Billboards Become Interesting with Old School Doom Graphics

Greg Tito

PR for Dungeons & Dragons
Sep 29, 2005
12,070
0
0
Billboards Become Interesting with Old School Doom Graphics



Enterprising graffiti artists in Germany have pasted graphics over a few billboards to make them appear like the old Doom user interface.

Billboards are usually just annoying attention-grabbers on the side of the road. Sometimes they elicit a chuckle or actually give some needed information while you're driving along. But some street artists, or vandals as they used to be called, put the stationary advertisements to a dorkier use. Pasting graphics of the 1993 Doom user interface over the bottom of the billboard is a genius idea. Check out their flickr photo stream [http://www.flickr.com/photos/31192713@N03/sets/72157622828179733/] for more shots.

At first, I merely thought the alterations were a laugh. I mean, who hasn't thought of shooting the morons they have on billboards shilling whatever product? But that's only scratching the surface.

As far as vandalism goes, this is pretty thought provoking stuff. We, as gamers, have no qualms about the countless number of murders we've committed in games, but that's the conceit you agree to when you boot up the game. You make a choice to enter this virtual reality where killing and violence are tolerated. By placing the game interface over these advertisements in the real world, drivers and pedestrians are forced to think about the act of killing in a totally different context.

I'm not sure what this means for player agency. Are you considering killing this scantily clad lady with a chainsaw? Well, now you are because it's got a game interface over it. Is that evil? I don't know if that's the point the artist was trying to convey but the "666% hate" in place of the armor display in the user interface might be a clue. Maybe it's a protest against domestic violence?

Either that, or they're just vandals out to poke some stuffy Germans in the eye with their dorky prank.

Regardless of their intentions, I applaud them.

(Image [http://www.flickr.com/photos/31192713@N03/4166020544/in/set-72157622828179733])

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/09/street-artists-beef-up-billboards-with-doom-graphics]

Permalink
 

Doug

New member
Apr 23, 2008
5,205
0
0
I'm not sure I agree with terming it 'vandalism'. After all, the people who put up the posters in the first place force us to view their adverts in order to use that section of road.

Anywho, that aside, its very amusing, and I think its trying to poke fun at Germany's INSANELY strict anti-gaming censorship laws.
 

300lb. Samoan

New member
Mar 25, 2009
1,765
0
0
Greg Tito said:
I'm not sure what this means for player agency. Are you considering killing this scantily clad lady with a chainsaw?
Hell no, I'm planning on slaughtering the lacy gold zombie that is clearly attacking her breasts.

Come on! Where's your "save the princess" instincts, people?!?
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
Furburt said:
Thats hilarious, I always love thoughtful vandalism.
I wouldn't be too sure...

A decade ago we saw a fantastic piece of graffiti up on the walls in Leicester, a good thirty feet up. We applauded it because it was meaningless, beautiful and painted out one of the billboards.

Then, a week later, we found out it was an advert for a new form of printer.

I really hope this isn't an advertising gimmick (*cough* Dante's *cough*) because there have been some amazing pieces in the past, and not just by Banksy.
 

laserwulf

New member
Dec 30, 2007
223
0
0
Considering that some Lite-Brite Mooninites were able to shut down Boston in February 2007, I don't forsee this happening in the U.S. any time soon.
 

A Pious Cultist

New member
Jul 4, 2009
1,103
0
0
The_root_of_all_evil said:
Furburt said:
Thats hilarious, I always love thoughtful vandalism.
I wouldn't be too sure...

A decade ago we saw a fantastic piece of graffiti up on the walls in Leicester, a good thirty feet up. We applauded it because it was meaningless, beautiful and painted out one of the billboards.

Then, a week later, we found out it was an advert for a new form of printer.

I really hope this isn't an advertising gimmick (*cough* Dante's *cough*) because there have been some amazing pieces in the past, and not just by Banksy.
What's the difference? I've never bought this "its the meaning behiiiiind it" excuse. If its an advert than hey, the advertising agency has produced a brilliant advertisment, good for them.
 

300lb. Samoan

New member
Mar 25, 2009
1,765
0
0
Furburt said:
300lb. Samoan said:
Come on! Where's your "save the princess" instincts, people?!?
Evony burned and raped them.
Holy fuck furburt, I just laughed until I cried. I'm still laughing! ohmygaw...

fuck i can't breathe, it's funny because it's true!
 
Feb 13, 2008
19,430
0
0
A Pious Cultist said:
What's the difference? I've never bought this "its the meaning behiiiiind it" excuse. If its an advert than hey, the advertising agency has produced a brilliant advertisment, good for them.
Because if someone goes out of their way to put up a message, then we know it's from his heart.

If it's just a group of execs guessing what's popular at the moment, then it's trash.

Even if you don't get the "meaning" behind it, it's a lot more work for Joe Graffiti than Graffit Inc.'s cheque book.
 

300lb. Samoan

New member
Mar 25, 2009
1,765
0
0
Furburt said:
300lb. Samoan said:
fuck i can't breathe, it's funny because it's true!
And I wish it wasn't.
no joke there, I mean... are there seriously zero titties in that game? can't we file a grievance with the FTC for false advertising? I never played it, but I couldn't believe it when I read that it was a fucking spreadsheet rpg.
 

Jared

The British Paladin
Jul 14, 2009
5,630
0
0
Thats is certainly intresting, at least its tasteful-ish (to us gamers who understand it!)

I applaud also, I would give that a second take if I saw it
 

Triangulon

New member
Nov 20, 2009
477
0
0
Brilliant! The best I've seen is in southampton where on the wall at the top of a building is a giant space invader.