The objective of this work is to reflect on the content of video game advertising that appeared in the press of the city of Morelia, a small town in the central area of Mexico, between the years 1985 and 2000. This will help us to characterize the process of integrating such technologies into small cities in Mexico at the time of their introduction, and to exemplify that through various advertisements and propaganda strategies, video games became true objects of desire and signs of modernity.
Video game devices that began to be distributed as a large-scale commodity in the late 20th century changed perceptions of some ways of playing in the “modern” world, since it basically went from using wooden or plastic toys, and purely imaginative playful practices, to the use of image manipulation technologies through monitors and controllers as one of the main forms of entertainment, as well as the widespread consumption of characters and brands. Part of this process had to do with the adaptation made to neoliberal models, which opened the borders countries and allowed the arrival in mass proportions of multiple computer and entertainment technologies, emanating from the major capitalist powers. Consequently, there was a change in play practices, to adapt them to the new trends in the dynamics of that new globalized world, based on observing different games as ways to consume time, as goods and as leisure products, through devices that began to be called gadgets, which also changed the ways of perception on comfort, individuality and consumption, which became a practical extremely desirable.
The successful introduction of these devices to a wide variety of locations around the world was often accompanied by intense advertising in media and propaganda, commonly sponsored by department stores or by the trademarks of devices, as a form of strategy to make such technologies desirable signs and influence to intensify their mass consumption. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to make a reflection on how advertising was used around video games in a small town in central Mexico, specifically the town of Morelia in the approximately period of introduction of such devices in 1985 and until the rise of the internet in the area, around the year 2000 (through the massification of internet-cafe shops), which changed the forms of propaganda, by expanding them digitally. This example seeks to characterize the importance of advertising as a strategic form of suggestion that helped to position video games as the mass phenomenon that they are to this day in our computer-era societies. In the same way, it should be mentioned since now that, for reasons of space, only two images will be shown of the most representatives ones that circulated, one of the propaganda for the Atari systems that appeared in the newspaper, and one of the cover page of a specialized magazine. 2
Images are more than the product of perception, as they manifest as the result
of a personal or collective symbolization, and therefore we live and understand
the world through them. In this sense, the production of images in the social
space is something that has been conceived in all cultures over time, as forms
of expression to know and interact with reality. That is why images can be
considered as means of knowledge about what circulates in the imaginaries of
different societies; understood as discursive forms. Therefore, we can talk about
images and propaganda as two sides of the same coin, as forms of transmission
of various messages, symbols and dynamics; to be consumed by the spectators
to whom they are addressed [
Thus, consuming is no longer a simple activity determined by the needs of subjects (such as work or survival), and rather became a complex process of interaction and social reproduction. Meeting multiple non-fundamental needs, such as leisure and entertainment, that became the focal point of many forms of object circulation; and the diversity of objects began to be valued not only for their functionality but for its symbolic value. That is why consumers began to live in an extensive network of suggestive communications, to enhance the acquisition and circulation of the various devices. Illusorily appeasement of the anguish and desire to possess certain objects, and thereby fill their existential void, was one of the main elements of these mass consumption dynamics and strategies. The imitation, the expression of status, values, and lifestyles are the origin of the social conduct of consumers, expressed by means of signs and their discursive reproduction to incentivize desire or belonging, and that is why advertising played a tremendous role in the formation of the mass culture since the mid-20th century.
Consumption was promoted by advertising, through a system of
manipulation of images and signs, to transmit messages of subjection to various objects
and goods, and the intense desire for acquisition [
Specifically the advertising around video games was always very intense from the moment of its massification in the 1970s and 1980s, and much of the success in the expansion and implementation of these technologies on an international scale was precisely because it became an expression of playful objects of the “age of communication” through constant propaganda. The press and magazines were some of the most significant means for the publicity and propaganda of these devices, as objects of desire, entertainment, and fun. To exemplify it we will mention the case of the city of Morelia, where advertising circulated frequently around several newspapers, and especially we may consider the case of the daily La Voz de Michoacán, which was founded in 1948 in the town, but with statewide circulation. In the same way, to deepen in the advertising mechanisms we must make a special mention to the magazine ClubNintendo in its Mexican edition, the first of 1991, so in this work, we will also observe its first number. Both media consistently contained forms of advertising suggestion to boost the consumption of video games, such as characterize them as “true forms of modern entertainment”.
