10 Awesome Video Games Betrayed By Terrible Marketing
9. Dead Space 2
Given how idiosyncratic and celebrated 2008’s Dead Space was, it seemed exceedingly apparent how Visceral Games and Electronic Arts should’ve marketed their 2011 sequel.
Honestly, all they needed to do was highlight its predecessor’s critical and commercial successes while showcasing what they’ve kept and what they’ve changed (or added) to make Dead Space 2 an improvement over its precursor. For instance, hype up the new storyline and retained horror elements while underlining aspects such as the heightened focus on action and multiplayer.
What they didn’t need to do was record hundreds of middle-aged, conservative, and non-gamer mothers as they react with disgust and indignation to the game’s excessive violence. Nevertheless, that’s what they did for their “Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2” campaign.
Not only did it needlessly upset hundreds of unassuming people – reinforcing negative stereotypes regarding gender, age, and gamers in the process – but it also did a poor job of detailing why Dead Space 2 was irresistible narratively, visually, etc.
Oh, and considering that it was targeted at awkward teens and kids who still lived at home, it was an attempt to appeal to people who weren’t even old enough to play it.