During the holiday season of 2008, when Dead Space came from a small unnamed studio buried in the swamp of Redwood Shores -- creators of the EA published Simpsons and Godfather games -- was one of those titles without a small ad campaign but reviewed very well in the video-game media.
With Dead Space 2 a week away of hitting store shelves statewide, the ad campaign debuted during the NFL divisional round playoff games. The ad campaign, YourMomHatesThis.com, has the social media networks and video-game blogs crying foul over the concept. Their point is simple, violent video games should not be marketed to kids (likes alcohol and tobacco).
The concept is a tongue in cheek riff of the popular Will Smith song “Parents Just Don’t Understand” and apparently, neither do vocal Internet gamers. If you have not seen the commercial, please do so now here. Do we ever see the game marketed specifically for anyone under the age of 18? Never.
Funny, right?
Well Isaac thinks so
Video-game podcasts were calling Dead Space 2008’s Bioshock, and as one does with praise, I picked up the title with no hesitation. As to find out, right before Christmas dinner, my mom hated Dead Space and she let me know it. In the early evening and before everyone had arrived, I was playing as Isaac Clarke; gunning, running and stomping necromorphs.
My mother, who once chided me for playing as the Middle Eastern faction in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare multiplayer -- because to her killing Americans for sport is a sin -- was again genuinely upset by Dead Space’s concept.
Limb by limb
Besides the modeled necromorphs, which apparently were design after hours of researching photographs of car crash victims, my mother complained of the terrible sound. The noise, the loud swoosh that sounded like two subway rail cars passing each other at top speed to the heavy breathing of Issac Clarke in his suit.
After the holidays, with mom at home, I proceeded to play and complete Issac Clarke’s adventure on the Ishimura, and how I enjoyed the game more than the popular Resident Evil series. As for the Dead Space 2 ads? Reminds me of the time when my mom did not understand.
