Xbox 360 ad pulled by UK regulator

Microsoft in trouble with the UK Advertising Standards Authority for 'glamorising' street racing.

A UK ad for the Xbox 360 featuring street racing stunts has been pulled from TV after the Advertising Standards Authority ruled that it glamorised street racing and could encourage young men to drive dangerously.

The ad starts with a man wearing a balaclava being chased across a rooftop by two other men, before jumping off the roof, and then into a car with a group of others and speeding off. There was then a car chase through a busy city centre, culminating in the car rolling over, after which the driver got out and swapped his balaclava with the other man's police badge, with the slogan, "Jump in. Xbox 360." Text at the bottom of the screen throughout the ad showed printed warnings including, "Dramatisation. Professional stunt. Do not attempt."

Microsoft UK Ltd argued that it had deliberately placed text on the advert to explain that stunts had been performed by professionals in controlled environments and that viewers should not attempt any of the stunts themselves.

However, the ASA upheld the complaint, by saying that the ad "glamorised" street car racing and could be seen to condone dangerous driving, and ordered the ad not to be shown again.

247 Comments

  • NFSU2_RC3

    Posted Jun 29, 2007 1:40 pm PT

    wtf its a damn commercial im not gonna watch it then go street racing directly after

  • decide666

    Posted Apr 6, 2007 8:23 am PT

    "Why have a progam Called Top Gear then ???? J. Clarkson doesent even think speed kills i'd heard an interview with him in which he stated flying in an aircraft @ 600 miles an hour is ok so whats the problem with cars ? the blokes a *** ***** ***** .Boy racers love Top Gear , this program does loads to glorify driving fast , which leads to accidents its a shame ."

    the program top gear is about new cars on the market and 4 blokes havin a laugh in face cars and mostly a family show hence is on at 8pm and speed doesnt kill is the idiot at the wheel that does if you a skilled driver. driving at 115+ with ur full atention n skill is fun and no one will get hurt drive like a bellend at 115+ without watching n care ur'll hurt people.Clarksons right.

  • Mikazukinoyaiba

    Posted Apr 6, 2007 7:07 am PT

    @JHZ

    I swear you are the most sensitive person I ever met.

    You let the tiniest negative thing someone says about the UK piss you off and go reporting people as if it'll make them change their mind.

    Honestly, I never meant to say "each and every women and child in the UK even those yet unborn" are idiots.

    I really was speaking about the ASA but used the term "UK" instead. But anyone with common sense should have been able to tell that much.

    There is no one in the world who would condemn an entire people for the actions of their country's censorship group.

    So anywho, I apoligize for saying "the UK are idiots" but at the same time I say you need to chill a little, look back on things, before jumping the gun or at the very least, don't let some post made by someone across the world offend you.

    This is the internet, deal with it.

  • nev70

    Posted Apr 6, 2007 12:49 am PT

    Why have a progam Called Top Gear then ???? J. Clarkson doesent even think speed kills i'd heard an interview with him in which he stated flying in an aircraft @ 600 miles an hour is ok so whats the problem with cars ? the blokes a *** ***** ***** .Boy racers love Top Gear , this program does loads to glorify driving fast , which leads to accidents its a shame .

  • Elyoshi

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 5:23 pm PT

    Aww, c'mon now, don't be like Germany.

  • ketsuatama

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 5:20 pm PT

    But its OK to glamorise alcohol drinking, unrealistic body shapes for women, etc etc?!

  • decide666

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 4:58 pm PT

    "Ahh, but it's okay to air that episode of Top Gear where the hosts go to the USA to purposely mock and make fun of Southern people using offensive terms painted on their cars? Hypocrites."

    haha that was funny and everything on there cars was true .

  • jimbo6923

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 4:44 pm PT

    The best part about street racers... a lot of them end up dead or paralized!

  • cspiffo

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 3:10 pm PT

    Politicians are so very ignorant. What about all of the countless cop chases in movies. Surely those do not glamorize high speed street racing.

