Tastes of Bitter Defeat and Salt

In the latest million-dollar handshake between gaming and branding, Coca-Cola has announced that it is partnering with Riot Games to produce a limited edition variant of its soda, themed after the studio's juggernaut MOBA League of Legends.

The "Ultimate Coca-Cola Zero Sugar" drink is part of the corporation's "Creations" line, which has seen the drink-maker partner with various brands and personalities to produce exclusive, limited-time variants of the beverage. Pre??vious c?ampaigns have seen cans branded by artists Mashmello, Rosalia, and Ava Max �none of whom I'm aware of because I'm way, way too old.

"This?? collaboration with Riot Games allows us to continue elevating the Coca-Cola Creations platform with a brand new flavour that reinforces our shared mission to put fans and players at the forefront of everything we do," said Oana Vlad, Senior Director of Global Strategy. "Coca-Cola Ultimate, our seventh Coca-Cola Creation, carries an astonishing design, unlocks the taste of +XP for players on their journey and enhances their gameplay experience."

So, the big question... What does XP taste like?

"We’re never really going to answer that question in a 'straightforward' way," added Vlad, "They’re mystery flavors. ?The flavor profile is always, we say, 85 to 90% Coke. And then that 10 to 15% twist of som??ething unexpected."

I'm guessing ?that the "taste of XP" i?s surprisingly similar to the taste of Acesulphame Potassium.

Over the coming weeks, LoL players should look out for specially themed Coca-Cola missions in-game, that can be completed in order to unlock exclusive "Ultimate" emotes. Additionally, players?? can scan th??e QR code on the can to access special Instagram filters and fucking hell I'm so old.

Ultimate Coca-Cola Zero S???ugar launches in North America this week.

Coca-Cola Is?? ?Making A Coke Drink That Tastes Like ‘League Of Legends�Experience Points [Forbes]

The post Coca-Cola teams with League of Legends for ‘XP flavoured’ variant appeared first on Destructoid.

Hyrulin' the Box

Game marketing has sure changed in the post-internet world. And while we can be grateful for the abandonment of those weird "lad's mag" years, there's definitely something of a yearning for the well (and not-so-well)-conceived commercials of the 1980s and 1990s. This was a time when context was absolutely necessary, where no answers or informati??on could be found via a quick wander through the information superhighway.

The commercial had to do all the selling. No live streams, no banner ads, no YouT??ube previews, and no E3 visits for Johnny Public. You have 30 seconds to tell people to spend $50. Make them count.

Fortunately for Nintendo's premier fantasy franchise, The Legend of Zelda, its universe and characters exemplified magic, mystery, excitement, and adventure. Marketers had a literal universe of brave heroes, bea??utiful princesses, vicious monsters, grim castles, and haunted woods at their disposal, advertising Link's newest adventure to eager youth �pockets bursting with dollar bills, due to the fact that the only subscription anybody had back then was a subscription to Nintendo Power.

Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom launches on Nintendo Switch later this week, riding on the crest of a commercial that, according to social media, left some fans literally crying with emotion. For sure, there is an art to making a modern game trailer, especially with a release as epic as TOTK. But still, one cannot help but wistfully recollect those carefree Saturday mornings, when a show that you remember being better than it actually was would eventua??lly cut to commercial �And it was in this arena that The Big N would do its very best to compel you and your friends to the Land of Hyrule...

...Armed, more often than not, with the pow?er of Rap.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGZv30buf-U??&ab_channel=RadUn??iverse

The Legend of Zelda (US, 1986)

With the flash dominance of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo quickly established a series of ads that were mostly based around the players themselves, huddled together in the lounge to enjoy a bout of Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! or to break R.O.B. with an accidental trip. With the launch of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo once again chose not to focus on the game, but on two "Video Game Fans", including one that has stepped straight out of garbage 1984 flick Revenge of the Nerds.

In order to remind you how cool game fans are, the duo start an abominable rap, not only giving school bullies validation in the hatred of gaming culture but also consigning The Legend of Zelda? to a bizarre pattern of hip-hop-related advertising. Beatboxing like The Fat Boys included. Still, fair play for reaching out and crossing that Nerd-Jock divi?de.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxICMGKuT1s&ab_ch??annel=VGLega?cy

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (JPN, 1987)

This delightful commercial sees a young girl excitedly run into her Grandma's (?) video game store and declare her love for Link's second adventure. The back of the store then parts, revealing Hyrule itself awaiting adventure. Adorably, the child becomes Link, while Grandma bec?omes Impa. The gender themes here are interesting, as this represents one of the first instances of Link's androgynous nature, which often sees him portrayed by women and girls in marketing, fanart, and cosplay.

The commercial ends with Zelda and Impa imploring us never to give up, while the Famicom dis?k system asks us to "Go as Far as We Can". More consoles should offer ??life-affirming lessons.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYF6r??-Rl??uJg&ab_channel=M1nt

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (US, 1993)

Were you down wi' Zelda from the very start? Because this lad was, and he's telling us all about it in this commercial for one of the finest releases (as well as the most played) in the entire series, LoZ: Link's Awakening.?? It's 1993, and everyone has a Game Boy. Everyone. Mine had pink and black fur glued to it. I had a lot of growing up to do.

Anyway, even folks who had never touched a Zelda title in their life dove into Link's amnesia-fueled handheld adventure, while this commercial continues Nintendo's desire to push Zelda away from its unfair "nerdy role-pla?ying game" reputation and into something altogether cooler. The irony is, video game fans didn't care, we were already d-d-down with th??e inhabitants of Hyrule.

"Creeping through with an over?head view" is going to be the title of my autobiography.

//www.youtube.co??m/watch?v=SoZwW9rh6cY&ab_channel=ZeldaDenset?su

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (US/UK, 2013)

This ad for Nintendo 3DS release A Link Between Worlds might have screened in 2013, but it most certainly features the "Put the kid in the action" mentality of the '80s/'90s advertising. In the short TV spot, we see a kid who kind of looks like dollar store Frankie Muniz navigate a Zelda-style dungeon, utilizing A Link Between Worlds' ingenious wall-merging abilities in order to conquer an array of obstacles, before ultimately escaping the dungeon and capturing the f??ated Master Sword.

//www?.youtube.com/watch?v=u_jdwTkb9??xY&ab_channel=VHSVideovault

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (UK, 1993)

British comedian Rik Mayall grew out of the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s �an entire comedic movement mostly established as a full-throated assault against the Tory government and its "Iron Lady" leader. Mayall became one of the most successful stars of the scene, appearing in shows such as The Young Ones, Yes, Prime Minister, and Bottom, while Americans might know him best in the titular role of the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred.

