Microsoft bribing members on Gaming-Age though AEG... What do you think?
- Thread starter Che
- Start date
A paycheck doesn't provide a marketer with a compelling argument. Regardless of whether someone's genuine, they'd still have to have a point in the first place to be able to make a difference. Fanboys already do it for free; it doesn't change anything to have them get paid for it.
Late Stage Marxist
Member
Well, this explains all the misplaced Fable love around here. 
D
Deleted member 284
Unconfirmed Member
Wow. To see Lazy8s show up here is comedic and tragic at the same timeLazy8s said:
Mike Works
Member
I think we should ban all members who post anything positive regarding any videogame or console on this forum from now on.
Sure, it'd take a few minutes to ban those 6 people, but it'd be worth it.
Sure, it'd take a few minutes to ban those 6 people, but it'd be worth it.
The guy who started planetgamecube was personally invited to Microsoft so they could show off how many millions of dollars they spent on X-BOX Live as well as mock Super Mario Sunshine sales. Nothing new. Nintendo does it, Sony does it and MS really does it. Everyone is in everyone else back pocket these days. Again, nothing new...you'd do it too if you had the money! I thought it was already common knowledge that alot of people are "influenced" by big corperate entities?
Mike Works
Member
There's a big difference between Billy- who I've known for, what, 4 years now, and many others (Penny Arcade guys too) getting flown down for free to check out new and upcoming games, and being bribed so long as you secretly advertise games on a forum.DrGAKMAN said:
Greenpanda
Banned
Mike Works said:
This cracked me up.
Cracked me up like Katamari Damacy .
Greenpanda
Banned
IgeL said:
Fanboys tend to do the downplaying others' games, too
AEG uses focus groups to gather information about XBox products. They have no involvement with spreading disinformation on message boards. Some of you people are just too paranoid. That, or you're just looking for any reason why someone might be lying about the quality of an XBox game.
Che,
I think you're seriously overreacting. At work, I hear people talk of editors being bribed for review scores quite frequently, and to me that's all conspiracy theory bullshit. You and I have both worked at a mag and know that does not happen. I see no good coming from a post like this, which is only going to stir the pot and fuel the conspiracy theorists more. Do we really want a witchhunt at GAF? (Don't answer that, guys already google image searching for "witch hunt").
As for allegations of MS bribing strangers to promote their games via word of mouth... do you know how ridiculous that sounds? If they were caught doing that, they would never hear the end of it, and I don't think they're that stupid. I can see professional viral marketers infiltrating forums, and I don't see how you can do anything about that. But PM'ing strangers with offers of a free game for good word of mouth? That's absurd.
I think you're seriously overreacting. At work, I hear people talk of editors being bribed for review scores quite frequently, and to me that's all conspiracy theory bullshit. You and I have both worked at a mag and know that does not happen. I see no good coming from a post like this, which is only going to stir the pot and fuel the conspiracy theorists more. Do we really want a witchhunt at GAF? (Don't answer that, guys already google image searching for "witch hunt").
As for allegations of MS bribing strangers to promote their games via word of mouth... do you know how ridiculous that sounds? If they were caught doing that, they would never hear the end of it, and I don't think they're that stupid. I can see professional viral marketers infiltrating forums, and I don't see how you can do anything about that. But PM'ing strangers with offers of a free game for good word of mouth? That's absurd.
Chittagong
Gold Member
Viral marketing is about finding new and innovative ways to communicate in a way that has maximum impact on opinions towards products.
I have understood that webraiding forums was initially pretty effective when not everybody was doing it. However, it is a real low hanging fruit because you need only a handful of posters full day to clutter all the influential forums with hype. Then the challenge is for these people to create a credible personality with postings relating to other topics than the product at hand.
However, these days most people I've spoken to - even the companies known to facilitate this type of activity - consider fake posting too risky. The probability of getting caught is pretty big and then the PR damage is enormous. It's not worth it.
In my opinion, a more effective way for companies such as Microsoft - in case you have a good product - is just to give it to gamers with no strings attached. If it's good, they'll play it, love it, hype it. This means, of course, that if your product is crap, you're out of luck. This way is better than fake posting or bribing, because the opinions are not forced or fabricated - and especially for lesser known good games it can increase the awareness a lot - think Katamari Damacy. Best of all, it's free crap for us all... psst Konami... need Gradius V ;-)
I have understood that webraiding forums was initially pretty effective when not everybody was doing it. However, it is a real low hanging fruit because you need only a handful of posters full day to clutter all the influential forums with hype. Then the challenge is for these people to create a credible personality with postings relating to other topics than the product at hand.
However, these days most people I've spoken to - even the companies known to facilitate this type of activity - consider fake posting too risky. The probability of getting caught is pretty big and then the PR damage is enormous. It's not worth it.
