Obama now buying ads on video games
Not getting enough politics with your video games? You’re not alone.
Who hasn’t wished - while playing Madden ‘08 - that Wolf Blitzer would come out with his “magic map” and speculate about the second district of Nebraska?
Unfortunately, the two haven’t teamed up yet. Although hopes are high that a Blitzer-Madden pairing is right around the corner. They have the potential to be the greatest twosome since Air Supply.
Obama 500
In the meantime, you can get some politics as you play video games online — like in the game Burnout Paradise.
The high-speed online racing game features Barack Obama billboards throughout the virtual streetscape; the campaign purchased advertisements to run through the end of the election.
It’s a smart buy as well. If you live in some key battleground states, you’ll see the ads as they run in Ohio, Florida, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, Montana, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada and Wisconsin.
You can also see the ads on other Electronic Arts games such as “Madden 09,” “Nascar 09,” “NHL 09″ and “Skate.”
Too young?
But aren’t video gamers too young to vote? These are no longer the days of Space Invaders and Asteroids, my friends. Video gamers have grown up. They’re still playing.
According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a videogame player is 35 years old and 49 percent are between the ages of 18 and 49. Just 25 percent of videogame players are below the age of 18.
Reactions
Are gamers impressed?
Not all of them. On Jalopnik’s website (a site which describes itself as “obsessed with the cult of cars”), many gamers offered varying opinions. One doesn’t trust himself to vote.
Most of the avid video gamers I know (myself included) are too stupid to make an informed decision about any given political candidate, and will most likely vote on name recognition only in the voting booth. “McCain… Biden… Palin… Obama? Hey, I saw that name on Burnout. I’ll vote for that guy, he stands for video games.”
Another gamer thinks the electoral college system is flawed and offers up an alternative.
When I saw the image with the ad, my first thought was “Big Brother is watching.” My second thought was of Soviet propaganda posters. My third thought was subliminal advertising. My last thought was wouldn’t it be nice if all the idiots running for president and vice president would just go into a room and fight it out until there is only one survivor.
That’s probably how they do things in Joe Biden’s neighborhood.
What’s McCain doing? Another gamer has the inside scoop:
In other news, McCain to buy 30 second spots on ESPN3’s World Bridge Tournament next week in Del Boca Raton, Florida.
Finally, what would a story be without a conspiracy. This gamer sees one…
And we all thought “Left, left, left, left” was just for NASCAR games.