When the SNES hit it big in the UK, Mayall starred in a series of commercials for many Nintendo releases, including Star Fox, Street Fighter II, Nigel Mansell's World Championship Racing, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. This short spot sees him sending up his more successful modern image and features little of the actual game itself. It was a very successful ad, intrinsically linked with the game by British Zelda fans. Notably, the ads reflect a time w??hen Nintendo was chiller about its image. The idea of them giving up their biggest franchises to ads this dopey, and celebrities this subversive, is wild.

Mayall wo??uld pass a??way suddenly in 2014, leaving behind a legacy of riotous work.

//www.youtube.com??/watch?v=krwkNZtM5Sc&ab_channel=NintenderoMasked

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (US, 2009)

The beautifully composed ad sees a young man taking his regular subway commute, with a journey that becomes not only a commercial for the hit Nintendo DS release LoZ: Spirit Tracks, but is also a wonderful metaphor for the magic and mystery of The Legend of Zelda itself, which has the ability to pull ??its fans out of the humdrum cycle of everyday life and deposit them into an amazing and engaging world. An escape from the woes ?of the nine-to-five, the frustrations of modern living, and the often-drab commitment to routine. An enjoyable transposing of reality as old as gaming itself.

The visual marrying of themes here works splendidly, from the use of a train for, obviously, Spirit Tracks, to the mobile nature of playing the Nintendo DS itself, with a metropolitan horror aesthetic giving way to th??e colorful splendor of The World of Hyrule. Commercials such as these represent something of a last hurrah for the medium, soon to be replaced by the far more commonplace "Gameplay Trailer".

As such, it's good that so many of the ad makers saw t?hat their res??pective franchises went out on a high.

//www.y??outube.com/watch?v=yYsgeAmsNHc&ab_cha??nnel=83Chrisaaron

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (JPN, 1998)

Actor and singer Kyoko Fukada plays LoZ: Ocarina of Time and makes reactive noises.

There's your ad. I'm okay with it.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2Eo9dh3xgQ&ab_ch?annel=Carnivol

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (JPN, 1993)

We welcome back the art of Rad Rappin', only now with added puppetry, as Nintendo Japan chose to market Link's Awakening with this very cute, very fun piece that features marionette versions of Link, Marin, Tarin, The Owl, and The Skeleton Knight, regaling you with the backstory of just how our boy washed up on Koholint Island. A bouncy chorus leads us into our obligatory r?hyme-spittin' breakdown, ending on a shot of the island and its mysterious Wind Fish Egg.

This would not be the last appearance of puppetry in The Legend of Zelda marketing. Be sure to check out this insanely cute short for The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. Proof, if proof be need be, that puppets make every gaming franchise better, no matter how horrific the source material.

//?www.youtube.com/watch?v=09wBn4ux3N0&ab_channel=Zeld??aUniverse

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (US, 2011)

I'm sure that everyone reading this piece remembers Robin Williams, and I'm sure that you're also aware that the comedian and actor named his daughter Zelda, after no less than the princess herself. In 2011, Nintendo would work with the father and daughter on several commercials, which included ads for LoZ: Skyward Sword, LoZ: Four Swords, and LoZ: Ocarina of Time 3D, and see the duo enjoying the new titles, while occasionally offering insights on their relationship with gaming in general and The Legend of Zelda

Of course, this series of commercials have gathered a whole new emotional weight following Robin's sad passing in 2014, a reminder of the quieter real-life nature of a personality who built a career on manic performances and wild, character-based comedic roles. Zelda Williams works in the entertainment industry as a writer, voice actor, and philanthropist, occasionally having fun with her namesake via public appearances at The Legend of Zelda?? concerts, and cosplaying Link for Halloween in 2019.

//?www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2TBHppHX1o&ab_channel=ZeldaUnive??rse

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (JPN, 1991)

We have to go out on the highest of highs, and whether you've seen it a thousand times before, or you're seeing it for the very first time, there's no denying the unbridled joy and unabashed wholesomeness of the Japanese commercial for LoZ: A Link to the Past. Backed by the ultra-cat?chy beat of Japanese rap group Scha Dara Parr, the one-minute spot sees a full cast of costumed characters bust out a funkadelic dance routine, set against the backdrop of a cutely theatrical dungeon set.

Our hero Link, once again played by a woman, fends off several memorable enemies f??rom the game, before rescuing the beautiful (and black-haired) Princess Zelda. This is just the beginning of the duo's troubles, as they are then besieged by a giant puppet of the evil Ganon. Don't sweat it, a handy two-step will see pig boy outta town. GO! GO! GO! GO! GO! ?GO! GO!

It's just so much fun, everyone looks great, the translated lyrics are amusing, the track is a real earworm, and the dancing is awesome. It's a real celebration of Link, Zelda, Ganon, and Hyrule itself. I don't know why Nintendo hasn't dug the master out for the HD treatment... Maybe it no longer exists. As I said at the top of the piece, the physical creativity that went into commercials such as this is sorely missed in a post-internet world, but at least that very same technology has allowed us to archive it �in all of its glory �for generations of Zelda fans.

I wonder if Nintendo still has that Ganon puppet?

The post Let’s flashback to some of the greatest Legend of Zelda TV ads appeared first on Destructoid.

This article contains spoilers for the Mass Effect series. Read at your own risk, or just take your chances, whatever. I'm not your mom.

The future of the series remains a mystery for now

The Mass Effect series may have continued on after the main trilogy ended, but it was hard to recapture that magic after Shepard left the picture. It looks like others might agree with that statement, because some promotional material recently hinted that Shepard may be making a triumphant return in the next title in the series, so far only known as another Mass Effect.

Originally reported by Video Games Chronicle, BioWare released a poster to tease the upcoming Mass Effect game. A YouTuber named MrHulthen noticed that the poster came with an accompanying synopsis that revealed maybe a little more information than BioWare may have wanted to let on about the new Mass Effect.

The promotional material originally read, "The show goes ??on. Shepard's final quest may have ended the threat of the Reapers b??ut at great cost including Earth itself. While Shepard and the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what's next."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5QrxHeDAFk&t=57s

Soon after, BioWare went back and changed the synopsis to something a bit more generic: "The threat of the Reapers might have been ended, but at great cost including Earth itself. While the survivors are left to pick up the pieces, fans are left wondering what's?? next."

While the initial summary on the website for the poster understandably sparked a great deal of interest among Mass Effect fans, BioWare's own Project Director Michael Gamble took to Twitter to set the story stra??ight. "The original thing was written by the people who run the store and aren't familiar with the game :)," he wrote in a tweet this afternoon.

So, it turns out that it was just a mistake on the website's part in the search for some enthrallin?g flavor text.

After the disaster that was Mass Effect: Andromeda, it makes sense that fans would be excited to see a return to the game's roots. Bringing fan-favorite Shepard back from the dead in the next Mass Effect wouldn't wipe the slate clean, though �it would definitely generate hype but it would also come wit?h a whole host of new ??problems. Sometimes it's just best to let sleeping dogs lie.

