Tag Archives: asa

The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled EA did not practice in false advertisement when promoting the fact players’ choices would influence the ending of Mass Effect 3. The firm found the endings in the game to be “thematically quite different,” and while it was aware players felt they didn’t influence the ending as much as was advertised, it was enough for the complaint to be dismissed. The ASA’s decision was based on the three choices at the end, and the effectiveness of said ending based on the EMS score of the player. After Mass Effect 3 was released, players lodged complaints with the ASA claiming EA has dabbled in false advertisement as many felts BioWare did not provide a more satisfying ending based on player choices during the entire trilogy. Thanks, Gamasutra.

The British Advertising Standard Authority has said it believes 99 percent of all games in the UK are responsibly advertised.

The authority examined 241 ads examined last year to see whether or not they met guidelines.

“Our survey is encouraging as it suggests that videogames are being advertised responsibly and in line with the Codes,” commented Christopher Graham, director general of the ASA.

The study was in response to Tanya Byron’s UK government report on games ratings in 2008.

“The issue raised by Dr Byron of children’s exposure to violent or inappropriate imagery in videogames is an important one,” said Graham. “The ASA will play its part in protecting children by ensuring video game ads continue to play by the rules.”

EA’s been rebuked by the British Advertising Standards Agency for using Xbox 360 graphics in a Tiger Wood commercial for Wii.

The ad featured a Wiimote playing over 360 footage of the game.

Why? EA said the Wii version didn’t look good enough.

“They explained that Wii footage would not be of broadcast quality, and the originating agency had thought it preferable to use the Xbox footage, which was closer to broadcast definition, than to ‘up the resolution’ of Wii footage to broadcast quality,” said the ASA.

The ad will not be shown again.

For the full ASA ruling, hit this.

According to this MCV story, the ASA has banned two Condemned 2 ads in Britain.

Said the UK ad standards agency: “The ads contained scenes of graphic and brutal violence which, although computer-generated, were realistic in appearance.

“We noted in particular that both ads showed a man punching another on the floor and blood splattering on the screen as a man was beaten with a club and considered viewers were likely to find those scenes offensive and distressing and to see them as condoning real violence and cruelty.”

Condemned 2′s been out for about six months. Effective monitoring, there.