ASA rejects Hitman ad complaints
By
Mark Walton, Senior Staff Writer - Reviews
UK's Advertising Standards Authority declares Hitman's Attack of the Saints 'did not glamorise violence, or violence towards women'.
The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has rejected complaints filed against a recent Hitman: Absolution trailer. According to the ASA ruling, a total of two complaints were logged, which challenged whether the advert was "offensive," "distressing," and "socially irresponsible,"
The "Attack of the Saints" trailer--which depicted highly sexualised, PVC-clad nuns being killed--was the subject of much criticism in the press and on social networking site Twitter, due its violent, sexual scenes.
In a statement to the ASA, publisher Square Enix responded to the complaints by stating that the trailer was an "homage to the B-movie 'Tarantino-esque' genre of comic book filmmaking," and that it does not "condone mindless violence towards anyone." It also made clear that that the trailer was placed behind an 18-rated age gate on its YouTube channel.
While the ASA acknowledged the trailer contained many violent and sexual scenes, it noted that the ad was placed behind an appropriate age gate. It also considered it "likely" that users who viewed the trailer were specifically seeking out material related to the game, due to it being featured on Hitman's YouTube and Facebook channels.
The ASA declared the trailer "did not glamorise violence generally, or violence towards women in particular."
By
Mark Walton, Senior Staff Writer - Reviews
Writer, riff maker, purveyor of fine foods. Mark currently spends his days trying to overcome his small (large) obsession with high-top trainers and mobile games. He's known to respond well to Long Island Iced Tea, falafels, and karaoke, but not necessarily in that order.
203 comments
1 Like The more I think about it the more I think the complainers were ultra conservative Christians. The kind that hate even hearing or seeing the word "vagina" and try to suppress any mention of "dirty" things like that because they view women as these elegant little baby angles, purely innocent and needing protection.
2 Like @WCK619 Yea, imagine that. People having some sort of sense of decency and class. People like that should be flogged.
I can see why some people may find the trailer disturbing... But still... If you find this disturbing, then you're someone who doesn't like this kind of genre anyway...
I dunno... I thought the violence was rather glamorous. :o) Maybe now the two old duffers that were looking for The Sound of Music videos will stfu.
Ha, talk about not letting things go. I'm actually a little surprised the UK ASA aren't bashing the trailer, but defending it.
1 Like @DoctorRane I actually find the ASA to be reletively tolerant. It's the BBFC that get up my nose, and they're the ones who ultimately affect movie or game content. :o(
a total of two complaints were logged, which challenged whether the advert was "offensive," "distressing," and "socially irresponsible,"
I count 3
@dude102 I think it means that a whole two people officially complained about it, not that there were two issues to complain about.
6 Like Some people thought the trailer was "Offensive","distressing" and "socially irresponsible"?!!!
Dear lord ,how do these type of people manage to get out of bed in the morning.
@stvee101 lol hopefully natural selection will do its 'thang" and "get rid" of them, in a totally natural way :P
1 Like @stvee101 The bigger question is: How do these individuals handle being on the Internet at all?! There are a lot more offensive things on here than that trailer could ever be.
5 Like Well it's so nice that an athourity figure has told us it isn't offensive... My girlfriend saw the trailer and said..." I want the shoes"
lmao
Anywho, nice to see some reasonable people out there still exist.
7 Like my girl friend is buying this game for me. so i highly think she doesn't give a shit about it :P
4 Like I found the trailer oozed tarantinoness and for people to start complaining about this lil trailer in the face of all the stuff produced by tarantino seems like pure retardation to meee.
1 Like Well, I had mixed feelings. One of the 'Saints' being killed in the trailer looked a lot like a close friend of mine. It triggered a bit of anger and even lust for vengeance seeing her being killed by a bald man. I know it sounds weird, but it isn't quite so. Research in the IDF showed that a man's reaction to women being injured/killed negatively influences his professional combat performance more than when it concerns another man being killed.
Of course that doesn't mean I would like to see this advert banned. It's an effective way to promote a product and I'm in no position to interfere or oblige.
12 Like I didn't find it offensive. That trailer was incredible and got me more excited for the release!
6 Like And there I was, watching this trailer thinking "I am not really a Hitman fan... but this trailer is the most awesome trailer EVER!".