//www.tiktok.com/@destructoid/video/7??098818384736914694?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7052788164067706373

The post New Mass Effect poster causes speculation over Shepard’s return appeared first on Destructoid.

Murder mystery kicking ass on PlayStation & Xbox

Sega released a neat video looking at the creation of a slick 'n' sick graffiti mural, installed to celebrate the launch of Team Yakuza's Lost Judgment. The video follows the painstaking work of artist Dan Kitchener, who was commissioned to design and paint the piece. Kitchener's love of the "cyber city" aesthetic is perfectly reflective of Kamurocho?'s neon style.

You can check out the video, showcasing the masterwork and its entire conception, in this exclusive from NME.

Kitchener used a wide palette of dazzling color to create the mural, installed within the arches of Waterloo Leake Street in London. Completing the diorama is a ringed neon light, which offers onlookers the opportunity to recreate the flashy fighting techniques of Lost Judgment hero, Takayuki Yagami.

Alongside footage of Kitchener's stellar work, we also catch a glimpse of a cute dog �suspiciously familiar to Lost Judgment's own "Detective Dog" �who visited the site. No doubt the canny canine was keeping an eye out ?f?or any troublemakers.

The Lost Judgment mural is just the latest in a number of stunning street art projects painted to market the launch of a new video game. Earlier this year, EndoftheLine's Jim Vision created an electrifying piece to celebrate the debut of Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus. EndoftheLine was also responsible for a famous painting of Metal Gear protagonist Raiden, that adorned the side of Aireside House in Leeds for seven years, before sadly being removed in 2020.

Lost Judgment is available now on PlayStation and Xbox platforms. You can check out Chris Carter's review right here.

The post Lost Judgment London mural captured Kamurocho’s neon nightlife appeared first on Destructoid.

Will probably be received better than Xbox One

Krispy Kreme UK is teaming with Xbox to produce a limited edition donut based upon the latter's famous marketing?? logos. "The Nexus Level" donut will be made available in British branches of Krispy Kreme or via online delivery between August 2 and August 22.

According to the sugar-meisters, Krispy Kreme's The Nexus Level donut features "irresistible light and fluffy dough with a rich and gooey brownie batter, dipped in icing and decorated with the iconic Xbox Nexus design". It's actually a pretty impressively designed snack, though I'm unsure whether the in-store edition will be quite as perfect-??looking.

"Gaming and doughnuts have been two great ways for connecting people and bringing joy during the last year, it felt natural to bring the flavour and joy of games together in an edible form," said Krispy Kreme marketing manager Rachel Chapman, in one of t??he stranges?t statements I've ever reprinted.

As an additional tie-in offer, the purchase of 12 donuts will also bag you a month of Xbox Game Pass, and entrance into a prize draw to win an Xbox Series S console. Krispy Kreme also released an amusing promotional vid, which recalls the Xbox One's "Project Scarlett", commercials. Frankly, I'm surprised Xbox wants anybody recollecting those troubled days.

//tw??itter??.com/krispykremeUK/status/1420289168920485890

The post Xbox-themed ‘Nexus Level Donut’ headed to Krispy Kreme UK in August appeared first on Destructoid.

A Far Cry joint

?Ubisoft announced that, effective immediately, all first-party titles will be branded "Ubisoft Originals."

Ubisoft confirmed the new branding in a succinct statement to Eurogamer. "Moving forward the 'Ubisoft Original' mention is attached to all of Ubisoft's games created in-house by our talented developers," said the Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six Siege studio.

While Ubisoft does not currently publish titles from exterior developers, the soundbyte-happy publisher is likely just looking for a trademark signifier, not dissimilar to "A Netflix Original Series". The mind boggl??es that it didn't go with?? "Ubisoft Iconics".

The first game to receive the sparkly new branding is Tom Clancy's The Division: Heartland — a new, free-to-play take on the non-political tactical shooter series. Developed by the series regulars, Red Storm Entertainment, The Division: Heartland is expected to launch on ??PlayStation, PC, and Xbox in 2021/2022, with a mobile port also in the works.

The post Ubisoft to rebrand its first-party games ‘Ubisoft Originals’ appeared first on Destructoid.

Taste her love in every sip

I'm not really sure of the demographic crossover of vampiric society queens and energy-drink-guzzling esports types but, never one to miss a marketing opportunity, Capcom has collaborated with G Fuel to produce a brand new flavor based on Lady Dimitrescu, one of the popular antagonists from the recently released Resident Evil Village.

Titled "Maiden's Blood", the powered hell comes in a container not quite as tall as the good lady herself, along with a 24oz shaker cup which will make you the coolest person at the gym. Honest. Packed with vitamins and supplemen??ts to increase focus, endurance, and reaction, G Fuel hopes that Dimitrescu's horrifying elixir will help consumers reach new heights. But not 9'6".  What does "MAIDEN'S BLOOD" *thunder clap* taste like? Melon. Fucking melon.

Scheduled to launch in July 2021, interested parties can jump on a waiting list right now over on the official G Fuel website. I'll definitely be downing the stuff while I go about my slavish tasks for Lady D, including sweeping her floor?s, polishing her shoes, getting the bloodstains out? of her dress, responding to her emails, and sorting her recycling.

It's a living. Bes?ides, Daniela is surprisingly good at Crossfire.

The post Resident Evil Village’s Lady Dimitrescu to receive her own flavor of G Fuel appeared first on Destructoid.

Stand and Deliver

While it took the public a good few months to begin thirsting for Resident Evil Village antagonist Lady Dimitrescu, it has taken publisher Capcom far less?? time to capitalize on the thirst, speedily pushing the towering bloodsucker t??o the forefront of the upcoming sequel's marketing.

Case in point, a selection of cardboard standees of the House of Dimitrescu head have started popping up inside Hong Kong retailers. As spotted by The Gamer, Capcom uploaded a candid shot of Lady D to its Asian Facebook page, showing the 2D beauty as she stands tall over hapless shoppers. The standee is described as "life-sized," which would make it around nine feet and six inches (or just under three meters).

In my hellish formative decades in gaming retail, customers would clamor for standees such as these all the time - everything from Max Payne and Dead or Alive, to De Blob and WWE Smackdown! But something tells me that these particular standees are set to become incredibly sought-after by the Resident Evil community... or frankly anybody with (or perhaps even without) a pulse.

Resident Evil Village launches May 7 on PlayStatio??n, P?C, Xbox, and Stadia.

The post Capcom is promoting Resident Evil Village ??with life-size Lady Dimitresc??u standees appeared first on Destructoid.

Xbox Live Gold service to retain its title

Microsoft has announced that it is officially rebranding its Xbox Live service "Xbox Network". The change is not expected to alter too much in the bigger picture, and has seemingly been made purely for aesthetic, descripti??ve, and marketing reasons.

