7 Insultingly Obvious Product Placements That Nearly Ruined the Game

[@christianstonecipher1547]

Honestly, being able to wrestle Colonel Sanders is the exact form of product placement I want to see in game if any. Gives off the same vibes to me as all the secret skaters in the Tony Hawks games.

[@ryanshatkin8906]

I loved the tony hawk secret characters as a kid. I remember one of the games included Gene Simmons in his full KISS outfit and my oldest brother convinced me that he was a real life vampire who would suck my blood

[@420sakura1]

Yeah that kinda product placement is wishfulfilment.

[@Rexwar31]

@@ryanshatkin8906 you forgetting Dath Maul as one? Man got a hover board.

[@sarahbell8886]

The first one was intrusive and didn't seem to fit the flow of the game. The second one made me giggle. I think that it was definitely a win and didn't take away from the game

[@luchalerae7687]

@@Rexwar31 You just unlocked a detailed memory of my brain

[@clericofchaos1]

"Just in case you wanted to take control of a 130 year old fried chicken mogul and have him wrestle people"...duh. Why would anybody NOT want that?

[@DirgeTV]

I mean after KFC themselves licensed a dating sim featuring THEIR mascot, its now basically a matter of asking "What do you want to do with the Colonel today?"

[@dotsandboxesmaster3885]

Just imagining JR doing the "stone cold! stone cold!" thing as "the colonel! the colonel!"

[@jardex2275]

And if that doesn't pan out, Sanders can go be in a dating sim, or something.

[@dotsandboxesmaster3885]

"The Rat, slithering towards the deep fryer"

[@bobsquirrelking]

And it doesn't have to be limited to Colonel Sanders. It would be hilarious to have Wendy (Wendy's mascot) suplex Ronald McDonald.

[@sherlockjones8389]

A japanese middle-aged man, in a convenience store, reading a fashion magazine about the expensive watch he was already wearing, with sonic´s knight of the wind theme in the background; yep, that is yakuza alright

[@SVOtto]

The Majimagic Viryu Kazuma The Akizine

[@patbrewster479]

Wow, ya don't say🙄

[@speedfreak24]

I hadn't even realized the theme lol

[@kamonichan1111]

Jane: "Beware of minor spoilers for the following games." Me: "How do you spoil a sports game?!"

[@DrZaius3141]

By putting microtransactions in it.

[@marhawkman303]

@@khamjaninja. the spoiler is of course how inexplicable it all is. :d

[@justinblair9661]

Ask EA. They've perfected it.

[@cyanimation1605]

to be fair, they also have a Kojima game on here, which is impossible to spoil due to nobody understanding what the heck he's on about most of the time

[@tootzy-the-roll]

By showing how stupid it looks and making people not wanting to buy it

[@gruggerduggerhoose]

“All the quiet subtlety and restraint of someone with their hand stuck in a sandwich toaster” *pain-ini maker

[@CinnaScone]

[@MrSplic3r]

Why doesn't this have more likes?

[@lonedogg4857]

Well now I’m gonna use this as a joke.

[@ElectromagNick]

I'm only upset that I didn't think of it first

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

Makes me think of that scene from the Lobster

[@weezersthebluealbum9479]

I was just riding a bike in Death Stranding and Norman Reedus' character straight up just said, "This is an amazing bike, it should be on Ride with Norman Reedus", I was almost insulted by the complete lack of subtlety.

[@0816M3RC]

I am surprised his character doesn't just find a crossbow on the ground.

[@yeetyredding7697]

That sounds more like a joke on Normans part

[@cyanimation1605]

Kojima can have a little straightforward storytelling, as a treat.

[@OhNoTheFace]

@@cyanimation1605 Or more of sellout as he gets older

[@madhatt3r93]

Don't be, he did that in metal gear too, just treat it as a self-aware joke.

[@Sunprism]

I always liked, in the Ghostbusters video game, your proton pack can damage or destroy every single wall and piece of furniture in the game...Except for the invincible Mountain Dew dispensers and billboards.

[@looler12123]

The Death Stranding Monster Energy cans were so damn jarring to me when I first saw them lol

[@MrDalisclock]

Monster was the only brand to survive the Death Stranding because it's not made of anything natural. That may not make sense but little else in the game does either

[@TheReZisTLust]

Cause its made of cockroaches

[@samualcolt2055]

@@TheReZisTLust Mmmmmm love me some good old cockroach juice. Its roachalicious.

[@TheReZisTLust]

@@samualcolt2055 the Neurons that give the cockroaches their reactions is what gives ppl energy

[@AtmonTheExectioner]

Still made me hanker for some everytime I played...when you go through a 12 pack in 2 days....I had to stop playing.