In my opinion, a more effective way for companies such as Microsoft - in case you have a good product - is just to give it to gamers with no strings attached. If it's good, they'll play it, love it, hype it. This means, of course, that if your product is crap, you're out of luck. This way is better than fake posting or bribing, because the opinions are not forced or fabricated - and especially for lesser known good games it can increase the awareness a lot - think Katamari Damacy. Best of all, it's free crap for us all... psst Konami... need Gradius V ;-)
This is utterly ridiculous. Why would Microsoft pay/trust some unknown loser on a forum to hype up a game? Come on folks, lets use common sense here. Micosoft has more money then we could imagine, he could buy ads on the forums, get commercials for that said game... get a feature ran about the game on a gaming website or magazine... The same goes for Nintendo and Sony... the only companys I could see getting any benefit from "hyping a game" on a web forum that only reaches a couple thousand people would be small companys that don't have the funds to do any type of proper marketing and things like that.
kitchenmotors
Banned
Hahaha
This is too funny. I was wondering what the hell was up with Mr Bob. Every post of his is hyping Halo 2 like no tomorrow, that far exceeded typical fanboy opinion. I'm all for being excited about a game, but he was taking it to new extremes.
kitchenmotors
Banned
MrparisSM said:
I wouldn't talk about common sense, no offense, don't be DenSe.
The Driv3r issue is a pure example that this does happen! It's also happens in the music industry quite often.
kitchenmotors said:
I like the DS, what are you talking about?
Anyway, you completely missed my point. Nobody here is going to get a secret PM/email from Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony for them to promote their games. They would more likely pay gaming websites for some coverage or get a featurette in a magazine. Internet forums is small peas. And if the game is already good they wouldn't need to pay anyone in the first place because fanboys would already be hyping it to no end. Would you suggest that Microsoft would pay a random stranger to help promote Halo 2?? Like I stated earlier the only people that may resort to such strategy would be small companies that don't have a lot of exposure for their game. And even then they probably have their own internal people that would post a thread on a forum to boost awareness. Just seems stupid what some people are suggesting on here.
Eggo said:
I'm not chespace. Stop confusing me with chespace guys. Pleeeeeeeeeease.... And it's not Microsoft who is going so low to do this, it's AEG they've hiring. I don't expect them to do it I expect their stupid publicity company. And there are evidence that they're doing it. Hell even AEG is admitting it, check their link.
radioheadrule83
Banned
wow, this is amazing. Its very dubious and clever if true.
Hey if they wanna pay people to disagree with me, and try and sell me on stuff thats cool. I'm not changing my mind if I don't want it
Besides, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't have anyone to argue with
That said, this would lower my estimations of any company involved. Integrity is hardly widespread in marketing, and it often goes shallow -- but interfering with actual communities made up of anonymous members is really souring things for your consumers in a sense. It'd stink.
Hey if they wanna pay people to disagree with me, and try and sell me on stuff thats cool. I'm not changing my mind if I don't want it
Besides, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't have anyone to argue with That said, this would lower my estimations of any company involved. Integrity is hardly widespread in marketing, and it often goes shallow -- but interfering with actual communities made up of anonymous members is really souring things for your consumers in a sense. It'd stink.
Uno Ill Nino
Banned
I'm more worried about the publications like EGM, Game Informer, Etc. being bought out for high review scores.
Korranator
Member
Where the fuck are my bribes?
Rocket Punch
Member
Nintendo, I'm sitting by the phone here... Where's my call??
I was going to comment on how impressed I've been with XBox this generation, and how it's really outperformed my expectations, but I figure if other people are actually getting paid for that, then I should probably keep my mouth shut unless MS cough up. Come on guys, all I'm asking for is the occasional game. Is that too high a price to get me singing your praises?
For those that think that its absurd, why would you say that when MS is specificly listed as one of its clients?
-Xbox
-Xbox Live
-Microsoft Game Studios
All three are listed here
http://www.aeginfo.com/clients.html
And these guys do exist here, no conspiracy theories or any of that bullshit. Here's the PM I got from them to promote CDV's games.
-Xbox
-Xbox Live
-Microsoft Game Studios
All three are listed here
http://www.aeginfo.com/clients.html
And these guys do exist here, no conspiracy theories or any of that bullshit. Here's the PM I got from them to promote CDV's games.
I can't wait for the conspiracy theories to start that I'm on the take too. Then again, I did just recently post this thread about how I just discovered Super Mario Brothers. Bah, nevermind -- it's ridiculous to think that Nintendo would care enough about me to try to influence my opinion.
Also -- and this might be a coincidence -- I met this really hot Asian girl last night at a bar. She's still sleeping now, but MAN, did we have fun last night! The only weird thing is how she kept insisting that I wear a plumber's hat during sex. It was so weird...but I kind of liked it.
Also -- and this might be a coincidence -- I met this really hot Asian girl last night at a bar. She's still sleeping now, but MAN, did we have fun last night! The only weird thing is how she kept insisting that I wear a plumber's hat during sex. It was so weird...but I kind of liked it.
seismologist
Banned
VIP group sponsor official avatar.
"beta and free retail copies of CDV's recent and future releases to test out and discuss within your community"Firest0rm said:
Free Software <> Bribe.
Though I pay for some stuff I review, most of it's free software. Doesn't mean I pimp it in forums, or automagically give it a 5/5.
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