[enversi]

Here is the e-mail I just sent to Oddworld:

My name is Daniel Rosenberg, I have been a fan of the Oddworld series since I first played Abe's Oddysee. I run an Oddworld fansite called Oddworld Inhabited (http://www.oddworldinhabited.f2s.com). I am writing to voice my opinion on OWI's decision to put Sobe advertising in the upcoming Munch's Oddysee. This decision will ruin the spirit and gameplay of Munch's Oddysee.

When playing Oddworld, part of the fun is being immersed in a fictional world, imagining that Abe, the mudokons, the glukkons, and all the other characters are living beings on a living planet. That bubble of immersion would be burst if you were to juxtapose the fictional with the real, by putting Sobe advertising in the game. The plausibility of your universe depends on the idea that Oddworld is wholly alien, a place that resembles but is completely different than Earth. The satiric qualities of Oddworld depend on this as well. It does no good to make subtle parallels to real world companies, if you blatantly advertise for Sobe at the same time.

In addition, advertising placed in-game is unfair to me the gamer. I can't choose not to look at the Sobe ads if they are a part of the gameplay. I do not buy Oddworld games to find out what drink OWI likes the best, I buy them for the gameplay. Force feeding gamers ads, whether they want to see them or not, is a selfish act.

There are plenty of viable advertising methods alternative to in-game advertising. Advertise on the box, in the game manual, on the cd cover, anywhere where I can choose to look or not, anywhere where it does not impact my belief in the gameworld.

I will not pay for a game that tries to sell me stuff. Until the advertising is removed from gameplay, I will not buy Munch's Oddysee.

Other Oddworld fans are also disheartened by this decision. Read these threads on the Oddworld Forums: http://www.oddworldian.net/oddworldforums/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1& t=000793 http://www.oddworldian.net/oddworldforums/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get _topic&f=1&t=000760

Please take this to heart and rethink your position on this issue.

-Daniel Rosenberg
10/1/01

You may use this letter as a template for your own message. Let em know how you feel about this!!

[ October 01, 2001: Message edited by: enversi ]