GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

June 27, 2008

Did you catch Tobacco Free Florida's terrific Halo-like video? GamePolitics covered it earlier this week.

Now, GameCouch has the 411 on how it all came together in an interview with adman Jason Piroth, who wrote the script:

It started with a discussion of what’s relevant to the 11-17 demographic today... Given the explosion in the gaming market that has accompanied the recent release of games like Halo III, Bioshock, etc...  using a format similar... seemed appropriate...

 

Making the “game” a familiar form of first-person shooter was absolutely intentional, but we were careful from the outset not to make it look too much like any one game in particular...

 

We’ve had inquiries as to where people can buy the game... and ample evidence of people truly embracing the spot’s message and declaring that they will think twice about smoking as a result...

 

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Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Doh! Can't see it from work. Guess I'll have to wait until I get home.

Although considering it's being well received, it means it's infinitely better than the steaming pile of feces that is the Ontario government's "stop smoking" ads... Or thetruth.com... I swear if I meet any stupid.ca or whudafxup marketing geniuses, I'm going to lose it.

-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

What is with anti-smoking promotion in the form of video games lately? First that DS game and now this. At the very least it's proof to the critics that, despite their preconcived notions, games can be used to help people.

And, while I still think this is kind of lame, I'd play that game if it were real.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

You know, I'm all for the ads of this sort becoming less stuipd. But to an extent doesn't some personaly responciblity come into all this? If someone's going to smoke likely they'er going to regardless of some pretty ad. It's a stress release, maybe not the healthiest one around but it is.

Mind you I'm not condoning smoking. I don't like it, the second hand smoke makes me cough and such. But if you're polite about the when and where you do it so you're not effecting me, in all honesty I really don't care if someone's a smoker or not.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

considering the ad's target audience is minors, the idea is to get teens to not start smoking in the first place... smoking only becomes stress relief AFTER you start. The idea and hope is that teens will get the message that smoking is unhealthy and can possibly lead to an earlier than normal death and that teens will choose not use it despite hearing about the stress relief and peer pressure from others. 

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Eh, guess you're right there.  Ah well I guess I'm just a little annoyed with them overall. Some of the commercials they've done, especialy the public demonstrations and such have been in really poor taste. I can appreciate their point but there had to be a better way to get one's message across than having ice sculptures of pregnant mothers melting to nothingness in a park with a doll of a baby in the tummy being smacked into the ground when it collapses.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Personally, I think they focussed to much on the game and not enough on the unpleasant effects of smoking, the actual ciggarette only appears in the last few seconds and it's :cough: :cough: dead.

Deaths from smoking are nowhere near that fast or painless.

But that's just personal observation.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Well, I liked the commercial, even though I'm not planning on being a smoker.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made
Metal Gear Solid did it better ten years ago. Anti-smoking ads are made of the choicest cuts of unfunny steeped in the purest preachy juices, more finely distilled than the silliest Jack Chick tract.
Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

I thought it was a good commercial, but I doubt it will steer many kids away from smoking. But at least they aren't using the "don't do it because you think it makes you look cool" angle, THAT one pisses me off

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

I'll believe readily enough that people have asked what game that was and where to buy it, but I call BS that that ad actually convinced anyone not to smoke.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

I live in Florida and I see this commercial all the time. Admittedly, it's a little goofy but I have to say, it is a hell of a lot less lame than the one where people dance in the middle of the street with cartoon animals singing about the evil tobacco companies. It just seems like they're trying to be hip, but they should probably just stick to the facts about the adverse health effects caused by smoking. Although at this point, I really can't imagine that there are still people out there who don't know that smoking is bad for you.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

I still can't stand that annoying 'Bleep' that sounds a couple times when "Level Complete" shows on the screen. Please, please, please, please do NOT use that ever... again.

---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians. http://www.goteamretard.com

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

After re-watching the commercial it looks like the player is just distracted while smoking the cig, and gets shot by surprise by one of the enemy robots.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Can you point out where that is? I watched the dying part a good amount of times and found nothing there (moving, muzzle flashes, etc).

---- There is a limit for both politicians against video games, and video games against politicians. http://www.goteamretard.com

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Maybe they should of used Metal Gear Solid.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

This is actually cute lol. I love this ad.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

They could have handled it better if they had him light up at the start and treated it like an infection or similar health-draining effect. Or maybe he goes through the fight without a hitch and then on the Level Complete screen, hacks out gigantic blackened lung-gibs.

The robot at the end going "wtf noob?" was the crowning moment.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

what a horrible commercial...
and what a way to "try" and get kids off of smoking... No facts?

Okay so what this ad is trying to portray is One Smoke of a Ciggarette kills you?

Impossible no matter how you put it, same as those idiots from D.A.R.E. twisting Drug Facts.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

I find it terribly ironic that in a video where a guy kills flying robots with a lazer gun and shoots a robot plane thing with an overly large rocket launcher he COULDN'T have physically fit in there, people choose to point out that it takes more than one cigarette to kill.