[@MelodicQuest]

The Cup Noodles mission was actually pretty hilarious especially at the end where they basically just cut a commercial, complete with intentionally hammy delivery

[@FlaccidPancake]

I loved that side quest.

[@gorimbaud]

That side quest was the Ultimate Flavor Experience.

[@Amaritudine]

Gladiolus saved it for me when he delivered his lines while staring directly into the camera. It's so self-aware that the writers were clearly having fun with it. FFXV had some pretty wild product placement generally. It felt borderline surreal to arrive in Altissia and discover that Vivienne Westwood is apparently an accomplished fashion designer in their world too.

[@Joshua_Shadow_Manriguez]

Yeah, I personally found the Coleman outdoors products actually weird.

[@chrismanuel9768]

Making it over the top and super cheesy makes it memorable, fun, and a lot more tolerable. I don't want an ad... but if we make it an ad so bonkers with satirical levels of enthusiasm, it loops back around to being good.

[@xstarsystemsx]

And the saddest thing about the h&m sims 2 pack is that they're still the best looking clothes in the game (if you don't count cc).

[@DDiegoG]

And then there's also the IKEA stuff pack

[@samualcolt2055]

If you think H&M and Ikea from 2 is bad, at least the stuff looks nice in it. Sims 3's Katy Perry stuff pack is full of some of the most hideous clothes and furniture I have ever seen, the only use I could think of it was to make an Oompa Loompa land.

[@xstarsystemsx]

@@samualcolt2055 yeah, even i didn't touch that one. 😬

[@torgranael]

@@samualcolt2055 Wasn't it so unusably buggy, EA eventually pulled it?

[@samualcolt2055]

@@torgranael no idea. I bought it on disc so I don't know about that, honestly wouldn't suprise me though.

[@dallydaydream]

Well, at least after the H&M Stuff backlash, the Sims franchise learned their lesson. ...What do you mean they went on to do the same thing with IKEA, Diesel, and Katy Perry?

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Huh.

[@cmdraftbrn]

glad i stopped playin digital dollhouse at sims 1

[@xstarsystemsx]

I'd be madder if i didn't use h&m, ikea and diesel items all the freaking time. But yeah, nobody needed the Katy Perry one. I didn't even bother pirating that one. 👀

[@MissBrunetteRapunzel]

@basedweeb 3 electric boogaloo Don't even mention the starwars pack in any sims spheres. No one will forgive you

[@dallydaydream]

@@xstarsystemsx Yeah that's the annoying thing; I don't like the corporate tie-ins, but I do like some of the cute furniture and outfits ^^; (Also not the Katy Perry ones though o_O )

[@KatieTP]

2:06 Andy "MP" Basketballs' excitement about the State Farm slogan is giving me the same energy as a callback during an Oxventure.

[@ThuriWeaver]

I knew the FFXV Cup Noodles quest line would be in there. The guys can barely get through the dialog in it without laughing, they're hamming it up so much.

[@cyanimation1605]

k but I have yet to see anyone else acknowledge the American Express sticker in the lestallum gas station window, in a world where America doesn't exist

[@YEETUSDAFEETUS]

@@cyanimation1605 holy shit I never seen that and now I need to go back and find it

[@jzburda]

Hilarious how Energizer advertised in a game where your batteries go out in 15 seconds

[@Squall0506]

Hey lets look on the bright side, at least it didn't lie

[@inscrutablemungus4143]

5:18 "And has to follow a signal that will lead him to safety" The game should have a hard mode where they replace Verizon with AT&T.

[@mahiru20ten]

Speaking of AT&T, remember Cingular being featured on Need For Speed alongside t-Mobile?

[@YEETUSDAFEETUS]

look there's hard and then there's AT&T the game woulda been 90 percent phone calls about why shit isn't working and 5 percent of you trying to follow the ill fated GPS

[@ryanshatkin8906]

Fight Night Round 3 deserved a mention on this list. One of the optional trainers you can select is the titular Burger King, and he looks just as horrifying as you would imagine him to be. At least Sneak King and the other two BK games were open about their not so subtle advertising. With Fight Night you really don't see it coming

[@Jay-st6sl]

😂I kinda like it. Like, in some weird way, it feels cannon that the Burger King just mischievously manages to sneak into other games and lore. Like, the Burger King exist outside of our realm and is able to just hop to different forms of Media without any human intervention. He's like a ghost or a cryptid or somethin. He's like the Max Headroom of fast-food

[@tonypeppermint5329]

Oh, nice.

