Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

April 20, 2010

A promotion for the release of Splinter Cell: Conviction in New Zealand, complete with an armed “Sam Fisher,” went awry, causing members of the public to dive for cover after someone screamed “He’s got a gun!”

According to the New Zealand Herald, a man dressed as Fisher, with bandages wrapped around his hands and a fake gun, pointed his weapon at bar goers in Auckland’s Viaduct Basin. Someone thought the weapon was real and yelled a warning, causing the people in the bar to take cover. Police were called, and even though they thought the gun was real, they managed to diffuse the situation without hurting anyone.

Regional distributor Monaco Corporation had hired an unnamed marketing agency to setup the stunt and claimed to know nothing about a gun being involved.

Monaco Marketing Manager Duane Mutu apologized for the stunt, saying, “This was by no means an attempt to get cops down there and get this sort of exposure. It was just marketing gone wrong."

Senior Sergeant Ben Offner offered, “We consider these types of stunts to be very ill-advised and have real concerns a similar one may one day end in tragedy.”

Note that the story refers to Splinter Cell: Evolution, but the just-released title is called Splinter Cell: Conviction.

Thanks Ryan and Iheartassassinmaids!

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Comments

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by sharpshooterbabe on Sat, 05/01/2010 - 09:48.

That's funny.

"It's better to be hated for who you are, then be loved for who you are not." - Montgomery Gentry

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by mdo7 on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 21:45.

Look like this guy just got

*putting sunglasses on*

convicted

Yeaaaaaahhhhh!!!! (CSI: Miami music playing)

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Adamas Draconis on Wed, 04/21/2010 - 10:57.

It wasn't me! I was set up! You can't do this to me mdo caine!

Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Michael Chandra on Wed, 04/21/2010 - 09:50.

It's a real shame the instant CSI site is down, otherwise I'd totally link it here.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by MechaTama31 on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 18:34.

They managed to diffuse the situation? Neat. I didn't realize situations could be scattered or spread out. ;)

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 15:39.

Whoever thought this up needs to lose their job.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Mechadon on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 15:04.

*facepalm*

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Kajex on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 14:41.

This is the best advertisement ever.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Pierre-Olivier on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 13:06.

Good thing our old pal JT taught us that there is no such thing as bad publicity (I mean, I discovered Bioshock and System Shock thanks to him).

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by CyberSkull on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 17:21.

I don't recall him saying anything about BioShock. Was it his comments about 2K?

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 18:26.

I think he was one of those on the "Bioshock let's you brutally murder children" party wagon.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Vinzent on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 11:53.

Even bad publicity is good publicity. This ad agency should go to the clink.

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Sai on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 11:36.

Really? They didn't think this could possibly go badly?

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Neeneko on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 11:30.

I have a feeling if someone was just 'joking around' the would be in jail right now.

But because it was related to commerce, somehow it makes it non-criminal.....

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by killatia on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 10:57.

I hope who ever thought this was a good marketing plan gets fire for this.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Splinter Cell Marketing Goes Bad

Submitted by Thad on Tue, 04/20/2010 - 10:31.

Somebody pass this along to Mayor Menino and explain that THIS is what an inappropriate marketing campaign looks like.

Poll

Shout box

E. Zachary Knight: If the videos are of sufficient quality that people subscribe and watch regularly, then those let's players are providing a service that people want. That is the heart of capitalism. That is not something that should be shamed.05/17/2013 - 8:06am

E. Zachary Knight: I have no idea who either of those people are. However, I still don't see why making a business out of creating let's play videos is somehow evil or wrong.05/17/2013 - 8:04am

MaskedPixelante: It sure is if you're just doing it for the money. See Tobuscus and/or Pewdiepie for what happens when people get into it just for the money.05/17/2013 - 7:30am

E. Zachary Knight: Why is it wrong to make money doing LPs? Why should that be something that should be shamed?05/17/2013 - 6:20am

MaskedPixelante: https://twitter.com/PsychedelicSA/status/335183893214924801 Now here's an interesting, glass half full thought about the Nintendo LP thing. It outs the people who are just doing LPs to make money.05/17/2013 - 5:56am

E. Zachary Knight: I responded in writing to all this "let's play" stuff Nintendo Started. No need for my permission, I won't give it. It's not mine to give. http://divineknightgaming.com/?p=29205/16/2013 - 2:21pm

E. Zachary Knight: Lars Doucet of Levelup Labs has a Reddit going on game companies that allow monetization of Let's Play videos. http://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/1egayn/lets_build_a_list_of_game_studios_that_allow/05/16/2013 - 1:04pm

Sleaker: @Imautobot - yah I wouldn't use an emulator as a good first run test of how stable the console is, haha.05/16/2013 - 11:47am

E. Zachary Knight: The 50th person to jump off a bridge is just as dumb if not dumber than the 1st.05/16/2013 - 10:03am

MaskedPixelante: Yeah, let's all jump on Nintendo for doing this, even though they're hardly the first company to do this...05/16/2013 - 9:47am

E. Zachary Knight: Wow Nintendo, this is wrong. http://kotaku.com/nintendo-forcing-ads-on-some-youtube-lets-play-video-50709238305/16/2013 - 8:44am

Imautobot: @Sleaker, further gameplay has revealed that the controller button do stick under the faceplate. Also, The NES emulator (Emuya)keeps crashing on me, though I think a bad ROM is causing it.05/16/2013 - 7:10am

Papa Midnight: AE: I wonder if any other publishers will follow suit.05/15/2013 - 8:12pm

Andrew Eisen: EA is ditching Online Pass. http://venturebeat.com/2013/05/15/ea-kills-its-controversial-online-pass-program/05/15/2013 - 7:20pm

Avalongod: @Zach and quicnkold...I've read the bill and the intent of it is to fear-monger. It's not a balanced message. I don't recall the ESRB being mentioned at all. It's more "keeps your kids away from these movies/games or they'll become violent"05/15/2013 - 4:35pm

E. Zachary Knight: quiknkold, The big problem with that legislation is the amount of misinformation out there. Who is going to ensure that the information in the pamphlet is accurate?05/15/2013 - 3:25pm

quiknkold: REBeardogg : I'm on the fence about this. on one side, I want parents to be aware of the ESRB, and even Movie Ratings. On the other hand, I feel this will be used for nothing but Propaganda. The ESRB does a good job.05/15/2013 - 3:07pm

IanC: Frostbite is coming out on iOS devices. Yet the Wii U cant handle it? *coughbullshitcough*05/15/2013 - 2:31pm

BearDogg-X: http://www.politickernj.com/65515/lesniak-ruiz-bill-limit-children-s-exposure-media-violence-clears-senate - Bill requiring schools to publish pamphlets with anti-fake media "violence" propaganda clears NJ Senate05/15/2013 - 2:03pm

quiknkold: I am thinking of writing a musical about videogames, violence, and the first amendment. Would need a collaborator though and would kickstart it after the script is written. was thinking off broadway.05/15/2013 - 2:00pm

All shouts

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