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Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance commercial has a bad day
The amped-up transition into gameplay (bwaaaaaaaaaahh) and cheesy narration of this Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance commercial take us back to the classic in-your-face game ads of the 1990s. Good times.
Willow Garage debunks collapse rumors, reinvents itself as a commercial company
We've been tracking Willow Garage's fortunes since 2009, so when we heard rumors that the company wasn't long for this earth, we were concerned. Fortunately, the PR2 maker has hit back at the scuttlebutt, saying instead that the start-up is becoming a commercial entity in order to become self sustaining. With any luck, founder Steve Cousins will announce a retail version of Bakebot when he's talking at Expand.
Grammy Awards 2013 ads see Google and Microsoft go head-to... foot (video)
This year's Grammy Awards weren't as packed with gadget advertising -- gadvertising* -- as the Super Bowl, but Microsoft and Google still coughed up to hawk their wares. The former wanted to demonstrate the productivity chops of the Surface Pro with a commercial that implies the device will cause your employees to breakdance involuntarily. Google, on the other hand, wanted to show off the powers of the Nexus 4 and Google Now to help you distinguish between fish and vegetables, in case the smell isn't enough. Curious to know more? We've stashed the clips after the break. * A term we just invented. Hollywood, call us.
Kindle ad takes on iPad head-on
Amazon's latest Kindle Fire HD commercial takes a swipe at Apple's iPad by claiming the less expensive Fire HD is as good as the iPad. The ad compares the screens on the two devices and points out they both have stunning HD displays. Amazon concludes that the Fire HD is so good that the only place people will notice a difference is their wallet. On paper, though, it's a different story. The iPad edges out the Kindle HD with a 9.7-inch display that has a pixel density of 264 ppi. The Kindle Fire is smaller at 8.9-inches and has a lower pixel density of 254 ppi. [Via AppleInsider]
BlackBerry Super Bowl ad shows the few things a Z10 can't do (video)
BlackBerry vowed to pull out all the stops to get BlackBerry 10 noticed -- and the company certainly isn't holding back with its promised Super Bowl spot. The ad claims that it's easier to show what the Z10 can't do in 30 seconds than what it can, and goes to extremes that include setting a man on fire and giving him elephant legs. We do still get a glance (or rather, Peek) at the phone itself, thankfully. Does the commercial make us want to drop everything for a Z10? Not necessarily, but we'll likely remember what we saw. Check the clip for yourself after the break.
Transview touch-sensitive transparent display case eyes-on (video)
Transparent displays are nothing new, but while trawling the labyrinthine backstreets of CES in search of hidden gems, we couldn't help but stop at IL WOO's booth and ogle one. The company was demoing a couple of its Transview display cases with see-through Samsung panels, intended for interactive advertising and other commercial uses. We were particularly drawn to the 22-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 model with infrared touch control, mainly because of the nifty Flash program running on it, which did a great job of showing how the cases could be used. It was very much a treat for the eyes, so we'll leave it there and just point you to the gallery and video below. Kevin Wong contributed to this report.
New iPad mini commercials debut
Apple has released two new TV ads for the iPad mini. Following on the success of the popular "Piano" commercial, "Photos" and "Books" (seen below) both capture the idea that the iPad mini can do everything that its bigger sibling can do, just in a smaller form factor. "Photos" features the voices of Bobby Darin and Johnny Mercer in a 1960 recording of "Two of a Kind," as related photos are displayed on an iPad and iPad mini. "Books" pairs up books on the two screens -- The Sun Also Rises alongside The Valley of the Moon, East of Eden next to How the West Was Won and Moby Dick facing off with Gone Fishing. The ads are sure to be in heavy rotation leading up to the holiday gift-buying season.
Steve Ballmer returns triumphantly to Microsoft ads for Windows Phone 8, now with less Crazy Eddie (video)
The last time we saw Steve Ballmer star in a commercial for Microsoft, he was extolling the virtues of a 286-based PC running the glory that was Windows 1.0 -- in 1986. You can imagine the surprise we got 26 years later when Microsoft premiered an ad featuring the now-CEO during its Windows Phone 8 event. If you were expecting that same kind of unbridled enthusiasm Crazy Eddie once used to hawk underpriced TVs, you may be either pleased or disappointed. It's a very level-headed and well-spoken Ballmer this time around, with the executive calmly highlighting the advice he gets through his HTC Windows Phone 8X from people like his wife and a certain Billy G. Besides evoking nostalgia, the pitch is an illustration of what Windows Phone's live tiles can do as well as a reflection of Microsoft coming full circle -- as it was two decades ago, Redmond is fighting for market attention at a time when new interface concepts are challenging its main business. We're just glad there's fewer plaid business suits in 2012.