"'Xbox network' refers to the underlying Xbox online service, which was updated in the Microsoft Services Agreement," said Microsoft in a statement to The Verge. "The update from 'X?box Live' to 'Xbox network' is intended to distinguish the underlying service from Xbox Live Gold memberships.??"

Microsoft has confirmed that the paid online service, Xbox Live Gold, will be retaining its long-time moniker. The rebranding is not expected to the subscription service or its usage in any way. Microsoft is probably keen to emphasize this following the debacle earlier this year, when a rise in charges for the Xbox Live Gold service drew ire from users and led to a very swift u-turn from the publisher.

The post Xbox Live is ???being officially rebranded Xbox Network appeared first on Destructoid.

People do crazy things in ads...

Video-game-loving restaurant Arby's has announced a fun new collaboration with Shovel Knight, brin??ging a range of cheek?y themed DLC to Yacht Club Game's indie platforming hit.

For a limited time, customers who purchase Arby's Kids Meals at participating locations will receive a special Shovel Knight launcher token, complete with a Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove code. The codes - which can be redeemed on the platformer's Steam and Switch ports - will unlock on??e of seven exclusive in-game item, such as a sandwich erm... familiar, or the classic Arby's stetson. Check out the items on offer in the video below.

We don't have Arby's here in the UK. We almost got it in the early '90s, but plans fell through. Hell, we only got Taco Bell in the last decade. As such, I've personally not experienced an Arby's menu, I just know the sandwiches feature rolls of meat stacked in a bun. Is Arby's any good? I can't tell you. I can tell you that Shovel Knight is great,? and well worth your time and money - whether accompanied by a?? tasty (checks notes) "Reuben" or otherwise.

The post You can bag exclusive Shovel Knight in-game goodies at Arby’s appeared first on Destructoid.

It's no AWESOM-O, but still

One of the most underrated characters in the pantheon of Overwatch stars is definitely ??Mei's adorable robot companion, Sno??wball. The sentient little droid helps Overwatch's ice-princess with her inventions and accompanies her into battle, unleashing its frosty abilities during Mei's powerful Ult attack.

And who could forget Snowball's brave actions during that animated short that didn't make me cry, where it comforted Mei in her darke??st hour, and gave up the ??last of its battery power so she could realign her base's antenna and contact Overwatch. Now re-powered and back in action, Mei and Snowball are forever inseparable.

It seems that now you can be too, as Blizzard has opened pre-orders on a high-end collectible Snowball of your very own. This dinky replication of the mischievous bot features an LCD panel, displaying various fun emotes ?and, throug?h the power of magnetism, even levitates above its included base. Snowball even works as a USB dock, and thus can be used to charge your phone.

It should be noted that due to its strong magnetic tech, it's probably best you don't house the cute droid alongside your monitor or PC, s??o although Snowball is described as a "desk buddy", it might be served better on an artist's table, on a bookcase, or perhaps just as a showpiece. Magnets, how do they work?

You can pre-order Magnetic Levitating Snowball over at the Blizzard Gear stor?e now, at a cost of around $155, not including ??shipping. Snowball is expected to ship in mid-December, just in time for the holidays.

Get ready to start a Blizzard!

Pre-order your own LEVITATING SNOWBALL.

❄️ //t.co/dLIKkNtIjx pic.twitter.com/r8JSPvoaJu

— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) October 4, 2018

The post Overwatch fans can no??w pre-order their very own levitating S??nowball bot appeared first on Destructoid.

Canada receives trial run of new game store

Video game chat and messenger service Discord has confirmed that they are to start selling games through their own dedicated store, which will be? built into the Discord service.

The beta for this new venture has been rolled out to around 50,000 Canadian users so far, with a selection of titles from publishers Deep Silver and THQ already available for purchase (including everybody's current favourite game, Dead Cells). In future, Discord are hoping to bring exclusive indie titles to the storefront as part of a "First on Discord" feature, which w?ill see the company help developers with funding, in return for a 90-day exclusivity option.

Alongside the new store, upgrades are to be made to Discord's paid-subscription service, Nitro, which will offer games and other perks. Discord Nitro's fee is around $50 for the year, or just $5 for a smaller monthly subscription. Also planned is the "Universal Library" tool, which will allow users to launch all of their PC games from ??the Discord app, regardless of their original point of purchase.

There is currently no specific date for these features to launch or for the storefront to leave beta, but you can check out all the info over at the official Discord blog.

The post Discord rolls out beta for video gam??e marketplace venture appeared first on Destructoid.

Where we're going, we don't need blast processing

We've all seen the Angry Video Game Nerd episode where he compares the SNES with the Sega Genesis and mocks the "blast processing" thrust of the Genesis' marketing campaign. It seems silly now to think that slapping a vague buzzword on technical specs could push people to buy the console, but hey, enough of us played Streets of Rage and Sonic 3 that it must have worked.

Flashy adverts have been a mainstay of the video game industry for a couple of decades, now. Some of them bore into our brains because they are fun, or exciting, or perhaps even make the soft-hearted among us cry. Sniff. So what are some adverts, i.e. TV ads or YouTube trailers, that I dug up during my research? Ones that I remember from back in the day, perhaps, and that ?struck a chord with me?? Get your box of Kleenex at the ready while I show you my faves.

1. The "new generation" trailer, The Sims 2 (2003)

I was beyond stoked when The Sims 2 was released, because I played the original Sims to almost obsessive levels when I was a tweenager. I used to read the soap-opera style diaries other players uploaded to the Maxis homepage – I can still remember the Vanderbilt ones – and I tried to construct intricate backstories for all of my own families. When I learned that Mortimer Goth and his dear daughter Cassandra would be in the next version of The Sims, j??ust not quite as I knew them, I was ev?en more ready to make the upgrade.

The advert for The Sims 2 shows exactly why I was so hyped for the second version of The Sims. Beyond the improvements in graphical fidelity, it gave you more control over each generation within your Sim families and also direct control over the aging process, if you bought the Elixir of Life. The Sims 2 is one of the most memorable games from my younger years full-stop, and the fun advert shows just how your families can blossom over the weeks and months of pouring time and effort into their lives. If you can cast aside the unfortunate stereotype that redheads can set fire to things with their breath, and lest we forget, t??he flashing grandma, it's an example of how to do fun, bouncy advertisements just right.

Oh, by the way, if you didn't make Mortimer live forever to bring home the bacon, you were running the Goth household wrong in The Sims 2. There, I said it, I'm a monst?rous Sim God. Next.

2. The Dead Island announcement trailer (2011)

This one, you guys! This trailer came out when I was listening to TalkRadar and other early video game podcasts more than I was actually playing games myself, and all the talk of Dead Island was extremely positive after this advert. I still can't watch it without tearing up; it's a masterfully executed work of art that won awar??ds for good reason.

