fail | Agent-X Comics

Failed online gaming

October 4, 2009 Agent X 2 Comments

When World Of Warcraft & Nintendo join forces, it can only end badly.

The collaboration shown in my comic has not happened, of course – but if it did, it would be sure to fail miserably.
I think that trying to have the Wii users and WOW users work togethor on a common platform would be harder to orchestrate than world peace.

Unfortunately, this collaboration could well be something that is on a gaming marketing executive’s “brainstorm” list somewhere.

Lets face it, worse ideas have been pitched by marketers of games – and some have actually been followed up on!

Some recent failed gaming marketing ploys include Sony’s Failed PSP Viral Marketing Stunt and recently, EA’s “Sin to Win” contest for Dante’s Inferno

There are also too many examples of cross-promotional merchandise that marketers have pushed onto the consumer public.
Check out these 6 Crappy Items Marketed Towards Gamers, such as :

– Caffeinated Soap
– Video Game Champion Glove
– Game Fuel (which was Mountain Dews attempt to cash in on Halo 3)

Crosspromotion and co-branding is a way of life in marketing and many online games (I am looking at you, Second Life) even include branding opportunities within them.

This can sometimes be very successful.
But in my view, even when they succeed, it still feels like a sell-out.

No-one likes Clippy

September 30, 2009 Agent X 6 Comments

Is Microsoft’s clippy the most hated animated avatar of all time?

I think he just may be. I don’t know of any other avatar characters that seem to have united computer users in the bonds of hate like Clippy has managed to do.

Originally intended to be a helpful assistant to guide you through using Microsoft Office, he instead became a target of hatred.
I blame this on his arrogant manner. It always felt like he thought he was better than you and was putting you down. (Maybe that was just me?)

He is (mostly) gone now, but I know how much time microsoft put into creating him, so I truly expect him back sometime in the future. Until then – let’s enjoy the silence….

Leave a comment and let me know who your most hated avatar character is, and why.

Before you go – please take a minute to visit this excellent little animation done by Shaun Moriarty.
I just had to share this with you, as I think the animation he has done for this song is just perfect.

>> Click here to enjoy “a social network for two”

No Beavers on the Internet

September 26, 2009 Agent X 2 Comments

Is this too much wood?

This is just a quick little comic I have done, to add to the site over the weekend.
It forms part of my theme of “Animals on the internet” comics – which, to be honest, I did not realise was even there.

Looking back over my comics, I can now see this theme and I figure I may as well tag these comics so that anyone else interested in that kind of thing, can check them out too.
There are sure to be more animal themed comics in the future, too.

Just a note – I am including FailWhale in this group, as he is a whale and deserves to be with his own kind.

In case you have not seen it already, check out this excellent animation by Mukpuddy Animation, titled “The Stallion”.
This is the first adventure of Edward the Horse and Warren the Rabbit. Starring Pulp Sport’s Bill & Ben.

Suspect Laptop upgrade

September 23, 2009 Agent X 3 Comments

This may be the ultimate petrol head’s laptop.

It is the kind of thing you would see if Vin Diesel’s Fast and Furious character Dominic Toretto fixed computers.

But it is all a facade, like so many other things these days.
For example, I was researching a seminar I had considered going to. I like to check out the speakers to see if they actually have the goods and are worth paying to see.
I found one particular session that I was keen on, but it was being presented by a speaker I had never heard of.

A few minutes research on google, twitter, facebook, LinkedIn, etc (gotta love the internet for the research capabilities it offers) and I had found out all I needed to know.

And that was that whilst this speaker was being promoted as an expert, they had never had the real world experience to back up what they were going to present on.
They had never had a job in the field, had never run a business or even used the tools they were going to speak about and basically pumped up their resume/online presence, to give the appearance of success.

Needless to say, I quickly lost interest in the session and the seminar.

Unfortunately these days, many people with not real knowledge can make themselves appear successful and will simply regurgitate others information to appear knowledge.
There is a saying that “on the internet, perception is reality”. This is true.

But if it looks like a duck online and walks like a duck online, it does not mean it is actually is a duck in real life.

Cheaters never win, they say. I hope this remains true in the glorious technological future.

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