HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
The fact that teasers for ads is something they're approaching on purpose tells me a lot about them. This is dumb. It doesn't drum up excitement, it makes people question their marketing integrity.
Though, to be fair that Michael ad was fucking great.
Long story short is that a bunch of people who were told they won actually haven't received any confirmation, and Taco Bell's getting weirdly defensive over it.
Switch: 3947-4890-9293
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HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
Can you post the text instead of me having to generate a hit for Kotaku?
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Dark Raven XLaugh hard, run fast,be kindRegistered Userregular
edited February 2012
Speaking of Vita contests, one of the youtube ads I've been getting lately is a still image of Coke Zero for a few secs, then some supermodel saying "oh hi, how is the UK today?" and that's about when the 5 seconds are up and I hit Skip.
Today I realized it's a Sun contest to win a Vita. :O
So I entered it. Thing's only got 100 facebook likes, in today's world that's practically a rare gemstone of a contest site.
On Taco Bell; I was reading on GameFAQs (yeah) some conspiracy theory on TB employees giving all the Vita's to friends and families. There's somewhere in the region of zero confirmed actual winners yet.
Can you post the text instead of me having to generate a hit for Kotaku?
Okie dokie. It's a bit long:
Taco Bell is giving PlayStation Vitas to customers every 15 minutes — except when it isn't.
Over the past few weeks, the fast food chain has been running a promotional contest for Sony's upcoming handheld system. Customers can take codes found on the "Taco Bell $5 Buck Box" and enter them in a submission form on the corporation's website. If you have a winning code, you get a Vita.
Or so everybody thought. Kotaku has been contacted by several customers who say Taco Bell informed them that they won the contest on January 30 (through the page captured above this post), but never followed through. They were told to expect a follow-up by e-mail or snail-mail within 2-3 days to verify that they had won. The follow-up didn't come.
The affected customers have formed a Facebook group to unite and share their woes. Customers report contacting both Taco Bell and its partner on the contest, a marketing company called Ventura Associates. Neither corporation seemed to be listening.
"I received no response, so I began the process of calling Taco Bell/Ventura Associates for info, where I kept being told to wait," customer Dan Hill told me in an e-mail.
Hill forwarded me an e-mail exchange he says he had with Ventura's Vanessa Gross on February 2.
"We have to wait 2-3 days to receive a list of winners, as that is the time it takes to process the hundreds of submissions we receive each day," Gross told Hill, according to the exchange. "Thanks for your patience."
On February 8, Hill says Gross wrote to him again with this form response:
Dear Consumer,
Thank you for your e-mail. We are in the process of researching your inquiry. Someone will respond to you as soon as possible.
If you believe you are a winner, and have not received a notification within 3-4 days of claiming, please respond to this e-mail with the following information:
· Name
· E-mail
· Method and Date of entry
· code
Thank you for your interest in the Unlock the Box Instant Win Game and Challenge, sponsored by Taco Bell.
"I have tried two or three times to contact them, once I was reasonably sure that a first-class letter could have made it to central Florida by now, through their Facebook page and e-mail," said James Harrod, another affected customer, in an e-mail to Kotaku. "Others have used Taco Bell's helpline to little effect, or the Sony PlayStation Blog."
Other customers have taken to the Facebook page to say they have received verification e-mails from Taco Bell. Customer Kevin Famuyiro says he won last Sunday, then received the e-mail this morning. As of right now, the issue seems to only be affecting contestants who won on January 30.
In a statement to Kotaku this afternoon, Taco Bell said the following:
The Unlock the Box promotion has been tremendously popular with consumers who want to get their hands on a Sony Vita but unfortunately a small group of people have tried to game the system. Winning confirmation codes can be verified by contacting [email protected] or calling (855) 255-1746.
When I called (855) 255-1746, I got a message saying that the company's voicemail box was full. Taco Bell did not elaborate who it thought was gaming its system or how.
