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    Hitman: Absolution

    Game » consists of 11 releases. Released Nov 20, 2012

    Agent 47 returns after a six-year hiatus to embark on a mission of redemption for the only person he could ever trust.

    Square Enix Invents Horribly Insulting Facebook Promotion for Hitman: Absolution, Subsequently Apologizes

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    LegalBagel

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    #51  Edited By LegalBagel

    You do realize that they did it specifically so you would write this article? In fact, them doing it, then pulling it immediately, is genius in a way - everyone noticed because of how ridiculous it was, then they get little backlash since they've already taken it down and apologized in a tongue in cheek way.

    I wouldn't be surprised if the entire thing was pre-planned and went through all the proper channels to have exactly this result. Then their PR team looks at all the articles saying "Hitman Absolution" and "a game like this deserves better!" and reaps in the free hits and compliments to the game. Mission accomplished. Give that team their Christmas bonuses.

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    NegativeCero

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    #52  Edited By NegativeCero

    There has to be a compilation of all the stupid marketing efforts done by the gaming industry, right? Anyway, I like how this happened right after the #1reasonwhy thing began on Twitter, although this is insulting to everyone and not just women.

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    NMC2008

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    #53  Edited By NMC2008

    @Alex said:

    @NMC2008: If this was a ploy to get people talking, it's a remarkably short-sighted one. Everyone will forget about this in a couple of days, and those that do remember will just have a bitter taste in their mouth.

    There is such a thing as bad publicity, believe it or not.

    Of course there is bad publicity, I get that but do you honestly believe they are so stupid to do this and think there would be no outrage in the days of outrage? I mean, either this company hired by square has no idea what they are doing or somebody in a board room wanted to ruffle some feathers because they believe that bad publicity lingers more than good publicity? I dunno, it sounds too stupid for these guys to do this because they thought it was a genuinely good idea. Doesn't sound right to me.

    I personally think there is too much outrage going on these days and I think some people will exploit that outrage. *shrugs*

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    John1912

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    #54  Edited By John1912

    WOW, just FUCKING WOW.....

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    King9999

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    #55  Edited By King9999

    I'm not even sure how something like this got approved, let alone posted on Facebook.

    For the uninformed, or those who think this is "cool," death threats are taken very seriously. As in, "the cops will respond to any death threats" seriously. I know this is the Internet and all, but there are things you absolutely should not do, and this is one of them, even if they're fake.

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    OllyOxenFree

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    #56  Edited By OllyOxenFree

    Goddammit, Square-Enix. I just don't know anymore...

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    SeanFoster

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    #57  Edited By SeanFoster

    is emily madeupname a real person i'd love to see a picture of her chest lol

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    nicktorious_big

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    #58  Edited By nicktorious_big

    What a great idea! Let's just insult people and send them random threats on Facebook.....yeah, that sounds great...

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    sublime90

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    #59  Edited By sublime90

    if i had facebook i would have been killed for my small penis

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    digital_sin

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    #60  Edited By digital_sin

    It served it's purpose and you guys fell right into it. Any publicity is good publicity, they knew what they were doing when they pushed that app out.

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    GasparNolasco

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    #61  Edited By GasparNolasco

    There's no such a thing as bad marketing. These kind of moves are usually made on purpose.

    Absolution is meant to be kinda offensive (don't forget we're talking about the guys behind Kane and Lynch here).

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    Oginam

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    #62  Edited By Oginam

    If I could insult Final Fantasy characters, and only ff characters, this would be a great idea. "Hope should die because he is whiny."

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    count_zero

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    #63  Edited By count_zero

    I wonder if the people responsible for this mess are in any way related to the people responsible for the "You should want to protect Lara Croft" Tomb Raider fiasco. Between that, and the Nun mess, I'm feeling like S-E PR is looking like The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight. Well, that and they possibly hired some people former marketing people from Acclaim who really had no right working in the game industry (well, any industry really) ever again.

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    pomeroy

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    #64  Edited By pomeroy

    "Who looks at a Facebook app where you can call people out for their regrettable genitalia (among other insulting things) and threaten them with (fictional) murder, and says, "Yes! This is the direction our marketing campaign needs!"

    Actually, what Alex originally wrote was, "Who looks at shit on the internet and takes offense?" but he had to change it when he realized people who care about marketing are the same people who use facebook apps....or facebook in general.

    You guys means to tell me friends insult each other? You also mean to tell me facebook friendships aren't personal enough to warrant this type of thing?

    ....and are you really telling me you didn't find it funny when you read it?

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    Clonedzero

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    #65  Edited By Clonedzero

    thats god damn hilarious, you guys are too sensitive lol

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    rolanthas

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    #66  Edited By rolanthas

    Is this you, Christoforo?

