14 DAY TRIAL // Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is a game over the top. The explosions are bigger than those in action movies, the heroes are nearly impossible to kill and the arsenal of destruction that they can rain down on unsuspecting enemies is larger than what the United States military used during the Shock and Awe operation in Iraq.
The publicity campaign for the game included the equally outrageous idea of giving away gas. Gas stations in both Los Angeles and London were “taken over” by mercenaries, who were actors hired by Electronic Arts; they filled the tank of each car with the equivalent of 40 Pounds or 70 dollars worth of gas. All in all, it seems that more than 40,000 $ of fuel was distributed to motorists while raising awareness about the game.
The Los Angeles part of the publicity stunt went without a glitch but the London side of the operation suffered from some unexpected problems. Because more and more people were eager to get free fuel, traffic slowed to a halt around the gas station and the police intervened, asking Electronic Arts to cancel their “take over” and to make sure everything returned to normal.
Not only that but now a member of Parliament is asking the videogame publisher to issue a public apology for what it did. Lynne Featherstone, who represents the constituency of Hornsey and Wood Green said that “Trying to recreate Venezuelan-style fuel riots on the streets of London is completely irresponsible and downright dangerous. Whilst a lucky few might have got some free petrol, hundreds of local residents have faced misery on their daily journeys this morning. They deserve an apology”.
What the good chap does not understand is that Electronic Arts did not try to recreate Venezuela style riots, but merely to promote a videogame. The reaction of the public tells us that maybe politicians should be more concerned with addressing the issue of the high price of fuel than with soliciting apologies from videogame companies.