Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

October 15, 2008

Last week GamePolitics broke the news that campaign ads for Barack Obama were showing up in EA's Burnout: Paradise on Xbox Live.

Since that time the story has gone national, with coverage by among others, the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. ABC News and CBS News have mentioned the Obama ads on their websites, although not on the air - so far.

With tonight's final Presidential Debate taking place at Hofstra Unoversity in New York, will the XBL ads come in for a mention? If they do, it will almost certainly come from McCain. There is speculation that McCain's debate strategy this evening will seek to raise questions about Obama's readiness for the White House.

Could McCain use the XBL ads in an effort to paint Obama as geeky or frivolous? If he does, will such charges resonate with voters? Or will McCain come off as out of touch and, well, old?

It's all speculative, of course. We'll find out tonight.


Comments

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

 Hah, put down the video games. 

I invited my friends to a game of Halo when I heard that.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

I weep at my tool-ality as the clown for the carnival that was pseudo-conservative values. My other personality will probably come in and decry Obama's embrace of what he delusionally thinks is evil. but let me in on a secret.

My other personality used to have wet dreams about a frankensteinish fusion of Nancy Reagan and the princess from Dragon's Lair.

I weep at the repression this has caused. I wholehearetedly renounce the Republican party for aiding in my sickness and embrace Obama. Except when he's with Hillary. She was another enabler.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Oddly enough, when speaking about education, he said "put down video games"...

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

I think the biggest question is whether McCain even cares

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Oh please... McCain probably doesn't even know about Obama ads in games... Muchless its neither a negative or positive for him covering all bases. After all the one game ad we know about is in Burnout... So what is McCain going to say? "Obama supports reckless driving!"

 

~The main problem isn't really video games but media. Movies show you how to do it, books go into details about doing it and video games have you simulate the experience... Spread the blame around rather than focusing on us

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

At least this artical has a legitimate point, unlike the other coverage GP has been passing off as "news". I am quite dissapointed with GP's election coverage, and yes you do have a choice on what you want to report, and yes you are showing an extream bias in what you decided to report.

~Weatherlight~

~Weatherlight~

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Here is the whole thing. Since only adults can vote, the ads in games are targeted towards adult gamers. Aknowledging that such a thing exists is a step in the right direction.

If they do try and bring it up in the debate, it might bite them back like that awesome projector. When the McCain group was trying to use it as an example of outrageous spending, most people saw it as providing for the community. This wasn't a home projector he was using to watch HD movies, this was an Astronomy projector for a planetarium. You know what, I support that.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

It could come up.  McCain's strategy is partially to paint Obama as being not ready for the Presidency.

"Can we really trust a man who spends is time advertising in a VIDEO GAME?  Will a President Obama be too busy playing his Playstation 360 or WiiBox [you KNOW he'd say something like that] to deal with a national crisis.  Can he be trusted to turn off the Halo Theft Auto [again you know he'd say it] when his country needs him."

That's an exaggeration of what I think McCain might say, but I can see it coming up.  Though I think it work likely Palin would go this route, she's definitely the attack dog in this campaign.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Yeah... but that could backfire very easily. First of all, Obama's not the one playing the games - his voters are. Just as Obama gained a lot of ground-level support by targetting smaller states, so he could win a lot of voters by advertising on unusual media.

Then, there's the question of what the real difference is between advertising on video games now and, say, TV 60 years ago. Back then, TV was regarded as a niche pursuit, but those who were first to advertise there gained massive leads against those who didn't.

Finally, it's a risk to criticise people who play games. For every potential McCain voter who might be swayed by an attack on games, there's a gamer who might be persuaded to vote Democrat in retaliation...

I say it probably won't come up...

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

He has to call them "videos".

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
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Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Hahahaha!!!

That reminds me of the 90's, when many people called cartridges "tapes".

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

I think Fox had it on it's website.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

It actually did make it on the air this morning on CNN Headline news.  Robin Mead covererd it about 7:50 eastern.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

The only approach I could see along these lines would be to address the potential contradiction in Obama's statements pertaining to telling parents to get their kids off the couch then advertising in the games their kids play.