It's just a shame that the game itself didn't run with the emotional family storyline it put forward in its announcement trailer. Starting the game with "Who Do You Voodoo" made it clear that it wasn't going to be a schmaltzy family story, for better or for worse. Thankfully, many other franchises already provide us with that experience, including the Evil Within franchise, further down in this list.

3. The Gears of War trailer (2006)

It's the law that if you slap Gary Jules' cover of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World" over the top of anything, it gets all existential and gloomy. The Gears of War franchise has a bit of a bad reputation for being all guns, hulking monsters and no heart, but you wouldn't get that impression from this advert. It paints a picture of isolation and loneliness in a destroyed world that, sure, is getting put back together by men with biceps biggest than my entire head, but is tinged with sadness. Rewa??tching this ad actually makes me want to buy a second-hand Xbox 360 and see what I missed.

4. The Evil Within trailer (2014)

Time for a short-but-sweet one. Can we just ban Debussy's "Clair De Lune" from, like, everything? Not because it's a bad track...no no no. But because like those Christmas ads from a couple of years ago that were flooded with pugs and more pugs, I?? am going to buy your shit if you include it. It feels like a cheap move. You know my Achilles heel, marketeers!

Yet "Clair de Lune" is in the ad because this is the save room music. In fact, the game uses another classical tune to add atmosphere in the intro, Johann Sebastian Bach's "Air on the G String", so it isn't a grab for attention, but rather an accurate depiction of the game. It lends this creepier edge to the game and pays homage to other survival horror games that have made use of classical music, such as the original Resident Evil game (which has you play a wonky rendition of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata"). And given that Shinji Mikami was behind The Evil Within, it couldn't be more apt. 

5. The Super Mario Odyssey trailer (2017)

As I discussed in the communal piece on games that resurrected franchises that is going up today, Mario games need to make a bold statement. Nintendo has built most of its business model around just one or two series, so when new games in those series do come out, it's essential that the adverts have the wow factor. The advert for Super Mario Odyssey definitely does, whether it's panning over the vast landscapes, Mario's fun little interactions with Cappy or Pauline's jazzy showtune. I still think Super Mario Galaxy is the ultimate showstopper Mario game, and don't quite know how it could ever be topped, but the ad for Super Mario Odyssey does a lot to convin??ce me to finally get a Switch. 

6. "The Replacer", Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2013)

Since he played the twisted Dr Hill in Until Dawn, I've had a bit of a fascination with Peter Stormare. Those uncanny valley facial expressions seemed not to be down to poor modelling work, but more to do with his raw acting ability in conveying a demented, hallucinogenic version of Josh Washington's psychiatrist. When I unearthed the "Replacer" ads for the Call of Duty series, in which Peter Stormare offers to take over menial tasks such as, oh, I don't know, taking your wife to hos?pital when she goes into labour, I thought they were the funniest bit of marketing I'd seen in quite a while.

I want Peter Stormare shrieking at IKEA furniture in every single game now, please. Wouldn't he be great voicing an oddball teacher in a Persona game? Wouldn't he be a cool baddie in a new LittleBigPlanet instalment, picking up the mantle from Hugh Laurie? Can he get roped in to play a Slig in Oddworld: Soulstorm? The possibilities are endless.

Do you have a favourite video game advert/trailer? Which adverts do you remember from your childhood, or other significant times in your life? Let me know in the comments down below!

The post Here are some of ?the most memorable?? adverts for games appeared first on Destructoid.

Good luck with that

In a rather short interview over on GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft's vice president of Live Operations, Anne Blondel-Jouin, has stated that Ubisoft will no longer be making DLC that gamers feel obl?igated to buy. While the company seems to be looking to support its games for around five to ten years, there won't be an??y substantial DLC that packs a new ending or completes a story arc.

"Monetisation is something we have to be very careful about, and my team is in charge of that and making sure we find a right balance," Blondel-Jouin stated. I'm guessing this is in response to the success Ubisoft has seen with Rainbow Six: Siege, which is also mentioned in the article. "It ?wouldn't work if it was about making it compulso??ry for gamers. No more DLC that you have to buy if you want to have the full experience."

There is some analogy mentioned about how amusement parks don't pressure patrons, but I think Blondel-Jouin is mixing her metaphors. Amusement parks (and to a les?ser extent, grocery stores) ?place tertiary items to coax patrons into buying bigger things. There is a reason why Disney has you exit each ride into the gift shop and makes sure you notice smaller items first. That build-up leads to bigger sales, which is kind of what microtransactions are modeled after.

To me, this interview s??ounds like Ubisoft is trying to step away from that kind of customer manipulation. A lot of words that Blondel-Jouin uses indicate that Ubisoft will be making the choice feel more up to the player, instead of having the items appear more crucial. This is the direct opposite of how store?fronts operate, so the comparison doesn't work.

Hopefully this spells the end of frivolous season passes that include extra difficulty modes. While I don't expect story-based games to give away all of their content, Ubisoft is also looking at doing away with traditional linear narratives. M??aybe it really does want to shift up its approach.

"No more DLC? that gamers have to buy for the full experience" - Ubisoft [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Ubisoft is vowing to not make DLC feel required appeared first on Destructoid.

The publisher is on the hook for influencer disclosures

As part of its promotional push for 2014's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, Warner Bros. paid online influencers "tens of thousands of dollars" to produce positive videos about the game that were collectively viewed upwards of 5.5 ?million times. That act in and of itself? was (arguably) okay -- sponsored content like this is commonplace these days -- but WB is on notice from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission for failing to have its paid influencers give proper disclosures in their videos.

The FTC alleges that Warner Bros. "required the influencers to promote the game in a positive way and not to disclose any bugs or glitches they found" and also "instructed influencers to place the [sponsore??d-content] disclosures in the description box appearing below the video."

One of the publisher's contractual stipulations had video makers put other promotional text in the description box, which meant the "vast majority" of sponsorship disclosures were pushed down below the fold, requiring viewers to click "Show More" to see them. The FTC also found that Warner Bros. mandated pre-approval for the videos, "and that on at least one occasion Warner Bros. reviewed and approved an ??influencer video that lacked adequate sponsorship disclosure."

Notably, the end result of all of this (WB has settled the aforementioned charges) is not a fine. The FTC is prohibiting "Warner Bros. from misrepresenting that any gameplay videos disseminated as part of a marketing campaign ar??e independent opinions or the experiences of impartial video game enthusiasts." Going forward, the company must also "clearly and conspicuously disclose any material connection between Warner Bros. and any influencer or endorser ?promoting its products."

The onus is on WB to keep a watchful eye on influencers it pays. ??"These steps include educating influencers regarding sponsorship disclosures, monitoring sponsored influencer videos for compliance, and, under certain circumstances, terminating or withholding payment from influencers or ad agencies for non-compliance." If Warner Bros. violates the FTC's orders, it may face civil penalties.

