Ubisoft Uses 'Copyright' Claim To Block Americans From Seeing Its Own Ad For Ridiculous 'Adult' Wii Game

from the we-dare? dept

Wed, Mar 2nd 2011 1:58am — Mike Masnick

Jay points us to the news that Ubisoft is offering up a new video game for the Wii, in Europe only, called "We Dare," which appears to be a ridiculously awkwardness-inducing game designed to try to make people engage in sexually suggestive activities with one another. Since the game is only being offered in Europe, the advertisement for the game, which the company placed on its own YouTube account, is blocked for viewing in the US -- though, ridiculously, it says this is so for "copyright" reasons. Still, it's not hard for people to find proxies to view the video (took me a few seconds to convince YouTube I was watching the video from Europe). It seems sort of pointless to block the video from US audiences, even if they can't order the game. The ad itself is hilariously painful to watch, and the comments on the video (also only available if you're "outside" the US) are almost universally mocking Ubisoft for this game concept. Anyway, if you're inside the US or don't know how to use a proxy, you won't be able to watch the video below. And you might be better off for it:

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Filed Under: adult games, copyright, europe, us, we dare, wii

35 Comments

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Hugh, 2 Mar 2011 @ 2:18am

Australian's can't watch it without proxy help either
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- Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 3:03am
  
  Re:
  "Australian's can't watch it without proxy help either"
  
  But isn't it coming out here?
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 2:30am

Ridiculous?
As one commenter put it, it's a good way to find out if your friends are closet swingers.

Anyway, I think it's hilarious that the Wii has a sex game before the other platforms. I thought for sure that the Kinect would shepherd in the first sex games.
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- Jay (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:09am
  
  Re: Ridiculous?
  Coming soon to an Xbox near you...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 3:46pm
    
    Re: Re: Ridiculous?
    Old. I mean, VERY old. They just re-used 1990's games that have been respun 100 times since. BORING.
    
    Give us something new and exciting at least please, not some reworked 20 year old crap game.
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- Buster, 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:49am
  
  Re: Ridiculous?
  Actually I think the Xbox360 beat them with Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.... Can I get you some "Hot Coffee"
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  - Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:15pm
    
    Re: Re: Ridiculous?
    Don't you mean PS2?
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- Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 10:43am
  
  Re: Ridiculous?
  A Kinect sex game? I can't even imagine how that would work, nor do I want to.
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  - Freedom, 2 Mar 2011 @ 1:09pm
    
    Re: Re: Ridiculous?
    >> A Kinect sex game? I can't even imagine how that would work, nor do I want to.
    
    I can imagine, and sign me up for the first copy!
    
    Frankly the most disturbing part of the Wii game was how the controller got in the way. Do this concept with the Kinect, problem solved - not to mention, would love to see what action shots it decides to take and replay 'post-play'....
    
    Sadly, due to Microsoft Control, we'll probably never see it on the XBOX in a legit form, but maybe using open sourced Kinect drivers on the PC/Mac/Linux platforms instead - just not very living room friendly that way.
    
    Freedom
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Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 2:44am

Thanks anyway, Ubisoft
But I'm not buying a Wii until someone ports over a multi-player version of Boong-Ga Boong-Ga complete with accessories.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boong-Ga_Boong-Ga
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IronM@sk, 2 Mar 2011 @ 3:13am

I watched this video from France...
Apparently...

I think I saw what must have been a parody video of this game, or at least the ad for it, that was far more entertaining than what I just witnessed.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 3:31am

Trailer on YouTube
I'm not sophisticated enough to do the proxy thing so I just google'd We Dare Trailer and ... boom!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqGOJEpTR4A

Let the party begin!
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Daniel, 2 Mar 2011 @ 4:28am

Youtube
The thing I don't understand is everyone who complains about Youtube copyrighting their videos. Why doesn't Google just remove them from the search rankings if people don't want their videos online?
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P Coughlin (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 4:31am

My first post!
So let me get this straight. We British can't get many music and film trailers via popular video sites (for music and DVDs that are available in the UK - cutting off advertisements to potential customers due to "copyright", nice job entertainment industry!) but we can get this? Score!

