Epic Games is currently running a rather unique marketing technique to determine whether one of the “red shirt” characters — in the up coming Gears of War 3 — , Carmine, will live or die. They are leaving that decision up to us… the gamers. Via an American Idol pay-to-text-to-vote scheme, Epic Games has release two T-Shirts to the Xbox Live Avatar Market Place; one proclaims that Carmine must die, why the other pleads for his safety. You cast your vote by purchasing the associated T-shirt.
Though I immediately knew this was a stroke of marketing genius, I wasn’t going to shell out any of my hard earn Microsoft Points to cast a vote to spare a non-existent life. But this was before I saw where the money was going. The proceeds of this purchased T-shirt will be donated to the Child’s Play charity. Child’s Play is a very worth while charity, made up of fellow gamers, that purchase toys and games for hospital wards to be used by children enduring extended hospital stays. Any hospital stay is scary enough for people of all ages, and that much more so for a child. I want to be a part of any organization that contributes in any way to making that stay a little less frighting.
So I’ve purchased my T-Shirt. I’m hoping Carmine gets to live. If you have an Xbox Avatar, you should purchase one too.
Save Carmine!
August 29, 2010
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