Warner Bros. Settles FTC Charges It Failed to Ad??equately Disclose It Paid Online Influencers to Post Gameplay Videos [FTC]

The post Warner Bros. settles FTC charges over deceptive Shado?w of Mordor sponsored vide??os appeared first on Destructoid.

For once, a Nathan for You header would be appropriate

As part of a promotional stunt, Blizzard has dropped enormous novelty-sized Overwatch action figures in major cities -- including my current stomping grounds, Los Angeles. I took the train into Hollywood to see this big ole Tracer figure, whi?ch turned out to be a terrible idea because Hollywood and Highland is the worst part of this city and I'm including the parts notorious for their high murder rates.

Only on the corner of Hollywood and Highland can you see tourists, bucket drummers, blindingly mediocre street dancers, Sc?ientologists, a man with a sign warning everyone about a prophetic dream he had in March 2015 about a psychic child outside the Chinese theater, and that remodeled-yet-still-kinda-crappy McDonald's. It's the worst! But I still wanted to get some pics for you nice folks, and I think I managed that.

For what it's worth, as a toy collector I like this stunt a lot. From the molded articulation to the oversized twist-ties, there's some real attention to detail here. I don't know how much longer this will be up, but it's probably worth seeing if you're an Overwatch fan who lives in the area!

The post Look at this enormous Overwatch action figure appeared first on Destructoid.

Go on, take a piece

Last year, Square Enix promoted Dragon Quest Heroes in Japan with a huge wall of poppable slimes at a metro station. It was the stuff of dreams. (For me, anyway, but then again I see strange things when I sleep.) A similar campaign is now underway for Dragon Quest Builders that trades bubble wrap for blocks. Ton??s and tons of blocks.

Commuters at the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Shinjuku Station (the same as last time!) are invited to visit the Metro Promenade to see this Dragon Quest display comprised of 180,000 blocks.

Between now and January 31, visitors can remove the pieces, one at a time, to ultimately reveal a po?ster undernea??th. Some of them even have QR codes that point to downloadable wallpapers.

A few more photos from the Japanese PlayStation Blog:

Dragon Quest?? Builders launche??s block-removing campaign in Shinjuku Station [Gematsu]

The post This Dragon Quest B??uilders ?display was built with lots of blocks appeared first on Destructoid.

The art of talking without talking

_{[Art by Momoppi]}

Earlier this year, I booked Undertale creator Toby Fox for an appearance on Sup Holmes. Shortly before the show was set to air, he asked if it was OK if he canceled because he "hates answering interview questions." By this time, Undertale had become a huge hit, and we'd chatted on Twitter here and there about doing a special episode of the show where he didn't say a word, and other game devs like Tomm Hulett and Anthony Burch show up to talk about Undertale in his place. He wasn't up for that any more either. He wanted to spend the afternoon watching Youtube videos with his brother ??instead.

You'd think that Toby might have developed a sizable ego after the success of his game, but when the time came for that ego to manifest itself, there was nothing to be seen. I get the sense that if I had said to him that he had to be on the show, that he didn't have a choice, that he would have showed up. At no time did he try to take control of our interaction. His ego w??as either non-pre?sent or nonexistent. I'm not sure which.

This non-present or nonexistent ego has carried over into Undertale's non-present or nonexistent marketing campaign, and so far, it's worked. 

_{[Art by Nibroc-Rock]}

By shying away from trumpeting the merits of his game, Toby has unintentionally sent a message to Undertale's potentia??l audience about himself and his work that has apparently resonated.?? If Toby had taken a more vocal tact in trying to communicate exactly what it's like to play his game through words, screenshots, or videos, it's not likely that his potential audience would have felt the same optimism about the game, or gotten as accurate an idea about how strange and mysterious it feels.

By not trying to convince us that his game is worthwhile, he sent the message that this is a game by and for people who want something that you have to play to understand, and that personally learning about the game from someone who has not been paid to talk to you about it is the best way to learn about it. It was a similar situation with Minecraft and Five Nights at Freddy's, before they became too big to remain out of sight f??rom the mainstream world.

Compare that to game like Rise of the Tomb Raider, which reviewed well and looks to have had an ample marketing budget. If rumored sales numbers are an indication, consumers just weren't hungry enough for Lara Croft's biggest and arguably best adventure to prioritize it over all the games they had to choose from in the last few months of 2015. The fact that a game like Undertale may have turned more of a profit than the latest title in the Tomb Raider series is pretty amazing, and sa??ys a lot about how much marketing matters compared to how inherently marketable a game may be.

Strangely enough, one of Toby Fox's favorite games is one of the earliest examples of how a game can sometimes sell better when we aren't being told by a multi-million dollar publishing company that it is "special." When EarthBound was first released in the United States in 1994, it was accompanied by an expensive ad campaign, featuring scratch and sniff stickers and the unconventional, anti-braggart catch phrase "Because this game stinks." Nintendo's attempt to sell the game as a scrappy, rebellious underdog backfired, and the series lay in dormant outside of Japan for years ?in the wake of its failure.

Flash forward to 2016 and EarthBound is more popular in the West than ever, despite Nintendo's relative abandonment of the franchise. We have legions of creative, genuine, passionate fans who have spent years sharing personal stories of what EarthBound means to them to thank for that. Regardless of how "conventionally marketable" a game might be, passion and trust? are still contagious. Oxytocin is still something we can spread around. It's just that with some games, multi-million dollar ad campaigns may not be the best way to try to do that. 

We all know, but don't always understand, that special feeling that can drive us to fully commit to spending our time and money on an unknown game. We may think we know where that feeling comes from (nostalgia, attractive scenarios and characters, suspension of disbelief, ego-stroking, and of course, good marketing), but like Malcolm Galdwell spells out in Blink, our knowledge of what we're going to like and why we're going to like it is often totally off. Assertive adv?ertising campaigns regularly try to prey on that uncertainty by telling us what we like and why we should like it, but for many of us respond to a less ego-driven message. Though some of us may struggle to understand our own tastes, I'd like to think that most adults know that we can't always accurately predict how much we'll enjoy a game based on how its marketed, and instead choose follow a more independent and accurate internal compass.

That said, I'm a notorious optimist when it comes to people, and I'm completely prepared to be told that I'm wrong. Do you think a nationwide ad campaign for Undertale would have caused it to sell even better, or do you think that would it have destroyed the game's underdog status, causing the people who currently love the game to eventually ignore it? Would games like The Wonderful 101 and Shadows of the Damned have s??old better if they were marketed as unassuming little indie darlings? Is there a way to sell your game as both a "#1 best-made AAA product" and a "special little snowflake" at the same time? 

The post When is no advertising the best advertising? appeared first on Destructoid.

