Sega pulls Samba De Amigo ad

Japanese games publisher Sega has pulled an online ad for its Wii rhythm-action title Samba De Amigo following a successful campaign from animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals).

PETA’s blog reads: We’re officially bananas about Sega. In fact, we’re sending them a thank-you card and little vegan chocolates in the shape of monkeys as I write this. Why is this gaming giant scoring such a sweet treat? After learning that Sega used a real chimpanzee in an online video promoting Samba De Amigo we contacted the company.

We explained how involuntary chimpanzee ‘actors’ are taken away from their mothers when they are just a year or so old and forced to perform confusing and repetitious tricks. We also explained some of the horrible methods that chimpanzee ‘trainers’ use, such as electric shocks with shock collars and prods, isolation, beatings with sawed-off pool cues and slapjacks, and food deprivation.

Faster than you can mangle a Metallica song on Guitar Hero, Sega pulled the video from its site and promised to keep all great apes out of its ads. Please join me in giving Sega two opposable thumbs up for making the compassionate decision to keep great apes out of the act.”