10 Most Controversial Video Game Marketing Campaigns Of All Time

Nobody believes the idea that "sex sells" more than Sony.

By Josh Brown /

In the cutthroat world of video games, publishers and companies will do anything to get a one-up on the competition. With most of the marketing teams behind these gaming giants working on the age-old assumption that any press is good press though, just about every big name in the industry, whether knowingly or not, has stirred up controversial ad campaigns that have worked to get eyes on their latest products.

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Although it's become more prominent in recent years, this reliance on controversy to garner interest isn't anything new, because while Nintendo had pretty much monopolised the medium in the 1980s and early '90s, even that didn't stop companies like SEGA from creating polarising ads to stir up interest in their games and consoles.

Hell, even Nintendo - one of the most family-friendly companies in the business - is still partial to a little risqué marketing that's gotten them into occasional hot water with the general public.

Still, there are some ads over the years that offended more than others, and ignited a feverish reaction that even the marketing teams responsible for them could never have anticipated.

10. Game Gear Tries To Be An "Adult Version" Of Nintendo And Misses The Point

Back when SEGA was actually a big presence in the gaming industry, they tried to knock Nintendo's GameBoy off the top spot by releasing their own handheld console. However, knowing it wouldn't make sense to adopt the same family-friendly approach as Nintendo, the company opted for an "edgy" campaign long before Sony showed the world how to do them successfully.

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Somewhere along the line though, SEGA confused "mature" and "edgy" with dick jokes and calling Nintendo owners out for being mentally disabled. Some of their campaigns are ridiculous enough to still be funny now, like the guy just going to town on himself in an ad that was featured in Viz magazine, but even that tongue-in-cheek ad still managed to rub some people the wrong way.

Consequently, not only did SEGA's Game Gear get trounced by Nintendo despite their ads, but the console's only claim to fame ended up being their lame marketing campaigns that look even worse the longer the years drag on.

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