I love Alan Wake. The game's creepy atmosphere, engaging gameplay and awesome visuals hooked me, but what impressed me most was the carefully crafted story. It's a story that you can take seriously--at least at first. Check out our Alan Wake review for more.
In Episode Four, though, there's a piece of product placement that's so jarring, so nonsensical, and so downright bad, it's the fictional equivalent of a game-killing glitch. Check it out below the cut... (Spoiler warning, of course.)
Keep in mind, at this point in the story, we're unsure if the insane asylum which Wake is escaping from exists in real life and is haunted, or is some twisted figment of his imagination. Either way, why would there be a commercial on TV? The electricity is being controlled by the swirling darkness outside. Does the evil force want Wake to buy a Mustang? For that matter, why would Alan stand there and watch?
This is way different and way worse than a billboard in the background or a TV commercial in the "real" world -- those can be justified within the fictional universe. To add insult to injury, you even get an achievement for sitting though Verizon's pitch. The argument about whether games are Art is ridiculous in the face of this kind of evidence -- it's obvious games are commerce.
I like to think the character of Emerson, a video game designer driven mad by the pressures of his industry, is a sly response to the money-over-art mindset that put this commercial in the game. Check out Emerson in the video below:
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Holesome
I noticed many product placements and they made me chuckle a bit. Notice the battery brand? These ads didn't bother me at all.
shmaron
How do you guys think these games are funded? If the Verizon guy with the glasses shows up out of the middle of nowhere saying, "can you here me now? Good!" then walks off screen, then that would be a different story.
pyromaster222
No I dont really think so, because the product placement seems to make sense to a certain amount, like "yes those are viable companies that could have those products laying around or products that could be used." There is worse ways you can go about the problem of product placement.
Adjacent
I just got past this part last night. Let me say I was floored by this, my friend and i were just laughing at the absurdity of it all. In the next episode I was just waiting for a talking lizard to tell me I can save 15% on my car insurance.
FOX OPS
In game advertising=all time low. It's bad enough we're bombarded with commercials on tv and the net. Now games? Video games are pretty much my only commercial free sanctuary from ads.
G4Sterling
I love Alan Wake, and found the other product placement to be annoying, but tolerable. But the Achievement is exceptionally irritating.
If a game is designed around and conditions you to play and explore it a certain way, why wouldn't it be annoying if, after 5 hours of playing that way, an ad popped up?
What if, in the middle of collecting nabbing a conveniently nearby and easily collected Agility Orb in Crackdown, you had to watch a commercial for McDonald's? Or if your level up in Mass Effect was sponsored by Dodge? They feel out of place in the game world in a way that maybe batteries don't.
You can argue that it's about choice, and you can choose not to, but seriously, if you've been collecting these items, and the game is designed around rewarding you for it, an ad at the end of the rainbow is pretty obnoxious.
rGrayMiller
If you kids don't know the downside of product placement, then the terrorists have already won.
TheOccultKidEnkidu
I guess Alan Wake uses Verizon.... maybe I should go out and pick up one of their phones huh?
But seriously, what happened to SUBLIMINAL advertising? Now we've got legit commercials in game? If that's happening, I can only hope Verizon is going to start putting Alan Wake in their commercials. If not, then BOO. BOO Remedy. Bad Form.
camaro72toy
wow,between this and red dead,when are we gonna start expecting more from these game companies? seriously, both are 3 out of 10 on a ratings scale in my book,and I've noticed that graphics looked better on games from 3 years ago, why is that?, dude, you are being duped by the game companies,and the people who get paid to write positive reviews, demand more from these companies, nothing but the best, seriously.
X02
Since Alan Wake is a 360 exclusive and you would already have to own a 360 to play it, what exactly is the point of advertising it in game?
JustTheBeginning
Well Microsoft is the publisher, and they are the ones who make these types of calls. Maybe they should start a new service called "Xbox local" you can pay $50 a year for commercial free games.
dolphers
That doesn't seem so bad - You have to choose to watch the tv, and thats no worse than watching in real life. It gives it a more realistic look, honestly. The gameplay itself doesn't seem to force you watch it.
thegreatyuke
umm...they both seemed pretty optional to me. am i the only one who realized that you don't have to look at either of them? neither of them were integral to moving the story forward, so how about we all get on with our lives and quit nit-picking an awesome game? hmmm? how does that sound?
xxxblindxxxx
its not like watching this commercial will kill you. its a video inside a VIDEO game. they gotta do it somewhere, and atleast its not a huge logo on the back of his jacket you see the entire game.
AN4RCH
lmao wtf im saddened by corporate giants doing things like this to games especially this kind of game
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