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    mnzy

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    #67  Edited By mnzy

    Well, this is the biggest gaming news today. Well done Square Enix.

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    stryker1121

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    #68  Edited By stryker1121

    You'd have to be really close with someone for some of these "jokes" to fly. Small tits, muffin top, small penis, etc. It's bizarre and not even funny enough to be interesting. If you're going to be offensive, at least be funny.

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    alibson

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    #69  Edited By alibson

    If someone has a tiny penis or tiny boobs then it's not an insult, it's just stating a fact.

    Also, learn to take a fucking joke, seriously

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    KaneRobot

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    #70  Edited By KaneRobot

    This may have been the only Facebook app I ever used if I had only known about it in time.

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    fattony12000

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    #71  Edited By fattony12000

    Oh Square.

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    Axersia

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    #72  Edited By Axersia

    I don't understand what the problem is here. I mean, it's not like I need an app to hurt someone's feelings on Facebook. If anything, being on Facebook discourages people from being too harsh since your real name is attached to it. Unless this app somehow works anonymously? Regardless, now that SE has pulled it down I'm sure someone else will just remake it.

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    razeeverything

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    #73  Edited By razeeverything

    Seems to be a disconnect between how the fans view this series and how the marketers and developers do (also thinking about some of the awkward jokes in the game itself).

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    GalacticPunt

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    #74  Edited By GalacticPunt

    "You know all those stories about teens committing suicide because of Facebook cyber-bullying? Let's make an app for that, and raise brand awareness!"

    "High five!"

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    TheBlackPigeon

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    #75  Edited By TheBlackPigeon

    I don't know about you folks, but I've been having people with inadequate genitalia or a Judy Garland record collection killed for years. All this did was make things easier for me, since I didn't have to do all the wet work. Sigh......

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    Levio

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    #76  Edited By Levio

    Someone should blow up Square-Enix for their god-awful marketing

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    Kyodra

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    #77  Edited By Kyodra

    @GasparNolasco said:

    There's no such a thing as bad marketing. These kind of moves are usually made on purpose.

    Absolution is meant to be kinda offensive (don't forget we're talking about the guys behind Kane and Lynch here).

    I thought of the same thing, the amount of hurt from this is minuscule compared to the amount of free publicity they're getting. I've already seen this mentioned on numerous gaming blogs and sites, being free advertising for them basically. I highly doubt anyone would say they are not buying the game because of this.

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    cozmicaztaway

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    #78  Edited By cozmicaztaway
    @Oginam

    If I could insult Final Fantasy characters, and only ff characters, this would be a great idea. "Hope should die because he is whiny."

    That... that is actually genius! Have good ol' 47 attack characters they own for some fun, non-offensive reasons and show a quick clip. Yay cross-promotion! Also way less dumb!
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    Rothbart

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    #79  Edited By Rothbart

    @Kyodra said:

    @GasparNolasco said:

    There's no such a thing as bad marketing. These kind of moves are usually made on purpose.

    Absolution is meant to be kinda offensive (don't forget we're talking about the guys behind Kane and Lynch here).

    I thought of the same thing, the amount of hurt from this is minuscule compared to the amount of free publicity they're getting. I've already seen this mentioned on numerous gaming blogs and sites, being free advertising for them basically. I highly doubt anyone would say they are not buying the game because of this.

    I actually was thinking of buying the game, but I'm not going to because of this. The statement "There's no such thing as bad publicity" is a falsehood.

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    deactivated-5ea641329300b

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    People are too sensitive.

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    mbr2

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    #81  Edited By mbr2

    People saying "any publicity is good publicity", "there's no such thing as bad publicity" ARE YOU 5!?

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    iamjohn

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    #82  Edited By iamjohn

    @alibson said:

    If someone has a tiny penis or tiny boobs then it's not an insult, it's just stating a fact.

    Also, learn to take a fucking joke, seriously

    Jokes are usually, you know, funny. The only way this is funny is if you've somehow built your life around Grandma's Boy and the endless pursuit of trying to one-up your friends every second with lame insult humor. If this is the case, you're probably Alan Covert and you should really get back to work making Adam Sandler millions of dollars by "writing" his films. Does he even know you're on Giant Bomb? He really needs a new draft of the Grown Ups 2 script, you know.

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    Vrikk

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    #83  Edited By Vrikk

    Wait. Were the fields with the "her small tits" and the like completely blank? Meaning the FB users filled it in?

    Or were the choices provided by the app/Square themselves? Meaning users chose from a limited selection of answers? If so, hooooooooooooooly crap how was this idea ever brought up, thought about, developed, and approved?

