I must admit that I’m not the avid videogamer I once was. I hung up my gaming cleats in my late teens (about five years ago) and have watched the new releases from afar, flexing my knuckles, trying to avoid a destiny of Carpal tunnel syndrome. Usually, videogame ads all look the same and sport some generic 9/10 rating. But occasionally, a commercial will stand out and make wonder whether I should play again. For those of us who are worried about falling off the wagon, a compelling game ad can be both exciting and scary.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified trailer – created by Team One, which also handles Lexus of course – may be vague, but it is certainly not generic. The three-minute spot sells tone in a cinematic style, and according to Team One, contains 20 Easter eggs for future customers. The game is set in the Cold War and re-imagines a doomsday Cold War where aliens invade instead of Russians. You then have the fearless protagonist who will stop at no costs to complete his mission. The game will be out August 20, and the creators have promised more mysterious pieces of ad content leading up to the release date.

Credits after the jump.

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Nearly three months after 72andSunny introduced us to “The Replacer”–aka Fargo baddie Peter Stormare–in its campaign for Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Revolution trailer, the agency has brought back the character, now with sidekick JB Smoove in tow, for its Black Ops II – Uprising promo. Jesus, how many entries are in this franchise? Anyhow, the newly formed dynamic duo embarks on several replacing adventures from serving as weatherman to fixing cable, with Stormare being his usual, somewhat menacing self and Smoove giving us the fast-talking delivery that we first came to know and love in Curb Your Enthusiasm. 

We’re not sure what the budget is here, but as the Black Ops franchise expands, so do seem the timeframe and scope of the clips promoting it. But, if you have the patience for it (it is lunchtime on the East Coast, after all), don’t let us stop you from taking in this slightly entertaining, slightly grating clip. Credits after the jump.

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No, it’s not the ass-whooping you’re thinking of that he received back in the day. We can’t really expound, though, except to say the timing is perfect with this latest EA Sports spot from San Francisco-based Heat for the former’s Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 installment. Woods, if you didn’t know, won his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational title yesterday in his home turf of Orlando and reclaimed his throne as the top-ranked golfer in the world in the process. Not sure if he’s doing his own stunts or that his sports star acting skills are on par with his good pal, Roger Federer, but we’re sure those are Arnie’s knuckles cracking. Credits after the jump.

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And now, your time-killer for the morning. Nine months after winning the Planet Fitness biz, Philly-based Red Tettemer + Partners continues in its ongoing “Gymtimidation” campaign for the chain via a Facebook extension/game called “Clunk-a-Lunk,” which now lets you virtually hand the worst of gym rats a little beatdown and win a one-year free membership in the process.

If you care to meet the latest round of testosterone-fueled cliches (who still can’t top this guy that Mullen came up with a few years ago), look no further than the trailer above or clips like “Abroham” and “Earthquake” below and after the jump. Yep, during our infrequent trips to our gym, we see that these folks sadly exist.

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Like a less-slick, self-assured version of Harvey Keitel‘s “The Wolf” from Pulp Fiction, actor Peter Stormare, who you might remember from playing Steve Buscemi‘s even sleazier partner-in-crime in Fargo or to a lesser extent, “Slippery Pete” on Seinfeld, stars as “The Replacer” in 72andSunny’s latest lengthy effort for Activision. This time, agency and client team up to promote the latter’s Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Revolution, which will come equipped with new multiplayer apps, a new weapon and even a zombie mode to play undead.

In the two-and-a-half minute clip above, we find that “The Replacer” is actually a way more charitable character than Wolf, lending his services to a variety of gamers, whether a frustrated, domesticated type, an expecting parent, a guy on a blind date, a landscaper or even a zoo cleaner. The intensity of previous Call of Duty clips has supplanted by comedy, and we kinda welcome the change of pace. And plus, we have a soft spot for Stormare, a man who’s played bit/supporting roles in more movies than we can count.  Credits after the jump.

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Damn, it’s cold! On chilly Fridays before long weekends, when your ECD is half way out the door, there’s really only one thing to do. Sit back, relax, and watch Toy Story – the version made shot for shot with real toys. Or get a taste for the newest Sim City game. That and much more shall keep you entertained while your soul withers away in agony.