[@williamfalls]

The most disturbing part is that his benefits were one of the best, so you would WANT them in your corner... Despite how creepy they may be.

[@akiofurukawa8103]

such a good fuckin game

[@jennifervalentine8955]

BK is also the most expensive and best trainer who ironically focuses on your heart as well. That organ likely to get clogged if you eat BK too much. Don't forget about Dodge getting in there too. You have a belt where they feature the Dodge Caliber

[@carlociarrocchi2793]

Of course Gladio, it is perfectly normal to take down a _behemoth_ when you want a slice of meat on top of your noodles.

[@jimi_jams]

...you mean there's easier ways to get meat?

[@D0cSwiss]

As everyone knows, the harder a thing is to kill, the nicer it tastes. Now, I gotta go square up with a tiger and eat it, clearly it will be the tastiest thing ever.

[@BewareTheLilyOfTheValley]

Seriously though, if I lived in a world with behemoths casually wandering around, I'd just never go outside. Woe be to the delivery people though whom I'd hire to deliver everything to me...they better be master monster hunters 😂 Them and coeurls, I think they're called. The leopards that can electrocute you. They wrecked havoc on me in the main game until I was strong enough and I needed immense help when handling them in Comrades back when I played it. Both of those creatures need to go extinct, XD

[@stevenn1940]

Considering whales, elephants, and rhinos are all hard to kill animal, and they are all considered to be good tasting... it fits disturbingly well. I couldn't find information about tigers, though. An interesting note, all three of those (and the animals we traditionally eat) are all herbivores. Maybe there's something to that, other than the difficulty of feeding a predator as livestock.

[@f4rr3r]

I’m surprised this didn’t include the Mercedes DLC for Mario Kart 8

[@idraigirtm]

My thoughts exactly. Awesome game, but this Mercedes placement was infuriating.

[@randomperson3629]

I like it for some reason. The red GLA is actually my main kart

[@mappybc6097]

Specially since nothing on this list, not even pro wrestling Colonel Sanders, looks so out of place as chibi versions of real life Mercedes cars being ridden by Mario and co.

[@dmikewilcox]

I want Mercedes Lackey DLC!

[@OhNoTheFace]

Meh, it was never awkwardly talked about or shown center screen like everything in this

[@tyrannicpuppy]

I love the way it's OX canon that once an invader makes it to the ventilation system, it is up to Jane to resolve the issue. Cue a quick trip to the basement lab, some horrible noises that others all pretend didn't happen, and Jane walking out brushing her hands and proclaiming a job well done.

[@frodobaggins7710]

It makes me extremely happy to know "Knight of the Wind" is a song that plays in Yakuza convenience stores, it's one of my favourite Sonic songs

[@Shadow11990]

I literally paused the video, went back 5 seconds, listened for it again to make sure I wasn't imagining it, paused again, then dropped to the comments to see if I was the only one who heard it.

[@LadyBrightcynder]

Made me smile too XD

[@Flutterbutt225]

they like to pepper a lot of Sega's musical library in the bgm of the Yakuza and Judgment games!

[@hunain8794]

They play dreams of an absolution and a new venture alot too

[@westonloy1765]

I had to come to the comments to make sure I wasn’t having a stroke

[@sazza42]

Knew Alan Wake would be on here, the advertisement in that game is as subtle as sledgehammer

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

Or as subtle as a spotlight

[@djprojugs6606]

I want more alan wake I actually enjoyed the game a lot

[@sazza42]

@@djprojugs6606 same, it's one of my favourite games - I can't wait to get my copy of the remaster

[@ittyandpocky]

The remaster doesn't use Duracell batteries. I wonder if it uses Verizon for the phone thing too.

[@amagicalduck155]

Yet somehow I didn't notice it

[@MusicMyBeloved]

As someone who is far too chicken to have ever played PT I 100% believed the happy meal gag until you said otherwise, haha!

[@TheFlyInYourRoom]

how did you not notice the mcdonalds logo was edited

[@incredibleflameboy]

I've always wanted to have a go of PT. I wish just PT could be brought back into the storefront with a disclaimer that the final game won't be made

[@zulubunsen9067]

13:06 I genuinely appreciate having the overlay appear with a delay on this one occasion so aa to not disrupt the subtitles.

[@jessebowen2651]

"Just in case you wanted to take control of a 130 year old fried chicken mogul and have him wrestle people" of course that's what I want, its hilarious

[@RageUnchained]

The only way it could be more hilarious is if the game had a big head cheat

[@brknglasses2734]

I love this channel! Particularly when I'm enjoying a cool refreshing (add spon #1 here) , and a (spon #2) while driving my (high ticket spon, Segway to promo segment).

