WOTC ad - insulting to gamers?

[Mark CMG]

I don't see how this ad can offend anyone. I saw it, laughed, and moved on with life.

I think the reason some gamers have a problem with this advertisement is not because of its tone or target but rather because of its perspective. Mark Twain, when expressing the shortcomings of the human race, was rarely maligned for doing so because people knew that when he referred to "Man" it was self-inclusive. Some may believe that this advertisement is marking a point where the advertiser is mocking from the outside of our trusted group.


Why, he's the poorest, clumsiest excuse of all the creatures that inhabit this earth. He has got to be coddled and housed and swathed and bandaged and upholstered to be able to live at all. He is a rickety sort of a thing, anyway you take him, a regular British Museum of infirmities and inferiorities. He is always undergoing repair...He has just that one stupendous superiority--his imagination, his intellect.
- Mark Twain

 

[billd91]

You're getting riled over an issue that doesn't pertain to you at all. You aren't offended by the ad? Great, chop suey, franks and beans, but when you're trying to make a parade out of a poster who love to insintuate who thinks of you as his boy, well, let's jusy say you need some work on the issue at hand.

I'm thinking you don't get it on a particular issue here. If you don't grok just how condescending calling someone "boy" is, you should probably watch In the Heat of the Night. You might figure it out.

 

[WizarDru]

I think the reason some gamers have a problem with this advertisement is not because of its tone or target but rather because of its perspective.

I think that anyone who is offended on that count is saying more about themselves than the advertisement. I mean, let's put this in perspective: this is an add running in Dragon, Dungeon, EGM, PC Gamer and related magazines. It's not running in GQ, Esquire, Newsweek, Time, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly or Philadelphia magazine. It's a geek ad from a geek company in a geek magazine.

The tone I get from the ad is: "Dude...if you're going to play a geek game, go with the premier geek game and play it for reals!" with appropriate winks and nudges.

 

[Mark CMG]

I think that anyone who is offended on that count is saying more about themselves than the advertisement. I mean, let's put this in perspective: this is an add running in Dragon, Dungeon, EGM, PC Gamer and related magazines. It's not running in GQ, Esquire, Newsweek, Time, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly or Philadelphia magazine. It's a geek ad from a geek company in a geek magazine.

Maybe, but don't be too quick deciding what you think it is saying about themselves. It might be oversensitivity or it might be a keen perception. At the heart of it is whether this was designed by a gamer about gamers or by a non-gamer about gamers, even, perhaps, about a sometimes-gamer who doesn't think of himself as one of us. I'd be curious to find out if this was farmed out to an advertising firm or even if whoever came up with the concept in-house considers themself a gamer. Was this written by someone poking fun at themself as much as anyone else or is there a subtle hint of disdain for gamers coming through that not all of us are picking up on? Maybe the latter and I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility and put this off on the offended as being unjustly pseudo-outraged.

The tone I get from the ad is: "Dude...if you're going to play a geek game, go with the premier geek game and play it for reals!" with appropriate winks and nudges.

Personally, I agree. But as with message board posting, those winks and nudges aren't apparent to everyone so I do understand how some people might be offended (though, as said, I wasn't). The use of the pronoun "you" instead of "we" might be generalized or a subconcious indicator of the feelings of the author. It's hard to say without some insider knowledge, though I am one to assume the least offensive consequence. In fact, and as a Monday morning QB, I think it would have been better decision to use the pronoun "we" as a matter of showing the company to be part of the greater gaming community.

 

[Turjan]

Just a note, without reading the whole thread.

Yes, I found the ad funny. The only part that rubbed me a bit the wrong way was the "pretend to be an elf", combined with the picture of that guy. I'm not sure whom they want to catch with that phrase, given the ridicule that elf players are subjected to even within the D&D community. Let's just say, I don't think that particular point was very helpful.

 

[DonTadow]

I think the reason some gamers have a problem with this advertisement is not because of its tone or target but rather because of its perspective. Mark Twain, when expressing the shortcomings of the human race, was rarely maligned for doing so because people knew that when he referred to "Man" it was self-inclusive. Some may believe that this advertisement is marking a point where the advertiser is mocking from the outside of our trusted group.


Why, he's the poorest, clumsiest excuse of all the creatures that inhabit this earth. He has got to be coddled and housed and swathed and bandaged and upholstered to be able to live at all. He is a rickety sort of a thing, anyway you take him, a regular British Museum of infirmities and inferiorities. He is always undergoing repair...He has just that one stupendous superiority--his imagination, his intellect.
- Mark Twain

Yes but that proves even more why the ad is funny. The ad comes from gaming marketing execs, most of which, if you get to hang with them at gencon, are as geeky, nerdy and fufill the sterotype of the add as they come. So in essence it is them making fun of themselves. Now, if they really wanted to be derogitory they wouldn't have a depiction of asomewhat normal guy. They would have pocket protecter, glasses wearing, calcus books piled up... they could have went a lot of places with it. But thats obviously nto the point of the ad. the point is to market off of the now booming MMORPG industry. It's not to make fun of them. Heck, WOTC's betting a lot on DDO to bring dungeons and dragons to the masses, they woudln't knock a genre their spending millions of dollars to get into.

 

[devilbat]

Grabbed yourself a new account there The Persian?

quoted for accuracy.

Man, my ignore list is growing by leaps and bounds.

 

[Ranger REG]

They don't want to waste the feat humor apparently requires.

Wow. I didn't realize humor is an acquired trait, not inherent.

Makes me want to start up a scholarship fund for the humor-impaired.

 

[sobusTooms]

I mean, let's put this in perspective: this is an add running in Dragon, Dungeon, EGM, PC Gamer and related magazines. It's not running in GQ, Esquire, Newsweek, Time, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly or Philadelphia magazine. It's a geek ad from a geek company in a geek magazine.

I loved the ad. And I think that it should be run in GQ, Esquire, Newsweek, Time, the New Yorker, the Atlantic Monthly and Philadelphia magazine. Even Sports Illustrated. There are plenty of D&D players that came to the game later in life and who were strictly on-line gamers and didn't give D&D another try after 7th grade. Alot of those players don't have a concept of a "table top" rpg or need to be reminded of what kind of fun a table top game can be. Heck most players who I recruit now are always saying, "Man I remember playing D&D when I was a kid. You guys still play that? Can I play? That was a blast!" The ad would be most effective in those mainstream magazines mentioned above. It's placement in the "geek" mags was a waste of ad space IMHO. Get D&D into the mainstream!!

 

[Mystery Man]

I can't believe this on its 8th page.