(Jake Turcotte)
Obama now buying ads on video games
By Jimmy Orr | 10.15.08
Not getting enough politics with your video games? You’re not alone.
Who hasn’t wished - while playing Madden ‘08 - that Wolf Blitzer would come out with his “magic map” and speculate about the second district of Nebraska?
Unfortunately, the two haven’t teamed up yet. Although hopes are high that a Blitzer-Madden pairing is right around the corner. They have the potential to be the greatest twosome since Air Supply.
Obama 500
In the meantime, you can get some politics as you play video games online — like in the game Burnout Paradise.
The high-speed online racing game features Barack Obama billboards throughout the virtual streetscape; the campaign purchased advertisements to run through the end of the election.
It’s a smart buy as well. If you live in some key battleground states, you’ll see the ads as they run in Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin.
You can also see the ads on other Electronic Arts games such as “Madden 09,” “Nascar 09,” “NHL 09″ and “Skate.”
Too young?
But aren’t video gamers too young to vote? These are no longer the days of Space Invaders and Asteroids, my friends. Video gamers have grown up. They’re still playing.
According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a videogame player is 35 years old and 49 percent are between the ages of 18 and 49. Just 25 percent of videogame players are below the age of 18.
Reactions
Are gamers impressed?
Not all of them. On Jalopnik’s website (a site which describes itself as “obsessed with the cult of cars”), many gamers offered varying opinions. One doesn’t trust himself to vote.
Most of the avid video gamers I know (myself included) are too stupid to make an informed decision about any given political candidate, and will most likely vote on name recognition only in the voting booth. “McCain… Biden… Palin… Obama? Hey, I saw that name on Burnout. I’ll vote for that guy, he stands for video games.”
Another gamer thinks the electoral college system is flawed and offers up an alternative.
When I saw the image with the ad, my first thought was “Big Brother is watching.” My second thought was of Soviet propaganda posters. My third thought was subliminal advertising. My last thought was wouldn’t it be nice if all the idiots running for president and vice president would just go into a room and fight it out until there is only one survivor.
That’s probably how they do things in Joe Biden’s neighborhood.
What’s McCain doing? Another gamer has the inside scoop:
In other news, McCain to buy 30 second spots on ESPN3’s World Bridge Tournament next week in Del Boca Raton, Florida.
Finally, what would a story be without a conspiracy. This gamer sees one…
<< Despite polls and pundits, McCain hanging on | MainAnd we all thought “Left, left, left, left” was just for NASCAR games.
Comments
2. justin | 10.15.08
So the developers put that in the game to rake in extra revenue without having to sell additional content. Power to the man/women that searches out new methods to reach voters. Personally, I doubt the voting players are going to be swayed by a billboard in a video game, but if they are, then good spotlight ad in grabbing such a easily persuaded vote. Finally, if that is the first time they saw one of Obama’s ads, then it is time they put down the controller.
5. Steve Barry | 10.15.08
Smart move Obama. You’ve got my vote. On election day you will feel excitement in the air, and it won’t be for McCain/Palin.
6. P | 10.15.08
I play games to escape this stuff. I honestly don’t know how you people in swing states can stomach all the constant political ads without smashing your head into the wall.
10. NoEA | 10.15.08
I won’t buy anything EA in the future. Why should I pay for products with advertising in them. The PC games and xBox 360 games are pricey enough. No more EA. Let them get their revenues from Obama after the election and screw the repeat business of loyal customers who want entertainment and not one-sided political expression, even if the one side paid for it. I just don’t want to see it, period.
11. J.Jay | 10.15.08
I like the picture but it would have been better to see Palin instead of that angry bad guy in front of Joe
12. Jackker^per | 10.15.08
This is junk whats next a picture of obama as Master Chief on Halo 3? This is odd Im a gammer my self espically COD4! Only bad thing is that obama is ….
13. Americano805 | 10.15.08
i can’t believe people are cool with it. its so damn corny. maybe only because obama is the first to do it. completely different story if mccain did it first. obama sheep supporters are pretty pathetic and need to be unprogrammed already.
14. Rob B | 10.15.08
I think this shows some savvy that we don’t see from politicians. It’s great he’s reaching out to potentially new people to the political process.
15. Robert | 10.15.08
theres no such place as “Del Boca Raton,” Florida. I’m from Boca Raton. There is a town called Delray Beach north of us.
16. Jay W | 10.15.08
This is great, I can’t wait for EA to come up with its next big driving feature. As for OBAMA, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE ONE OF THE SMARTEST GUYS OUT THERE! The other candidate did not even think about reaching out to young voters like this. He has got my vote. Let’s give this guy a hand for orignality. It shows how much in tune he is with all kinds of different voters.
17. Shibby | 10.15.08
The majority of the hard core gamers that I know could care less and probably will not even vote at all.
19. Thozmaniac | 10.16.08
This is just another reason for intelligent gamers such as myself and many many others to hate EA.
20. Thomas | 10.16.08
I’d much rather see Obama as a pedestrian walking across the street in Grand Theft Auto….hehehe.
21. Vikrant | 10.16.08
I am confused by Barak Obama, in public he is stating that parents must should not allow TV and Video games for children (which is good to say, hard to control, so wash off your dirty hand) but he give his political ad for Video Game (It means he is hard core believer that children must play Video Game)
22. Gunnar | 10.16.08
You have to give Obama credit, this guy is truly innovative and a future thinking kind of person. With this mess we are in, we can’t solve it with old methods as we are in a new modern world with challenges that require technological savvy leaders and new innovative ideas. McCain is just not up to it and still in his old ways of anger and force which get us nowhere fast.
23. Corrupt | 10.16.08
Wow, subliminal advertising, have the media hide your mistakes errors and lies. Wow - now that’s a candidate we all can believe in. Lets all run out and continue the last 8 years of problems by electing Barack Obama.
I am young and a gamer I am not this stupid, do something with your life show the Americans what you have to offer other than lies.
24. dottydo | 10.16.08
Corrupt,
Take a moment of your time to type in Obama Odinga. I thought the pictures of Obama touring with his Cousin trying to get elected to spread sharia law in Kenya, were preety good exposure of our tax dollars spent behind the Senator’s true mission.
It really explains why woman is not considered a good change for the Oval office by the party that hearalds the murderer of Mary Joe Kopeckne.
Type in this unfamiliar name Vera Baker and read a little.
Good luck on your re-education. Another name Stanley Kuntz (who ever heard of someone denied library access in the USA?)
Parting thought.
Susan B. Anthony: “I never was surer of my position that no self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her political rights.”
25. Kelly | 10.16.08
wow!
good segments on the discussion though.
Had to share a funny article.. LOL!
26. Americano805 | 10.16.08
Obama…. what a hypocrite. Its fair to call many republicans hypocrites but Barack Hussein Obama is the biggest of all. he hides it so well!!!
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. sicke | 10.15.08
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ok I see nice campaign move.