It should be briefly mentioned that Morelia is the capital of the State of
Michoacán, one of the 32 constituent federal entities of the Mexican territory
(31 States and Mexico City, formerly called the Federal District) and that it
was founded in the Valley of Guayangareo (center-west of the country) on May
18, 1541, with the name of City of Michoacan, and was renamed Valladolid
of New Spain since 1569. By 1828 the name was changed again to Morelia, in
honor of the hero of the independence José María Morelos y Pavón, who was
born in that town. According to the Urban Development Plan of City of 1986,
the municipality consisted, at that time, of a territorial extension of 1,199 km2
and located at 1990 meters above sea level, at a medium level, and had an
approximate population of 406,000 inhabitants. The city was declared Cultural
Patrimony of Humanity in December of 1991 by the UNESCO, for its monuments
and historical constructions, many of colonial origin, since it has a total of 1,131
heritage sites, as well as for its deeply rooted customs and traditions [
Similarly, it should be mentioned that by a video game we would refer to
electronic entertainment devices, characterized as recreational activities in
virtual spaces that interact with real life through rules and codes; and that contain
and circulate simulations and forms of belonging. This is based on material
media such as computers, consoles, and controllers, which show video images
with which we can interact. Specifically, the influence of the sector in the Latin
American space was much since they were introduced, around the mid-1980s, as
an important element of cultural consumption and media entertainment, which
differed from other forms of entertainment by being able to interact and to
simulate various sensations through images, beyond just observing [
To begin observing some of the imaginary of the video games that circulated
in the city of Morelia we will mention a press release that appeared during
October of 1985, entitled “Television is not just fun”, and referred to each generation
having fun in different ways, with different gadgets, and that the children of that
time had at their disposal a large number of novelties to spend the free time,
such as television, but it was also mentioned the sophisticated peripherals that
were beginning to arrive at work alongside television, the video games,
claiming that they were often used as a reward or incentive to make young people
respond to something under the reward of access to these tech media. However,
in the same note, it was recommended to use all these play technologies
novelties “discreetly”, as they could become objects of vice if they were exceeded in
their use [
The presentation of the devices as playful and technological novelties was a
constant in the advertising of the department stores of the city. For example,
by October of 1985 the store Las Nuevas Fabricas presented "exclusively" the
Atari 2600 console, as a “digital gaming system for children, with capabilities
to stimulate the mind and excite the imagination”. The device was presented
as a family-friendly object, which at the same time could contain educational
games, and of course, of fun and excitement, as it transformed television into
an object of interactive emotions. It offered the possibility of having “a large
number of fun worlds at hand” [
Other notes related to the intense competition that these media had with
toys characterized as “traditional” (which did not use digital technologies). Since
it was constantly considered that there was “great anguish on the part of the
parents”, to give the best and most modern gifts to their children, regardless
of the price, especially in Christmas times or on the day of kings (in Mexico
is celebrated on January 06 of each year, when the children leave a letter to
the “Three Wise Men”, and if they did behave well they will bring them gifts.)
Several objects, such as video games were often sold as new and modern
artifacts, and most likely considered “expensive”, which turned them into artifacts
to incentivize social status, since the most advanced toy was held as a
possession, capable of provoking emotions and stimulations in digital form, which
characterized it as an object of desire and envy for those who didn’t have it [
As stated, the advertising of several local distributors was also constantly
manifested in the press, as in the case of the Store Videojuegos Arkanoid,located
at José Palomares Quiroz nº 157, and that were engaged in the manufacture
and distribution of playing booths. Their propaganda was constant in the
“classifieds” section of one of the city’s most representative newspapers, constantly
alluding that “only they carried Nintendo and Sega games professionally to the
comfort of their business”. This shows that there was indeed very constant
commercial competition within the city and that some of the most popular brands
that circulated were precisely Nintendo and Sega [
There were other press releases on how to choose children’s toys in festive
times, one from 1990 alluding in particular to the existence of “different objects
for each age”, since toys with vivid colors and rhythmic sounds could stimulate
babies, but they were not so exciting for older children, that’s why action figures
or Barbie dolls were recommended, and video games only if they were regulated
in their time of use, so that they did not generate vice, since the most important
thing was “safety first and foremost”; but they were a good choice if the boys
had to stay home and the parents went out to work [
By the early 1990s the popularity of the gadgets was widespread, as in some
shopping malls, such as the Sears store, video games were promoted under
phrases such as “the best gift for entertainment”, “a device for both children
and adults” and “if you haven’t played with video games you’ve never played
before”; undoubtedly phrases like these could be considered as a form of
