Rapper 50 Pence’s new game has gotten off to a bumpy start, with a Weblog death threat sparking outrage at publisher Vivendi Universal this week. It all began when Commander Zorg, shadowy overlord of UK Resistance posted “HELP US KILL THE '50 CENT' GAME TEAM.” The piece read, “These are the names of everyone involved in the making of the game 50 Cent: Bulletproof, as taken from the game's manual. The ones crossed off in red we've already killed. The European ones are easy, but we need help from American readers to finish off the US developers. If you manage to kill one let us know who and we'll update the list! According to the manual, the best way to kill someone is with a "spectacular headshot" so do it that way. You won't go to jail, you can just say the people who made the game said to do it. They are literally asking for it.”
Of course, UK Resistance has long been a voice for ‘nicer’ games, with the site starting the Blue Skies in Games Campaign, a long-overdue comic backlash against the endless violence most publishers view as their new cash cow.
Vivendi Universal Games however, didn’t see the funny side, with Eric Roeder, Deputy General Counsel (whatever that means) for VU issuing a letter of complaint:
And the offending post was removed, replaced instead with “CORRECTION: *DON'T* KILL ANY PEOPLE FROM VIVENDI UNIVERSAL” The full revision read, “He's right. Our new OFFICIAL ADVICE if you meet a 50 Cent: Bulletproof developer is just to shit them up a bit by saying you've got a knife, then run off. That'll do.”
But again, this wasn’t taken as comic genius, rather another veiled threat against the makers of the Fifty Pence game. Again, Vivendi complained. UK Resistance, at time of press, reads, “CORRECTION: EVERYBODY BUY THE 50 CENT GAME.” The revised outlook on the situation is, “Then all the outsourced Mexican testers can have a merry Christmas!
JUST TO RECAP:
Don't kill anyone, ever.
Don't even try to shit people up by saying you've got a knife.”
Of course, UK Resistance has long been a voice for ‘nicer’ games, with the site starting the Blue Skies in Games Campaign, a long-overdue comic backlash against the endless violence most publishers view as their new cash cow.
Vivendi Universal Games however, didn’t see the funny side, with Eric Roeder, Deputy General Counsel (whatever that means) for VU issuing a letter of complaint:
Dear UK Resistance,
I'm writing on behalf of Vivendi Universal Games, the publisher of the 50 Cent Game. While we respect your right to say what you want about the game, we care greatly for our employees and feel your post is irresponsible at a minimum. Please immediately remove all reference to anything which may insight an unstable mind to harm any of the individuals associated with the game. It would be a terrible tragedy if your "prank" resulted in harm coming to anyone.
Thank you in advance,
Eric Roeder
Deputy General Counsel
Vivendi Universal Games
I'm writing on behalf of Vivendi Universal Games, the publisher of the 50 Cent Game. While we respect your right to say what you want about the game, we care greatly for our employees and feel your post is irresponsible at a minimum. Please immediately remove all reference to anything which may insight an unstable mind to harm any of the individuals associated with the game. It would be a terrible tragedy if your "prank" resulted in harm coming to anyone.
Thank you in advance,
Eric Roeder
Deputy General Counsel
Vivendi Universal Games
And the offending post was removed, replaced instead with “CORRECTION: *DON'T* KILL ANY PEOPLE FROM VIVENDI UNIVERSAL” The full revision read, “He's right. Our new OFFICIAL ADVICE if you meet a 50 Cent: Bulletproof developer is just to shit them up a bit by saying you've got a knife, then run off. That'll do.”
But again, this wasn’t taken as comic genius, rather another veiled threat against the makers of the Fifty Pence game. Again, Vivendi complained. UK Resistance, at time of press, reads, “CORRECTION: EVERYBODY BUY THE 50 CENT GAME.” The revised outlook on the situation is, “Then all the outsourced Mexican testers can have a merry Christmas!
JUST TO RECAP:
Don't kill anyone, ever.
Don't even try to shit people up by saying you've got a knife.”
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Comments
jonno394 2 Dec 2005 12:19
1/11
When I first saw it up on ukresistance; i thought it was hilarious, then it just got funnier when Vivendi contacted them.
