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Mafia Wars promotion runs afoul of authorities

San Francisco city attorney threatens to sue Zynga for guerrilla marketing Facebook game by plastering sidewalks with stickers of fake $25,000 bills.

For free-to-play games like Zynga's Mafia Wars, some of the marketing is done by the players and the social networking sites that serve as their platforms. But some of it is done in more direct--and legally questionable--ways.

The San Francisco city attorney wants the developer of Mafia Wars to make it an offer.

The San Francisco city attorney wants the developer of Mafia Wars to make it an offer.

According to a report on the Web site of the San Francisco Chronicle, city attorney Dennis Herrera has threatened to sue the casual game developer for a recent marketing campaign that saw dozens of stickers applied to public sidewalks in five separate locations. The stickers were made to look like $25,000 bills, each promoting Mafia Wars Las Vegas content recently added to the game and directing people to a promotional Web site.

The Department of Public Works needed to use a steam cleaner to remove the stickers, a process that took about 45 minutes at each of the stickered locations. Herrera has asked for Zynga to turn over e-mails, contracts, marketing plans, and other documents relating to the campaign. The city also wants Zynga to do more than just pay for the clean up, as it has asked the developer to propose a solution that would "fully resolve" the complaint.

"The City Attorney takes violations such as these very seriously and intends to pursue every available cause of action aggressively against Zynga for these illegal marketing tactics," the city attorney's office said in the letter to the casual games maker.

131 Comments

  • derpdragon

    Posted Oct 23, 2010 11:04 am GMT

    So I can commit crimes as long as I make it look like a facebook game made me? Well time to visit that hit list of mine, I should make some stickers first though.

  • NColdhardt

    Posted Sep 8, 2010 7:04 am GMT

    Facebook games aren't real games.
    Save proper gaming news for GS please.

  • KillerWabbit23

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 5:23 pm GMT

    Ironic how 25K is the bill that runs up after you let someone go crazy with this game...

  • necronaux

    Posted Aug 26, 2010 10:49 am GMT

    Could have been worse. At least they didn't look like bombs (like with the Boston aqua teen hunger force promotion).

  • xenogearz88

    Posted Aug 25, 2010 1:03 am GMT

    facebook sucks........

  • koopatroopa1015

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 8:45 pm GMT

    mafia wars sucks farmville sucks all that stuff is junk. there are way better games online, let alone way better OTHER things to do online

  • Ahlycks

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 6:45 pm GMT

    i'm guessing that the worst part of it is that every time you accidentally look at at one of those permanent stickers you get reminded of the fact that such a stupid game exists. come on guys, go on facebook and talk to girls! stop playing games like that instead. and stop trying to give me pink cows!

  • suprsolider

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 10:56 am GMT

    Now if those playing stupid games on facebook would play REAL games, the world would be a better place.

  • peetowser

    Posted Aug 24, 2010 9:05 am GMT

    -"I like FB games because sometimes it's so boring to be on Facebook" ...just wow...Who's making you go and stay on Facebook??? God forbid you ever pick up a book...
    -"Those people are NOT gamers, these aren't games!!!" Playing video games doesn't make anyone better than the rest... Yes they are games, no matter how crappy (we)you think they are and how much (we)you despise them...

    Being a gamer isn't an accomplishment in life, why would anyone think calling a person playing FarmVille a "gamer" would somehow denigrate the term "gamer"... Of course "gamer" is supposed to mean someone who has been playing a bunch of games over the years, not anyone playing at the moment... But if you're entertained and the Farmville players are entertained, why be sour about the fact they get off on much less than a 31 year old gamer who's started on a Commodore64 like me?

    There used to be a "geek/nerd" label affixed to the RPG genre... Now most games incorporate RPG elements, from platformers to testosterone-filled FPS. Worst recent labels are "casual" and "social" gamers. Meaning you "are not hardcore enough to like games and play as many games as long" as whoever makes the accusation. They get blamed for poor sales (they don't buy a lot of games) and generally dumbing things down i.e. the compulsory 30 minute tutorial in every recent game. Times have changed and gaming isn't underground anymore. For better (multi-million dollar budgets for games) and for worse (take your pick)...

  • darklord1294

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 11:22 pm GMT

    Gamerpipe

    We should want Gamespot to report on their eventual bankruptcy. It will let us know that good has returned to the world and let us rejoice in the eventual downfall of social network games and, in the event of a domino effect, the networks themselves.

    Of course, that is only if people realize that facebook games aren't worth it, which I doubt will happen, and if businesses who require easy internet advertising stop investing in the easy internet advertising that is Facebook and similar sites, which I also doubt will happen.

