Bionic Commando’s Giant 360 Box Of Schwag

@JoeSTATE: In my first gaming media gig, our senior producer ended up having a great chat with a rep from Infogrammes (now Atari) at the NY Toy Fair. The rep was quite enthusiastic about acquiring the Dragonball franchise and my producer expressed interest in providing coverage.

It wasn't a surprise to receive an 8-ft tall Goku standee a week later, which we found room to display in our offices. Months later, Infogrammes was ready with early builds of their 1st Dragonball game, Legacy of Goku on the GBA. Coincidentally, my producer was interested in my idea to produce an anime video game special. So I included the game in my coverage. I gave it a 1 out of 5.

It wasn't a surprise that the Infogrammes rep asked for the standee back after the rating was revealed. I felt sorry for the intern who had to box it up.

I have too many of these kinds of stories.

normalmode

The collector in me drools, the critic in me says no!

The figures arm isn't hotdoggy enough

@rich8606: The swag itself gets a post on many sites, which means more talk about the game regardless of whether it affects the reviews or not. So it's a cheap and sneaky form of advertisement

beril

@statnut: I write game reviews as a hobby, so getting review code is nearly impossible for such a small, unknown site. Either way, I don't even bother to reach out for review code now-a-day anyway, even if it's offered. I felt it undermined my judgement of a game. If I buy a game off the shelf (which almost all my reviews are based on) I have an expectation as a consumer. Something which every gamer who potentially reads my review will have (an expectation of the game, that is). If I got it free, then I feel more inclined to give the game a better review out of guilt from the company sending me the game and because I have no consumer-related expectation of the title.

Example. Mirror's Edge. I bought that, day or so after it came out for £33 (£7 off RRP). I felt the game was far too short for £40. I may have not noted this if I didn't lay down money for the game prior to playing. It didn't stop me loving every... Almost every minute of the game.

These swag kits they send out to people... I couldn't, with any good conscience accept these tokens and then go on to review a game. If anything, I'd probably gift them away in a competition or something. It's publicity for the company, isn't it? (And for myself, of course) Plus, someone who really wanted the swag may get it, rather than sitting boxed in a corner somewhere. Otherwise, as previously mentioned; I'm undermining my authority on the subject as these gifts could bias my review.

Just my thoughts on the matter. I also do accept that review code is important to sites to have fresh content before the game is out and I appreciate that. But I still believe paying for the title is the way to go and will stick with it. It also makes me very poor.

SSUK

Why haven't we heard much dialog from this? Mike f'n Patton, dammit.

@Befitzero: Its a pre-order item @ game crazy very limited.

Really surprised they didn't send Kotaku a pack of hot dogs for all the grief you guys gave them about the arms.

@Akua: Fingers crossed that they've got a single player demo still up their sleeve..

1Grand_Marquis

@sixfootgnome: Damn it, lack-of-principles! You've foiled us again!!

1Grand_Marquis

@G1bblets: Dam I want that lunch box it will look real nice next to my fallout 3 one. I must have it where can I find it?

Befitzero

Capcom is on a roll these days, but my impressions thus far are that the game is going to be more in line with Lost Planet, DMC4 than Street Fighter IV.

True, now only the japaneses get a lot of good collectors edition (normally of bad games :P), I miss Working design because of they limited editions, I´m still searching for a complete copy of Lunar SSS

OrtenseDemophon

I wish i was important enough for schwag :(

I wouldn't mind recieving something like that in my mail too. :)

But what the hell is up with the devs sticking USB sticks everywhere? Heck, how many USB sticks does a regular person need when it comes to game developers? A gazillion?

Besides that, the figure looks pretty cheap as always.. :(

@simply_androoo: It is indeed the schwaggiest of them all.

D-K, Came for the punch, stayed for the band-aid

@JoeSTATE: Credibility helps readership, which results in schwag. Being in it for the schwag undermines credibility.

sixfootgnome

@ichiban1081: That counts as a good collectors edition here in europe. Like resident evil 5 where there was just the making of disc and a steel game case. What you see above would be an uber edition.

xxXX_Insanities_Birth_XXxx

Cornucopia... hehe, Even Stevens...

Tell me... since these schwags are always given to journalists. What do you journalists see them as? To me, they look like bribes to up review scores that you guys ignore, but aware of, cuz of the need uphold the journalism code of truthfulness and fairness.

rich8606

@G1bblets: yup. it shudda had the lunchbox in there soemwhere...nice schwag nonetheless, but I likah de lunchbox...

