ESPN Attacks Kobe Bryant Over Black Ops Commercial

[Joshic Shin]

To tell you the truth, I disliked the commercial because I thought it sent the wrong message. In a time when games are on trial before the Supreme Court CoD decides to make their commercial one showing a group of gamers shooting at each other. The imagery used does not help the case that gamers are not violent and that gamers can separate virtual and reality. In the commercial we don't see that. In fact, the opposite occurs. Instead of avatars we see people actually in the game trying to shoot at other real people. Not only that, but when the hotel guy gets his call he still stays in the game. Someone is going to say that he is still in "gamer mode" and able to continue doing offline what he did online.

I understand that the point of the commercial was to show regular people
All enjoying the multiplayer and how realistic it was, but there were better ways with this. And ignoring the real downsides of this commercial because you think old people just "don't get it" is really foolish. Those are the people who are deciding the future of video games right now.

 

[DiMono]

I think the media need to untwist their panties and start worrying about things that actually matter. It's totally obvious that the commercial is meant to say "everyone can play," and trying to equate that to "war isn't really that bad" is stupid. People know that war is ridiculously dangerous and seriously sucks, and a commercial for a video game isn't going to change that. All the media is doing by drawing attention to it this way is to put the idea that the commercial is about that into people's heads, thus creating a self fulfilling prophecy: people think that because we say they think that, and as a result of us saying it, people really are thinking it, so we were right all along.

Seriously, the fact that this is even an issue is stupid.

 

[permacrete]

I think it is more likely that some of those ESPN folks see video games as a threat to professional sports as the nation's dominant entertainment medium. With every new generation there are more and more men and women who would rather spend an hour or two in an frag-fest than to watch a few dozen millionaires play a game with commercial breaks.

Modern networked consoles have given the American couch potato the ability to "do" instead of just "watch."

 

[RIOgreatescapist]

Haters gonna hate.

 

[Lma0nade]

That ad is just flat-out retarded. Especially from a business standpoint. Showing children in a game that they know is an M-RATED GAME is just being stupid. I'm not one who thinks that "video games made me do it", I just think that commercial in general is bullshit.

 

[Evilsanta]

Children "playing war" with their fingers and toy guns are also painting it in a happy-go-lucky vibe.

Does that downplay the seriousness that real combat entails?

Alright so maybe a little, but still, you don't go attacking kids about it. These guys are just having fun. I'm sure we've all imagined ourselves in that situation before, where we're all killing each other in a fun and happy manner.

Or at least I have.
...

What?

You summarised my thoughts.

And really? Why are people so stupid?

 

[ace_of_something]

Why do we care about him doing this?

I mean he DID anally rape a prostitute. Why has everyone forgiven him for that?

 

[darkknight9]

I don't play the game, don't follow basketball, but I LOVE this song and any commercial that starts with heels and ends with a cook and a bang kicks ass in my book!!!

 

[wildcard9]

I wonder if a white celebrity would catch as much flack in Kobe's position...nope, probably not. Stupid double-standards.

 

[BrownGaijin]

Why do we care about him doing this?

I mean he DID anally rape a prostitute. Why has everyone forgiven him for that?

It wasn't a prostitute. She didn't offer sex in exchange for money. It was a freebie.

 

[Gavmando]

Hmm. I just watched the commercial, and it didnt really appeal to me. I get the feeling that it would only really appeal to cultures that are really into guns, ie: America.
I felt that it was really glorifying guns, as in the part where that woman in purple was firing the shotgun and had a sly little smile.

I guess it's just lost in translation. If that commercial was to be put on Australian TV, it would probably be banned. But if somehow it did get through, I dont think that it would be well received even by it's target audience.

I guess it's just a different way of thinking. Aussies would see CoD as a game where you run around and shoot stuff, but I think Americans would see it the same way, and then go out and give it a try with real guns. (Hopefully in a safe setting.)

Hmm. Ponder time for me...

 

[JaredXE]

Why do we care about him doing this?

I mean he DID anally rape a prostitute. Why has everyone forgiven him for that?

It wasn't a prostitute. She didn't offer sex in exchange for money. It was a freebie.

Not to mention it wasn't rape. She claimed it was AFTER the fact. Courts cleared him, all he was doing was committing adultery, which is not a crime.

 

[poiuppx]

Bah. They're just pissy it wasn't a new basketball video game. Besides, the more folks who play video games means the more people not watching their dribble.

 

[patsfan12]

People really need to get a life. He was advertising for a game. Get over it.

 

[wigglysasquatch]

People really need to get a life. He was advertising for a game. Get over it.

No I don't think you understand, its Kobe Bryant and those commentators were from ESPN. They know what they are talking about. An Ambassador of the NBA like Kobe cannot be in a commercial with only implied violence that is actually pretty cartoony (rpg guy). Think of the Children!

 

[ace_of_something]

Why do we care about him doing this?

I mean he DID anally rape a prostitute. Why has everyone forgiven him for that?

It wasn't a prostitute. She didn't offer sex in exchange for money. It was a freebie.

Not to mention it wasn't rape. She claimed it was AFTER the fact. Courts cleared him, all he was doing was committing adultery, which is not a crime.

No he didn't, it was settled out of court. He apologized publicly to the girl. This meaning he paid her enough money to drop it and admitted fault (if not necessarily rape).

He's still a sleazeball and a poor role model. (no matter how much you think it shouldn't be athletes are role models)

 

[Shoggoth2588]

The only celebrity I recognized in the commercial was Kimmel. I haven't bought the game yet despite my love of The Man Show and it's former host. I don't understand why they're pissed at Bryant. I don't get sports or sports people though.

 

[Nocturnal Gentleman]

I guess it's just a different way of thinking. Aussies would see CoD as a game where you run around and shoot stuff, but I think Americans would see it the same way, and then go out and give it a try with real guns. (Hopefully in a safe setting.)

Hmm. Ponder time for me...

I seriously doubt that except in a very small number of people. Hell, I don't even like guns and I enjoyed the commercial quite a bit. All I could see in it was all the types of people you might play with. You'd have to be really stupid about guns to want to reenact this. This stupidity is rampant among all weapons but swords and guns get the worst of it.

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

Ugh...

I can't even express my DISGUST for these people enough.

 

[Cain_Zeros]

There's no message, morons.

And before someone gets clever, the ad is so tongue-in-cheek that there's not even an unintentional message.

Sure there's a message. "Buy Black Ops". There's no "Go out and shoot each other in real life" message though, you're right. But people of a certain age will find any excuse to ***** about anything video game related.