  • s3lFc0nTr0l

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 2:53 pm PT

    glad the rest of the worlds problems are solved like cancer to have enought time to do this crap

  • lithus

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 2:23 pm PT

    Ahh, but it's okay to air that episode of Top Gear where the hosts go to the USA to purposely mock and make fun of Southern people using offensive terms painted on their cars? Hypocrites.

  • jellyman68

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 2:07 pm PT

    I suppose their intentions are good even if they are a little drastic. All I can say is I hope them banning the ad has made a difference, even if it is only a small difference.

  • rugripper40

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 2:05 pm PT

    these people are getting weirder and weirder everytime i read about them....they dont get it....games are not real life...freakin idiots

  • just_an_opinion

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 1:41 pm PT

    this is just stupid, i can't believe this advert got banned. its no worse than majority of racing game trailers and practically all action movies. all action movies have some sort of crazy chase scene through a crowded city, this is just nuts! and it was a really good advert too. man this sucks, soon we'll be left with nothing but car insurance and mortgage comercials.

  • Munkey4098

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 1:28 pm PT

    yep just like when i see a movie, i wanna go on a mass killing spree and blow things up. oh i guess that's why i joined the army.

  • Zcrimson07

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 1:03 pm PT

    weird i downloaded this video on live a looong time ago. its a sweet commercial too. to bad it got banned

  • thomasonfa

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 12:57 pm PT

    Its a Brave New World Microsoft. Da' Man (Microsoft) got pwnd by Da' Man (ASA); How ironic. :-\

  • fattyxboxbutt

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 12:44 pm PT

    I figured this ad would be up on youtube by now

  • iku94

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 12:42 pm PT

    next they'll start complaining that games should be stopped as they glamorise street racing... it's pathetic. we really do live in a pathetic country full of wimps lol.

  • Darth_DuMas

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 12:03 pm PT

    And I love how there is a Burnout ad on the Tubes which shows a realistic looking crumpled super car and has the slogan "Find Inner Peace Through Outer Violence", for the PSP and this is OK I suppose?

  • PIMPYTHECLOWN

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 11:57 am PT

    super harsh, those guys are defenetly over reacting, because any streer racing game glamorises street car racing , not just these comercials

  • grayoldwolf

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 11:48 am PT

    blackace: Nude sexual ads in the UK? I've never seen any. The British public would kick up quite a stink if there was nudity on a billboard. We aren't nearly as liberal as our continental European cousins, at least not when it comes to public nudity.

  • blackace

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 11:36 am PT

    This is a dumb reason to ban this ad. I guess they don't ban all those nude sexual ads in the U.K. because that glamourizes sex in teens right? I'm sure I could turn on the T.V. in the U.K. and find worse ads to ban. What a joke. Only in the U.K. I guess. They wouldn't even ban that ad here in the states and it's much stricter in the U.S.

  • tidyspidey

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 11:33 am PT

    That's the gayest thing I ever heard

    why didn't they stop them from advertising the Fast & Furious films then?

    absolutely crazy.....

  • TrevSkyline

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 11:29 am PT

    That's a crazy stance by the ASA.

    Microsoft couldn't make it ANY clearer not to attempt such acts on public roads.

    Another win for the "Nanny" state.

  • ScottHFC

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 10:23 am PT

    OMG! This is terrible! the Origional Xbox ad was banned too! the one with the flying baby/man/old man/dead body.

    I HATE PEOPLE WHO BAN GOOD ADS! ITS JUST A BLODDY GAME, IF YOU COPY IT YOU DESERVE TO DIE!!!!

  • bluntos

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 10:03 am PT

    "WTH no one likes the UK"

    Does that translate as What the Hell, cause if so, he isn't slagging off us British at all I think, unles theres some sort of tone I can't pick up :s

    "If any kid is stupid enough to copy an advert surely their death would be a good thing? Its not as if we'd be losing a potential brain surgeon is it, just one less wino to avoid in 20 years time."

    rofl

  • YoUnG1991

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 9:32 am PT

    This is the most stuped thing i have heard ever, if that encourages people to street race then why did we let all 3 Fast & Furious movies come out, surley they encourage more street racing, and rodrigo_br cut the i hate microsoft BS cus there a sick company and dont get me wrong so are Sony i just dont get why people get so PO'd about PS3 n 360 there both amazing consoles

  • D6rkFire

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 9:02 am PT

    ZZZZZZ Give us some important news.