Just wanna play video games every day

A lot of hoopla has been flopping around in recent months about games that focus on boobs. Specifically, some of these games are either not being brought out of Japan, or are having their "boob features" diminished upon release in the U.S. and Europe. This has also happened with a few games that feature crotches, but for the most part, it's a boob problem.

Games that focus on sex and/or boobs can be great, but it looks like they may be too risky at the moment for Japanese game publishers like Nin??tendo, Capcom, and Koei?? Tecmo, all of whom are currently struggling to stay on top in the West. Though there are plenty of men and women in every country who love a bit of cheesecake, it's also plain to see that if you sex up a game "too much" for your given culture, you're at risk of shrinking your audience.

In Japan, you can buy sexy dakimakura (love pillows) at the local drug store, while in the U.S., Playboy magazine has decided to stop publishi???ng pictures of naked ladies. Different cultures have different standards for how much sex is "too much," and fine tuning a game/movie/magazine so that it's just sexual enough to maximize its marketability in a given region is something AAA publishers spend a lot of time and money on. 

TruTV show Adam Ruins Everything has taken a look at how this brand of finely tuned sex and gender specific marketing has come to define games and gamers in the eyes of many, and why that definition may be changing. It's far from an extensive look at the topic, but it manages to pack a lot of interesting information and cute jokes into short period of time. If you want to read more about why toys often employ split-gender marketing techniques, this old essay on How To Not Suck At Game Design is a good start. 

The post Games were made for boys because games were ??sold as toys? appeared first on Destructoid.

That smoke'll make you choke!

Earlier this year, SEGA issued a bold apology. The company apologized for accidentally naming its Halloween character "Boob" inste??ad of "Boo."

Even earlier in the year, SEGA made another apology for how shit Sonic games have been recently and that company has "partially betrayed" fans. Sega Games CEO Haruki Satomi offered the following statement to Destructoid: "Seeing our fans across the world respond to our recent interview with Famitsu, lets us know we've made the right first step in acknowledging who we ar?e and where we ??want to be. Sega is dedicated to bringing you quality gaming experiences and becoming a brand you love and trust again."

Continuing that that vein, a recent comment by SEGA Europe Marketing Director Jon Rooke, noted by GoNintendo, points to future Sonic going back to the series' roots.

"Sega has publicly apologised to the fans as the quality of console games in the Sonic franchise hasn’t been acceptable over recent years. It’s been tough translating that iconic side scrolling 2D experience from the 90s into 3D but Sonic is still huge for us so the new games will be more in??spired by how it played in its heyday."

And yet, that official Sonic the Hedgehog Twitter a??ccount just spews memes irreverently, instead of offering kids advice about sexual harassment and cigarette smoking. "Over the next few years, we want to use engaging content and marketing to remind the public why they fell in love with Sega in the first place." Oh.

Sega? Europe’s marketing dire?ctor on the transition from Sonic to smartphones [Marketing Week]

The post SEGA sez: New Sonic to be ‘inspired by how it played in its heyday’ appeared first on Destructoid.

'It was not done maliciously'

Call of Duty: Black Ops III developer Treyarch has apologised for its recent Twitter marketing campaign.

A couple of weeks ago, the studio changed the @callofduty Twitter name to 'Current Events Aggregate' and tweeted news of a live terrorist attack in Singapore. 

Although neither Treyarch nor Activision have yet made a formal statement about the publicity stunt, Treyarch's Jason Blundell did acknowledge to our friends at IGN that he was "personally very sor?ry?" about it. 

"Here’s my view – and again, I’m a simple director and not involved in the marketing at al?l," Blundell said. "However, it was absolutely not done for any kind of attention in any way. It was not done maliciously, or as any kind of scare tactic. I personally am ??very sorry for anyone who looked at it and got the wrong idea because it genuinely wasn’t meant that way.

"It was ?done on our channel, and it was to talk about the fiction of? the world. I think we were as shocked as everybody else when it started blowing up, because essentially we were teeing up ready for a story beat.

"So again, very sorry for anyone who took it that way. It wasn’t meant that way at all – it was suppo??sed to just be getting ready for a campaign element."

We discovered yesterday that you can just skip right on to the end of the game for some reason we d??on't understand.

The post Treyarch is ‘very sorry’ about that Black Ops III tweet appeared first on Destructoid.

Surprise, surprise

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Of all the video games releasing this holiday season, Call of Duty is poised to be the most successful. Stop me if you think you've heard this one before.

This conclusion was formed as a result of a survey performed by Nielsen N.V. -- the consumer information firm that's well-known for its long-running television ratings. The Nielsen Game Rank division headed up this study and found that Call of Duty: Black Ops III is the most highly-anticipated multi-platform title releasing this fall. Trailing by a slim margin are Fallout 4 and Assassin's Creed Syndicate.

Even though Black Ops III was pegged as game with the overall highest consumer awareness and interest, it actually came in second to Halo 5, which was cordoned off into a separate area of the survey for platform-exclusive titles. In the same vein, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection was judged to be the most highly-anticipated Sony title. Yoshi's Woolly World took home those honors for Nintendo's systems. StarCraft II expansion Legacy of the Void led the PC category.

Consumer interest is an odd trait to ?attempt to quantify. Nielsen's methodology was to survey 4,800 people who play games who are age 7 to 54. The study took place between late August and mid-September. The research group then measured individual awareness, purchase in??terest, consumer rating, and other factors. From that, it came to the conclusions presented in this study.

Holiday 2015: The Most-Anticipated Games [Nielsen via GamesIndustry International]

The post Black Ops III has? the most people interested according to a Nielsen surv??ey appeared first on Destructoid.

Broke Twitter verified account rules

As part of a promotional stunt to promote Call of Duty: Black Ops III and revea??l new information about the plot of the game, Activision yesterday tweeted out several reports regarding a fake terrorist attack that had allegedly just happened in a highly populated area of Singapore. 

The tweets, which came from the official @CallOfDuty Twitter account, explained that an explosion had gone off at the ?fictional Coalescence Corporation building in Singapore and that Singapore authorities had declared both a state of emergency and martial law within the country.

BREAKING NEWS: Unconfirmed r?eports are coming in of an exp??losion on the North bank of the Singapore Marina.

— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) September 29, 2015

While the embedded version of the tweet above may seem like some harmless fun, those in charge of the Twitter account may be in considerable trouble due t??o breaking several of Twitter's rules for verified accounts. At the time that these tweets were sent out, the Twitter account had its name, bio, and design altered to better reflect that of a reputable news outlet upon first glance.

Once verified, Twitter accounts are not meant to change several key pieces of information on their account. While clicking on the account would still reveal that it was the Call of Duty account, the verified tick next to an account lends a lot of legitimacy to the conten?t of the tweet when it appears in a users timeline.

The Call of Duty account appears to have de?liberately abused the presence of the verified mark on their account to quickly propagate a fake account of a terrorist attack. That feels like it's in pretty bad taste as far as marketing moves go.

