False advertising is prominent in this digital age. Sometimes it is unintentional with producers and creators wanting to show the best side of their product, but other times it is purposely done to mislead the consumers and customers.

Right now, I want to show you what false advertising is like in the video game world: one where actuality means everything.

A video game is an interactive experience where an individual acts as the main character in a narrative or online experience for entertainment.

What this means is that the recipient or purchaser of the product expects to have a fun or an interesting experience playing the game based off the information presented by the producers. This includes plot, graphics, gameplay, etc. and therefore the overall quality of the game.

While that term can sometimes be subjective, there are always objective pieces a game will have that affect the overall quality and reception.

Ubisoft’s 2014 “Watch Dogs” was the first ever “Mature” rated game I bought. It was advertised with the stigma the game would be groundbreaking and revolutionize the gaming industry.

You can tell that did not happen because anyone unfamiliar with the gaming industry has most likely never heard of it.

Why is that? The answer is because what was promised was never presented.

The premise of the game is that the main character can hack anything in the map, a very accurate rendering of Chicago, and control electronics to fulfill the goals of the character (this is me ignoring spoilers for the plot as all reviewers should do).

Additionally, the entire game was advertised and portrayed as revolutionary based on the gameplay and the graphical quality.

That quality not only flopped, it sparked a massive amount of controversy in the gaming world regarding what was advertised and what is given to the players.

Many things promised in the trailers and demos were given to the players but many things shown were also never implemented. The full release was lacking in almost every aspect of what was promised.

Video game producers should be held to the same false-advertising laws and regulations as other product makers.

The game was fun and received multiple good reviews and awards; however, that does not take away from the blatant lies advertised.

I enjoyed my time with the game, but I will always feel I was misled because I was.