  • rodimus_prime85

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:58 am PT

    mesony : Dude, some countrys don't like UK.... but the world hates U.S... Now what does that have to do with is new's post?

    Idiot

  • OfficialBed

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:51 am PT

    give me a break

  • TTDog

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:48 am PT

    "mesony: WTH no one likes the UK "

    And everyone just loves Americans, thats why they're so popular. (curses the fact that Sarcasm and irony don't show up on typed comments)

  • jhz

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:46 am PT

    Quote from mesony:

    "WTH no one likes the UK"

    And you have come to this conclusion how?

    Some people are just so damn arrogant.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:28 am PT

    Come on GameSpot... Give us the video so we can see what you're talking about!!!

  • kabuki_tanooki

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:14 am PT

    damn. sounds like the UK is really heading towards a '1984' controlled type society.

  • MaxConfidence3

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 8:04 am PT

    I agree with TTDog, someone stupid enough to recreate virtual reality and end up killing themselves is a plus for most of the human race. I like to call it population control.

  • TTDog

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 7:56 am PT

    If any kid is stupid enough to copy an advert surely their death would be a good thing? Its not as if we'd be losing a potential brain surgeon is it, just one less wino to avoid in 20 years time.

  • wjuk

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 7:48 am PT

    I remember the ad, was frickin' awesome. Although I liked the banned XBox ad withe the imaginary guns better.

  • maxmax1234

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 7:30 am PT

    witch kid will take a car because an commercial say's it???then your just stupid....

  • Reetesh

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 6:51 am PT

    I though street racing was already so glamorous with the neons and vinyls.

  • style65

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 6:48 am PT

    This Ad was ace, i loved it - I even downloaded it onto my xbox from the marketplace. i dont think it glamorise's street racing at all. people who street race do it because there all losers with something to prove. Ive had a UK driving licence for 2 years now and when ever someone overtakes me at 50 in a 30 zone, i just flash my lights an beep the horn. People who street race deserve to die, if i saw someone crash who was racing i wouldnt even stop to help them. Id carry on by. I dont race because its stupid and dangerous. Banning this advert is just another way to have a go at the gaming industry! It says on the bottom perfromed by professionals. If they have banned this, why wasn't Jackass banned years ago? They both have the same warnings.

  • lowenergycycle

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 6:09 am PT

    @freerunner01
    Your peculiar comparisons are completely irrelevant. Drinking alcohol can be done sensibly and is in no way guarantied to result in the unnecessary injury or death of an innocent person.

    And the military?! There are a whole bundle of associated issues with advertising to our youth for a potentially dangerous career in the Armed Forces, but rest assured they have exactly nothing to do with idiotic and reckless driving. Again - a stupid comparison.

    You still totally miss the point: If banning an advert that glamorises reckless driving can save even just one single solitary life, then it is 100% justified. I defy you to disagree with that.

  • oliverh

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 5:43 am PT

    lol I remembered seeing this advert it was ace!, but it is quite stupid taking it off because it might cause dangerous driving, well let me just sum it up would you prefer to drive normally like everybody else in the world or drive dangerously possibly risking your life by driving fast? I mean an adverts and advert it doesnt mean it could cause people to get into trouble.

  • freerunner01

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 5:38 am PT

    Come one, what is this? We see comercials glamorising a wide array of dangerous behavior, many much more dangerous than this. If we are going to pull this commercial (with clear warnings) then shouldn't we pull all teh ads that glamorise the use of alcohol? People get killed in the military, but there are commercials glamorising that as well...come on, "glamorisinf street racing", are u serious?

  • chrisdojo

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 5:16 am PT

    i don't even know anyone where i live that street races...

  • kith_kat

    Posted Apr 5, 2007 4:59 am PT

    video games get attacked from every angle nowadays haha ie; violence, sex.... now street racing?

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