Whether or not the connection is accurate is open to debate, I suppose, because you can bet that if we're aware of the way this story has spread, Obama is equally aware and has a response already prepped that would trounce McCain.

My guess is that McCain will avoid it and Obama won't see the need to bring it up, but who knows?  Both parties have been bringing up irrelevent points in debates for decades.  Don't see any reason they would stop now...

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

why would it come up?  what's the relevance?  mccain doesn't even know what a video game is.  why would mccain bring up anything technology related when he's admitted he doesn't know how to send email?  chances of a mention approach zero.

Re: Will Obama's Video Game Ads Be Mentioned in Debate?

Doubt it will even come up...  We'll see...  Everyone I know that has researched into politics alot this year has decided that the entire government needs to be gutted and restaffed because they are all greedy old men that are out of touch with society...  I can not agree more with that statement...

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DorthLousI love how she plays the "I'm a parent, you're a gamer, you couldn't understand" card... I'm a parent and I find her position despicable...05/23/2013 - 4:16pm
E. Zachary KnightShe didn't address your questions because she doesn't have any answers.05/23/2013 - 3:38pm
Andrew EisenI replied to her comment. Maybe in a few weeks I'll get a reply.05/23/2013 - 3:24pm
Thomas Riordan@Andrew Eisen To what bowling alley does she go that puts sexual images in the faces of 6 year olds?05/23/2013 - 3:17pm
Andrew EisenWell, it took a month but Linda Stender finally replied to me... and didn't address a single one of my questions. http://aswlindastender.com/2013/04/23/follow-up-video-games-and-their-effect-on-children/05/23/2013 - 3:13pm
ImautobotAlso, from a tech perspective the PS4 is apparently already winning. http://bgr.com/2013/05/22/xbox-one-vs-playstation-4-specs/05/23/2013 - 3:12pm
ImautobotSony's PS4 motto should be "We play games." Microsoft's should be "We play games, when we're not rewinding your tapes."05/23/2013 - 3:11pm
Andrew EisenOh look, Dying Light was just announced For Everything But Wii U. That's 73.05/23/2013 - 2:06pm
james_fudgeZippy: they said the same thing about Cell. How did that turn out.05/23/2013 - 1:28pm
Andrew EisenNeed for Speed Rivals is coming out For Everything But Wii U - PS3, 360, PC, PS4 and Xbox One. That brings the grand total up to 72.05/23/2013 - 12:55pm
PHX Corphttp://wiiudaily.com/2013/05/microsoft-is-selling-the-wii-u-better-than-nintendo/ Wii U daily Opinion: Microsoft is selling the Wii U better than Nintendo05/23/2013 - 12:23pm
E. Zachary KnightZippy, they very well may be. But that will only last until they are released. At that time, they will be two generations behind.05/23/2013 - 11:14am
ZippyDSMleefor a good luagh, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124288-EA-Exec-Xbox-One-and-PS4-Are-A-Generation-Ahead-Of-PC05/23/2013 - 10:55am
james_fudgeIt's about time! I need W805/23/2013 - 10:49am
MaskedPixelanteLooks like Gamepot is more willing to play ball than Square Enix. Wizardry 6+7 and 8 are available on GOG.05/23/2013 - 10:36am
DorthLousAnybody tried Hiversaire? Thoughts?05/22/2013 - 5:48pm
E. Zachary KnightNew Humble Bundle Weekly Sale. Alan Wake: https://www.humblebundle.com/weekly No Linux or Mac support. :(05/22/2013 - 1:46pm
E. Zachary KnightMicrosoft talks about the lack of backward compatability. You're backwards. http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192801/If_youre_backwards_compatible_youre_really_backwards.php05/22/2013 - 1:39pm
E. Zachary KnightThat is absolutely nuts there. As bad an experience XBox Indie Games was, the problems weren't with the self published side of things. Forcing a publisher onto independent studios is not going to help.05/22/2013 - 10:43am
MaskedPixelantehttp://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-22-microsoft-wont-let-indies-self-publish-on-xbox-one And the hits just keep on coming.05/22/2013 - 9:20am
 

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