Tech Blog

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The EA marketing blitz for Dante's Inferno reached new heights during Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV, with the company plunking down a huge wad of cash, estimated to be around the $3 million, to secure a coveted 30-second commercial spot during the sporting event. As strange as it might sound, given EA's strong roots in sports games (especially football), this is the first time the company has bought a Super Bowl commercial.  So why'd they do it, and for a game based on an epic poem no less?  For that, let's refer to the comments from EA's own President, Frank Gibeau:

"Even within the spectrum of live sports events, the Super Bowl stands apart, almost as a national holiday. The Super Bowl is a bull's-eye in terms of cross-over to our core demographic and the reach is outstanding. Not only does it draw 100 million viewers, but most people watch the Super Bowl live, a rarity in the world of DVRs. While digital outreach to Facebook, Twitter, and online bloggers is a core part of our marketing strategy, we felt that advertising during the Super Bowl is an excellent way to introduce this new IP to a massive cross-section of people who are likely already familiar with the dark and twisted "Divine Comedy."

Not one to shy away from controversial marketing for the game, EA again ruffled some feathers, this time with CBS producers, when they submitted a version of the Dante's Inferno ad encouraging Super Bowl watchers to "Go To Hell".  CBS officials demanded edits to the commercial which they deemed unfit for television, likely over worries of offending conservative viewers.  EA responded by altering the tagline to "Hell Awaits" as seen in the final version of the ad in the clip above.

This is not the first time EA has encountered a backlash over its marketing for the game.  Previous to this, the company has used tactless marketing gimmicks such as staging a fake protest, creating a bogus religious game called "Mass: We Pray", and hosting a San Diego Comic-Con contest called "Sin To Win" which invited attendees to submit photos of them getting cozy with the booth babes. As much as I groaned during each of these moments, I have to admit that EA has somewhat redeemed itself by selecting Bill Withers' iconic song "Ain't No Sunshine" for the Super Bowl ad -- a fine choice, and oddly appropriate for the game.

Given the huge push EA has given this game over the last nine months it'll be interesting to see how well the game does at retail.  New IPs are typically more risky due to lack of familiarity and untested consumer response, however considering that 100 million viewers likely saw the Super Bowl ad on Sunday, awareness of the game should be at an all-time high.  I'm already looking forward to February's NPD numbers and we just concluded the first week!

Dante’s Inferno is available for the PS3, and Xbox 360 on February 9th in North America and is rated M for mature. Dante’s Inferno will also be available for the PSP on February 23rd.

For more information on Dante’s Inferno, check out Dante’s Inferno on Twitter at www.twitter.com/danteteam, or visit the game’s official web site at www.dantesinferno.com.