The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) is a magical time chock full of fresh new video games, consoles, and a heaping helping of hype. But what happens when the hype train goes off the rails? Below are five examples of marketing going horribly wrong, forever captured on video for your enjoyment.
Konami’s E3 2010 Press Conference
Konami came into this conference completely unprepared. The thick-accented Tak Fujii set the tone for a conference full of slap-happy luchadors, creepy stalkers, and dancers proudly exclaiming that gamers can now “move their fat body freely.”
There’s a reason this company has pre-recorded all of their conferences after this one.
Microsoft’s E3 2011 Press Conference
Even without the technical difficulties at the beginning (who forgets to charge a controller before a major conference anyway?), Microsoft’s 2011 conference left a bad taste in gamers’ mouths. The system sellers shown this year were Kinect Fun Lans, Kinect Sports: Season 2, Star Wars Kinect, and…Disneyland Adventures (for the Kinect).
That’s a lot of Kinect.
Sony’s E3 2006 Press Conference
The conference that spawned a million memes. It’s easy to laugh at it now, but the $599 US dollar entry fee to play with giant enemy crabs on the PlayStation 3 was just too much for some people.
Nintendo’s E3 2008 Press Conference
How does Nintendo follow up a year featuring Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart Wii? Wii Music and Shaun White Snowboarding. Fans stuck to brawling and racing, leaving the air drum solos and snowboarding to those crazy execs on-stage.
Ubisoft’s E3 2011 Press Conference
Lovingly dubbed “Mr. Caffeine” (or “Doodly Doodly Doop” depending on who you are taking to), Ubisoft pitchman Aaron Priceman delivered a press conference full of nervous energy and bad jokes. Unfortunately, nobody was laughing at his jokes but himself.
