10 Most Controversial Video Game Marketing Campaigns Of All Time

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.

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.