Who knew the phrase “go to hell” could get so social

by: Tina - posted: 11/23/2009 8:53:00 PM

I’m always interested to see what new ways marketing teams will cook up to shed the spotlight on an approaching release of a game, especially when it’s from EA given their reputation for elaborate…meals.

In preparation for Dante’s Inferno hitting shelves on February 9th of the new year, Visceral Games announced a social app that lets you condemn a person of your choosing to one of the 9 circles of hell. It’s already available on Facebook and coming soon as a free app for iPhone users, too. You can surf their Hell Browser to see who is the biggest jerk by popular vote, and how people react to each other’s selections. Now someone go choose the nicest, most innocent candidate you can think of to incite some hardcore trash-debating.

VISCERAL GAMES IGNITES SOCIAL Gaming WITH ThREE little WORDS: GO TO HELL



Dante’s Inferno Application Sends Friends, Family,

Places and Products to Hell with the Click of a Button



Redwood City, Calif. – November 23, 2009 – Visceral Games, an Electronic Arts studio (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced ‘Go to Hell’, an all-new social application inspired by the upcoming game, Dante’s Inferno™. This application takes the poem’s canonized nine circles of hell, and brings them into everyday life. With the click of a button, anyone can send a friend foe, place, product or brand to one of the nine circles of hell. Angry at your mom for grounding you? Send her to ‘Treachery’. Mad at your ex- for cheating? Send them to ‘Lust’. The free ‘Go to Hell’ app launches today on Facebook® Platform, with consumers able to share data across other online destinations including MySpace, iGoogle and Twitter. Dante’s Inferno releases February 9 on Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PSP®(PlayStation®Portable).



“This app is awesome! Not only will it be a blast to see who the world sends to hell, but it’s also a great opportunity to take Dante’s notion of the 9 circles of hell and make it current and relevant for people who may not be familiar with the poem,” said executive producer Jonathan Knight. “Let the damning begin.”



The ‘Go to Hell’ app calls on people to damn others to the nine circles of hell: Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Anger, Heresy, Violence, Fraud or Treachery. From there, users can choose to punish or absolve their victim… and see how the community reacts. The ‘Go to Hell’ app comes complete with a ‘Hell Browser’ that serves up a snapshot of all the activity in hell on a day-to-day basis. In the browser, see who takes top spot as the most deplored evil demon – be they a loudmouthed celebrity, a slimy politician or a hated TV character.



Facebook users can head over to http://apps.facebook.com/gotohell , while iPhone users will soon be able to access the free app via the Apple AppStore. All other users can follow this link to eternal damnation http://gotohell.dantesinferno.com.



Dante’s Inferno is rated M for Mature by the ESRB and is currently awaiting PEGI classification. For more information on Dante’s Inferno, please follow the Dante’s Inferno team at Visceral Games on Twitter at www.twitter.com/danteteam and visit the game’s official web site at www.dantesinferno.com where the team explores a new circle of hell, with new content and updates on the ninth day of every month.