Xbox advert "shocking"
ITC ban console ad, describing it as traumatic
In a frankly bizarre ruling, the Independent Television Commission has banned the Xbox's infamous "life is short" TV advert. Probably the console's best known ad on this side of the pond, it portrayed a baby being shot out from between a woman's legs in a hospital, getting older as it flew through the air, before eventually crashing into a grave as an old man. The punch line? "Life is short. Play more." So what were the grounds for the ban? Misleading advertisement? A chronic lack of in-game footage? Having absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the product being plugged? No, apparently it was because some viewers found it offensive. According to a report from Ananova, more than a hundred viewers across the UK complained about the advert's content. Rumours that all of the complaints were typed in block capitals and ended with the words "Xbox $uxs, gameCube R0xors" have yet to be confirmed. Upholding the complaints, the ITC commented that "the man's screams throughout his life's journey suggest a traumatic experience". Insert obligatory joke about the size of the Xbox controller here. The ITC found that these screams, "together with the reminder that life is short, made the final scene more shocking". Or, for those of us who don't have a life mission to make the world as bland a place as possible, more amusing. We're now looking forward to the inevitable banning of the latest PlayStation 2 advert, on the grounds that the sight of a strange French bloke eating memory cards is likely to put people off their dinner. Related Feature - PlayStation 2 with a slice of lemon