I don't think they were going for realism, guys. Frankly, I think the commercial was brilliant. Debate the semantics all you want, though..

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

That was well done imo 

 

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got Made

Nintendo is indeed selling SOME of these on the Virtual Console but not even close to all of them. While i agree in part to his piracy he was filling a market that Nintendo failed to recognize. Maybe someone doesnt want to buy a Wii. maybe they just want a console with 50 - 100 NES games on them?? maybe just maybe?

but no Nintendo wants everyone araba kiralama to buy the Wii. thats their excuse but thats not what copyright is supposed to protect. i am real sure that the makers of 10 yard fight were losing sleep because they were missing out on their $0.00025 worth because they didnt get royalties from this player. *smirk*

my question is, should Super Mario Bros. be banned from public domain forever? isnt 23 years enough time for Nintendo to have made their profits?

If you have followed the Steamboat Willie case regarding Mickey Mouse you can rest in your bed well at night knowing that the MOUSE will still be under copyright law, away from public domain after your great grandchildren are in nursing homes. That is beyond ridiculous dont you think??

Gallagher can araç kiralama say all he wants, but I strongly rent a car believe it's due to his crappy leadership and E3 being a joke. ESA's Board of Directors need to find a way to get out rent a car of this horrid contract with this Bush cronie before there's no one left on the Board.

Btw, I think Atari and Midway will drop out too, but mostly travesti because  these guys have done nothing ttnet vitamin or little and need to start saving costs.

YES.

Now I don't have to get off my ass for the important shit anymore!

Whats next, ordering pizza from Xbox live?

Wait... I think that sounds like a good idea.

But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card.

Re: GameCouch Dishes on how Halo-esque Anti-smoking Vid Got ...

Thanks good job;

Btw, I think Atari and Midway will drop out too, but mostly travesti because  these guys have done nothing travesti or little and need to start saving costs. and dizi izle

YES.

Now I don't have to get off my ass for the important shit anymore!

Whats next, ordering pizza from Xbox live?

Wait... I think that sounds like a good idea.

But I think voting should MAKE you get off your ass, and see outside or a second while you go vote. I mean, your picking the president of the United States of America for God's Sake... least you can do is drive down there and punch out a card.

 

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 02/09/10 at 01:18pm
Valdearg: I do agree that it shouldn't be legal. That's for sure.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:16pm
Andrew Eisen: Shouldn't be. Spirit of anti-discrimination laws would seem to include sexual orientation (and eye color). Plus there's always equal protection and such. Never know until you try.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:14pm
Valdearg: @AE: Doubtful. Again, it's perfectly legal.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:10pm
Andrew Eisen: Should have sued (unless that wasn't an option given her financial situation or something). Might have won.
Posted 02/09/10 at 01:00pm
Valdearg: Story about a Male to Female TG who was expressly told she wouldn't be given a job because she was TG. Its not the main point of the story, but explicit, perfectly legal discrimination like this exists.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Andrew Eisen: Eye color isn't covered either but I doubt it would be considered legal to refuse to hire people with green eyes.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:48pm
Andrew Eisen: My explanation is longer than the Shoutbox will allow. Suffice to say that while those who are discriminated against do have legal recourse, anti-discrimination law should specifically cite sexual orientation so that there’s no question about it.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:42pm
Valdearg: "There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBT individuals from employment discrimination; it remains legal in 29 states, and in 38 states to do so based on gender identity or expression." From the Human Rights Campaign.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:40pm
Valdearg: @AE: Why don't you think I'm correct? I know Wiki could be flawed, but as far as it says, its up to date as of June 2009.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:39pm
Andrew Eisen: I don't think you're right but I really don't know and don't have the time to find out. However things actually are, it's very clear how they actually should be.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:34pm
Valdearg: "just because there's no specific state level protection for it, doesn't make discrimination right or legal." I would disagree. If there's no laws against it, it makes it perfectly legal. It's definitely not right, but perfectly legal to do.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:33pm
Valdearg: Meaning in 29 states, private sector discrimination against gays is perfectly legal.. Sickening.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:33pm
Valdearg: 19 states have no protections, and another 10 only have protections for public sector jobs.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:32pm
Andrew Eisen: Well, most businesses have equal rights policies in place and just because there's no specific state level protection for it, doesn't make discrimination right or legal. Still, no argument against adding such protections.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:28pm
Valdearg: More information. Apparently, it's worse than I actually thought.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:28pm
Valdearg: Check the link. Apparently, its more like 20 states that have no protections.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:26pm
Andrew Eisen: In the US? Not that I'm aware of. Sad if true.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:25pm
Valdearg: @AE: Actually, I think, at least for now, businesses can still discriminate against gays in a few states.. Something like 5 or 8. Its part of why Gay Rights Advocates are in support of the Employee Nondiscrimination Act, or ENDA.
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