There’s a good amount of drama surrounding a recent advertisement as allegations come to light suggesting that Microsoft copied an Xbox One Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds ad.
Take a look at the original concept and Microsoft’s copy below.
Microsoft Copied an Xbox One Ad
Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) has recently taken the gaming world by storm, quickly becoming one of the top played titles on Steam. What started as a small indie project has exploded into the hottest game of the season, offering a unique pvp experience that keeps gamers coming back for more.
The success of the game has warranted a port onto other operating systems, and there seems to be evidence that Microsoft copied an Xbox One PUBG advertisement.
Polygon broke the news about the issue, pointing out a Xbox One ad for Playerunknown’s battlegrounds that looks suspiciously like a concept image created and posted by Reddit user Macsterr. The reddit community is up in arms, claiming that Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad with no payment or credit to the original designer.
The concept ad, included below, is a clever design that shows a player character from the game walking through a wheat field contained within the console. The fact that Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad developed by a devoted fan is unfortunate, especially considering he was in no way compensated or even credited. To be fair, the concept image is excellently done and looks just like something a huge company like Microsoft would come up with, but the inspiration is clear and proves definitively that Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad.
Fixing the Issue
With a company as big as Microsoft, mistakes slip through the cracks. It’s clear that the marketing department is in the wrong here, with an employee obviously lifting the art assets without giving credit to the original designer. The fact that Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad has the internet in a frenzy, and the company recently posted to reddit recognizing that they’re looking into the issue.
Major Nelson, an employee associated with Microsoft, posted a statement to the outraged subreddit.
“Hey guys, I wanted to let you know that this is being investigated. In the meantime, our official channels have pulled down the asset in question. I’ll follow up with the OP /u/macsterr/ once I get more details.”
Before Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad, the original received 63000 views on Reddit. The post calling out Microsoft, on the other hand, received 90000 views – making it clear that the community is upset with this decision by Microsoft.
Microsoft has a reputation to uphold, and it’s clear that the higher ups didn’t approve the advertisement. The fact that Microsoft copied an Xbox One ad remains, however, and the company may be paying handsomely for a marketing employee’s mistake.
As mentioned above, the company has pulled the advertisement form all media and is looking into the issue. Chances are that redditor Macsterr could see some compensation for his work. There’s no doubt that the design is top-notch, and a moderate payment to the original designer should rectify the situation and keep bringing PUBG players to the Xbox One.
