TechTreak

Some people might have found the latest commercials of Samba De Amigo that featured a chimp to be annoying. However, it didn’t give any indication of being sinister, at least for the naïve. Apparently, it has been uncovered that history of ‘chimp actors’ are filled with abuse and mistreatment.

This discovery has led PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to request gaming companies for pull the ads involving these species. SEGA, one of the leading companies in world of gaming, has decided to do the same and has promised to stop the usage of any simian in their future commercials.

PETA has called this move to be a ‘compassionate’ one. However, more cynical ones might see it to be a functional move, as companies nowadays do not want any trouble from such organizations, especially when it comes to animal cruelty allegations. Sales of Sega Games have been on a decline in the recent times. This might be more of an attempt from the company to avoid further trouble.

Meanwhile, cash cow of Konami, also referred as ‘Metal Gear’, has hit a major milestone. This week, they have accrued one million subscribers. This mark will be celebrated by the company through an online event. They have named the event ‘Metal Gear Online: Commemorative Campaign’ and it will be running between November 25 – December 9 2008.

As an incentive for joining the campaign, participants will be getting 10,000 points after the event concludes. They will also be offered a lottery for additional 100,000 points. It seems a nice method that Konami are using for giving back to their members, who’ve followed the series faithfully. Again, such things should be done often in online gaming world for increasing the popularity amongst online gamers.

When companies provide their fans with unexpected bonuses, it’s expected that they will get devotion in return, which can help in generating needed revenue.