We received the game in a large box that included several tiny wands perfectly sized for squirrel wizards, a black Nintendo DS, and a letter. […]
We didn’t even open the DS that Electronic Arts sent. If we had, we would have seen that it was being offered up an an auction for Child’s Play. It was, in fact, a Nintendo DS signed by John Carmack. As I said, we didn’t even open the thing. If you have been doing this for almost a decade, as we have, you develop a very comprehensive and far reaching cynicism that applies to anything that a company sends you. We arm ourselves in this way because we think it will make us deliver you a more robust assessment of the medium. Also, we are assholes. Professionally.
This is just like their comic bitching about the guy who used “exploited” when talking about buying bioware or something. It’s not so much about them being in “the game”(of making webcomics, what?) so long, as it is them being fucking screech-mongers.
If the lucky recipient were classy, he’d either send it back or sell it on eBay and donate the proceeds to Child’s Play 2008. Heck, this is the kind of buzz that could drive a lot of traffic to the auction. Then write off the donation for taxes and tell the PA guys to send him a replacement.
Something about not explaining to a dog why he shouldn’t shit on the carpet.
It would be a massive level of delusion if they didn’t admit they fucked up. However, it’s not like they’re apologizing for being indignant fucks who wanted to blog about how above the corporate influence they are, they’re apologizing because being ‘indignant fucks who want to blog about how above the corporate influence they are’ got them into a situation where they would look moronic if they didn’t apologize.
I can’t imagine something like this not being already in the works.
If it was truly altruistic, the DS would have arrived separately from the game. This is like a politician that sets up a non-profit organization for people to donate to and then using those funds for something they shouldn’t.
If the PA guys didn’t tell the story, the story wouldn’t be known. It’s not like this was showing up on Kotaku, Joystiq and Digg before the PA guys broke down and admitted their mistake.
I don’t know that he’d know, but I don’t think it would take Columbo to read the very next comic after winning a DS in a penis-shaped cookie baking contest-- a DS which was signed by the designer of the game said comic mentions-- and then put two and two together.