@JoeSTATE: Good luck. I write for a new video game blog, and its not easy to get companies to send you review copies of games, despite my persistence.

statnut

i got the figure from our store's box and got a lanyard and badge too...I can't wait for BC.

What I don't understand is how come companies can't give out or sell this kind of stuff to the general public? If they announced this as a collectors edition, even a very limited run, I'm sure most of us gamers would purchase this in a heart beat. Then when they announce the consumer collector's edition it's usually pretty shitty: art book, behind the scenes disk, metal case and maybe some kind of figure or clothing apparel. *sad panda*

That's some pretty nifty swag. And kudo's to you guys for saving stuff for the charity. That says a lot about this site. If I received that stuff in the mail, I know temptation would be one hell of a motivator to keep it. But you guys are doing good saving it for the cause!

While the USB drive is made of pure Awesomium alloy, I actually like the polo too. I would totally sport it at work.

PissedPS3Fan

I wish that arrived in my mail.

D0RC

@RyuuzakiBjorn: Yes, but I will respond by not buying their game.

Also, I've played their game... done those training levels in the rooms with white blocks... and it sucks. How do you like that Capcom? You should give me an incentive to buy your crappy game, not another reason not to buy it.

@RyuuzakiBjorn: If only companies would realize that if they give free DLC every once in awhile, customers would be eating from their hands.

@RyuuzakiBjorn: It has to be payed for some way I guess. I wish they wouldn't give free schwag to people who already get to play games all day and then treat the regular customers bad but that's corporations for you.

xxXX_Insanities_Birth_XXxx

@Akua: You're not the only one who hated the demo, I will definitely not get this game.

Gex

@ariete: My roommate got the Saint's Row 2 special edition on the cheap and it came with a USB drive that looks like an armor piercing bullet. I thought that was pretty badass. I like the credit card thing though.

Lived the demo.

Let's just hope the actual game is better.

Nice swag though.

Lots of nice stuff there. I hope to one day become member of the press to get all this sweet free stuff.

DUUUUUUUUUUUUUDE! Fuckin' A! DO WANT!!! >_<

Have a hot dog eating contest or something for this swag!!!

@JoeSTATE: Make your blog and I'll join :p I demand free schwag every now and then though.

xxXX_Insanities_Birth_XXxx

'I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when this arrived in the mail.'

I wish I was a games journalist so I could get free schwag for playing games :/

xxXX_Insanities_Birth_XXxx

@RyuuzakiBjorn: *Scrape, rather

@JoeSTATE: count me in! please! i can write stuff :-)

Ackers

If I ever received that in the mail i'd cry tears of joy followed by a girl like yelp of woohoo and some jumping for joy.

no dreadlocks hat and/or hotdog arm accessory?

at least that usb drive is awesome.

@ariete: My favorite one is that Tiki head that has the glowing eyes when it's plugged it....although its more of an external hard drive than a thumbdrive.

Hot dam thats some nice swag, but the lack of the VERY sweet lunch box suprises me

[www.ps3attitude.com]

They will scape all the money they pumped into giving all the gaming journalists swag by charging for "Unlock codes" for items already on the disc and they will call it DLC.

Funny thing is, we all know they will.

Holy crap I didn't even notice that card was the usb. I was thinking "where the hell is the usb he was talking about?"

runandgun

That USB drive is wicked awesome. I want one.

Very cool.

runandgun

I hated the demo but its definitely got nice swag. I tend to prefer extra in-game content though....

Yeah that usb is purty.

Illist

That's pretty neat.

I should start a gaming blog so I can get free schwag! I love free stuff! ESPECIALLY when it is quality like this bionic commando stuff.

that USB drive is the second most amazing one i've seen so far. the first one being of course, the Resident Evil 5 vaccine tube.

ariete

fuckin' press.

anim8rjb

So where is my free stuff? lol

@Illist: Bah, Ravage USB FTW.

PaxtonAstypalaea

Does anyone else see something innuendoriffic about this headline?

"Bionic Commando's Giant 360 Box of Schwag"

That sounds like a description of a character from the Overfiend movies...

I WANT!

BionicCommando1

That USB drive is pretty cool, but I'm pretty sure whoever wrote it meant to put "prosecution" in the last line. "persecution to the fullest extent of the law" doesn't really make sense.

All that looks awesome, I reserved it at Gamestop and they gave me an iron-on patch... what is this 1970?!

AlucardsQuest