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This Star Wars Battlefront Controversy is Nothing New

This Star Wars Battlefront Controversy is Nothing New

A post from Breaking Benjamin’s Benjamin Burnley kicked off some Star Wars Battlefront controversy a few days ago. The artist posted a picture on Instagram of a shattered Star Wars Battlefront Xbox One disc. It was accompanied by his commentary, which stated, “They wanted to pay me to post that I like this peice of shit game .. They can shove it up their ass this game sucks I’d rather watch the god awful prequels then play this peice of shit one more second [sic].”

Putting aside his horrible sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and syntax, Burnley isn’t really saying anything new. Yet some people are acting like this is a surprising turn of events. EA is giving celebrities games and offering them money for endorsements. Why, that almost sounds like, I think, yes! This sounds like some sort of paid advertisement.

What happened with Star Wars Battlefront happens all of the time, both with video games and other forms of media. Celebrity endorsements sell. Did you happen to catch the Guitar Hero Live commercial where Lenny Kravitz and James Franco rock out? Do you think they actually play the game? Well, okay, they’re both cool dudes and might. But do you think they played it in that instance for free? Of course not. Nintendo often does this with stars you wouldn’t expect to be playing video games, like when Modern Family ‘s Sarah Hyland played Style Savvy Trendsetters or Carrie Underwood played Nintendogs .

The only difference here is that a celebrity who was offered such a deal decided to post and speak out against the title. It’s caused a stir that some may find refreshing. But honestly, Burnley’s reaction isn’t anything to get too worked up about. People in the public eye are often given things for free or offered money to talk about them on social media in exchange for promotional products and payment.

It happens with reviews too. Think about it. Did you look up any of the reviews for Star Wars Battlefront ? When you did, did any of the websites have an elaborate background featuring all sorts of images and information about the game? Or maybe some exclusive news stories on it, leading up to its release? When that happens, it’s smart to think about why you’re seeing all of that extra promotion and take that into account when you’re reading the scores.

This Star Wars Battlefront Controversy is Nothing New

It’s up to us as consumers to be smart about things. Is Star Wars Battlefront a good game? That depends on who’s playing it. Some aren’t going to have a good time and have valid concerns about the title, like Burnley, while others will enjoy themselves fighting through iconic battles with familiar characters. As with all things, your level of enjoyment and entertainment will vary based on your personal preferences.

Rather than make a big deal over celebrity promotions, it’s better to be smart when seeing what the pretty people are up to. If someone in the public eye likes something, don’t automatically take that to mean that it’s awesome and should be purchased. Think things through, investigate items, and be smart.

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