In the ads, the guy on the bed on the right is you - the gamer, dressed in jeans or other attire typical of modern times, rather than the medieval era or Third-Reich period they've been placed in.
As a gamer, in the ad you "give life" to the person on the bed. You either put your heart or some of your blood in these historical figures, thus becoming them in this altered history that could only exist in a game.
Personally, I'd rather see an allied soldier on the bed instead of a Nazi, but you gotta admit the Nazi makes it pretty obvious that it's WWII versus a bland brown uniform that was used in a number of wars.
The ad isn't an endorsement of Nazism, but rather a statement that you can play as a Nazi on the Playstation 3 (can you? I can't recall any titles where you played on the Nazi side...) Even so, still in pretty bad taste for Western readers.
OK, OK, we need to sit back and have a beer here. These are designed to be shocking and grab your attention.
Are they in good taste? No
But do they get your attention? Yes
Are they successful in conveying the PS3? No
So as much as I would like to hate these AD's, they work in a kind of Car-wreck-in-slo-mo way. Don't want to look at them but can't look away.
Before you guys get too bent about the Natzi you need to do some reading about who he is (Erwin Rommel) and what he did (conspiracy to remove Hitler) [en.wikipedia.org]
I don't like the guy but he is not "the worst" Natzi ever either.
Also have to keep in mind that these were cooked up by AD companies not based here in the states; And trust me, there are some much worse ones: (LINK NSFW) [translate.googleusercontent.com]
Something tells me that these may not even be "official" Sony Ad's, but I don't know for sure.
@Bertone77: Seriously, how in the hell do you not know how to spell Nazi? The Nazis are only referenced in every single thread on the entire fucking internet.
@secret_curse: Because unlike you I actually had links to place and something interesting to say. By the time I noticed it I could not edit it anymore.
Does anyone know how they create that artistic effect on photos?? I'm noticing more and more advertisements and photos have that look and I'd like to learn how they pull it off. They almost make it look like the image is a painting. Anyone got any ideas?
It's a metaphor for transferring their power to the player.
They're not giving blood or a heart. The ads are suggesting that you as the player will be receiving the blood and heart of a warrior. Whether that's a WWII general or Joan of Arc.
All it looks like they're trying to convey is that the gamers are becoming one with the characters in the games they play. They reinforce it by putting the gamer and the character in the game environment.
@OMFG! Horny Manatees!: See, that's the problem with Sony. They're trying to force the same opinion for all the games on the PS3. The reality is that some games are good, some are crap. You can't force a gamer that every game they play on a PS3 will have the same experience. Let every game be judged individually. If they produce enough good games and show that off instead, then maybe more people will buy the PS3.
The world really needs to get over itself.
The whole whining about Nazi's thing is getting old.
Why is it OK to shoot Nazis in a video game, but not portray them in an ad.
It's a part of history, it happened, covering your eyes won't make it go away, and I don't remember anyone saying that you have the right to not be offended...just f***ing get over it already.
maybe you should actually hit the link to know the story behind it. the nazi is supposed to be Erwin Rommel, one of the most decorated german officers of WWI and WWII. so the ads as simply saying that these figures are resurrected by the PS3....
@OMG! Ponies!:
The one gentleman could possibly be a nazi, but there really isn't any definitive proof that he is, All I see is an iron eagle on his hat.
@Adam Spano: The uniform is the definitive proof. That's the German Afrika Korps officer uniform.
The eagle is the Nazi eagle emblem, designed in homage to the Roman eagle standard.
And yeah, there's a frakkin' swastika too.
Why is it a big deal? It just is something that sets off Jewish people, myself included. I'm pretty damned proud of my grandfather's service in WWII (he was a translator and helped liberate concentration camps).
@OMG! Ponies!: I will punch Adam Spano right in the arm if you want me to. Right on the shoulder, that spot where if you hit the bone it just gets sore for days, you know? Just say the word.
@OMG! Ponies!: Just because someone served in the German Armed Forces during WWII doesn't mean they were Nazis or believed in the Nazi party rhetoric. Maybe they were just.. ready for it??.. soldiers.
@OMG! Ponies!: I fully agree. Things like this just push it too far... I understand that WWII was over 50 years ago but issues like this are sensitive, and they NEED to stay sensitive because in the future people need to use WWII as an example of what the grave repercussions are when the general public begin to believe propaganda as outrageous as that of WWII.
I don't mind hearing the occasional Jew joke, but things like this just desensitize people from the atrocities of WWII. I actually don't even enjoy playing games like Call of Duty because the fact that they are simulating real life wars and making a game out of it makes me a bit sick... I realize my opinion on games that simulate war is a bit odd, but I'm not militant about my beliefs on that topic, I just prefer not to play videogames that simulate real life horrors like WWII.
@OMG! Ponies!: Depends on what those soldiers did. I'm sure not every German soldier killed women and children, etc. Some just fought for their country and killed 'enemy' soldiers, which during wartime is fair game.
@Thomathan: So as long as the target is just enemy soldiers, it's cool? In that case, why not use mustard gas on enemy soldiers? Or landmines?
And yes, Rozzeh, even under the US military code of conduct, as former Joint Chief Gen. Peter Pace said (under Pres. George W. Bush) "It is the absolute responsibility of everybody in uniform to disobey an order that is either illegal or immoral."