[@ThatDamnDoughboy]

@@IgnobleKin about tree fiddy

[@joost0133]

No, I don't want a spon-RAID SHADOW LEGENDS IS THÉ FANTASY MMO RPG

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

Come on now. They don’t have three ad breaks per video. It’s a lot higher than that usually

[@jeffbaumert3642]

Ironically in your spon fill in the blanks, you accidentally mention Segway. :D

[@brknglasses2734]

@@jeffbaumert3642 not an accident, they gave me a Ninebot s!!!!!! I am kidding... but wouldn't it be cool if you COULD get sponsored for comments? I'm stuck walking around unassisted by electronic wheels...

[@Hellwyck]

Come on Noctis, surely "Nissin Complete" would've been better.

[@heydukewhatup]

OMG this made me laugh!

[@donaldgow6673]

That product placement scene in Wayne's World (20-something years ago) feels less like a cutting satire, so much as a toned-down prediction of the future / now.

[@joshuamoore8560]

"It's like people only do things because they get paid. And that's just really sad."

[@philiphunn194]

It's the choice of a New Generation.

[@typacsk]

Meanwhile, in the future: "What the hell is Nuprin?!"

[@gyrozeppeli8940]

Dude, ads were way more adundant and blatant in media in the past then now

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Ah, love that movie, while the sequel is somewhat worthwhile.

[@ali6418]

Speaking as an American, if you say "like a good neighbor..." to anyone, they will absolutely finish that statement.

[@mr.cranberry2329]

No they won't. Still the lest offensive placement in my opinion

[@bandana_girl6507]

@@mr.cranberry2329 A good subset of us will. Also, if you are in the area that Red Robin has restaurants in, you will get a "Yum" in response to "Red Robin" being done in the singsong way they have. Some places really have hit hard on the echolalia

[@AsmodeusMictian]

Well, post 2020 it's.... "Like a good neighbor..." "Stay the F OVER THERE." just saying.

[@cyanimation1605]

Because we are insurance Americans within a 5 mile radius: *WE ARE FARMERS. BUM BADUMP BUMBUM BUM BUM!!!!!!*

[@cyanimation1605]

@@AsmodeusMictian >implying Americans not actively suffocating on their own lungs are even aware the pandemic is still happening

[@kobuseksteen411]

Mercedes in Mariokart, was about as subtle and unwanted as a Blueshell to the brain.

[@SkillsLoading]

The one that always sticks with me is Splinter Cell Chaos Theory and Airwaves, there's a scene that only exists to show Sam Fisher chewing Airwaves

[@charlations]

Came here for the product placements and to say: Well done, Ellen!!!! That was terrifying and I really appreciate y'all at Oxtra and Oxbox doing so much for us still being in quarantine!!!

[@mkfjn1]

It was a tasty video, just like a tasty Mickie D, 😋 ohhh, I'm loving it...

[@04Dani11]

I had to skip for spoilers. Nobody’s spoiling me a NBA 2k Game - again

[@TransmitHim]

No-one other than 2K anyway.

[@cyanimation1605]

whAT??? *MY CHARACTER GOT DRAFTED INTO THE NBA?!?!*

[@lokinpsychg]

I know it doesn't really count, but I love the ads in the Outer Worlds, space ruled by companies

[@asteriondeltoro124]

Everything in Akiba's Trip: Undead and Undressed. EVERYTHING. Yes, really. EVERY. LAST. THING. The game is set in the Akihabara district of Tokyo, and pretty much everything is an ad. Most of the stores in the background- and ALL of the ones you can actually enter and shop in- are real stores in Akihabara, and fliers for other stores are given by NPCs as collectables. The net cafe that serves as the heroes' base of operation is also a real geek hangout. There are ads for 2013 anime and games on the loading screens, unlockable costumes from popular Japanese media properties, and that recurring J-Pop jingle you hear in the background is the theme song for Conception II, another game by the same publisher. It truly must be seen to be believed.

[@mahiru20ten]

Well, the game is basically giving you the experience what the heck is going on in Akihabara... with zombies.

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Yeah that sort of feels like the Yakuza entry on this list in that you pretty much know that the experience is going to have a lot of product placement going in and that's actually part of its charm.

[@MazTheOriginalGod]

To be fair... No one plays Akiba for THAT content...

[@greenhowie]

Videos like this are how you can tell OX isn't officially affiliated with Microsoft. Gives them a bit of spice.