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    Phatmac

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    #84  Edited By Phatmac

    People that defend this kind of thing are people I don't wish to discuss anything with. This PR nightmare is so god damn stupid that it hurts Hitman even more than the sexy nuns controversy. What are you doing Square??

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    veektarius

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    #85  Edited By veektarius

    It's hilarious that a person exists in a marketing agency that exists where this would ever go live.

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    TheHT

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    #86  Edited By TheHT

    @Vrikk said:

    Wait. Were the fields with the "her small tits" and the like completely blank? Meaning the FB users filled it in?

    Or were the choices provided by the app/Square themselves? Meaning users chose from a limited selection of answers? If so, hooooooooooooooly crap how was this idea ever brought up, thought about, developed, and approved?

    The article makes it seem like they were options. Also, the field has a drop down menu button. So yeah, pretty stupid idea.

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    fargofallout

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    #87  Edited By fargofallout

    Honest question: are these ideas coming out of Japan because they have a strange view of what we find funny/appealing (I liken it to what would result if I were to try to come up with something that would be catchy in Japan), or do they hire a PR firm in the United States that is given free rein to do these sorts of things?

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    cornbredx

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    #88  Edited By cornbredx

    "We were wide of the mark with the app and following feedback from the community we decided the best thing to do was remove it completely and quickly. This we’ve now done." 

     
    Who was this intended for? "Wide of the mark" indicates they thought certain people who would notice this would be totally cool with it. 
    Marketing people are so weird sometimes. Couldn't be worse timing either- the internet is all riled up right now as it is. 
     
    Such a confusing world we live in right now.
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    MMann

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    #89  Edited By MMann

    @Vrikk said:

    Wait. Were the fields with the "her small tits" and the like completely blank? Meaning the FB users filled it in?

    Or were the choices provided by the app/Square themselves? Meaning users chose from a limited selection of answers? If so, hooooooooooooooly crap how was this idea ever brought up, thought about, developed, and approved?

    I can't be sure but the picture looks like it was a drop down menu and not a blank field.

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    Forum_User

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    #90  Edited By Forum_User

    Let's mark this as the defining moment that unquestionably demonstrated just how far these formerly great (merged) game companies have fallen.

    This is beyond pandering to the lowest common denominator. I don't even know what the fuck to call this. I certainly can't fathom how it makes it through a corporate approval process.

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    Atary77

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    #91  Edited By Atary77

    I swear its like the marketing for the white PSP all over again.

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    FancySoapsMan

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    #92  Edited By FancySoapsMan

    I find this hilarious

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    BBQBram

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    #93  Edited By BBQBram

    That's...why did that exist?

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    wmoyer83

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    #94  Edited By wmoyer83

    Why so sensitive? This app sounds awesome.

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    dross24

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    #95  Edited By dross24

    How did anyone get into their heads that this game was good

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    smokeyd123

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    #96  Edited By smokeyd123

    @Demoskinos said:

    @Tsai

    I can only imagine what marketing they have for Tomb Raider next year :/

    Boob Mouse Pads ahoy!

    Sure, I'd buy that. Definitely.

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    SethPhotopoulos

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    #97  Edited By SethPhotopoulos

    @smokeyd123 said:

    @Demoskinos said:

    @Tsai

    I can only imagine what marketing they have for Tomb Raider next year :/

    Boob Mouse Pads ahoy!

    Sure, I'd buy that. Definitely.

    I think someone beat them to it.
    I think someone beat them to it.
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    firecracker22

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    #98  Edited By firecracker22

    Wow.

    Was anyone with even half a brain the room when that idea came up? I mean...seriously? The fictitious hit contracts alone sounds like something that would have this idea drowned in the bathtub before even getting to the even dumber idea of actually attaching the offensive remarks.

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    Forum_User

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    #99  Edited By Forum_User

    @CornBREDX said:

    "We were wide of the mark with the app and following feedback from the community we decided the best thing to do was remove it completely and quickly. This we’ve now done."

    Who was this intended for? "Wide of the mark" indicates they thought certain people who would notice this would be totally cool with it. Marketing people are so weird sometimes. Couldn't be worse timing either- the internet is all riled up right now as it is. Such a confusing world we live in right now.

    The idiots that this sort of "marketing" appeals to are mostly probably the type who will just download a pirated copy it if they want to play it. I guess that's the ironic part.

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    smokeyd123

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    #100  Edited By smokeyd123

    @SethPhotopoulos said:

    @smokeyd123 said:

    @Demoskinos said:

    @Tsai

    I can only imagine what marketing they have for Tomb Raider next year :/

    Boob Mouse Pads ahoy!

    Sure, I'd buy that. Definitely.

    I think someone beat them to it.
    I think someone beat them to it.

    But I need one with Lara on it. OTHERWISE IT WON'T WORK.

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