It's good to know that if there MUST be location-restricted content, at least in Europe we seem to be getting the best of the bargain.
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 4:50am

It certainly does suck!
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Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 4:52am

To be fair Mike, most the comments may mock the game, but they appear to be from 15 year old's, not quite the target audience.
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- Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 8:54am
  
  Re:
  "The game is expected to carry a PEGI rating of 12+ when it is released in Europe."
  
  From here:
  http://www.gamepolitics.com/2011/02/28/usual-uk-suspects-bag-we-dare
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  - Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 3:49pm
    
    Re: Re:
    Target Audience means what WII made the game for, not what some idiot mis-rated the game as.
    
    Obviously, if you read your own link, you will understand it was a mistake and the game will likely not be released with that rating.
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    - Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 6:45pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      What low-rent charm school did you graduate from? I shall have to complain!
      
      There is nothing in the article that suggests what you have so snottily surmised, so do feck off.
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Old Fool (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 4:54am

I cant help thinking of the design/art/coding meetings as the creators explained what they wanted it to do.

Anyone who cant watch the video can achieve a similar effect by rubbing sand into their eyes while simultaneously ramming fingers down their throat.
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NickMc, 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:18am

I live in Canada...
And can view the video, so it must be coming to Canada too I guess. Anyway problem solved for the Border States. Day Trip!
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Comboman (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:23am

Looks like fun to me
Is the negative reaction to this game due to the general prudishness of Americans? Or because most game-playing nerds could not find a girl to play it with?
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- John Duncan Yoyo, 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:32am
  
  Re: Looks like fun to me
  I thought it just looked dumb.
  
  I could see this being aimed at teen audience in the US if that isn't the main target in europe as well. Ice breaker at boy/girl parties.
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- ATLien (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:45am
  
  Re: Looks like fun to me
  All reaction to this game is a function of prudishness. Games like this are hated by overtly prudish people and loved by closet prudes who need a game to have/think/feel sexy.
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  - Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:18am
    
    Re: Re: Looks like fun to me
    Obviously you haven't met my friends.
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- Rose M. Welch (profile), 3 Mar 2011 @ 5:45am
  
  Re: Looks like fun to me
  I'm the opposite of a prude, but this game does look a little forced to me. I think I'll stick with strip poker for my 'sexy game' of choice.
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Talky, 2 Mar 2011 @ 5:33am

Works with iPhone
Video worked fine for me on the iphone in the US, no proxying. Almost don't wanna say it out loud lest they start blocking it also.
Also, these folks could have had more fun if they left the wii remote out and focused on each other.
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- Anonymous Coward, 2 Mar 2011 @ 8:55am
  
  Re: Works with iPhone
  Who says copyright doesn't chill free speech, eh?
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Jesse (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:31am

Didn't know Canada was in Europe. I guess we are commonwealth. Anyways it's viewable up here.
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The Mad Hatter (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:51am

Canada
Curious - works fine from Canada.
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ScytheNoire (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:57am

Wait, this is a real product? I thought it was just a joke parody. What are they thinking? Oh wait, it's Ubisoft, they don't think.
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webber317 (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 7:57am

neener neener
I just watched it in the USA with no proxy help and heh ....im inside the US. The idea that a company can tell someone that they can't see something because of where they are is just wrong. so I say neener neener....maybe i will use one of my many programs and post this all over the US net.
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flobadob, 2 Mar 2011 @ 9:12am

hilarious!
Next thing they'll be encouraging us to Wii all over each other.
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- Rose M. Welch (profile), 2 Mar 2011 @ 8:45pm
  
  Re: hilarious!
  People already do that.
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Nelson Cruz (profile), 6 Mar 2011 @ 5:33pm

What? No use of the wiimote's vibration capabilities??? :)
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