Anti-smoking organization Tobacco Free Florida recently released a local TV spot featuring a fake FPS title, which for all intents and purposes, may as well be titled Haylo, created by little-known developer Spungie. The ad shows the unwisely unhelmeted hero laying waste to a squadron of robo-baddies, then lighting up a moke-moke, which quickly drains his health, leaving him very dead in the enemy stronghold.

Gaming news site GameCouch recently interviewed the ad's creators, who explained that the fake game theme was chosen to grasp the attention of the coveted 11-17-year-old demographic. It's certainly not the least clever anti-smoking PSA we've ever seen, though we never knew that smoking a cigarette led to immediate death. They should really put that on a warning label or something.

The image above is not the complete ad from Sony's European ad agency, TBWA\Wien, but we have placed the full monty (literally) after the break. When viewer's eyes wander south they will not be greeted by a penis, but by a well manicured thumb where a penis should be, which, believe it or not, is actually a thousand times more frightening.

Ads of the World posted this Austrian PS3 ad which continues to make us scratch our heads as to why Sony only fired TBWA from doing its American ads. As this blogger has received about 10 IMs in the last twenty minutes asking if I've seen the Sony Europe ad yet, one could say the piece is doing its job. Whether its doing the right job is a whole other debate.

[Via GayGamer, PS3 Fanboy]

So, there's this game called Metal Gear Solid 4 ... it's apparently a big deal for the PlayStation 3. Well, above is the movie-style trailer (with movie-voice guy) for those interested in watching it. No pressure. Watch it, don't watch it. We wish there was more we could do to generate hype for this indie title made in some guy named Hijeo Koshima Hideo Kojima's garage on a shoe-string budget.

After the break you'll find three ads involving MGS4. It's really nice to see Sony taking an interest in this title. It warms our cockles to see a giant corporation give support to a game featuring geriatrics at war.

The UK is currently under assault from a Grand Theft Auto IV ad promoting the title on Xbox 360. Microsoft is doing its best to own this launch in consumer's minds, or at least get people thinking GTA doesn't equal Sony anymore. Have no fear PlayStation army, the game is still releasing on the PS3 in spite of what this nasty advertisement tells the masses.

That being said, it certainly gets bonus points in our book for showing what the game actually looks like (unlike some ads). GTA IV releases April 29 ... yeah, 'cause you didn't know that already.

[Thanks, Cyborgmatt]

Spy Hunter, one of the great arcade games of the '80s, is given proper tribute in the amazing commercial found above. OK, ignore for 30 seconds that this is a Pontiac commercial and just bask in the awesomeness of it. The music, the look, the feel ... seriously, if we could focus on what car the company is selling for even a split second we might consider buying it.

But don't be fooled folks, there is some brilliant marketing at work here. Even the car's website is designed with our demographic in mind; featuring a mosaic of the car made up of images like Transformers and Halo (clearly being promoted at the bottom of the page). Admittedly, the whole thing is very slick. Now, if only this car wasn't $30,000 ... oh yeah, and a Pontiac.

[Thanks Josh ... even if you might be a Pontiac marketing guy]

With its April 29 debut only three agonizing months away, it's time for Take-Two and Rockstar to up their marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV. Citizens of New York City may stumble across wanted posters (pictured above at Lorimer and Grand in Brooklyn) asking for tips in capturing Niko Bellic (GTA IVs protagonist). If you've seen the guy -- or just want a special jpeg from Rockstar -- send an email to tips[at]libertycitypolice[dawt]com. If anyone stumbles across or can scan a cleaner image of the viral ad we'll be sure to post it.

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority has banned the ad for John Woo Presents: Stranglehold from the airwaves, citing the ad could be seen as "encouraging and condoning violence." GI.biz reports that Midway believes the ad was edited in a way that it would show no blood or gore. Considering there's no negotiation on the matter, it's time for Midway to go back to the editing room.

The ASA has been rather comical in its banning practices whenever they pop up on the gaming radar. Last year the ASA banned an old Xbox 360 ad depicting people doing stunts and driving recklessly despite the ad clearly stating: "Dramatisation. Professional stunt. Do not attempt." We can't wait to see what ad the ASA decides to ban next by throwing darts blindfolded at an index card covered wall.

