A protest march outsde the Los Angeles Convention Center on Tuesday was staged by Electronic Arts to publicize its upcoming Dante's Inferno game, according to the Associated Press.
While there was speculation in the gaming press yesterday that the event, which was reported as actual news by the Los Angeles Times and San Jose Mercury-News was a fake, today's report is the first actual confirmation.
According to the AP, EA spokeswoman Holly Rockwood said that the publisher hired a viral marketing firm which staged the protest. About 20 actors carried signs and distributed pamphlets protesting Dante's Inferno on supposed religious grounds.
The marketing campaign also employed a faux website, WeAreSaved.org.
GP: I'm wondering if the viral marketing firm used by EA for the Dante's Inferno bit was also the group behind the recent brass knuckles campaign supporting The Godfather II...
GamePolitics was among those sites reporting on the protest as an actual event. We picked up on the story via the L.A. Times's coverage.
Comments
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
I was against the game myself, but now Im just furious.
The original Dante's Inferno was about a poor, depressed man going through a midlife crisis as he continues to mourn the death of his beloved Beatrice. As he wanders through a dark forest and contemplates his suicide, he sees a mountain of righteousness and attempts to climb it, only to be stopped by three great beasts of evil. Dante than meets Virgil, a Poet who had died more than a thousand years ago, who guides dante on a journey through hell, purgatory and heaven, and to show Dante the people of have been led astray without the light of christ guiding them
The game involves Dante beating the crap out of demons with a large cross, as he’s trying to escape hell and look for his beloved Beatrice as well (as to why hes looking in Hell is anyone’s guess). In all, EA is taking the wrong direction with this game, and Im protesting it as well. Dante's Inferno was a literary classic, an epic to the same degree as Homer’s Odyssey or Virgil's Iliad. EA is just spraying it with the sweat off of David Jaffe’s forehead, and intends to sell it as an alternative to God of War III.
EAs marketing team is dumb as hell (no pun intended). I hope EA stocks plummet because of this.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Eh. At least Dante's still the protagonist, unlike that movie where they made Achilles the good guy or something (I still refuse to watch it). The only reason I don't hate the Greek with the same passion as the Romans is they actually made a play which said "we were total assholes in Troy", unlike the Romans, who were all "High five, we torched Carthage to the ground!".
</rant>
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
[Post deleted by Adrian Lopez]
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Yeah, they were dumb for creating a story that generated over 100 comments on the GP article. How sad and pathetic.
I also hope you protest on Halo for not depicting Noah's Ark accurately enough.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
That's the one thing I don't like about the game, all it shares with the Divine Comedy is the location (Hell) and the name of the main character (Dante obviously) but that's where the similarities end, really a shame that a developer can abuse the title of a classic work of fiction like this.
It is nothing like the book of the same title, which is sad really. They just "stole" the title to get some free marketing.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
"It is nothing like the book of the same title, which is sad really. They just "stole" the title to get some free marketing."
I too am bothered by EA's appropriation of the name "Dante's Inferno". I feel such a well-known name should not be granted trademark status, but EA claims a trademark on "Dante's Inferno".
Fucking bastards.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
To be mad at EA for using Dante's Inferno (merely one part of the Comedy) is fine, but I would ask that you treat everyone who embellishes or alters a classical work of poetry of literature with the same level of contempt.
I for one am completely fine with the idea of showing the inferno in this new medium. To have the written word of Dante shown in such a brutal interuptation is intriqueing to me. Is it an action game akin to God of War? Yes it is, because it is a video game at its core. I would hope that this game makes people that play it curious about the Divine Comedy and have them read it. Although it is a heavy text in terms of political agenda and dated terms, it does serve as an intresting read none-the-less.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
But you have to remember that the divine comedy wasn't all religious, it was also a political commentary with Dante attacking his enemies and corrupt religious and political figures by "hiding" it in fiction. Not to mention that Hell's layout was made up by him, and not actually religious canon.
I for one, laughed when I read that it was a publicity prank.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
I never claimed that it was purely religious (because it's not as you say). that was the poster above me. It is however still a shame that they're using the title of a well known work of fiction to further their own marketing ends.
It was a good bit of viral marketing though, I'll give them that, got lots of publicity.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
It appears that the marketing firm that EA hired is Genre Savvy.
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Making the world a better place... one Headshot at a time...
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Yeah, pretty much.
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Pretty much indeed,
like you all talk about music and potest, of course it was staged.
Like I read at the Hip-Hop Music article about the staged "accident" between Eminem and Bruno. Don't be funny you know what I mean?
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
Dammit! We got trolled!
Re: Dante's Inferno Protest at E3 Was Staged by EA
...Wow... just Wow. EA is again showing the signs of being too big a company--when it can't even keep track of itself.
--M