[@aaronkimberley2008]

The most memorable one for me was in SimCity 2012. The game was released and had numerous server issues for it's online multiplayer aspect in a game that at the time could only be played in online multiplayer. Their first dlc came shortly after the release of the game and was a branded Nissan Leaf car charging station. You had to pay for it and there had still yet to be a patch fixing many known issues. The forums were a sight to behold. Well done EA.

[@Goldenkitten1]

Man I never played it but I heard all about that shitshow. Kinda funny they were doing it years before that and have ever since and yet people STILL think EA is going to change when they show a little "good will" (aka. their PR department told them they had to do something nice to keep making money).

[@RazalasTrebla]

Holy crap I'm old. 2012 was 18 years ago. ;_;

[@luketfer]

Wasn't SimCity 2012 the one that basically killed the franchise because most people switched over to City: Skylines instead. So by rushing it EA killed a stranglehold they had on the market (SimCity was THE city builder) and almost killed their own brand.

[@AaronJLong]

I remember that! I got the game on launch so I got the DLC for free. I placed some Leaf stations all throughout my city and it did nothing to help with the terrible traffic problems. I don't think it helped anything at all.

[@LoganPosthumous]

"The bed looked inviting, but it was only the radio"

[@drinnik]

To paraphrase RuPaul, “I don't wanna see any H&M in my video games.”

[@nonyabizz9390]

Jake from Statefarm actually really amuses me. We do know the character from the commercials, which always feature him with known sports personalities. It might be as subtle as a brick to the face, but it is funny, and in a very weird way, not terribly out of place. And the dude from the commercial must be thrilled that he got to be in a game, his likeness, his voice. When you consider how low commercials rate as an acting gig, even if you earn a spokesman like role in them, this is actually a big deal for him, and how memorable (and well received) his commercials are, especially by sports fans.

[@ajalferez5927]

Nice to see Jane back on the list videos. Been quite a while.

[@ddjsoyenby]

agreed.

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

I haven’t been here in a while. Was she ok?

[@ajalferez5927]

@@JoshuaJacobs83 I believe so. She's been in the other videos like quizzes and stuff, just not on the lists. I don't really know why, but either way, it's really nice to have her back.

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

@@ajalferez5927 I agree. She’s my favorite. I was worried for a sec

[@karfsma778]

Colonel Sanders being a playable character is the one good thing that has come out of KFC being involved with WWE

[@xeepher757]

Quantum Break is the first thing I can think of when it comes to product placements. The amount of Windows Phones and camera angles to show a screen with Windows 8 was absurd. Also there was literally a garage level where ALL THE CARS were by Nissan!

[@kevin_f]

Oh no you’re gonna have a Jake from State Farm infestation. When you see one, that means there’s 100 more in the walls. Try baiting them out with khakis!

[@swiney6687]

My favourite will always be Sam Fisher nonchalantly popping some airways chewing gum in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Really caught me off-guard the first time :D

[@Typhon-vs3dw]

Can we just appreciate “Knight of the Wind” from Sonic and the Black Knight playing in that Yakuza convenience store?

[@NuckChorris12345]

I honestly don't know if that was real or not. But if it was, I love that so much. It just seems so out of place though

[@Jethwright]

In Judgment (as well as Yakuza 6), you can visit a steakhouse chain called Ikinari Steak and there's a dedicated substory with the CEO appearing as an NPC

[@camerongrondzki2716]

Btw in defense of them adding Colonel Sanders to their game ppl already made customs of him for years bc its funny

[@locktock9]

I laughed too hard at "my bed looked inviting, but it was just the radio" in Alan Wake

[@interregnum_]

Which Jake from State Farm is in the vents? The original or the reboot? It matters because one is weak to fire and the other thrives on it!

[@rjfrost7090]

I hate the new one. He has no reason being as smug as he is for being just another token minority hire being used so State Farm can look good.

[@rjfrost7090]

@@khamjaninja. I like the original. He actually works at State Farm, is an ordinary dude like anyone else, and his name is actually Jake. New Jake is just some pretty boy actor named Kevin who couldn't make it on TV or movies or what-have-you so he has to sell his soul and what little bits of self-respect he has left to do this crap to get work.

[@tyrannicpuppy]

With the horrible abominations and experiments Jane has in the lab, most of which have been evolving on their own for the past two years unchecked due to quarantining, it doesn't matter which one. They're doomed regardless.

[@mpbMKE]

@@rjfrost7090 How *dare* actors take acting jobs. The unrepentant audacity!