Further adding to the weirdness of this whole situation is the fact that anybody can see this winning screen. As of Friday, February 10, all you have to do is click this URL to be taken to a screen that says "Congratulations! You won!" So either I've just won several new Vitas or something's a little bit off with this contest.
Update: In the Facebook group, several contestants are now reporting that they have received the following e-mail from Taco Bell:
We have received your inquiry and determined that you are not a valid winner. This was determined by checking the information (i.e. code, email address, cell phone, name, etc.) you gave us with your inquiry to the data in our system's records.
Please note that ANY ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS PROMOTION AND SWEEPSTAKES IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FOR SUCH ACTIONS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
The decisions of the judges are final.
Update 2: Taco Bell sent over another statement later Friday evening:
We verify all winning entries and contact the lucky winners. Nearly all of the calls we've received about discrepancies have been from people who had the URL for the winner's page but who did NOT have winning entries. We are continuing to work with our customer service teams to insure that all real winners receive their PlayStation Vitas.
We've reached out to Ventura Associates and we've asked Taco Bell to elaborate on its comments. We'll continue to update if we hear more information.
Though, to be fair that Michael ad was fucking great.
There were so many cool little easter eggs in it (including nods to franchises that have been dead for over a decade), it was basically a love letter to PlayStation fans.
I don't know why they can't take whoever came up with that and just put him or her in charge of Sony videogame advertising in general.
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HenroidMexican kicked from Immigration ThreadCentrism is Racism :3Registered Userregular
Okay, that reads more like people found a way to scam Taco Bell's contest and didn't get away with it.
Despite that, Sony is hoping to recapture some of its video game luster with the PlayStation Vita, its newest hand-held game player. The PS Vita, as the company calls the device, is a stand-alone player but can also control a PlayStation console. Part of the marketing pitch for the new device, which will make its domestic debut on Feb. 22, is that users can continue playing the same game they started at home on their PlayStation.
John Koller, the senior director for PlayStation hand-held consoles, said the PS Vita would allow users “to feel engaged and still feel like they’re playing on a console.” The target audience for the Vita are men in their 20s who play video games eight hours a week or more and own a PlayStation3 console.
The trick will be getting those young men to put down their phones and pick up the PS Vita.
The cost of the marketing campaign at $50 million is “the largest platform launch in terms of marketing investment we’ve ever had,” Mr. Koller said.
Sony worked with Deutsch, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies, to create the campaign that includes television commercials, billboards, retail partnerships, digital banner ads and a significant presence in social media. The theme of the campaign, “Never Stop Playing,” will be featured on many of the ads as will the Twitter-influenced hashtag, #gamechanger.
Jason Elm, the executive vice president and creative director at Deutsch, described the campaign’s audience as “very socially plugged in, mobile, out and about, both physically and on the Internet.” Using the Twitter hashtag on the ads would help aggregate all of the conversations people were having about the product in one place, Mr. Elm said.
While the hashtag conversations will be organic, the company will also buy promoted Twitter posts that will direct consumers to the device’s Web site, playstation.com/psvita, where they can learn more about the product and make a purchase. Facebook users will find a tab dedicated to the Vita on the PlayStation page and how-to videos about the device.
Another part of the campaign, naturally enough, involves putting the PS Vita into people’s hands. Users looking for a more tactile experience can play with the device in pop-up stores that the company is calling Vita Social Clubs in cities like San Francisco, Boston and Los Angeles.
The commercials for the campaign were shot in three days in Buenos Aires and were meant to show how the Vita “affects you socially,” Mr. Elm said. In one spot, the male character is using his Vita to continue playing a game during his commute that he started before leaving for work. Another spot highlights the augmented reality features of the console with a narrator explaining how “the world is your next battleground,” while a third spot shows a man playing games against other people he sees in the street.
“Gaming is no longer playing alone in a basement by one person with one machine; it’s all networked,” Mr. Elm said. To reach its core consumer, the company will show the commercials during television programs like “The Simpsons,” “South Park” and “Tosh.0,” the popular Comedy Central show, and during N.B.A and N.C.A.A. basketball games.
