was intended to be a real bribe they wouldn't have been all "Hey! Over here! Look what we're doing! We even typed up a humerus anecdote and everything too!".

[QUOTE="IronBass"]Why would it be stupid? No site/reviewer would give DI a higher score because of mere $200. But they are giving the game more attention,meaning the marketing is working well. So it's a great (and funny, btw) move.2beers_in_hand

Brilliant.

Now give us a PC version please!

[QUOTE="IronBass"]Why would it be stupid? No site/reviewer would give DI a higher score because of mere $200. But they are giving the game more attention,meaning the marketing is working well. So it's a great (and funny, btw) move.2beers_in_hand

It was a publicity stunt. If it was intended to be a real bribe they wouldn't have been all "Hey! Over here! Look what we're doing! We even typed up a humerus anecdote and everything too!".

[QUOTE="2beers_in_hand"][QUOTE="IronBass"]Why would it be stupid? No site/reviewer would give DI a higher score because of mere $200. But they are giving the game more attention,meaning the marketing is working well. So it's a great (and funny, btw) move.topgunmv

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

SpinoRaptor24

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

SpinoRaptor24

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

Cyberfairy

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

Do you know how much more commercials would cost?

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

2beers_in_hand

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

2beers_in_hand

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

Cyberfairy

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

The fact that they mailed cheques to reviewers is proof enough that they're bribing them. EA will probably pretend that this is for publicity, but their real intention is to bribe them.

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

SpinoRaptor24

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

The fact that they mailed cheques to reviewers is proof enough that they're bribing them. EA will probably pretend that this is for publicity, but their real intention is to bribe them.

I don't see what makes you so certain that they have an ulterior motive.

Consider this: if EA really wanted to bribe editors of game sites (I don't think it was specifically "reviewers"), they would bribe them properly.

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

You do realize than when companies actually bribe reviewers (which they do), they do it in the form of free swag or all expense paid trips to nice sunny places to "attend an event." It was a publicity stunt designed to rile up people to post on the internets and spread the word, plain and simple.

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

SpinoRaptor24

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

The fact that they mailed cheques to reviewers is proof enough that they're bribing them. EA will probably pretend that this is for publicity, but their real intention is to bribe them.

[QUOTE="Cyberfairy"]

[QUOTE="SpinoRaptor24"]

Genius?

It's a bribe. A fancy letter isn't going to change that.

Why would a game developer openly admit this? Wouldn't they be afraid this would hurt their reputation if they bribed reviewers? This was just for publicity, not a bribe.

The fact that they mailed cheques to reviewers is proof enough that they're bribing them. EA will probably pretend that this is for publicity, but their real intention is to bribe them.

[QUOTE="Cherokee_Jack"][QUOTE="2beers_in_hand"] 200 hundred with a cute anecdote??? Sorry nobody gives a way cash to to help further a story.

2beers_in_hand

They didn't specifically send the checks to reviewers. How would they have known who will review the game at each site?

And no, it's not a bribe. It's another cute publicity stunt designed to create a lot of controversy and get people talking about the game itself, and it's clearly succeeded.

[QUOTE="2beers_in_hand"][QUOTE="Cherokee_Jack"] They're helping further coverage of the game. By a lot. They're buying themselves a post or 3 on every gaming news site/blog every time they do one of these stunts.Cherokee_Jack

They didn't specifically send the checks to reviewers. How would they have known who will review the game at each site?

And no, it's not a bribe. It's another cute publicity stunt designed to create a lot of controversy and get people talking about the game itself, and it's clearly succeeded.

Please lets be honest. Are we to believe that studios dont know how or who to get in to contact with when it comes to reviewers of game sites or mags? I agree that its a publicity stunt but honestly dont you find this a little strange?

2beers_in_hand

Don't be paranoid:P

Please lets be honest. Are we to believe that studios dont know how or who to get in to contact with when it comes to reviewers of game sites or mags?2beers_in_hand

So now we're just assuming that they found out exactly who would be reviewing the game at every site (keeping in mind that these decisions probably aren't made this far in advance, or at least aren't permanent) and sent the check to them? On what basis?

I agree that its a publicity stunt but honestly dont you find this a little strange?

2beers_in_hand

I can't say I do. EA has done weird things in promotion of this game before, and this fits in pretty well with their previous activity.

Brilliant. So brilliant I'm starting to wonder if EA hired this guy:

PBSnipes

WRONG!!!! not even close..... they actually hired this guy!

[QUOTE="2beers_in_hand"]Please lets be honest. Are we to believe that studios dont know how or who to get in to contact with when it comes to reviewers of game sites or mags?Cherokee_Jack

So now we're just assuming that they found out exactly who would be reviewing the game at every site (keeping in mind that these decisions probably aren't made this far in advance, or at least aren't permanent) and sent the check to them? On what basis?

[QUOTE="2beers_in_hand"]I agree that its a publicity stunt but honestly dont you find this a little strange?

I can't say I do. EA has done weird things in promotion of this game before, and this fits in pretty well with their previous activity.

The fact that we are talking about it shows that it is good.

The fact that we are talking about it shows that it is good.

TreyoftheDead

The fact that we are talking about it shows that it is good.

TreyoftheDead

I fail to see the problem here. Merely a marketing move to stir up controversy for what they want to be a controversial game. As controversy breeds success.;) It's not like they were paying for reviews, as the game is not even coming out until next year.

Now that's good marketing!

[QUOTE="TreyoftheDead"]

The fact that we are talking about it shows that it is good.

2beers_in_hand