Square Enix pulls awful Hitman Facebook marketing campaign

5 December 2012
Square Enix Hire Hitman app

Just two hours after launching a “Hire Hitman” Facebook app that let users put out a (fake) hit on friends and family, Square Enix binned it and apologised to everybody because it was so, so bad.

What was so, so bad about it? Apart from the questionably hilarious “ASSASSINATION, LOL!” thing, the app required selectable target identification data like “her small tits” and “her hairy legs”, and reasons included “she’s cheating on her partner”. Once dispatched, the app would show the target a series of photos from their own profile before “killing” them. Questionably hilarious indeed.

In a statement following the app’s retraction, Square Enix said that:

“Earlier today we launched an app based around Hitman: Absolution that allowed you to place virtual hits on your Facebook friends. Those hits would only be viewable by the recipient and could only be sent to people who were confirmed friends.

We were wide of the mark with the app and following feedback from the community we decided the best thing to do was remove it completely and quickly. This we’ve now done.

We’re sorry for any offence caused by this.”

I’m not sure why they expected this to turn out any other way.

Source: Rock Paper Shotgun

Related articles:

Stripper upset at Hitman: Absolution

Petition launched demanding US government build Death Star

Man builds ark to survive December apocalypse

You have read 2 out of 5 free articles. Log in or register for unlimited access.
  1. Kromas
    06.12.2012 at 06:45

    no entirely true. EA has an awesome marketing strategy. Too bad their games suck about 70% of the time.

Read now

The best gaming website in South Africa
MyGaming proudly displays the “FAIR” stamp of the Press Council of South Africa, indicating our commitment to adhere to the Code of Ethics for Print and online media which prescribes that our reportage is truthful, accurate and fair. Should you wish to lodge a complaint about our news coverage, please lodge a complaint on the Press Council’s website, www.presscouncil.org.za or email the complaint to [email protected] Contact the Press Council on 011 4843612.