Cool Flash ad promoting D&D from WotC

[RangerWickett]

No. See, Geeky is cool. You see people doing geeky things, and you're like, "Hey, that looks fun."

This . . . unless you're already completely into gaming, you see it and you say, "Wow, what a bunch of dorks."

Dork is derogatory, implying people who have no lives.

Geek implies people who, in addition to the rest of their lives, really enjoy something because it's intellectual and entertaining.

This ad makes D&D gamers look like dorks. The tacky stop-motion presentation only adds to that, and the fact that their D&D session lasts all of about a minute really ruins the presentation. A proper ad could have had fades, a bit of actual close-ups and maybe some actual humor that can be appreciated by non-gamers. "Healing potions," I'm sad to say, don't cut it.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

The music is pretty groovy.

 

[Nightfall]

Music? What music?

*must have missed that*

Ranger man,

Uhm honestly as a Gamer, I didn't think it was dorky, just silly. Which is probably why I don't take it so darn seriously.

 

[LostSoul]

If more people actually played like this, the hobby would have a better image.

No. See, Geeky is cool. You see people doing geeky things, and you're like, "Hey, that looks fun."

This . . . unless you're already completely into gaming, you see it and you say, "Wow, what a bunch of dorks."

Dork is derogatory, implying people who have no lives.

Geek implies people who, in addition to the rest of their lives, really enjoy something because it's intellectual and entertaining.

This ad makes D&D gamers look like dorks.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. That geeks are cool?

Or is it that gamers who don't play intellectual games are dorks?

 

[Bagpuss]

Great two issues, one the music on the stereo is terrible. Two there isn't a link to D&D miniatures, you'ld think they would promote them, especially considering they are on the table.

 

[NiTessine]

Please tell me people don't actually talk like that.

It doesn't work. It doesn't make me want to play D&D. Considering I haven't had a game for two months, this is actually pretty hard, but it succeeds.

Depicting "actual gameplay" in these ads usually ends badly, because roleplaying games don't work as a spectator sport. Bringing up the social aspect of the game is good, but there has to be a better way to do it.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Nice try, but showing actual gameplay always makes geeks look like dorks. What was that gamer show from a California basement, with the gamer chicks? Even they looked like dorks.

Now, if they'd just intercut it with a little animation/live action of the story itself, so people watching could capture the imagination/cinematic experience, it might offset the dorkiness a bit.

And why is the stereo music so disco-retro? They should have promoted the D&D soundtrack.

 

[ajanders]

This may not be healthy

But I swear the first thing I thought of as the rogue dispatched Fluffy was "Isn't that a sneak attack, not a backstab? Backstab is so 2nd edition...".
Clearly I am not the target audience here.

 

[Imperialus]

It struck me as pretty bad... but still leaps and bounds ahead of that old D&D TV ad here... http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/61/

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Too bad they didn't consider throwing a girl in that group, though.

Right on. I really missed the highlight of the evening: "You rolled a natural one, jane! You know what that means: DROP THE TOP!"