EA: Controversy isn’t a bad thing

Electronic Arts’ Games Label boss Frank Gibeau says that games shouldn’t shy away from creating a stir in the media.
Speaking to IndustryGamers, Gibeau said that “Controversy isn’t a bad thing”, and that “I personally believe you should court controversy.”
He comments came in reference to the ‘Video Game Lets You Be The Taliban’ segment ran by Fox News last years and one that Gibeau said he “loves Fox News” for as it pushed the games in question, Medal of Honor, into the public consciousness.
Bullterstorm and Mass Effect, both EA games, have be given similar treatment by FOX News.
Gibeau went on to explain his statement:
“You shouldn’t [create controversy] in a gratuitous way,” he said, “but if it matches the creativity of the game [you should]. I loved it when Fox News did the ‘lesbian aliens in Mass Effect’ news angle. I love when they covered the Taliban In Medal Of Honor; I loved it when they covered the Bulletstorm stuff.
“In each one of those cases, it was true to the game and we were trying to do something creatively. The fact that their point of view is different than ours and represented an audience out there is fine by me. I felt we could stand up and defend what we did and be aggressive about it and be proud of it.”
Conclusion? If you’re looking to sell the Taliban, lesbian sex and ‘rape’ references, approach FOX News.