Not only is there no duty to follow illegal or immoral orders, there is an affirmative duty to disobey them. It is one of the Nuremberg Principles.
@OMG! Ponies!: I understand where you're coming from, but i've always wondered, what if those germans decided to disobey orders? What would have happened to them? Would they have been dishonrably discharged? or would they have been executed for treason?
@Davy Grolton: If Rommel, the best of the Nazis, is any indication, they'd be executed. Rommel, as I have learned, disobeyed a number of orders concerning the treatment, execution, and/or deportation of POWs.
As to the SSgTEX' analogy, that is a bit inapt as there was no conscription involved with the Iraqi War. However, when it comes to the treatment of the prisoners at Abu-Ghraib, yes - the soldiers and officers there had an affirmative duty to disobey the orders they were given, just as the officers and soldiers given orders to waterboard have a duty to disobey as the US took the position that waterboarding is torture in war crimes trials following WWII.
Comparing the logos and the images to those of new PS3 ads in other regions, my guess is that Sony considers people from Chile to be 3 years slower on the uptake than everyone else.
@GitEmSteveDave_JustAddHotWater: Sorry man... but if you give me your social security nmbr & bnking route # I will give you a percentage of check deposited to your account.
Unfortunately, it'll still fool most costumers, and unfortunately², Sony is not the first, and will not be the last to use such tactics.
When it comes to finding out the real difference between cameras, we still have to appeal to reviews, dpreview and steve digicams.... :P
09/29/09
On a sidenote, this is by far my favorite Sony ad.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
In the ads, the guy on the bed on the right is you - the gamer, dressed in jeans or other attire typical of modern times, rather than the medieval era or Third-Reich period they've been placed in.
As a gamer, in the ad you "give life" to the person on the bed. You either put your heart or some of your blood in these historical figures, thus becoming them in this altered history that could only exist in a game.
Personally, I'd rather see an allied soldier on the bed instead of a Nazi, but you gotta admit the Nazi makes it pretty obvious that it's WWII versus a bland brown uniform that was used in a number of wars.
The ad isn't an endorsement of Nazism, but rather a statement that you can play as a Nazi on the Playstation 3 (can you? I can't recall any titles where you played on the Nazi side...) Even so, still in pretty bad taste for Western readers.
09/29/09
Are they in good taste? No
But do they get your attention? Yes
Are they successful in conveying the PS3? No
So as much as I would like to hate these AD's, they work in a kind of Car-wreck-in-slo-mo way. Don't want to look at them but can't look away.
Before you guys get too bent about the Natzi you need to do some reading about who he is (Erwin Rommel) and what he did (conspiracy to remove Hitler) [en.wikipedia.org]
I don't like the guy but he is not "the worst" Natzi ever either.
Also have to keep in mind that these were cooked up by AD companies not based here in the states; And trust me, there are some much worse ones: (LINK NSFW) [translate.googleusercontent.com]
Something tells me that these may not even be "official" Sony Ad's, but I don't know for sure.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
They're not giving blood or a heart. The ads are suggesting that you as the player will be receiving the blood and heart of a warrior. Whether that's a WWII general or Joan of Arc.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
The whole whining about Nazi's thing is getting old.
Why is it OK to shoot Nazis in a video game, but not portray them in an ad.
It's a part of history, it happened, covering your eyes won't make it go away, and I don't remember anyone saying that you have the right to not be offended...just f***ing get over it already.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
The one gentleman could possibly be a nazi, but there really isn't any definitive proof that he is, All I see is an iron eagle on his hat.
09/29/09
The eagle is the Nazi eagle emblem, designed in homage to the Roman eagle standard.
And yeah, there's a frakkin' swastika too.
Why is it a big deal? It just is something that sets off Jewish people, myself included. I'm pretty damned proud of my grandfather's service in WWII (he was a translator and helped liberate concentration camps).
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
I don't mind hearing the occasional Jew joke, but things like this just desensitize people from the atrocities of WWII. I actually don't even enjoy playing games like Call of Duty because the fact that they are simulating real life wars and making a game out of it makes me a bit sick... I realize my opinion on games that simulate war is a bit odd, but I'm not militant about my beliefs on that topic, I just prefer not to play videogames that simulate real life horrors like WWII.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
What do you think of those in the U.S. Armed forces that left for Canada?
09/29/09
And yes, Rozzeh, even under the US military code of conduct, as former Joint Chief Gen. Peter Pace said (under Pres. George W. Bush) "It is the absolute responsibility of everybody in uniform to disobey an order that is either illegal or immoral."
Not only is there no duty to follow illegal or immoral orders, there is an affirmative duty to disobey them. It is one of the Nuremberg Principles.
"I was just following orders" is not a defense.
09/29/09
09/29/09
As to the SSgTEX' analogy, that is a bit inapt as there was no conscription involved with the Iraqi War. However, when it comes to the treatment of the prisoners at Abu-Ghraib, yes - the soldiers and officers there had an affirmative duty to disobey the orders they were given, just as the officers and soldiers given orders to waterboard have a duty to disobey as the US took the position that waterboarding is torture in war crimes trials following WWII.
09/29/09
09/29/09
09/29/09
08/08/09
08/08/09
When it comes to finding out the real difference between cameras, we still have to appeal to reviews, dpreview and steve digicams.... :P
08/07/09