Some people can't take a joke can they.
Some people can't take a joke can they.
zoydwheeler 2 Dec 2005 12:23
2/11
are the PR people at Vivendi actually human? how can anyone with a brain not see the humour and irony in this situation??
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Ditto 2 Dec 2005 12:25
3/11
I think that this is sad and immature.
Grow up SPOnG, UKR.
Grow up SPOnG, UKR.
TigerUppercut 2 Dec 2005 12:28
4/11
Adam M wrote:
I think that this is sad and immature.
Grow up SPOnG, UKR.
Grow up SPOnG, UKR.
Is there irony I'm missing in your post?
zoydwheeler 2 Dec 2005 13:02
5/11
ADAM M, i think you've missed the key point here. Vivendi are publishing a game in which you get to play a gangsta rappa like fiddy. And in which you get to kill people with 'spectacular headshots' and things. Which is pretty sick on a number of levels. I havent played the game but I hear its distinctly average.
UK Resistance has made a totally justified and funny pop at Vivendi for doing this.
Vivendi seem to think the game is fine and that UKR is at fault for being funny. I personally think its massively irresponsible to market this product at younger teens (which is what they are doing, even though they will deny this at every turn).
How is telling SPOnG or UKR to 'grow up' helping or adding to this debate?
UK Resistance has made a totally justified and funny pop at Vivendi for doing this.
Vivendi seem to think the game is fine and that UKR is at fault for being funny. I personally think its massively irresponsible to market this product at younger teens (which is what they are doing, even though they will deny this at every turn).
How is telling SPOnG or UKR to 'grow up' helping or adding to this debate?
jonno394 2 Dec 2005 13:18
6/11
Yeah, and what you also need to remember is that 50 cent said kids should be able to play his game...whatever mr cent.....
Jay 2 Dec 2005 13:54
7/11
Surely calling him 50 pence is somewhat over-valuing him - using the current exchange rate, he should actually be referred to as 29p, which is like a packet of crisps or something...
kid_77 2 Dec 2005 13:57
8/11
The best thing is you don't even have to be an experienced hitman. Simply train yourself on their game first!
"AWESOME HEADSHOT!!11"
"AWESOME HEADSHOT!!11"
NiktheGreek 2 Dec 2005 16:13
9/11
BREAKING NEWS*
Jack Thompson declares war on UK:R, proclaiming his hatred for people who incite violence against game developers!
*(This is a lie, and if you can't see the irony I'll weep)
Jack Thompson declares war on UK:R, proclaiming his hatred for people who incite violence against game developers!
*(This is a lie, and if you can't see the irony I'll weep)
cmotd 6 Dec 2005 00:42
10/11
robojourno wrote:
are the PR people at Vivendi actually human? how can anyone with a brain not see the humour and irony in this situation??
As someone who has worked in the media for 15 yrs I can tell you that a sense of humour is definately NOT an asset to have. People in the corporate world see a sense of humour as some sort of subversive and dangerous trait that must be suppressed at all costs as it can lead to people having fun, and that just isn't professional. I have lost two jobs in my industry for having a sense of humour. There is nothing more po faced than the corporate world, whether it be games or fertiliser, it's all very serious business. When you have a sense of humour these very serious people with very serious university degrees and very serious suits feel threatened that you are in their world, in their face but having fun, good golly, actually having fun! Not only that but your rectum isn't tighter than a rivet on a battleship and you probably have real friends that don't just hang out with you to get a lift in your Porsche. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HUMOURLESNESS OF THE CORPORATE WORLD! Humour is like AIDS to them.
zoydwheeler 6 Dec 2005 00:59
11/11
so what would you advise? kill myself now? i understand your POV, believe me i really do (i've gone done put my own time in at the coal face of the corporate bitch world of media /PR hell) but really! we are talkiing about a sub-standard videogame based on a sub-standard pop music 'wapper'. how is it that i am becoming so depressed about this? its surely meaningless in the bigger scheme of THINGS THAT I SHOULD REALLY BE BOTHERED ABOUT ?