The video games industry is one of the most competitive out there, thanks to the saturation of titles on the market and the relatively high cost of competing with AAA franchises. That's to say nothing of the video game hardware industry, which has repeatedly proven itself to be one of the hardest markets for fledgling companies to crack into. Because of all this competition, publishers will often do whatever it takes to market their products. This has resulted in more than a few ad campaigns that have significantly backfired. Whether its offering to pay for people's speeding tickets in promotion for a racing game or dropping mutilated limbs around London for a survival horror title, there is definitely such a thing as going 'too far.' This list takes a look at 21 of the most offensive printed gaming ads that have made their way onto billboards, magazines and websites over the years. From ridiculously sexualised characters to posters accused of displaying racist imagery, each of these ads can at least claim to be memorable...
21. Soul Calibur V
This ridiculously raunchy ad made it pretty clear what direction Namco were going when marketing their game. In general, many have claimed that the character of Ivy Valentine goes too far in her sexualised character design.