Verne Troyer, better known as Mini-Me from Austin Powers, is the latest celebrity to grace the airwaves in a World of Warcraft commercial. Troyer and his mage blink late to the ad game following the international flavor of Van Damme and Toledo, and the more domestic musings of Shatner and Mr. T. Great ad campaign. What celebrity would you want to see and what race/class would they be?

[Via WoW Insider]

We have yet to see the new Rock Band commercials out in the wilds of TV-land, but they are amusing. The commercials play in a world where "the band" is on tour with their fake instruments and living room attitude in rock star settings. We hate the whiny guitarist, but that's the point.

No sustained gameplay footage is shown in the spot above or the two after the break, which we guess means that EA and ad agency Wieden + Kennedy expect people to be "in the know" of what Rock Band is. We're not sure how great it was to have a commercial about a music game play off the humor of rock clichés like some kind of slacker-style Spinal Tap homage rather than show people playing the game. The "platform" is $170, it's going to require some parental coercion for many children to get the game and it might be good if parents were prepped by a commercial or two. Oh well, if EA is right, the game will be sold out anyway this holiday. Carry on. And is that Billy Idol doing the voice over at the end?

[Thanks Vlad]

There are two new commercials for World of Warcraft featuring Mr. T and William Shatner. Mr. T is a "mohawk" warrior and Shatner is a shaman. We have no idea why World of Warcraft needs to be advertised, but if it gives us gems like this -- we'll take 'em!

Both ads can be found after the break and on the WoW site for download. There is also an ad with Verne Troyer (Mini Me) expected in the near future -- we're hoping for something less obvious than him being a gnome. Keep these types of ads coming Blizzard, we know you've got the money.

[Thanks Steve, Via Massively]

Across the country video game marketing departments are screaming, "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!" Ads will begin to flood the airwaves and above we have the Mass Effect television spot.

It's worth pointing out that in almost every instance -- other than the released lesbian sex scene (SFW) -- Shepard is portrayed as a scruffy mocha-skinned man. We don't know if the character selection screen is still the same as it was many moons ago, but we're praying to make a short chubby mid-life black woman to save the galaxy -- like Oprah. There's something satisfying about the star of a space opera not being a run-of-the-mill action hero guy. Help "Oprah" Shepard on her quest in Mass Effect beginning Nov. 20.

Currently popular on GameTrailers, we missed Skullkid700's montage of Zelda commercials from earlier in the year. Since this sort of thing only gets better with age, we're highlighting it here. We've come a long way.

See the montage after the break. Yes, it includes the Zelda rap. You have been warned.

We're really excited for the ten people out there with the PC rig capable of playing Crysis when it comes out Nov 16; may they enjoy the next-next-gen graphics. For the rest of us, we'll just have to watch the ads on television, which keep to a pretty basic formula: Show clips of the game using the in-game engine. The transparency of it is all so very un-EA.

Gametrailers user, BlackSad03, has posted an old ad from NES game, Iron Sword, and we wish today's ads were as exciting. We enjoy the clip on so many levels, like watching the gameplay and being sucked into the sale itself. Must... buy... Iron Sword. Our favorite take is to imagine the production of the commercial and which PA had to swing the tentacle into the room.

The video is watermarked with "Gaming-Age.com," but we could only find an article there that references an equally great print ad for the game. So we send Gaming Age a nod, too.

See the ad after the break.

Remember that Yaris XBLA game to be released free on Wednesday? Gametrailers user, warchiefgrim, uploaded a clip. We hope this video convinces you to save the precious bandwidth of the internet and pass on the game; even "free" costs too much.

Things we learned:

• The 4-Door Sedan Yaris comes in such focus-group-approved colors as "Jade Sea Metallic," and "Flint Mica."
  
• Northbound on 101 goes straight up (and straight down) as often as it goes north.
• The Yaris is powered by the constant desire to catch a cat toy mounted on its roof. Sadly, the toy is always just out of reach.

See the video, and add your own observations after the break.