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The Daily Grind: Do you think leaks are publicity stunts?
Recent information leaks from game studios are becoming more and more frequent these days. That likely mean that either security isn't tight and leaks occur behind the backs of game publishers, or they're intentionally enticing the public under the guise of a super secret "leak." Either way, these leaks do get our attention. When we're under the impression that information isn't meant to be seen by us, we want to see it even more. Recent examples include CCP's internal memo leak, Diablo III's beta leak, and just about anything to do with World of Warcraft's upcoming content. So my question to you this morning is this: Are you suspicious of info leaks on upcoming games? Do you see leaks as genuinely secret information, or does your Spidey sense tell you that it's all to build hype for the game? Let us know your opinion below. Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Sega attempts to save real hedgehogs in Sonic Colors promo
After proving its ability to keep its own spiny mascot alive with the well-received Sonic Colors, Sega has turned its efforts to preserving the non-flatness of real-life hedgehogs in the suburb of Twickenham, London. The publisher recently designated a temporary "hedgehog road crossing" in the town, allowing a handful of the woodland creatures to scamper about without fear of being struck by one of the region's tiny, steering-wheel-on-the-wrong-sided vehicles. Yes, it was very much a publicity stunt, but Sega representative Anna Downing told Eurogamer that she hopes it will "raise awareness" of the 50,000 hedgehogs who die every year while trying to cross British roads. That's a pretty good cause, we guess -- but you know what would raise even more driver awareness of hedgehogs? If you painted them all bright blue. Food for thought.
Capcom publicity stunt loses realistic fake limbs in London
A Capcom Europe publicity stunt for Resident Evil 5 took an unexpected turn when organizers lost some fairly realistic-looking (and quite) fake severed limbs. Gamezine reports the publisher held a competition in London earlier today, where participants were asked to find bloody body parts hidden around the city (the winner received a trip for two to Africa). Things went a tiny bit awry when not all the appendages were discovered by the limb hunters -- and were no longer found in the organizer's designated locations.Capcom is asking people who find the limbs to return or dispose of them in a "careful manner." For "added gore," chicken livers were used to make the parts more realistic and could be harmful due to bacteria -- if you found a severed appendage in London, don't eat it. Although residents did complain to police during the competition, no charges were made. We're not even going to discuss what would have gone down if this stunt had been attempted in Manhattan.
Seen @ NYC: Women bar fight over Wii
Click for high-resolution version This may seem like a raunchy story -- the kind of catfight tale ending with broken nails and torn clothing. We were sort of expecting such scuffles to happen as seven beautiful ladies tussled this past Thursday night over at a Manhattan bar & restaurant called Sutton Place. Alas, we didn't get to see anything underlyingly lewd, but there were certainly enough sweaty bods to drive the male crowd into a frenzy.Taking part in a Nintendo publicity stunt called "Wii Box in the City," these women tested out their gaming aptitude and fighting skills in a Wii Sports boxing tourney to win a Wii system. The night was wild all night as crowds of supporters cheered and jeered. It came down to Mari (in blue) and Regina (in yellow) for the championship. We caught up with Mari before the big fight; she told us about her Wii experience: "I've played Wii before. It's like a workout." Regina on the other hand had never played the Wii before, while both ladies never had any gaming experience beyond that. Soon, it was time for the final fight. The two fought bravely, but in the end Regina won with a knock out. "Oh my god, you won!" exclaimed May, Regina's best friend, whose excitement was like that of a kid on Christmas morning. Regina gave her winning prize over to May who continued to laud her bestest friend: "She really killed it! She's the bestest friend ever!" Who knew that gaming and bar fights could bring friends closer together?%Gallery-25113%