Online users will see banner ads across 26 Web sites like Yahoo, ESPN, CNN and YouTube. Billboards and wallscapes will be seen in cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco and radio ads for the Vita will be broadcast on the Howard Stern show on Sirius Radio during March Madness.
Analysts said the PS Vita was impressive for its technical specifications and functionality, but questioned whether it would do well in the market. A report from the market research firm IDC said the worldwide revenue from dedicated hand-held gaming devices, including hardware and software from Nintendo and Sony (but excluding mobile phones like the iPhone), was $10.7 billion in 2010 and $18.1 billion in 2008.
“The portable hardware market is holding its own but it hasn’t been faring well over the past couple of years,” said David Riley, an analyst at the NPD group, a marketing research firm. “Gamers are fickle,” Mr. Riley added, “The casual gamer is going to lean toward any platform that provides cheap or free gaming.”
The Vita, which made its debut in Japan last year, will be sold in the United States for $249 for a Wi-Fi version, and $299 for a 3G version. The average price for its games ranges from $9.99 to $49.99 — many mobile game applications are cheaper or even free.
“It’s an amazing device,” said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, a financial services firm. Mr. Pachter said that the market for hand-held games was still active, but under pressure from a down economy and the free apps available on tablets and smartphones.
“Would you rather have a 10-hour immersive experience for 40 bucks, as opposed to 400 10-minute experiences for free?” he said.
Double Fine, then, is making the most of the digital era, coping a feel of all the new platforms and delivery methods. But there are frustrations, too. Schafer has watched the Xbox Live Arcade and PSN services dwindle away from fantastically promising beginnings to troubled, even fading services. “Ever since I played Geometry Wars I thought, what a great new portal,” he enthuses.
“But it seems that this year, the idea didn’t explode like it should have. Back when Castle Crashers came out, it seemed it was going to grow and grow. I just wish there was more support, more marketing, more placement on the dashboard. It could have been our own little Sundance Film festival, a great sandbox for indie development.
“But the indie community is now moving elsewhere; we’re figuring out how to fund and distribute games ourselves, and we’re getting more control over them. Those systems as great as they are, they’re still closed. You have to jump through a lot of hoops, even for important stuff like patching and supporting your game. Those are things we really want to do, but we can’t do it on these systems. I mean, it costs $40,000 to put up a patch – we can’t afford that! Open systems like Steam, that allow us to set our own prices, that’s where it’s at, and doing it completely alone like Minecraft. That’s where people are going.”
It’s another RPG at the top this week as EA’s new IP, ‘Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning’, goes straight in at No1. The last new IP to reach No1 was Dead Island back in week 37 2011 but you have to go all the way back to week 12 2000 with the first Pokemon game, Pokemon Red, to find an original RPG at the top! It’s also the first game from independent developer 38 Studios (owned by baseball player Curt Schilling) in co-operation with subsidiary Big Huge Games. Last week’s No1, Square Enix’s ‘Final Fantasy XIII-2’ (-54%), therefore has to settle for second place ahead of another new entry, Take 2’s sequel ‘The Darkness II’, in at No3. Last week’s No2 ‘Metal Gear Solid HD Collection’ (-49%) has slipped down to No4 followed by two EA titles at No5 and No6 with ‘FIFA 12’ (-19%) ahead of ‘Battlefield 3’ (-29%). Activision Blizzard’s ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’ (-10%) stays rooted at No7 and Ubisoft’s ‘Assassin’s Creed: Revelations’ (-28%) has fallen down two places to No8. Rounding off the Top 10 we have another RPG that has been at No1 with Bethesda’s ‘The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ (-27%) at No9 and ‘Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games’ (+145%) has raced up the charts from No31 to No10 thanks to the release of the 3DS version. We have a couple of new entries making it into the Top 40 with Deep Silver’s ‘Catherine’ at No 20 and EA’s ‘Grand Slam Tennis 2’ at No26.
