Let me start off by saying that I have nothing against M-rated games. I play them, and I really enjoy them. I’m seriously into Gears of War, loved Vanquish, am hoping to play Bulletstorm and will crack open Dead Space one of these days. That said though, I still think that Electronic Arts has gone too far with its advertising campaign for Dead Space 2. I don’t think it’s crappy or lame. It’s actually a very good ad campaign that will likely do exactly what it’s meant to. My worry is that what it’s meant to do is get kids specifically under 17 interested in playing the game, and is finally crossing a line long-straddled by media advertisers.
The new campaign, entitled “Your Mom Hates This”, practically shouts “Hey kids! Want to piss off your mom? Buy this game!”. Yes, kids aren’t supposed to be able to get their hands on these M-rated titles without the purchasing “help” of an adult and, as we’ve discussed before, that happens because parents/grandparents don’t educate themselves properly, but at what point do advertisers become responsible too? Is it just me, or does this cross the line? Leave your opinions below.