Nintendo unveils first Wii U advert in UK, features flurry of 'spings'
Nintendo unveiled the UK's first Wii U commercial last night. The ad aired during a Homeland break on Channel 4, and YouTube user Neil Wheatley uploaded it shortly after.The minute-long commercial is narrated by TV and radio presenter Adam Buxton, he of The Adam and Joe Show fame. On top of featuring Buxton's squeaky flurry of 'spings', the ad focuses on five of the new "ways to play" with Wii U. It also closes with a rapid-fire selection of upcoming Wii U games, although curiously Mass Effect 3 shows up twice within a matter of seconds. It's not like the Wii U is clutching at straws for launch games, is it?Wii U launches in the UK and Europe on November 30.
World of Warcraft Mega Bloks commercial airs
Don't call them "LEGOs" or "Blocks," although we would forgive you if you did make one of these common mistakes when dealing with Mega Bloks. The definitely-not-LEGO toymaker is releasing a series of World of Warcraft sets and now has the commercial to prove it. The 30-second spot shows the creation of Stormwind castle, one of the Horde zeppelins, and several action figures of WoW characters (including Arthas). Each has interchangable armor, which is right in step for what you'd expect from an MMO franchise. Spare 30 seconds to watch it after the jump and decide if you're going to buy a few of these for... a lucky little boy or girl whom you might know.
Four Microsoft Windows 8 demo videos sneak online (update 2: videos are back up)
As we get closer to Windows 8's October 26th launch, expect the floodgates to open on a barrage of tidbits, insider peeks and revelations. One such early arrival is these four clips, lasting just under a minute, that demonstrate some of the new features that'll soon arrive on your computer, tablet or hybrid. We've included them for you after the break, but be warned -- there's no Alex Clare blasting in the background like those catchy Internet Explorer ads, so we'll just have to sing it ourselves. On three... "and it feels. like. I. am. just. too. close. to. love. you..." Update: Looks like all four videos have been pulled. Good thing you only have to wait two weeks or so to view them through more official channels. Update 2: The videos are still scrubbed from YouTube, but we've salvaged the footage and have given it a new home after the break.
Facebook marks one billion users by launching its first major ad
It's managed to get to one billion users without the aid of a traditional ad campaign, but the social network has now taken advantage of that milestone to try something different. Mark Zuckerberg has today introduced the company's first proper ad, a one minute and thirty second video dubbed "The Things That Connect Us" that was produced by ad agency Wieden & Kennedy and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. According to Zuckerberg, the ad was made to "honor the people we serve" and "express what our place is on this earth," adding that Facebook belongs to a "rich tradition of people making things that bring us together." Like chairs. See it for yourself below.
LG Optimus G makes its commercial debut in Korea (video)
Well, we know there's an LG event right around the corner and, if we were the betting type, we'd put our money on the flagship Optimus G making its stateside debut. Perhaps the biggest clue to what the company has up its sleeve is that the quad-core Snapdragon S4-powered handset just made its video debut. The sleek 4.7 inch handset is staring in its own commercial, currently posted on YouTube, that will be airing in the manufacturer's homeland shortly after launch. The brief clip doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know, but we can't find any reason complain about a few extra peeks at it before release. Check out the video after the break.
World of Warcraft continues Mists of Pandaria TV coverage
"The question isn't why we fight," a wizened voice says, "but what's worth fighting for." Thus goes the third TV commercial for World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria. Blizzard continues to storm the airwaves in preparation for Pandaria's September 25th release. The commercial is just cobbled together from the opening cinematic, but it's still cool to see an MMO get airtime on television these days. Give it your full and undivided attention after the jump.
