[As posted on Japanator]
Think what you will of the game itself, but you can’t deny that some of the myriad stunts pulled by EA’s marketing department in promotion ofDante’s Infernowere nothing short ofinspired.
However, not every marketing approach works the same way overseas. All those appeals to commit sins and “Go to Hell” don’t hit quite as hard in Japan.Lustwouldn’t work, what with so many other games bringing the sexy over there.Greedwould be a toughie as well, given that review outlets likeFamitsuare already easilyboughtinfluencedwithoutneeding a whole Judeo-Christian angle.
Perhaps Gluttony, then? It certainly seems that the special,Dante’s Inferno-brand “Inferno” ramenprovides some indication of EA’s pitch. Sold at ramen chain Moukou Tanmen Nakamoto, the dish gets its blood-red color from a tomato-base soup, and a a demonic “eye” made of paprika is placed in the center. A specially designed bowl completes the setup, with ten concentric rings painted along the sides, each marked with the name of one of hell’s circles. Tasty.
Incidentally, the dude dressed up as Dante in the header is Dante Carver, a local celebrity known for his work in a bunch of cute talking-dog commercials for mobile carrier Softbank. Watch one below the cut, because Dale loves them.