propaganda suggestion, to insatiate the desire to consume [
On the other hand, recognition of several of the figures of video game
characters was somewhat persistent during the decade of the 1990s.For example, one
can mention the case of a children’s drawing contest conducted by one of the
main newspapers of the city, where one of the winners to be published was an
image of the character of Mario Bros., which speaks of his popularity among
the childish public, to translate it as something “recognizable”, able to evoke
game senses along with characters like Mickey Mouse; who also appeared in that
contest [
As stated, the popularity of the sector caused toys considered “traditional”
to suffer some crises, as by 1992 the local toy industry was thought to be heavily
stagnant. Local manufacturers noted that competition was intense, but that
copy products brought from outside the country worsened marketing conditions
for local toys, and also placed special emphasis on video games as a means
that in many cases the children’s tastes were only directed to them, as they
wanted to have the latest high-tech devices and therefore preferred these new
machines [
Consumer stimulation through advertising remained constant, especially in
large shopping malls. Another example that can be mentioned was the case of
the publications of the store Fabricas de Francia, which often had images of
video game consoles to offer them as technological means capable of giving fun
immediately. As said, this was done especially in the holiday season, and for
example a note from that store appeared in December of 1992 under advertising
phrases such as: “the magic of Christmas is only in Fabricas de Francia, and only
through the wonders of video games”, alluding to having the best articles and
especially video games, which were placed as objects to make the festivities much
more exciting and striking, through promoting the acquisition of entertainment
consoles, and having fun with their popular characters. The note image showed
an image of a Christmas tree armed with games and toys, and a video game
console was placed at the tip, implicitly giving it a privileged place within the
playful world [
On the other hand, the city’s municipal authority was often concerned with
the control and surveillance of the sector in public gaming establishments, as
reflected in a 1995 note that established that the City Council would increase
surveillance to prevent violations of municipal regulations, especially alcohol
venues, but also public recreation spaces that could prove potentially dangerous
for youth, as in the case of video games, which would have since then had surprise
surveillance once a month. It was a sample of the opinion that existed around
the sector, and as we can see it was a notion of leisure, but totally tolerable when
being regulated and monitored, as part of the infrastructure of a modern city;
since in the note it was specifically mentioned that in all the most important
Mexican towns of that time had those machines and therefore had to be regulated
[
The industry’s influence often caused expressions to appear in the press,
especially around the long-term impact of video games on the Childs. Another
note of 1995 reflected this issue by referring to the way that very possibly “the
language of the future would be English”, since many gadgets and fashions were
in that language, and in the face of the imminent expansion of media such
as video games, presented as the ways of playing of the future, the need to
learn English in full would be generated; this was presented as a matter directly
linked to learning, and those devices were positioned as elements that could also
produce good things and not just leisure issues [
We must clarify that the video games themselves did not generate these
problems, because like any other technological system this is always neutral in their
contents, and it is a society that captures and determines their values, and they
are actually extremely versatile means, just like movies. As a result, we must
mention that a great diversity of parents and educators from different countries
since the 1900s began to promote its use, since videogames can enhance the
development of critical, reflective and responsible thinking, as well as multiple
coordination skills; although always with the constant of being alert to its
dangers, such as epilepsy, but at the same time demanding that its benefits should
be recognized as a means to socialize, or as tools with a high potential for
education, being able to circulate a wide range of content with which we can interact
directly digitally [
The popularity of the medium remained constant in the local media, and
by 1996 the Nintendo 64 was presented in the city’s major department stores,
such as the aforementioned Fabricas de Francia, selling videogame consoles as
computers but also under slogans like the “best electronic toy”, or under phrases
like: “let’s play with the best of the best! Live the magic that only the third
dimension can offer” [
By then more and more video game characters were prevalent in the
childhood imagination, as recognizable figures of the playful world. For example, the
Pikachu case of the Pokémon series, which had cartoons on television since the
late 1990s, and which appeared frequently in the press to publicize its series,
and specifically a note appeared in December of 1997 about the program, that
was considered to be dangerous due to some scenes that could cause epilepsy,
due to the display of colors flickering at high speeds and could affect children
who saw it (it should be mentioned that nothing about this problem could be
demonstrated) [
By 1998 the release of the PlayStation console was prevalent among the
city’s department stores, presenting it as an object of luxury and technological
advancement, being able to use compact discs (CDs) for storage of the games.