[@rjfrost7090]

@@mpbMKE He can do any acting job he wants, *Except* for jobs where they don't care how good of an actor he is, all they care about is having a black guy be the face of their company so they win 'good' guy points with idiots on Twitter. Really how is it that the concept of token minority characters being racist flies over your head? If he was just a dude in the commercial like old Jake fromstatefarm it'd be okay. But they have to have everyone else in the commercials simp for the guy, debase themselves, and worship the ground he walks on. No real person is ever that pathetic in being grateful to their insurance guy.

[@henryviiifake8244]

The 2K walk of shame 🤣🤣🤣 Pretty much _all_ their games these days!

[@PrimeGlaz]

Its really surprising they put basketball in a gambling game

[@changsiah2]

CIV as well as XCOM but I do get your point ( yeah they really need to stop doing sports games because seriously)

[@changsiah2]

@@PrimeGlaz lootbox are not gambling

[@archy_bold]

I was right about to link to that review from Steve Hogarty in PC Zone, but you went right ahead and put it in the video. Absolute all-time classic!

[@Hempus420]

Skate 3 also had a few achievements that were product placement. I always wondered why they thought people would want an achievement featuring mayonnaise.

[@Enrique_S]

MGS4 also had a legit Apple ipod in your inventory that had some songs and an episode of a Kojima Production podcast you could listen to during missions.

[@Jaaskeleton]

I dunno what it is but it's so delightful when Jane flubs the outro.

[@Elbiman]

I was sooo hoping Steve's review would get at least a wink and nudge in that Sims segment, and you definitely delivered. It's a glorious piece that I re-read every few months, just to keep it fresh in memory.

[@benlin1526]

I don't mind product placement as long as: it's clever, funny, and entertaining.

[@Brainreaver79]

i want to add :"and makes sense in the context of the story"

[@michaelandreipalon359]

What Brainreaver79 said. Seeing generic stand-ins in fiction like Googs and Snookers annoys me a bit. At least Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse did things right and well pertaining to both kinds.

[@tyrannicpuppy]

Like the Ryan Reynolds youtube channel. It's just video after video of him making ads for his companies, but they're almost all funny and watchable to the point I have rewatched most of them several times. And some of them aren't even available where I live. I'm watching ads for things I can't even buy.

[@Cuuniyevo]

@@tyrannicpuppy "I'm watching ads for things I can't even buy" should absolutely be the name of a documentary.

[@subman23]

Well, guess they're going to have to recast Jake again. If Jane's taking care of him, our man ain't got a shot

[@tba113]

Jake from State Farm can never die - only the actors who play him!

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

What No 007: Quantum of Solace? That game had its multiplayer maps plastered with billboards for Netflix and Orbit Gum. The worst part, the billboards were bullet proof.

[@rjfrost7090]

So they knew people would want to shoot those billboards.

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

And one of those companies proudly hosts a CP focused movie. Even worse

[@JasonZakrajsek]

@@JoshuaJacobs83 what?

[@JoshuaJacobs83]

@@JasonZakrajsek Oh Netflix. They have child pr0n proudly hosted on their site. The movie Cuties…let’s just say it’s the kind of movie Joe Biden watches every night before bed

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

@Jason Zak just ignore him. Dude has no idea what he’s talking about.

[@WillieManga]

Darkened Skye was so shameless that the shamelessness is literally a gameplay mechanic. You can collect artifacts to craft upgrades. Sounds kinda cool, until you discover the artifacts are Skittles. Nothing in on the box mentions that you use candies as magic macguffins.

[@chris.rodgers]

Gotta love late stage capitalism, where companies will spend money on literally anything other than improving their product and service

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Lol. Commies always complain that everything is "late stage Capitalism." what's funny is that they've been saying that for 120 years now.

[@Mekora]

Need for Speed Underground 2 gave the player character a cellphone, and had them receive messages from various characters in game. Where this gets weird however, is that the logo for the company your phone was from is actually part of the HUD, which is used to prompt you to answer messages, and is always visible, not just when you have unread messages.

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Oh, yeah, Cingular, was it? Same thing happened on NFS: Most Wanted 2005. Classics, the Underground duology/MW2005/Carbon...

[@Mekora]

Having played NFSU2 again recently, I've noticed also that for people who use slang a lot, they weirdly also talk a lot about your phone's SMS specifically, and call attention to using your phone to find and co-ordinate races, presumably as part of the whole thing about advertising a phone company.

[@Catterjee]

The one that always stood out to me was the sheer number of Powerade machines in Enter the Matrix. It went from "Hey, this is obvious product placement" to "This is getting eerie."

[@Johnny_Cash_Flow]

Are we forgetting the 90's for this list? "Yo! Noid" and "Cool Spot" were entire games designed around selling products to kids.

