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A ratings board wouldn't let Valve release a trailer. It "leaked" it instead.
Ars Technica • • technology
Key Points:
- In 2009, Valve orchestrated a fake leak of the Left 4 Dead 2 trailer to bypass restrictions imposed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) on marketing violent content.
- Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek revealed that the leak was necessary because the ESRB would not allow the official release of the trailer due to its graphic violence and language.
- At the time, the ESRB strictly regulated game trailers, prohibiting excessive violence and offensive content, which led Valve to use the “leak” as a viral marketing tactic despite ongoing conflicts with rating boards worldwide.
- The trailer footage, considered tame by today’s standards, was later used as the game’s intro cinematic and received an "M for Mature" rating, showing a shift in ESRB’s approach over time.
- ESRB advertising guidelines have since evolved to permit trailers with content that accurately reflects the game, eliminating the need for such covert marketing strategies in the present day.