I did not for a second consider it to be "offensive", "distressing" or "socially irresponsible"!
I am just glad that the "voice of reason" won this time...
Once again, the best example of how the judicial process should work occurs in the world of video games. The ACB (finally) introduces the R18+ rating, EA's monopoly over the NCAA franchise is suspended, allowing competitors like 2K a foot in the door and improving overall quality by introducing alternative products, and now this. Three separate countries, three important decisions made.
1 Like I've seen much worse on many other types of media. It isn't fair that video games gets ostracized for that ad.
Hell, the devs even went out of their way to present this as "adult-only" material, putting their ads only in designated Hitman spaces. You'd have to look for Hitman to see this, and I doubt the average child can.
So in this case, I can't even understand the complaints.
1 Like 47 aint nobbing them as he kills them, 'sexual scenes' is a bit of a stretch just cos they're dressed like holy sluts. A triumph for normal people I feel, finally someone sees sense and rejects a ludicrous complaint
2 Like Wait... what?
Did I actually just read this right?
I live in England and normally anything what-so-ever related to a complaint get's upheld. This story has actually amazed me.
A bloke trying to rob a house fell through the garage roof and landed on a pitchfork.. then sued the owner. The courts ruled in favour of the criminal because the regulations state a flat house roof should be capable of supporting a grown man's weight. True story.
The fact the ASA have actually declined the complaint for Hitman proves there is common sense in this country!
Hoorah!
@warhawk-geeby the court was right, maybe the robber would have changed his mind and never robed the place but the poor roof would have caused injury or death to him OR someone else...since theft is not punishable by death :P...I'm sure they ruled in favor of the owner for vandalism and trespassing...didn't they?!!!!
@warhawk-geeby Is that really a true story though? Really?! I mean who owns a pitchfork these days anyway? Unless he was part of an anrgy mob of peasants...
@madjack1812 It is absolutely a true story, ridiculous I know! I think he was waiting for the zombie apocalypse? Pitchfork always comes in handy!
3 Like "I have a complaint, so let's just shut down everything because of me, Me, MEEEEE!"
"My family joined in, now it's our complaint!" Ban the game off the shelf, it's offensive. Burn the nasty books, clean up the TV airwaves, shut down the radio stations with their awful rock and roll!"
Damn those complaintants are stupid! Go watch sesame street and gry when the count comes on. Jeez it just seems like people just get dummer and dummer!
Oh no, a game about assassinating people has a violent trailer!? What is the world coming to? Seriously, I wish these stupid groups would just stop bitching about everything. Maybe if they got their murder on in some games once in a while they wouldn't go around like they've got a stick up their ass all the time.
6 Like VICTORY!! for common sense and adulthood!
VICTORY!! against these horrible moralists nerds disguising themselfs as feminists!
VICTORY!! for fun and sexyness!!
fight the TRUE fight for women's rights, fight for PARITY in workplaces, fight for decent laws against HOME VIOLENCE.
@therebemonsters Do...do you even know what "feminism" is? "Everyone who doesn't act like a teenager who've never been laid is a feminist!" You sound like a kid with that comment.
Not all "moralist nerds" are against this. I for one am glad it went through. People had a complaint, it was denied. Good on Hitman.
3 Like oh i know what feminism is, and so can everybody! it's in the dictionary! AMAZING!
here i'll copy past it for you:
1. The doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men.
2. an organized movement for the attainment of such rights for women
all of this i am 100% in favor.
as for moralist nerds i was not refering to gaming nerds, i was refereing to MORALIST NERDS. meaning, nerds of moralism. people that complain and moralise pretty much about anything, people that see racism in everything, people that see sexism in everything etc.
so here you go, i hope this satisfied you, i live to please ^^
@therebemonsters Well I don't know how you could look at that ad, and the way women are portrayed in all media in general, and not see sexism. You may not be bothered by it, but it's obviously there.
1 Like @therebemonsters Sorry, I apologize for my comment, I thought you meant gamers that speaks for equal representation in the game field.
And again, so many people tend to mix up the definition of feminism to man "anyone who dares say that things might not be fair for women is an instant man-hater". It was wrong to assume you meant the same, however.
Again, my apologies.
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Related Game
Hitman: Absolution
- Publisher(s): Square Enix
- Developer(s): Io Interactive
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- PEGI: 18+
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