5. NBC has a little segment called “Ask Tina.” This week’s episode is about Twitter, and Fey opines that anyone who want so to use the service should have to get a license – and she’d like to be the commissioner. This is actually not a bad idea since, as she notes, Twitter is mostly boring as hell. With just 143k views, this one comes at number 5 for being worth a few yucks.

4. Here’s the SimCity Game Intro trailer you’ve been waiting for. The much anticipated game comes out March 5th and lets you build everything necessary for a city to flourish, including an electrical grid and asshole drivers. 150k views brings this piece in at number 4.

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As we were out early last week thanks to some holiday festivities, we sadly missed the thrilling conclusion to W+K and Old Spice’s “4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World” campaign, which called on the services of none other than old #55, Dikembe Mutombo. But, since we’re working in slow-motion this week, might as well try to play catch up and post the final clip. Since our planet did indeed survive 12/21/12, Dikembe and his odds and sods cast of 8-bit characters including the Cosby sweater-wearing “dear Science, the bear” accomplished their mission. So, what better way to celebrate averting the apocalypse than an epic ballad seemingly inspired by “We Are the World.”

Still, while we’re led to believe all is well with Mother Earth, apparently our shelf life has only been extended approximately 15 months according a reveal halfway through the clip above. What are W+K and Old Spice hinting at? Do we even care to find out? Whatever the case, this current events-inspired online gaming effort of sorts was mostly fun while it lasted.

This comes from VML Australia. It is comforting to know that they celebrate the holidays in a country/continent that (I’ve learned, thanks to Reddit) is populated by the scariest bugs and weirdest animals in the entire world.

For those who need another reason to gamble and shake their phone really hard, this effort from the WPP digital agency’s Sydney office that’s being described as a “real-world interactive race between four of Santa’s reindeer”  might be the game for you. For the rest of you, I hope this can provide even the most fleeting smile on a really heartbreaking day.

I’m not suggesting that grandparents can’t play video games; I’m sure some do, it just seems strange that a whole family would sit around a couch fully invested in watching Gramps play. It seems even stranger–and a little misguided–for 180 Amsterdam to include this scene in their new Playstation 3 commercial. But, since Grandpa shot up from his cushioned seat with such force, I’m just relieved he didn’t throw out his back.

The “Family Day Out” TV spot is the centerpiece of PS3′s Festival of Fun campaign, meant to highlight the versatile gaming options available for the console. The bulk of the commercial takes place at a circus-like setting where kids, parents, and even grandparents, can enjoy the metaphorical pleasures of motion-control video games.

The crux of the idea that video games can bring together a family means that instead of people actually going to circuses and fairs to spend time with each other, everyone can do it in a virtual ecosystem from a leather couch. That whole fresh-air, let’s-communicate-in-person thing is going the way of the CD player, but I suppose 180 Amsterdam is onto something here. If Mom and Dad squaring off in Sports Champions 2 leads to a healthier marriage, why not? Just make sure Grandpa takes frequent breaks to prevent carpal tunnel, stiff joints, worsening eyesight, and a rapid heartbeat. Credits after the jump.

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W+K’s ongoing work for Old Spice demanded one hell of a refresh and the agency thankfully obliges with this rather promising effort for the P&G brand, which stars beloved former NBA center, Dikembe Mutombo. Though long since retired, the man who could talk so much shit with just a wag of his finger is still very much involved in humanitarian causes, so who better to help avert the imminent apocalypse promised by the Mayan calendar than old #55.

Yes, this is the basis of a real-time, online 8-bit gaming experience from W+K for Old Spice dubbed “4 1/2 Weeks to Save the World,” which will have our hero embark on weekly globe-trotting missions based on current event and help prolong our lives on this planet. So far, from visiting the game play site alone, we gather that this week, Mutombo must stop Gangnam Style and encourage people to vote–might be a little late on that one–but hell, we’re 100 percent behind this mission. Along the way, we’ve met a Cosby sweater-adorning, intelligent talking bear and other odd characters all while trying to figure how the hell get out of level 1. We must say, though, that regardless of how odd and chaotic this whole campaign is, we’re quite enamored with it thus far and will take it over some of the recent Greg Jennings work any day. Give it a shot here. Credits after the jump.

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