The Most Controversial Video Game Ads of All Time

GamePro.com recounts the 6 most head-turning, eyebrow-raising, stomach-churning gaming advertisements of all time.

GamePro.com recounts the 6 most head-turning, eyebrow-raising, stomach-churning gaming advertisements of all time. Think the current Hitman: Blood Money ad controversy is bad? Try bleeding eyeballs and S&M mistresses. Avert your eyes, children! (Everyone else, come on in.)

Throughout the years, GamePro magazine has seen its share of ads that pushed the so-called "taste envelope." There were even instances where GamePro's publisher actually turned away certain ads due to their unsuitable content. But some still managed to find their way into the magazine anyway.

Deathtrap Dungeon


Deathtrap Dungeon bombed in sales, but this ad bombed in other ways

This two-page spread for Deathtrap Dungeon (on the PlayStation) from Eidos had people screaming almost instantly. The feedback varied: some complaints pointed to the sadomasochistic nature of the dominatrix, while others leveled charges of racism, as the prisoner was of Asian descent. In the end, Deathtrap Dungeon received lukewarm reviews and quickly dropped from everyone's minds, though the fallout from the print ad lingered.

Spawn: The Eternal


Controversy was a double-edged sword for Spawn: The Eternal

This ad for Spawn: The Eternal (a PlayStation game) got much unwanted attention when it ran in 1998. The left side of this two-page spread featured a small fold-over flap that covered up the worst of the blood and gore. But the flap failed to hold back the massive outcry, as this bloody, gory ad triggered a torrent of complaints anyway. And the Spawn game sucked, too -- starting to see a trend here?

Sega Saturn


Sexy ads weren't enough to bail out Saturn

This is probably the most controversial advertisement to ever run in GamePro, and it came straight from Sega's marketing department. Readers pelted the GamePro editors with hate mail and threatened to cancel their subscriptions when this two-page centerfold ran in 1996 promoting the Sega Saturn gaming system. It didn't do Sega any good, though, as the Saturn crashed and burned once Sony moved into position with the PlayStation. Take note: sexy ad campaigns do not a successful next-gen console make.

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