Think what you will of the game itself, but you can't deny that some of the myriad stunts pulled by EA's marketing department in promotion of Dante's Inferno were nothing short of inspired.
However, not every marketing approach works the same way overseas. All those appeals to commit sins and "Go to Hell" don't hit quite as hard in Japan. Lust wouldn't work, what with so many other games bringing the sexy over there. Greed would be a toughie as well, given that review outlets like Famitsu are already easily bought influenced without needing a whole Judeo-Christian angle.
Perhaps Gluttony, then? It certainly seems that the special, Dante's Inferno-brand "Inferno" ramen provides some indication of EA's pitch. Sold at ramen chain Moukou Tanmen Nakamoto, the dish gets its blood-red color from a tomato-base soup, and a a demonic "eye" made of paprika is placed in the center. A specially designed bowl completes the setup, with ten concentric rings painted along the sides, each marked with the name of one of hell's circles. Tasty.
Incidentally, the dude dressed up as Dante in the header is Dante Carver, a local celebrity known for his work in a bunch of cute talking-dog commercials for mobile carrier Softbank. Watch one below the cut, because Dale loves them.
They got Officer Jones advertising both and Dante's Inferno, and Dante's Inferno Ramen? This wins in so many ways, though I can honestly say I'd rather go with the ramen and bowl than the game. Think EA Japan might be on to something there?
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Contest:
11:00 PM on 02.18.2010
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Satanic cereal eating? YES PLEASE!
But I'm going to wait...
Damn it.
"Life has its ups and downs. Old Man! Steak!"
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Make it playable, THEN market it.