    It could be worse, it isnt like they have Barbie dress-up games...oh wait, maybe it can't get worse.

  • MuffintopX

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 12:54 pm GMT

    Don't Litter is basically what this is about. Who wants their streets trashed up with permanant stickers?

  • blakeney

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 10:13 am GMT

    SDSkarface

    Mafiawars doesnt even have gfx lol?

  • blakeney

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 10:10 am GMT

    @ Tripwolf

    Mafiawars is a browser based game too, you can play without joining one of those big and scary "social" networks...........

  • 1234dragonsky

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 7:50 am GMT

    @ SicklySunStorm well that is the idea of fb games they are free but there are some items that can be buyed with real money so they want to addict player to game and then players will start spending their money.
    i play mafia wars and i love it. there are reward points that can be buyed with real money but there is way that i can get free reward points just for completing job tiers. to sumarise they need money and they are trying to get them.i like fb games because sometimes it is so bored to be on facebook.
    so i like mafia wars

  • SicklySunStorm

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 6:43 am GMT

    I see the evils of FB games... in particular, I'm always hearing my wife moaning about her pet in petville - that there is an outfit she wants to buy for it, but 3 out of 4 items for it can be bought with the in-game currency, the last item to complete it can only be bought with "pet cash" which is bought with real money. How sinister is that!?

    However - I have been lured by the pull of the dark side by online Tetris on facebook.... damn that's addictive. Although I hate most of the FB games in principal, I see their appeal to a certain audience, and if they enjoy them, why deny them that? I think nothing of spending between £40 for 1 game, or even in some cases if I'm feeling flush, £120 - £160 for 3 - 4 games in a month, so my wife dropping a tenner here and there for a few things on petville and farmville is really not even an issue. The bottom line is enjoyment, and if you personally get a decent amount of enjoyment for a low amount of money, then screw what anyone else thinks of the FB games you play.

  • Ospov

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 6:29 am GMT

    OMG THERE'S STICKERS EVERYWHERE!!!


  • Slayerduckie

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 4:02 am GMT

    I'm thankfull for farmville and all fb games. They keep my 13 year old sister from bugging me all the time.

  • Sirbobislost

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 2:59 am GMT

    @ erencubu

    So it's not possible for someone to like more then one type of game? I wasn't aware that if I played mafiawars while I was on facebook I'm not allowed to play any other type of game........ /end sarcasm

  • covertgamer78 posted Aug 23, 2010 1:44 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    covertgamer78

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 1:44 am GMT (hide)

    I've played this game on my Facebook profile and it's addictive actually, much like FarmVille. Gamespot should at least have a page for it so the readers can rate and review, even if GS doesn't want to.

  • Tripwolf

    Posted Aug 23, 2010 12:56 am GMT

    This isn't a game. It's a pyramid scheme to get you to use social sites.

  • erencubu

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:41 pm GMT

    i love how some people come on to defend mafia wars saying that some gamers dont like complex games and good graphics and they prefer simple mafia wars facebook style............ if thats your style guys, then why are you a member of the gamespot community lol? i didnt realize gamespot reviewed and did previews for facebook games...........

  • lowerclassbrat7

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:40 pm GMT

    A sanctuary city where illegals are welcomed, bums pester passersby and defecate in the streets, critical mass jerks bring the city to a screetching halt, but stickers no we musn't have stickers.

  • yman173

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:36 pm GMT

    While I dont condone what Zynga did and agree they need to clean it up, I gotta disagree with a lot of these posts saying the games they make arent "real games" and therefore this isnt relavent news. As a gamer my whole life, a Madden addict, a Halo crazed lunatic, and a Gran Turismo nut...I consider myself a gamer and I play Farmville & Cafe World too. These are immersive games that bring a lot of satisfaction with completing achievements and strategies needed for leveling up. The only thing that makes the experience different from, say, World of Warcraft is that its free and based on a social network platform.

    But trust me folks, when I tell you that with all the lost work hours these games are responsible for, these are in fact true & real games. And therefore newsworthy to Gamespot.

  • lowerclassbrat7

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:35 pm GMT

    The same San Francisco that has an elected official who purposed the elimination of all private ownership of property. I live in the Bay Area and San Francisco's nuttyness still amazes me.

  • gamerpipe

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 10:55 pm GMT

    Who cares. hope GameSpot won't publish the news of their bankruptcy. cuz no real gamer care.

  • BallisstiXXX

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 10:33 pm GMT

    @frankblack789: Yes, I mean idiots posting stickers everywhere.

  • BK-Sleeper

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 9:31 pm GMT

    @sabre85

    Spot on, comrade! I couldn't have said it better myself.

