10 Video Game Promotional Tactics That Backfired HORRIBLY

You’d think that following on from that mess, Ubisoft would’ve learnt to err on the side of caution but Splinter Cell Conviction isn’t the only game from the studio which has resulted in a call to the police.

With a brand new IP to sell, sometimes it’s a good idea to think big or cutting edge. When it came to the case of Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs - a game about political secrecy, hacking and espionage - their marketing team decided to get way outside of the box.

At least Ubisoft realised it was best to alert their chosen press before they received a surprise and strange package, leaving voicemails with them as a heads-up. However, they failed to do so for Ninemsn and outright panic ensued.

I mean, what would you expect to happen? This innocent news and current events website (not even a games outlet) one day received an unmarked, sturdy black safe that, upon being tampered with, began ticking.

Naturally, this unexplained and now more than slightly concerning delivery led to the evacuation of the building and the arrival of the city’s bomb squad. When they cracked the safe open, Police were bemused to find a sealed early access copy of Watch Dogs.

Ubisoft apologised to Ninemsn for “any problems caused” by their mistake, problems that probably included a sudden and very visceral realisation of one’s mortality.