SimCity Goes For the Ads/Mad Men Confused

EA has implemented SimCity 5's first ad, in this case for the Nissan Leaf.

I'm imagining a very bewildered and skeptical Don Draper and Roger Sterling staring at a game developer describing SimCity.

Don: Ok, so you build a city, and then what?

Developer: The city can be whatever you want it to be.

Don: But what happens when the city is built?

Developer: It keeps running, like New York.

--pause--

Don: So what's the point?

Developer: To build a virtual city.

Don: But how do you win?

Developer: Oh, it's not one of those types of games.

Roger: What other kind of game is there?

Developer: Um, well, this is a simulation game. It isn't competitive.

Roger: How can a game not be competitive?

Developer: By just providing an experience. Look, we have a very large and devoted fan base.

Don: Really? And they just sit around all day staring at buildings on a computer screen?

Developer: Yes, but they do more than that. They decide where the roads go, where people live and work, how many schools to build...

Roger: I didn't realize we had that many wanna-be mayor-dictators. Don't these people have real jobs?

Don: So that's all there is to it?

Developer: Well, for some extra fun we added the ability to destroy your city...

Don: Destroy it??

Developer: Yes - you can have Godzilla or aliens attack it...

Don: So after spending all this time building a city, people would then destroy it? That makes no sense.

Developer: But our players get a kick out of that feature.

Don: And you think our clients would want to advertise in a fake city in a game that doesn't do anything?

Roger: And their ad gets eaten by Godzilla.

Developer: Yes.

Don: I'm sorry, but I don't think this will sell to our clients.

Developer: Really? Because we're getting inquiries from other ad agencies. We came to you because we heard you had a great creative department.

Don: Look, the best we can do is mention this to some clients. If any are interested, we'll call you.

-- a few moments after the meeting ends --

Roger: Did you believe that?

Don: No, not really.

Roger: This is what happens when you get rid of the draft. Instead of going into the army they go to college and don't learn how to live a real life. They just learn to play pretend.

Don: And then they wreck whatever they've built.

Roger: It's because they don't value anything. At least nothing real. Pour me a drink. I think those are still real.