[@shinyrayquaza9]

that's a bit different than what this list is going for

[@LittleNemoGaming]

To be fair, Cool Spot was a legit really good game. I enjoyed that game, but usually hate platformers.

[@OhNoTheFace]

Because Cool Spot was a genuinely good game. This is mockery for lazy ones

[@fede35mm]

Awww, i just realized Jake from State Farm is a workout friend from college ❤️ Good job, Kevin 🙌

[@zelatoth]

The Monster Energy in Death Stranding was hilarious and certainly didn't almost ruin the game.

[@NGMonocrom]

*State Farm* : Jake used to be a chubby white guy in khakis. Guess State Farm decided to make him cooler, younger, and hip.

[@mikshanamaelevia3787]

I was expecting Darkened Syke, a game where you literally used Skittles to cast spells. The game had the commercials of the time as prophecies.

[@Calekoflight]

They couldn't even use other flavors of Monster? Base Monster tastes what I imagine the Mountain Dew syrup they put in soda fountains tastes like...

[@ollie3976]

there’s a bit in Uncharted 4 where Elena answers a call on a shiny new smartphone conveniently placed screen down on a table with the logo on the back clearly visible and centered in the shot. it definitely wasn’t as egregious as some of the stuff on this list but felt a little jarring nonetheless

[@jr.pierre9940]

Let's go immediately here from Ellen's wonderful fear academy

[@jarommasters8304]

Me too!

[@allontegreene9420]

I am as well.

[@little-earth-star6]

Can confirm

[@CodaBlairLucarioEmperor]

I'm going from here to Ellen's Fear Academy

[@TheMur28]

Some of the highlights from EA’s NASCAR games (where everything is a giant advertisement) from the mid-noughties were a cheat code to have a bunch of Mr. Clean clones for your pit crew, and the ability to drive the UPS Truck in races.

[@colinspeirs]

I've seen less subtle back in the Miggy days, Zool and Chupa Chups, Cool Spot and 7 Up, James Pond and Penguin biscuits. .

[@andymcp4752]

“Andy MP Basketballs” is what I write on forms next to “name and favourite bouncing, orange sport ball”

[@null7491]

JANE!!! There's been a serious lack of Jane lately.

[@GriffinWolf]

It feels like ages since we've seen Jane in a list video! Did something happen inside the secret lab?? Oh god, did the experiments gain sentience in their year of solitude?!

[@Benjamin1986980]

You also forgot in final fantasy 15 how much they shield for the dress company that made Luna's wedding dress. They literally held a vigil in front of the store with the characters talking about how beautiful the dress is while prominently featuring the logo. Or Coleman camping gear, which prominently features every single time you cook or camp.

[@cala_mitie]

Some much needed levity after that Fear Academy livestream

[@oxfanblink4115]

True especially with the main doll and monster fetus 😰😰

[@number8productiondepartmen517]

Can I come out of the cupboard now?

[@oxfanblink4115]

@@number8productiondepartmen517 As long as there’s no horrible wailing you may

[@NN010]

@@oxfanblink4115 I played Village myself back in May, and that bit was horrifying. I was scared shitless by the end of it.

[@gwts1171]

My big takeaway fro this video is that Jane said that I should put my hand in a sandwich toaster. Thanks, Jane!

[@idraigirtm]

I was actually surprised when I recently went back to the Death Stranding Director's Cut, to find the Monster Energy cans replaced (probably cause the deal expired?), cause (sadly) they were a major thing I remembered about the game. Now they're called Bridges Energy or something. Also they have done the same thing with the placements of Verizon and Energizer in Alan Wake Remastered

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

That's actually a little bit sad since so many memes of these things have been made at this point. You won't quite get the same experience out of these games. I remember the Alan Wake one in particular as being hilarious since it really was pretty subversive as a sort of "anti-ad" for shitty batteries.

[@louisetarrant1071]

I need to find several situations in real life now where I can roll out the phrase ‘unmitigated bum’

[@truevoidchaos5980]

Sudden twist OutsideXbox is being sponsored by all of these brands at the same time

[@secretscarlet8249]

Insulting or not, that cup noodle mission made me buy a 12 pack lol. Call me easily swayed, but cooking that noodle while the boys have a noodle dinner at their camp by the sea was awesome.

[@PhoenixofEclipse]

I loved the cup noodle quest. It was hilariously excessive

[@MmeCShadow]

The Cup Noodles advertisement in FF-XV is so shameless I can't help but love it. Gladio doing a Vanna White while talking about its perfect balance of flavors had me in stitches.