So, do you believe ?creating a fake but Twitter verified news outlet to tweet about a fake terroris??t attack is fair game for marketers, or a little over the line? I'd love to hear what people think.

The post Official Call of?? Dut??y Twitter account tweets fake terrorist attack appeared first on Destructoid.

Too little too late for Wii U?

Even though the Wii U hasn't captured that cove?ted socce??r mom demographic with its followup to the Wii, Nintendo isn't giving up. Like any good company, you have to know your audience and you have to cater to that audience -- literally.

It looks like Nintendo has finally grabbed the reigns and is looking to boost the Wii U's sluggish sales with a special appearance on Cake Wars on J??uly 20?? on the Food Network.

With Nintendo's colorful past and present, making quality Nintendo-themed cakes seems like a no brain?er for this kind of show. What kind of cake would you make?

TUNE IN to @FoodNetwork on Mon., July 20 at 8/7c to see @NintendoAmerica take over #CakeWars! pic.twitter.com/doUsRckHpx

— Super Delicious (@Super_D3) July 16, 2015

[Via Twitter]

The post Nintendo finally reaches out to its co?re audience with appe??arance on Cake Wars appeared first on Destructoid.

I just got sickled and hammered

These? ads come from not too long after the Iron Curtain became the Iron Drapes, and Western culture began flooding the former Warsaw Pact. It's obvious that there was still a little bit of a learning experience going on in 1996 as far as marketing electronics goes. However, I believe more things are going on here than meets the eye. It seems the ads tell some sort of story.

From left to right in the gallery:

• A man pointing a gun: He says, "Do you know PlayStation," and the text at the bottom reads, "at your own risk." This one doesn't really make sense (to me), until you see the next ad.
• A sexy biker boy: Ol' long, tall, and greasy here is looking a bit nervous as he exclaims, "No!" 
• A bloodstained wall: Someone has been killed here, and the text states "Well, now he's dead."

Taken individually, these make absolutely no sense. When you put them in order though I believe you get the story of: A Czech male in search of a PlayStation finds a vacationing American. The Czech, knowing the American must have a PlayStation because he is a filthy, rich Imperialist who is only in the great Czech Rep??ublic to steal their women, demands a PlayStation. The American exclaims that he does not have one. The man shoots the filthy American pig, and the point is made to carry PlayStations at your own risk because they are valuabl??e.

What a window into the past these ads are!

@necrosofty [Twitter]

The post These ?Czech PlayStation ads make me feel like?? a criminal appeared first on Destructoid.

This will probably never happen to you

Bud Light has released one of the ads which will air during the upcoming Super Bowl XLIX, in which an unsuspecting beer consumer becomes the player of a fully-realized, physical Pac-Ma?n game while a li?ve DJ spins music in a rave environment.

Who wouldn't want to do this? I implore Namco Bandai and Bud Light to not stop here. Make this a nationwide tour that stops in 12 major c??ities. I kn?ow I'd show up.

The post Bud Light turns man into Pac-Man in Super Bowl ad appeared first on Destructoid.

'In the days of DS and Wii, Nintendo tried its best to expand the gaming population.'

It's fairly obvious that Nintendo has been ramping up its concerted efforts to attract and maintain its core base, and Shigeru Miyamoto's latest ??comm??ents confirm that it's not just a coincidence.

Miyamoto spoke with Edge in an interview for the latest issue of the magazine to discuss Nintendo's concerted efforts on entertaining its most passionate f??ans. This is a move done to avoid catering to those who "passively" ??enjoy games, Miyamoto explains, likening casual gamers to those who might "want to watch a movie" or "go to Disneyland."

"Their attitude is, 'okay, I am the customer. You ??are supposed to entertain me.' It's kind of a passive attitude they're taking, and to me it's kind of a pathetic thing. They do not know how interesting it is if you move o??ne step further and try to challenge yourself."

Miyamoto's comments outline a refreshing attitude, and one that's admittedly quite unpopular in the current gaming landscape, especially given Nintendo's previous effo??rts. He explained the move further,?? citing an age where smartphones are usually the go-to devices for casual gamers, as they "take games for granted now."

"It's a good?? thing for us, because we do not have to worry abo?ut making games something that are relevant to general people's daily lives."

Check out the rest of the interview with Edge in issue 217.

Miyamoto explains Ninten?do's renewed passion for the core [CVG]

The post Miyamoto explains Nintendo’s reignited passion for core gaming appeared first on Destructoid.

Smartphones integral to growth

Projected game sales for 2014 are expected to total $64 billion dollars gl??obally. By 2018, the global sales have been projected to reach $100 billion, mostly due to?? the giant leap in mobile gaming.

Burgeoning economies in countries such as Brazil, Russia, India, and China have enabled thei?r citizenry both more free time and more purchasing power. Smartphones becoming prevalent in those countries have led to an exploding mobile gaming market in those territories.

Due to recent s??ales and a very strong E3 showing from Nintendo and Sony, the PlayStation 4 and Wii U figures have also been upgraded to include new data. However, DFC Intelligence, the company who ran this forecast, has downgraded the figures for the Xbox One due to questionable business decisions regarding Microsoft's entertainment strategy, which seems to be caught in a great deal of confusion despire the arrival of the new $399 Kinect?-less Xbox One unit.

DFC also points to companies renewing interest in wha??t they consider to be the core marke??t of gamers, spending less time and money towards "casual" gaming and instead catering more towards their established audience.

Game sof??tware market to hit $100 billion by 2018 - DFC [GamesIndustry International]

The post Worldwide gaming market expected to hit $100 billion in yearly sales b??y 2018 appeared first on Destructoid.

Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts now available

Cabela's Big Game Hunter: Pro Hunts was released into the wild today for Xbox 360??, PS3, PC, and Wii U. Activision released this trailer to accompany the launch. I love it so, so much. It's less about the gameplay, which I completely admit has appeal, but the expressions made by the character models. These digital versions of hunting pros all have the same joy on their faces, the kind of joy that only comes from having an impl?ement of death in your hand. 

It fills me with mirth, particularly when you consider how serious most characters are made to look while holding a gun in their hands. These guys have?? a sense of merriment and it just seems so strange and hilarious.

The post New Cabela’s trailer puts a happy face on hunting appeared first on Destructoid.

Backed by breezy Metal Gear theme

This is a silly little video uploaded today to the official Metal Gear Solid YouTube page. Hideo Kojima made a surprise appearance at a Micromania game store in Paris to celebrate the release of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes this week and the video depicts him setting up the event in a comical manner. Best of all, it features a really fun, upbeat version of the Metal Gear Solid theme that I can't get out of my head.

It just made me smile, is all.

The post Hideo Kojima unboxes Big Boss in Paris game shop appeared first on Destructoid.