The Big Picture: One Day in November

[targren]

Meh. Basically boils down to a reboot of the old "get out and vote" PSAs from a few years back.

I'm still convinced there's no real difference between the candidates, just a question of whether you want strawberry- or cherry-flavored evil. I'll save the gas, thanks.

(And I won't be buying Halo, either, so that doesn't factor into it.)

 

[rayen020]

this wasn't as politic trolling as thought it was going to be. And while reading the line "not intended to endorse either candidate" my immediate thought was "may not be intending to but will", it actually came off fairly balanced(IMO, YMMV). I don't think it's a coincidence... but i don't think its suppose to change the voting demographics the way people may think it's suppose to.

 

[GeorgW]

I prefer to see that as an opportunity to go and vote, and while you're out anyway, go and pick up the game on the way home. Surely that seems like a more reasonable course of actions?
Still, very big picture, interesting view of what could come next.

 

[Waffle_Man]

No shallow swipes at Halo's expense? I'm positively shocked.

 

[MowDownJoe]

Just going to point out that Mitt Romney is not the republican Nominee yet...

Everyone but Ron Paul and Romney has dropped. Do you seriously expect Ron Paul to suddenly win everything? He'd have better luck running as an independent.

 

[drisky]

The conspiracy theory is just that: a conspiracy theory.

Why couldn't you put this much effort into understanding ME3?

Seriously? Just drop it already. The ME3 thing is over. It's done. He had an unpopular opinion. Let. It. Go.

It's just insulting that he dismissed Retake Mass Effect out of hand, but goes to the trouble of calling the freaking president over something as trivial as a Halo/Republican conspiracy theory. Does he REALLY have so little respect for gamers that he has to address the possibility that they might not be a capable of voting and buying a game on the same day?

Captch: Royal flush -_^
Does that mean I win?

When I saw your comments I had to re watch the episode. Basically all he said was that you should still be able it criticize it but suing the company takes things to far. It was just used as glossed over comparison to the Ninja Turtles thing. He made comments on twitter but that has nothing to do with the show. He didn't want to devote a whole episode to it and didn't need to because pretty much every one else did.

Aside form that, he didn't contact the President, he contacted the campaign, advertisers for the president. He also said that the release wouldn't affect any thing, but with more planning something could.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

I find it far more likely that they're just trying to cash in on all the publicity surrounding the election. And look, it's working already.
As for me, I've never been in to Halo so Halo 4's release doesn't mean anything to me, but I'm also not American so I don't get to vote in your election either.

 

[Zoe Castillo]

--

 

[Slycne]

Now, I'm not a US citizen, but I was under the impression that the conservative party was the people who dislike and try to pass legislation against games, game distributors and gamedevelopers for "corrupting the youth". Why would Microsoft want to influence the elections against the liberals in favor of someone who has apparently got some sort of deepseated grudge against them for the capitol crime of existing?

Video games are pretty much both sides whipping blocks "for the sake of the children". In fact, I remember looking up that most of the video game legislation on the Congressional level has been brought up by Democrats. That was a few years ago. Republicans are however much less likely to enact broader legislation against corporations in general. However much money Microsoft makes through video games pales in comparison to their total corporate amounts.

---

One aspect to this that's interesting that no one has mentioned is that the so called "youth vote" typically had terrible voter turn out. You're much better off selling a message to seniors who bank in the highest percentages for voting.

 

[anian]

Can't people both vote and buy Halo 4?

Now, you see, in a "normal" country that would be the case, but the USA is a country where election even has a possibility of being controlled by people who
a) have an xbox
b) will by a game at launch date no matter what (no matter what side you may be on, still is kind of a deciding on the future of the country and you might even count the world)
c) buy a game where the main character is named "Master Chief", that's right, most people call him by his rank

...so yeah, that's the country with the biggest nuclear armament in the world.

Microsoft marketing guys are either stupid or politically careless or intentionally almost breaking the law. Either way, day before or day after would've been better.

 

[Discord]

This episode really did feel like a Big Picture I never would of thought. But moving on, I honestly don't see what the big deal is in voting or not voting. It's a short process and I have heard of some businesses and places of work that will give you an hour off work (paid and not taken off your lunch break) to go out an vote.

I'm sorry to say but the people that don't vote, don't care (which honestly is a reason and I can't judge them if that's the case) or are too lazy.

 

[userwhoquitthesite]

this is the most intelligent thing Bob has ever done. Good video

 

[Callate]

Of course, if we were a civilized country we'd make Election Day a national holiday and it would be less of an issue.

 

[chaosyoshimage]

Yeah, I've been really thinking this conspiracy theory of Bob's is quite a bit of a stretch. Obama isn't going to lose this election because of Halo 4 and I highly doubt anyone was ever going for that. It's really weird that he's this paranoid about this, especially considering the things he's said about the Cult of Rand and their master, Ron Paul.

But... he's not though. That was the whole point of the episode. "Is such a thing possible? Yes. Is such a thing actually happening? Probably not."

I feel like some people spend too much time trying to rag on Bob that they overlook the content of the thin their criticizing.

As for the topic at hand, it's an interesting coincidence. Does make me wonder what all is actually done to subtly influence voter turnout on election day.

It's still a pretty farfetched leap, and we have just as much right to criticize the point of this video as Bob does in making it. I just think it was a really silly topic and didn't really need to be expanded beyond Bob's tweets pertaining to the subject. Critizing the critic is a perfectly viable response to any critique, what, do you want everyone's replies to be: "Yep, I agree Bob!"?

 

[Balkan]

18-30 major audience for Halo ? You high Boby ?

 

[AdamRBi]

While it certainly is possible, as politics isn't the most straight of operations, it doesn't sound like a move a software company would make.

Does make me wonder WHY they did choose that dat as opposed to say November 7th or even the following weekend. What is it about that Tuesday that makes them want to release it?

Only reason I could think of is that a release in November gives stores time to restock the game for Black Friday after the initial launch. But middle of the week and corresponding to an important date in American politics... Unless there's a crafty ad campaign coming out of this I'll see little point to it.

An awesome ad campaign around this though would be cool. Vote and then pick up Halo 4.

 

[Phuctifyno]

Now, I'm not a US citizen, but I was under the impression that the conservative party was the people who dislike and try to pass legislation against games, game distributors and gamedevelopers for "corrupting the youth". Why would Microsoft want to influence the elections against the liberals in favor of someone who has apparently got some sort of deepseated grudge against them for the capitol crime of existing?

Because money.

Neither corporations nor politicians care about all that "feelings" stuff; it's just fodder to keep the press talking about them.