SPECIAL ADVERTISING EDITION

Need for Speed: 
Porsche Unleashed
Publisher: Electronic Arts

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It sounds like a great concept: Make a witty ad for the new Need for Speed: Porsche Unleashed by creating a fake safety brochure for a Porsche, featuring police radar guns and even a yellow oxygen mask that supposedly drops down from the roof console.  Yet there's a problem:  How do you integrate this idea with the task of selling a racing game?  Electronic Arts had a great concept for their latest Need for Speed ad, but the execution is marred by a lack of information on the game.  Sure, it's interesting to include text in four different languages, but not at the expense of making the English so short it is next-to-useless.  After reading this ad I wonder if multiplayer is included and how many cars are available, but the ad does nothing to address these issues.  In addition, all the screenshots show third person views: can't you drive the car with a console-view like in the other NFS games?  Nice concept, but here style took precedence over some much-needed substance.
Grade: C

Starlancer
Publisher: Microsoft/Digital Anvil

View the ad: Page 1

Evoking memories of those "Uncle Sam Wants You!" advertising campaign in Starship Troopers, Microsoft's first advertisement for Digital Anvil's Starlancer is effective and to-the-point.  With a vertical layout, the ad also attempts something new by showing a screenshot as if it is reflecting on a fighter pilot's visor.  The concept almost works, although I tend to think a lot of players are going to wonder if the image shown is an actual  screenshot.  Space simulation fans should be more than sold on the advertisement, although it would have been nice to see some additional screenshots presented in a conventional manner.  All in all, Digital Anvil's first advertisement is a winner.
Grade: B+

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