Samsung reportedly working on new anti-Apple TV ad
Samsung may have lost the first round of its US legal battle with Apple, but that loss is not holding the company back from attacking Apple with its marketing dollars. According to a report from The Verge, the Korean manufacturer is working on another advertisement that makes fun of Apple fans waiting in line for their next device. Previous commercials showed a Samsung Galaxy S II owner walking by Apple fans who are waiting for the next iPhone. The Samsung owner flashes his phone at the line-waiters, who are focused on blogs reports about the new iPhone. Once they realize it's a Samsung device, the iPhone owners shake their heads and proclaim they've been "Samsunged." The leaked information from The Verge claims Samsung's upcoming commercial will feature a fake Apple store, fake signage and fake employees. One thing that won't be faked is the response from Apple fans, who will likely too busy with their iPhone 5 to care. You can view photos and read more about the Samsung commercial at The Verge's website.
How Ubi is selling Assassin's Creed 3 to the general public
Ubisoft debuted the above commercial for holiday blockbuster Assassin's Creed 3 alongside the opening of the NFL season this week, prompting one Joystiq editor's father to call the game "impressive." For us, it serves to highlight how we've become snobs about the music Ubisoft uses in its trailers. Hey, when you set such a high precedent, it's hard to shrug off just some boring old song, you know?
Sony patents method of turning TV ads into interactive mini-games
Sony holds the patent for turning television commercials into interactive video games, taking humanity one step closer a future resembling Wall-E, while the likelihood of Blade Runner fades to a distant, neon second. The patent describes one method of gaming as advertisement as a "commercial overlaid on frames of the television program allowing the user to play the game while the television program is displayed."Sony's patent provides visuals of various implementation processes, some of which include using the PlayStation console itself, along with the PS Eye, the Move or DualShock controllers, or a microphone. The controllers would allow viewers to play mini-games designed to sell products while they entertain, and they would enable people to purchase items directly from the ad. One drawing shows someone ordering a pizza by using the Move to select a large "Buy" button, and another has someone voting for a character with the X, O, square and triangle buttons.The patent also shows a microphone hooked up to the PlayStation console, enabling viewers to vocalize whether they want an action or romantic commercial. Another voice-input idea makes viewers yell out brand names to continue their shows, pictured above.The patent appears to work with internet TVs or screens attached to network-enabled devices, such as the PlayStation. If you've yet to disable your cable and hook up your PC to an HD flatscreen, now may be the time – or maybe consider that Steam Big Picture box when it launches. They can take our TVs, but they'll never take our PCs.Please scream "Joystiq!" to continue.
YouTube heralds arrival of in-stream ads, built-in annoyance for mobile devices
If you've made it a habit of viewing YouTube videos on your mobile device in an effort to flout the site's pre-roll ads, your days of bliss are quickly drawing to a close. Today, the site implemented TrueView in-stream ads for the mobile platform, and like you've become accustomed to on the desktop, you'll begin to notice these commercials on your smartphone and tablet. Now, we get the need for content producers to make some coin, but the move certainly represents the end of an era. Fortunately, just like on the desktop, you'll have the ability to skip these ads after five seconds. Maybe now, you can take pride in making an independent producer rich beyond imagination -- or, at least helping them buy some lunch.
Penélope Cruz stars as Mario in Nintendo commercial
Esteemed actress Penélope Cruz appeared in a recent commercial promoting the launch of Nintendo's 3DS XL and New Super Mario Bros. 2 in Europe.With a rather convincing performance as herself, Cruz giggled her way through stages of the latest Mario game while cradling the 3DS XL in her dainty palms. After dueling with her sister in the game, Cruz lost a bet and then blessed a supermarket with her portrayal of the famous mustached plumber.
Is HP showing the Slate 8 in its latest commercial? (video)
HP has acknowledged that it's been working on a Windows 8 tablet; it just hasn't mentioned whether or not the rumored Slate 8 is part of its plans. Imagine our surprise, then, when we're told that HP's 60-second "Make It Matter" commercial ends with an unannounced yet familiar-looking tablet right at the 56-second mark. There's only a fleeting glimpse, but it shows a metallic-looking body with a large black antenna window -- the combination of which would fit in with the Slate 8's purported aesthetics. We've asked HP whether or not this is a clever teaser for a real product or just as conceptual as the rest of the ad, and we'll let you know if we hear back on the subject. In the meantime, you can inspect the video evidence for yourself after the break. [Thanks, Brian]