For example, the Fabricas de Franciastore provided diverse “payment facilities”
for its acquisition, as a strategy to incentivize its consumption by purchasing
for months without interest, and frequently advertised it as a highly developed
technical characteristics device, which could also be used as a music system [
On the other hand, the Club Nintendo magazine should be mentioned as one
of the most important print media in the country related exclusively to video
games, and with a large extent in much of Latin America; so we assume that
the same thing happened in the example of the city of Morelia. The Mexican
edition began printing following an initiative of Mexico’s C. Itoh company, a
Japanese electronics import company that was established in the country in 1956,
and which since the late 1980s was the official distributor of Nintendo branded
products in the national territory, both for consoles and software, functioning as
a bridge between “Nintendo of America” of the United States and the various
distributors in Mexico. The company’s executive representative was Teruhide
Kikuchi, and he had a wide interest in an advertising the devices they traded,
since there was no medium specialized in Spanish for local players, so by 1991 he
commissioned a magazine model from several advertising agencies in the country,
and selected the proposal of Gustavo Rodríguez and José Sierra, owners of the
“Network” agency publicity (created in 1987). Thus the first issue of the Club
Nintendo magazine in Mexico was printed on December 08, 1991, under the
local Samra Editorial, with Kikuchi himself as CEO, and Gustavo Rodríguez
and José Sierra as editorial chiefs in charge of all the creativity and advertising
processes [
The magazine’s first number was divided into thematic sections, such as “The
questions to Dr. Mario”, where readers were invited to send mails to be answered
within the publication, with images of the character alluding to him answering
directly; the section “What’s inside?” where the content of fashion games was
described, to make them more attractive; the “Mario’s challenges”, where
proposals were given on how to play with the different products, and through that it
was possible to verify that one was a great player, by fulfilling specific challenges
within each video game; the “Nintensivo”, which detailed how to cross a specific
game step by step (in the case of the first edition was the tremendously popular
“Super Mario Bros. 3”); the “Analyzing”, where a rating was given to the games
that were being released, and generally the most promoted games were given a
very high rating; the “Nintendo’s greats”, where a top of the brand’s new and
classic games was set, a clear strategy to advertise the best-selling games, and
continue with their consumption; the “Crystal Ball”, where speculation or news
about the future of gadgets and software was mentioned; and the “Reset”, where
the contents of the next issue of the magazine were advanced, to promote the
next products or characters and that consumers were preparing for them. Also,
it should be mentioned that the cover of the first edition showed the character
of Mario Bros., landing in Mexico City in a parachute, as a way of announcing
that the fun was coming to the country. The content in terms of the thematic
division remained similar for a long time, and the magazine continued to
circulate continuously until 2019; it should be mention that by December of 2000 a
number of 109 issues of the magazine were printed only in its Mexican edition.
The magazine was often made up of multiple illustrations of the games
themselves, with representative characters that helped increase the influence of the
sector on the social imaginary, as a strategy mechanism. But also by numerous
sponsors of various products related to children, and as we stated this was one
of the main variations in content that the Mexican edition had with respect to
others of the countries (national brands and characters), and we could consider
this as a strategy to expand the circulation of the medium by association with
recognized brands; in particular the nº 1 edition contained advertising from the
company "Marinela", through its “Gansito” (a sweet cake). The medium used its
representativeness of Nintendo’s official brand to be one of the most important
in terms of distribution level in the country, and as a result of its success more
Spanish-related magazines were formed exclusively around video games in all
the Latin American space [
In general terms, it can be seen that since its introduction approximately in
1985 in the city of Morelia the advertising circulated in the press around these
new technological means of video games was a constant, understood as the part
of the dynamics of the cities that were intended to be inserted into the
“Information Age”; and we could consider that the strategic use of advertising was
constantly used by various media as a way to encourage the sales of these new
and highly attractive products. In that sense, mediatization around consumption
and leisure was in response to a principle of simulation and mass production for
post-industrial societies since the second half of the 20th century. The culture
was intensely mediated and began to circulate as a product, a commodity and
entertainment industry, and advertising made it possible by changing the
reference signs in a much broader way to incentivize the desire for consumption and,
therefore, integrate to the globalized world; or in other words, during the second
half of the last century hypercapitalism caused that the value of the symbolic
replaced the functionality of objects as a central point of production, becoming
massive on an international scale, depending on the media [
Therefore, the images, journalistic notes, and propaganda of video games in Morelia could be seen as a form of integration to the global dynamics characteristic of the second half of the 20th century. As it was said, these games were always represented in the press as the “modern” recreational devices of post-industrial societies (in the image of the United States and Japan). So the desire worked as a conditioning system through advertising to help establish these video games in the social imagination as the ways to play in the “Digital Age”, being highly publicized products to make them extremely attractive. However, that does not mean that only their positive notions were exalted, and specifically the press releases in the example we used showed that there was always a concern about the notions of leisure or vice that these products could cause if they were not limited or monitored; at least during the first years of its introduction.
Thus, since the last decades, the ecstasy of communication and the advent
of a society dedicated to its own symbolic reproduction turned the game of
seduction and propaganda into a market strategy, to encourage the desire and
consumption of standardized artifacts around the world [