Misleading TV ads face UK ban
Game ads have been showing pre-rendered CGI images, rather than in-game footage, for a while -- but the UK advertising industry has only just caught on. After complaints that Call of Duty 2's graphics didn't match up to the advertising, games ads have been hastily slapping a disclaimer on and hoping the advertising authorities will look the other way.
The Broadcast Advertising Clearing Centre and Advertising Standards Authority are investigating, but something seems fishy, with the BACC claiming that advertisers aren't revealing the CGI nature of the footage. It's a well-entrenched advertising trick, but now that the authorities are aware of it, they might try and stop it. Actual in-game footage would give commercials a credible touch, but since TV advertising is only one of many channels used to promote games, advertisers don't seem too worried about the potential ban of CGI yet.