  • 10171981

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 9:20 pm GMT

    Has anyone thought that MAYBE this was the marketing ploy that they had hoped for. I mean first the stickers and now its like they are this outlaw company because they roll like that. Whats next they will start doing gangsta music videos. This is the kind of press they need because now even MORE people will want to buy this game. Whether they get sued or not is not the question. The question is why did they ONLY sticker a few sidewalks unless they were EXPECTING to get fined and that is the ultimate agenda. To be GANGSTA.

  • sabre85

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 9:00 pm GMT

    bfd suck it san francisco

  • noirsake

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 8:33 pm GMT

    Watch out farmville you're next

  • SDSkarface

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 7:37 pm GMT

    ppl that play browser games arent even gamers.. why is this newsworthy?

  • RajHoOT

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 5:52 pm GMT

    We do have stickers on buses and sidewalks for games like Mafia 2 and GTA IV when it was coming out. There is a difference in limited posters to what Zynga did. These posters are all over the place, it is absolutely ridiculous. They covered up artwork, other game promotions just by sticking these things over them. And that's only in my district.

  • sleepychicken

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 5:07 pm GMT

    I wish the local government here would do the same thing to all the churches that keep coming around putting their crap on my car when it rains and ruining my windshield.

  • kakashi552

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 4:34 pm GMT

    um, wow. too far, zynga, too far.

  • armydominican69

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 4:10 pm GMT

    Sigh............ Smdh.......

  • SDSkarface

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 4:04 pm GMT

    who plays mafia wars? the graphics suck

  • MOwens9512

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 3:43 pm GMT

    That's just ridiculous. There is no need to do something that extreme to promote a game, facebook game or no game. Anyone who thinks that doing such a thing is cool is clearly in need of a whole new sales and marketing division. Just randomly blanketing an area with stickers is a waste of money twice on their parts: once for spending money on stickers that are bound to get beat up by the elements anyway, and again for breaking the law. Maybe they thought it helps that there is an actual story that people are reading; of course, it's a story that makes them look like they're retarded LOL. And whoever thinks that people are hating on Zynga and the games they make becasue the LAW doesn't want them defacing public property, you obviously are the retarded fanbase that they were reaching out to when they pulled this stunt.

  • Lokar

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 3:42 pm GMT

    Do real bills have the names of video game companies on them? Who thinks bills stuck to a public wall or something would be real?

    This is a weird story in more ways than one.

  • Virtual_Erkan

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 3:31 pm GMT

    What do you expect? Its damn Zynga!

  • Master_Turismo

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 3:13 pm GMT

    No surprise. This isn't the first time they got into legal trouble ((Street Racing went down the crapper because using licensed cars illegally)). Though I doubt it will hurt them, they do need to drop out.

  • Warlord_Irochi

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 2:56 pm GMT

    Zinga.. Mafia Wars...

    Begining to forget here... which is the company and which is the FB game?

  • Iloveconnie

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 2:25 pm GMT

    2 dollar bills are real actually, in Canada anyways.

  • darklord1294

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 2:19 pm GMT

    Would a billboard not work for advertising? I believe this is a little desperate, even for a Facebook/Myspace game.

  • worlock77 posted Aug 22, 2010 1:21 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    worlock77

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 1:21 pm GMT (hide)

    I love the amount of irrational hate Zynga gets. Just furthers the stereotype of douchebag gamers. Not everyone prefers complex games that require hours of investment at a time. If you don't like these games then they're easy enough to ignore. As for the suit: I hope the city pursues it and wins.

  • athenian29

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 12:54 pm GMT

    Zynga ought to just do the internet a favor and shut down entirely. Maybe I'd consider joining Facebook if "Farmville" wasn't synonymous with it. As it is, blagh.

  • cmrdr

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 12:38 pm GMT

    So they have to pay a fine. (And a tiny fine for a company that size) Who cares?! They probably only payed a fraction for the stickers campaign and they got all this publicity out of it. They are probably just thinking "job well done".

  • dRuGGeRnaUt

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 12:00 pm GMT

    okay, so I don't understand all the people against the lawsuit... you if some kid somewhere, vandalises a wall, he gets CRIMINALLY CHARGED + A FINE. But when a game company does it, and they only speak of fines, its an outrage?? I cannot believe how people have been trained to defend large companies... it makes no sense..

    As far as suing them BEYOND the cost of the clean up? the point is to deter future situations.. Advertising is VERY expensive, and $25000 for that many ads is not much.

  • syam32245340

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:25 am GMT

    stupidity comes with a price

  • Rob_101

    Posted Aug 22, 2010 11:10 am GMT

    good. less causal games, and less advertising everywhere you look, the better.

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