The name that EA’s marketing department has given to the above video is “Your Mom’s Really Bad at Dead Space 2 Multiplayer” and it’s not necessarily an inappropriate title. This pair of ladies who participated in the original “Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2” ad are clearly not gamers and don’t seem to have much of a clue as to what to do when they pick up the controller. And, at the end, we’re reminded how much our mothers hate this vile, awful game (so, clearly, it will appeal to us).
But that’s not the message that we should take away from this promotional item. Look at these women. They’re having fun with the game. This sick, depraved and violent game is bringing a smile to the face of these middle-aged ladies. It just goes to show that, even if some of the content in the games we love may not appeal to everyone, the idea of playing games does.
I don’t like this campaign. I don’t like the juvenile message it conveys, or the implication that the adult gaming audience which should be playing this series never moved past their adolescent rebellion from their parents. But if there were going to be a silver lining, it would be the smiles on these faces.