Last week, Reddit user Macsterraccused Microsoft of copying his conceptfor aPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsad. While Microsoft has yet to admit that it copied Macsterr’s work, the company has pulled the ad from its various social media channels, and Xbox’s Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson, has said that the incident is being “investigated.”
Major Nelson has promised to followup with Macsterr once the investigation into the controversialPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsad has concluded, but it’s unclear what will come about from the whole situation. After all, even if Microsoft did admit to copying Macsterr’s work with itsPlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsad, Macsterr wasn’t commissioned to create an ad forPUBGand doesn’t have the rights to its IP or characters.
Microsoft, meanwhile, has securedPUBGas an Xbox One console exclusive for the time being, and clearly has a vested interest in the game. While Microsoft may have been better off creating an entirely new ad concept of its own, it actually does have the right to promote the game, whereas Macsterr’s work is just fan art.
Here is Macsterr’s ad concept:
And Microsoft’s ad:
Microsoft may just wait for the controversy to die down a bit before reintroducing the ad, or it may move forward with a different ad concept entirely. SincePUBGis one of themost popular Xbox One console exclusivesin recent memory, with over 1 million players joining the online battlefield in just 48 hours, Microsoft likely has multiple advertising campaigns planned for the game.
Of course, growingPUBG’s success on Xbox One is going to take more than just clever marketing ideas. The game will also need to receive regular updates to ensure that its player base doesn’t move on to other experiences. As it stands, the Xbox One version of the game still has a long way to go if it hopes to measure up to the PC release, which runs better and has more content, like the desert map Miramar.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegroundsis available now on PC and on Xbox One through its Game Preview program.
