If there’s a marketing opportunity to be exploited, you can bet that Spike and the producers of the network’s annual Video Game Awards will be there to take advantage of it — no matter how absurd it may seem. I can just imagine the conversation that took place between them and EA Sports’ marketing department a few weeks ago:
EA Sports:As you know, we just announced that we’re making anewNFL Blitzgame. It’ll be available for $15 on January 4–Spike:Yeah, yeah, I heard ya. Football game. Whaddya got for me?EA Sports:Um, we’d like to work with you to promote it on the VGAs.Spike:Yuh-huh, you and every schmuck with something due out in oh-twelve.EA Sports:…Spike:Twenty-twelve. Next year. Uh-doyyy.EA Sports:Right. Well, we have three candidates for the game’s cover — Ray Rice, Patrick Willis, and Roddy White — and we were thinking of getting your viewers to vote during the show to pick one.Spike:… and?EA Sports:I should note that it’s a virtual cover, so to speak, since the game’s coming out on Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.Spike:[blank stare]EA Sports:Oh, and we can get Hall of Famer Jerry Rice to announce the winner, live on the air.Spike:Great! We’ll just move another award or two into the montage. Where do I sign?
