10 Video Game Promotional Tactics That Backfired HORRIBLY
9. The Godfather II Breaks The Law
Movie adaptations of video games can come in all shapes, sizes and qualities but EA’s The Godfather was a surprise success. Rather than attempt to adapt cinematic magic, it adds to the story by unfolding around the events seen in the 1972 movie.
Rightfully, EA got to work on a sequel. In order to create a bigger splash, the company developed a version of The Godfather II to schmooze the press which included a set of brass knuckles to reflect a weapon in the game.
Except these knuckles weren’t plastic or anything; they were real, metal weapons. Importantly, owning brass knuckles is illegal in about a dozen states. In fact, they are specifically illegal in EA’s home of California so the hot water the company was in was rising fast. In an attempt to save face, EA asked press outlets to mail the weapons back to them.
And in case it needs to be clarified: shipping weapons around the country is also very, very illegal.
Whether you believe EA paid off journalists not to talk about the story is up to you but it is interesting how little traction it got at the time. Then again, EA were saved from public humiliation by a different kind of public humiliation as press and consumers were mostly just content with mocking the quality of The Godfather II which had very middling review scores.