[@SithBunny1]

Little known fact about Jake from State Farm- that's not even his final form.

[@tyrannicpuppy]

It will be after he picks a fight with Jane. The Evil Lab will end him quicker than he can say his catchphrase.

[@nono-ch8oy]

I wish companies realized that showing their products in our faces, makes us hate them.

[@AsmodeusMictian]

Pro Tip: Companies usually don't engage in things that don't make money. So... All of these must've been at least profitable at the time. Granted, basically every brand besides Verizon I stay the hell away from in real life sooo..../shrug/. Otherwise, THAT'S A LOT OF DAMAGE.

[@lizhasasthma]

I cannot believe y'all would talk about all of Kojima's product placements EXCEPT for the doritos and mountain dew in peace walker! For shame!

[@pc4mlc451]

Death Stranding: Monster's in it! Pepsi Man: Hold my Pepsi.

[@AchtungBeccaC]

Jane’s back! 🥳 Fun list, too. (I forgot…Andy’s NBA character..whoa, haha)

[@davidnabbit]

Is there a story behind that character? He looks like quite the badass. 😂

[@nathand265]

As cynical cash grabs as the 2k games are, that Jake from State Farm interaction was truly adorable. I hope it never comes out that he's a monster or something.

[@changsiah2]

CIV as well as XCOM but I do get your point ( yeah they really need to stop doing sports games because seriously)

[@That1powergamer]

Honestly I loved the Mt.Dew and Sprite you can buy at the Don QuiJote in Yakuza 6 it's a actual store in Japan known for carrying a metric truck ton of stuff so it might actually be a actually immersive add in a way. Only real down sider the boost is pretty mediocre if you ask me.

[@Alemond]

If I remember right, EA pulled that same bull again with the Sims by selling and IKEA pack. Once again paying for an ad. It was also highly inaccurate as none of the furniture had left over parts.

[@jothki]

I'm assuming it didn't all come in boxes with your Sims needing to use their mechanical skill to set it up?

[@nickdejager8873]

I can forgive Tower Records being in NEO: The World Ends With You, as it is practically a landmark in Shibuya and was bland name in the first game. What I find less forgivable is that amongst all the bland name fashion labels in the game, there is real company "BLACK HONEY CHILI COOKIE". Especially since they don't even have any pins (weapons) just clothing.

[@jothki]

Oh, that's why that brand exists? I was wondering about that, besides not having any pins they also don't fit into the zodiac theme the brands use.

[@iusethisnameformygoogleacc1013]

I'm glad channels like this one exist and are massive (I mean, compared to every other channel I watch at least) if only so Americans can get some frame of reference for what their cultural references & Ads sound like to the rest of the world, which still hears an unavoidably *huge* number of both but without context. Not just by saying "Which, for people outside America, means absolutely nothing" but by giving them a true sense of what it's like with Extremely British things on streams and in their reactions to people having never heard of them on streams. The "If you're American or similar" line from Andy about Cuthbert The Caterpillar Cake from ages ago comes to mind and really resonates with me. Keep up the great performance art informing the biggest part of the anglosphere what it's like to consume english-language media outside of itself...oh, and the cool lists about games, too, I guess.

[@i_hate_mma]

Surprised I didn’t see UFC 4 on the list. Just for having a “The Boys” put in the center of the cage and in the bottom of the main menu for a few weeks.

[@Ceece20]

And the unskippable ad that was shoehorned in until people got pissed about it.

[@apanickedseagull]

Watching a digital Norman chug an entire can of Monster was horrifying

[@Ver_Minh]

Alan Wake was the first game I've encountered that had product placement. It was always some same look alike knock-off otherwise. Aside from the COLA of Parasite Eve and Fallout. So really Parasite Eve would have been the first game I encountered with product placement and Resident Evil 2 had a soda machine but I don't recall it saying COLA. During Alan Wake I was like yeah. Energizer, what other battery is there? I've used sunbeam and duracell but they always ran out of juice quicker than acid eats through human flesh when used in certain appliances. Only duracell D batteries lasted long enough to power the radio nicely for my sister. Only energizer actually kept the Gameboy alive longer than an hour.

[@GeorgeLawless1]

The 'Olliewood' level of Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure trumps all of these; with it's 20 second unskippable dance routine to a Nokia ringtone and it's McDonalds delivery mission with animated burgers taking up half your screen. The whole level is full of product placement.

[@brightthembo]

Was not expecting to be reminded how good PCZone used to be 🤣

[@Cangwen]

You know what's far worse than H&M? It's called Journey to Batuu.