List in link.
France:
Week 5, 2012
01 (NE) [PS3] Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Square Enix)
02 (NE) [PS3] Final Fantasy XIII-2- Edition collector (Square Enix)
03 (NE) [PS3] Soul Calibur V (Namco Bandai)
04 (NE) [360] Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Square Enix)
05 (01) [PS3] Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 3 (Activision Blizzard )
Double Fine has several games available for download on 360/PS3 so he seems to be OK with it enough for that.
Double Fine has been all over the 360 lately. His complaints seem sort of hollow. Not to mention Double Fine's fans just put $1.6 million in their pocket.
Double Fine has several games available for download on 360/PS3 so he seems to be OK with it enough for that.
Double Fine has been all over the 360 lately. His complaints seem sort of hollow. Not to mention Double Fine's fans just put $1.6 million in their pocket.
None of that has anything to do with his valid complaints about indie publishing on the consoles, which are the same things a number of less-well-known developers have been saying while moving away from XBLA/PSN. And having lots of fans doesn't make you any less independent.
Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
Double Fine's new 360 shit is mostly Kinect shit. The other shit was years ago, and he has commented on how they are doing better once they moved most of their shit onto Steam.
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MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
When you consider how many broken patches have been pushed through MS's certification system, and how Steam's very open approach to devs patching their games goes, I really don't believe the onerous certification process has any merit whatsoever.
Double Fine has several games available for download on 360/PS3 so he seems to be OK with it enough for that.
Double Fine has been all over the 360 lately. His complaints seem sort of hollow. Not to mention Double Fine's fans just put $1.6 million in their pocket.
None of that has anything to do with his valid complaints about indie publishing on the consoles, which are the same things a number of less-well-known developers have been saying while moving away from XBLA/PSN. And having lots of fans doesn't make you any less independent.
I think it's a stretch to call DF an indy developer.
So, if the MS patch process is too time consuming/expensive, MS seems reluctant to support Indie/Arcade titles, and they have better sales putting their games on Steam, then why all the whining?
Seems like a no-brainer to just keep your games (and money) away from MS.
I've actually read about other people bitching about the indie services, especially since the new dash update hid the indie games behind a sub-sub-sub menu (and I'm not exaggerating the number of subs). Given the lack of any other real console alternative I'm guessing the garage developers will just stick to Steam.
Anyway, you know who turned out to be the most progressive, gay-friendly game maker out there? Zynga!
I just got to level 45 in Dream Zoo, Zynga’s adorable little zoo sim. My reward for reaching this near pinnacle of gameplay was access to lions. Hell yes, lions! But I noticed something odd when I bought the enclosure and found my lion a mate.
Those cats are dudes!
As an animal aficionado and former Biology major, I was shocked by this blatant oversight. As a gay gamer, though, it’s freaking awesome. Hell, I officially have a gay pride in my Dream Zoo (see what I did there?).
As it turns out though, Dream Zoo doesn’t get gay at Level 45. It’s been gay this whole time and I just haven't noticed. See there’s this thing called sexual dimorphism in some animals, where males and females look dramatically different. It’s why male lions have manes and females don’t. But it’s common in many animals.
Did you know only male elk have antlers?
And male peacocks are the ones that grow those big beautiful tails.
In gorillas, only the males grow to be those large silverback types.
And if you look closely, none of these kangaroos seem to have a pouch (which begs the question how these marsupials even made a family).
Double Fine has several games available for download on 360/PS3 so he seems to be OK with it enough for that.
Double Fine has been all over the 360 lately. His complaints seem sort of hollow. Not to mention Double Fine's fans just put $1.6 million in their pocket.
None of that has anything to do with his valid complaints about indie publishing on the consoles, which are the same things a number of less-well-known developers have been saying while moving away from XBLA/PSN. And having lots of fans doesn't make you any less independent.
