April Fools 2016
Well folks, it’s that time of the year again. The day of jokes and japes, riddles and rolled eyes. The day that some folks love, some folks hate and the vast majority seem to love-to-hate. Yes, April Fool’s Day has been and gone, touching all of our lives in different ways: for some of us, it was a gentle tickle of the ribs; for others, a rather nasty slap to the face.
I find the hallmark of a good April Fool’s joke is that it is essentially victimless. Of course, there will be a “victim” in the sense that someone is going to wind up with pie on their face, whether literally or metaphorically. But a good joke doesn’t leave anyone feeling a fool, despite the name of the day. People don’t like to be laughed at and only a jerk of the highest order likes laughing at others, rather than with them. Forget the fake marriage proposals and false pregnancy announcements, the best April Fool’s jokes should leave everybody smiling.
In order to carry this off, you have to know your audience. You would think for a huge corporation, this would be fairly easy, what with the money poured into marketing and research. However, even they have their completely tone deaf moments (see: Google’s minion mic drop fiasco).
We here at Player2 feel we know our audience. You want the latest news in gaming and technology, quality journalism, hard and fast facts coupled with thought-provoking insight. And once you’ve finished reading this article about Dad-tier jokes, you can go back to the front page and find it.
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a huge, beautiful, immersive game. With a full book series’ worth of lore behind it, it’s easy to lose a chunk of time just exploring the world of the game. CD Projekt Red, the developers of the game, recognised this for the problem it was and set about rectifying it immediately with the implementation of the Bug Creation Department. In an exclusive behind-the-scenes video released on YouTube, we can now fully appreciate the hard work this team put in.
This is a perfect example of a great April Fool’s joke, in that the crux of the joke relies on the perpetrator being their own victim. Though, honestly, I would have included it on this list just for its fantastic use of that ubiquitous horse head mask. You know the one I mean.
Dark Souls III
Remember when the first “trailer” for Kung Fury came out and how excited everyone got? I had a similar feeling when I saw this trailer for Dark Souls III by Bandai Namco. It’s tapped into that same gloriously old school vibe Tarantino is so fond of, making me both nostalgic for the past and excited for the future. Experience it for yourself here.
World of Warcraft
In case you find your addiction to all things WoW is fading, Blizzard have just what you need: Azeroth TV! On April 1st, it was announced they were launching their own network television channel, featuring a “truly legendary” lineup of shows that has something for everyone. Do you like reality shows? In ‘Project Transmog’ 18 hopefuls trying to break into the fashion scene compete to see who can create the most and least outstanding outfits. Or is action more your thing? Then you may like to check out ‘The Ambulatory Undead’, an all-too-real look at what life would be like for a small group, led by Paladin Brother Sammuel, if the Lich King’s undead Scourge were never contained in Northrend. Maybe the hoard isn’t the only enemy…
Check out the rest of this fabulous line up here.
Assassin’s Creed
This April Fool’s offering is simple but fantastic. Each instalment of the long and fruitful Assassin’s Creed series is grown from the same seed: Templars and Assassin’s really aren’t terribly fond of each other. From gif to hashtag, these tweets perfectly encapsulate the good, silly fun that April Fool’s Day should be – because, really, who would dare break a pinky swear?!
You can find the original tweets here.
Nyko
Nyko announced their latest piece of hardware this past Friday – the Ego Booster 1337, a controller for only the most hardcore of gamers. With features such as built-in compliment button (“My you have strong thumbs!”) and a “win” button (prompting what others may ignorantly call a “ragequit”), this controller will nurse your fractured feelings and make gaming into the hug box you deserve. As the pitch says, “Why waste your life practising to get better someday when you could feel better today?”
Watch the trailer here.
No Man’s Sky
Look, I know I said the ideal April Fool’s prank should be a victimless affair, but those familiar with the English language will know there are exceptions to every rule. In this case, the exception is that the victims were very relieved to find out they had fallen for nothing more than a joke and that they had not really sacrificed anything of value in becoming victims, such as their dignity or reputation. Just goes to show, though, the ripples (of laughter) such a small action can have…
See the action in question here.
Razer – Project Breadwinner
Finally, I am just going to leave this here for your amusement.
Stevie McDonald
* To catch up on 2015’s April Fools pranks, check out Stevie’s report here:
