Rift ads...

[PTTG-10000]

So I check in for my weekly Zero Punctuation update, and I noticed that having the standard nearly-naked woman (in what is, as standard, literally the worst possible armor for withstanding any attack more serious than harsh words) on the margins was not going far enough to demonstrate the attractions of this latest game, apparently called RIFT.

They also wanted to show that it had CRYSTALS. Big orange crystals. What do they do? Are they collectible? Do they give you mana or do you craft them into crystalswords? Nobody knows! This ad is clearly playing it's cards close to the vest.

I've taken a screenshot to demonstrate:

This ad does tell us one thing besides the fact that there are crystals, though; the SN-NW has not one but TWO breasts! Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

Look, let's be mature here. I've always felt that Escapist kinda represented a different class of gamer. The class that treats games as art, not that class made up of Halol Bros. These sorts of ads hearken back to the old comic-book cover maxim of getting a set of cosmic spheres as close as possible to the center of the page. I for one do not appreciate such obvious pandering, and I hope that there are others here that agree with me.

 

[Lilani]

I imagine The Escapist doesn't hand-pick their ads for the sake of their content--they pick them based on how much money they're going to get.

And on a side note, I would like ot say that both as a female and a gamer, I am rather tired of these ads for fantasy MMORPGs which only consist of a well-rendered, partially-dressed set of boobs--surrounded by all of the other less-important female parts.

 

[USSR]

All I see are breasts.
..what?

 

[Something Amyss]

Still, some of them do quite uglify the site. or make it look ridiculous.

 

[bushwhacker2k]

Ads sure are subtle these days:

Queue half-naked woman

Also the "this isn't Azeroth anymore" makes me roll my eyes. How many times do we have to say it? You can't beat WoW by directly opposing it, you have to go AROUND it and try a game that isn't clearly in the same genre.

 

[WorkerMurphey]

I prefer the part of the ad with the tired old man. The expression on his face is like, "I know nobody will play my game but I'll wear some big armor anyway."

 

[theguitarhero6]

Ya, I kinda noticed that the ad was a single breast, Its kinda obvious what goin on here and you hit it on the head.
I figured we were classier than that. I guess I thunk wrong.
And also, this is a very overused tatic, but it gets people to play (I'm not saying I approve, I'm jus sayin. :/)

 

[Regiment]

It's particularly funny in the fora, where the ad box is at the bottom of the page. There's just this box down here with a disembodied breast in it. It's peculiar.

 

[Dags90]

I imagine The Escapist doesn't hand-pick their ads for the sake of their content--they pick them based on how much money they're going to get.

And on a side note, I would like ot say that both as a female and a gamer, I am rather tired of these ads for fantasy MMORPGs which only consist of a well-rendered, partially-dressed set of boobs--surrounded by all of the other less-important female parts.

My favorite is how the one boob gets clipped off from the rest and put at the bottom near entry fields.

 

[Screamarie]

....It's just a full picture. Yes, maybe there are some intended subliminal messaging but...at the same....it could just be a picture. Honestly she's wearing more clothes than most women in video games these days.

 

[Distazo]

The ads on the Escapist are a necessary evil at best. I will take a few adds so I don't have to schell out money for my vids. That being said, I much prefer partically armored breasts to some of the other godawful ads I have seen on other sites.

OP: I do agree that we are not the "average" subset of gamers, but I am not sure advertisers nor the Escapist care too much about this fact when selecting ad deals.

 

[icame]

I imagine The Escapist doesn't hand-pick their ads for the sake of their content--they pick them based on how much money they're going to get.

And on a side note, I would like ot say that both as a female and a gamer, I am rather tired of these ads for fantasy MMORPGs which only consist of a well-rendered, partially-dressed set of boobs--surrounded by all of the other less-important female parts.

My favorite is how the one boob gets clipped off from the rest and put at the bottom near entry fields.

That made my day.

OT: That is pretty shameless...but is anyone honestly surprised? This seems to be how every fantasy RPG is advertised...minus the disembodied breast.

 

[aschere van she]

I like breasts. You like breasts. We all like breasts!

Nothing to complain about, move on.

 

[Ladette]

Oh wow, another WoW clone with half naked chicks that feels the need to tell me it isn't WoW. So will this do better or worse than Age of Conan?

 

[Tanis]

It's an add for a video game...The Escapist doesn't cater to just White Knights...and sex sells.


Ever seen any add...ever?
Cars, booze, ciggs, soap - sexuality is used.

 

[Xenetethrae]

At least the Escapist aren't hosting Evony ads...

When I first saw the ads for Evony, I wondered, who would actually be playing that game? I for one, would be totally ashamed of myself for playing a game if the only possible way I would have heard about it was because I was duped into clicking on boobs.

...And then my brother started playing Evony. There were many lols to be had.

If he ends up playing Rift then we'll know there's a trend

EDIT: And who else keeps accidentally clicking on the ads? I've done it twice today already. Gaaaahhhhhh!

 

[PleasantAsAHeadcrab]

Ironically, I just scrolled to the bottom of this, and met face to face to face with the disembodied boob ad.
Frankly, it made me laugh. XD
Sex sells, love.

 

[Wintermoot]

I imagine The Escapist doesn't hand-pick their ads for the sake of their content--they pick them based on how much money they're going to get.

And on a side note, I would like ot say that both as a female and a gamer, I am rather tired of these ads for fantasy MMORPGs which only consist of a well-rendered, partially-dressed set of boobs--surrounded by all of the other less-important female parts.

http://cdn.duelinganalogs.com/comics/2011-01-20.png
I think its some kind of RPG law
OT
the add is pretty stupid they should tell more about the story/gameplay/price etc.
in a certain sense its also degrading to male players in the sense of that we (I am a male gamer) only care for digital boobs
PS
I for some reason I dont get the boob add only a add that says "Rift" and nothing else the other adds I get are from the escapist themselfs