The clever ads featured middle-aged women reacting in shock to the gore and visceral combat of Dead Space 2, playing on the fact that parents worry about the kind of video games their kids play.
Common Sense, which has their own ratings system in place for games and other entertainment media, claims the ads violate the ESRB’s own ad standards, claiming that the commercials will “make the game more desirable for children”, despite the fact that no matter how much a young child may “desire” something, it doesn’t mean their parents will give it to them.
In response, ESRB president Patricia Vance stated, ”… just because a product desires to be seen as ‘cool’ or ‘edgy’ does not in and of itself necessitate that it is directed at children.” The fact that Dead Space 2 is M-rated should be a clear sign that parents shouldn’t be buying this for their kids.