I think it's a stretch to call DF an indy developer.
Well, I didn't say "indie" in the cultural sense of "five people in a garage making games", but DF is independent in that it's not owned by or affiliated with a major publishing company. If you're out self-publishing or pitching different games to different publishers, you're independent, no? That's how Schafer has been categorizing DF, with his comments on how he hasn't been able to get publishers to bite on stuff like Psychonauts 2.
SwashbucklerXX on
Want to find me on a gaming service? I'm SwashbucklerXX everywhere.
So at least one Japanese investor likes Konami, and thinks a new mainline Metal Gear Solid is on its way:
Citing increasing earnings, Nomura Securities has raised its outlook on Konami from Neutral to Buy.
According to a report at Nihon Securities Journal, Nomura analysts expect Konami's operating earnings for fiscal 2013 (April 2012 through May 2013) to increase 24% to ¥52 billion.
For fiscal 2014, which spans April 2013 through May 2014, Nomura expects Konami to release Metal Gear Solid 5. It's unclear if the firm has any insider knowledge about MGS5's development, or if they're just listing fiscal 2014 as an obvious target for the game's release.
Nomura expects Konami's operating earnings to rise 15% to ¥60 billion in fiscal 2014.
Much of Nomura's positive outlook for Konami comes from strong social gaming performance. The firm notes that sales of Konami's traditional game software are lower than expected. However, Konami is working on focusing its software development, and this will show in fiscal 2013 and beyond.
The real problem with XBLA from my perspective at least is that they keep hiding the bar in more and more ridiculous places with each dashboard update. I really don't like the new dash at all, and it makes finding and buying games really annoying.
They might add female models if the word starts spreading that the game is gay friendly. You think bigots will let their kids play a game with homosexual lions!? The article just needs to reach the eyes of christian fundies groups.
So at least one Japanese investor likes Konami, and thinks a new mainline Metal Gear Solid is on its way:
Citing increasing earnings, Nomura Securities has raised its outlook on Konami from Neutral to Buy.
According to a report at Nihon Securities Journal, Nomura analysts expect Konami's operating earnings for fiscal 2013 (April 2012 through May 2013) to increase 24% to ¥52 billion.
For fiscal 2014, which spans April 2013 through May 2014, Nomura expects Konami to release Metal Gear Solid 5. It's unclear if the firm has any insider knowledge about MGS5's development, or if they're just listing fiscal 2014 as an obvious target for the game's release.
Nomura expects Konami's operating earnings to rise 15% to ¥60 billion in fiscal 2014.
Much of Nomura's positive outlook for Konami comes from strong social gaming performance. The firm notes that sales of Konami's traditional game software are lower than expected. However, Konami is working on focusing its software development, and this will show in fiscal 2013 and beyond.
Unless MGS5 is about The Boss and her Cobras in WW2 I don't want it. I think MGS4 tied up everything for Solid Snake nicely, and he doesn't need to be milked any more. He's old, let him rest!
I am open to more Metal Gear games, but the MGS line is done!
Edit: I would also accept an MGS5 about Boss/Naked Snake's early years working together. As long as its done in a way that doesn't change the impact MGS3's ending has on me.
Skull2185 on
Everyone has a price. Throw enough gold around and someone will risk disintegration.
A new mini game has provided a way to download Mass Effect 3's upcoming demo a few days early.
By playing a short Facebook game, fans can win a code for early access to the demo.
Players will have three attempts to decode a sequence by clicking on a series of four icons. A failed attempt will lock you out of the game for 120 minutes, but a successful attempt will earn you a code redeemable for an Avatar item or the demo. For now, only Xbox 360 versions of these items appear to be available.
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Kinda sums up Sony's approach to the thing in the consumers mind. If they were aiming for total confusion then job done.
My real worry for the PSVita is that there seems to be a real lack of forthcoming projects outside of PS3 ports or side projects to PS3 franchises.
It's not an ad, it's a teaser for an ad to get people excited to see the real thing.
