If I Showed You This Picture Would You Be Teased?

Game marketing must be a fun "science". There must be a bunch of people who buy torn jeans, Calvin klein T-Shirts, and snort cocaine from snuff jars who just spend their time thinking up interesting things. These people work in the advertising industry. They talk about people as market segments, they want to appeal to your buying impulses and enjoy doing blow.

Blizzard must pay their ad agency too much. Because some 12 year old there said that it would be a good idea to post a picture that means nothing to 99 per cent of the world and we'll call it a teaser to an announcement. The picture, to the untrained eye, and I guess that would mean yours and mine, really means nothing. What it does mean is that all will be revealed this weekend. That's right. They post a picture and say there's a big announcement this weekend. Exciting stuff isn't it. I am enthralled.

There are other 12 year olds in the world. These 12 year olds are of the geeky variety and generally don't have much spare time on their hands because they are on the internet all the time, playing WOW and posting on game forums. These other 12 year olds look at this graphic and then analyse it. That's right. They pore over every single pixel until they have found some hidden clue which will uncover the true location of the ark of the covenant and through some sleight of hand reveal what the hidden announcement would be. Some person has analysed the runes in one of the pictures and determined that they are from Diablo and the announcement will be that of "Diablo 3".

Well, to start with, I love Diablo, but I wasn't teased by the graphic. Either make an announcement or don't make an announcement. Don't make an announcement that there will be an announcement because this could end up in an infinite run of announcements about announcements and the gaming industry is already boring enough. By releasing these graphics with so-called hidden meanings all you are doing is entertaining a number of people on the internet who already don't have a life. I think this is a sad way to tease people who probably need to get out of the house in the first place and meet other people. I don't believe that Blizzard are doing anything here but adding to the stereo type that geeky people really have no lives except to spend time on the internet and make greater profit for Blizzard by playing World of Warcraft.

Why don't you help these people to get a life rather than add to their already obsessive compulsive filled world? This, to me, seems nothing more than endless teasing.

So, just to be sure that everyone is aware, Blizzard have made an announcement that there will be an announcement this weekend. This teaser has occupied the minds of geeks all week with its endless teasing.