Compare, from last September:
When the teaser came out people were like "ooh is this for the rumored PS store redesign? Maybe the new PS Home? Maybe it's a new ad campaign?"
Well not really a "campaign" or even anything specific. Just a pretty cool one-off ad.
Though, to be fair that Michael ad was fucking great.
Great commercial which I came to absolutely hate.
Cable kills any advertising. Lack of people willing to pay for it.
Seriously, though, the timing, price, and marketing on the Vita.. it all seems weird, you know?
It's length seriously didn't help.
http://kotaku.com/5884142/this-taco-bell-playstation-vita-contest-seems-a-little-weird
Long story short is that a bunch of people who were told they won actually haven't received any confirmation, and Taco Bell's getting weirdly defensive over it.
Today I realized it's a Sun contest to win a Vita. :O
So I entered it. Thing's only got 100 facebook likes, in today's world that's practically a rare gemstone of a contest site.
On Taco Bell; I was reading on GameFAQs (yeah) some conspiracy theory on TB employees giving all the Vita's to friends and families. There's somewhere in the region of zero confirmed actual winners yet.
Okie dokie. It's a bit long:
There were so many cool little easter eggs in it (including nods to franchises that have been dead for over a decade), it was basically a love letter to PlayStation fans.
I don't know why they can't take whoever came up with that and just put him or her in charge of Sony videogame advertising in general.
Yep.
Twitter 3DS: 0860 - 3257 - 2516
Vita advertisement.
http://www.hookshotinc.com/interview-schafers-millions/
UK charts.
http://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p/software/uk/archive/index_test.jsp&ct=110032&arch=t&lyr=2012&year=2012&week=6
http://ukie.info/content/ukie-week-06-2012-uk-video-games-charts List in link.
Double Fine has been all over the 360 lately. His complaints seem sort of hollow. Not to mention Double Fine's fans just put $1.6 million in their pocket.
PSN: Beltaine-77 | Steam: beltane77 | Battle.net BadHaggis#1433
None of that has anything to do with his valid complaints about indie publishing on the consoles, which are the same things a number of less-well-known developers have been saying while moving away from XBLA/PSN. And having lots of fans doesn't make you any less independent.
I think it's a stretch to call DF an indy developer.
Seems like a no-brainer to just keep your games (and money) away from MS.
PSN: Beltaine-77 | Steam: beltane77 | Battle.net BadHaggis#1433
Anyway, you know who turned out to be the most progressive, gay-friendly game maker out there? Zynga!
http://www.ign.com/blogs/ottsel/2012/02/10/zyngas-dream-zoo-is-pretty-gay/
Ten bucks and a non-vital body part of your choice says Zynga was just too lazy to create images for female animals.
Well, I didn't say "indie" in the cultural sense of "five people in a garage making games", but DF is independent in that it's not owned by or affiliated with a major publishing company. If you're out self-publishing or pitching different games to different publishers, you're independent, no? That's how Schafer has been categorizing DF, with his comments on how he hasn't been able to get publishers to bite on stuff like Psychonauts 2.
http://andriasang.com/comzy3/mgs5_nomura/
I'd double those ten bucks and bet that a furry version with fully "formed" females will be coming coming to an App Store near you very soon!
I got a little excited when I saw your ship.
Uh, the article is extremely tongue-in-cheek.
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
Unless MGS5 is about The Boss and her Cobras in WW2 I don't want it. I think MGS4 tied up everything for Solid Snake nicely, and he doesn't need to be milked any more. He's old, let him rest!
I am open to more Metal Gear games, but the MGS line is done!
Edit: I would also accept an MGS5 about Boss/Naked Snake's early years working together. As long as its done in a way that doesn't change the impact MGS3's ending has on me.
Bah I didn't see the source.
The internet has broken my parody detectors.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/121/1218525p1.html
I'm guessing you have to "like" Mass Effect 3 in order to play the thing.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Already done.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games