PlayStation Vita Ad Pulled Following Complaints Over Sexual Innuendo

The ad above, the one featuring a sultry British actress, has come under fire. Why? Because of the innuendo in the video. The euphemisms for some of those spoken acts have caused enough outrage to get Sony to pull the ad.

Shacknews is reporting that Sony originally published the ad for the PlayStation Vita on the European PlayStation YouTube channel, but if you check the channel page for Sony Europe, you'll notice that it's no longer there.

So if you haven't taken a look at the trailer, the ad starts with a female Dr. Grace Powels talking about “doing it” on the toilet, “doing it” under the sheets and “doing it” in the kitchen. The underlying insinuation is that the viewer is avid in the arts of self-pleasure. However, it turns out to be a ruse... just a bit of double-speak to get viewers all riled, hot and antsy; the Doc was actually talking about playing the PlayStation Vita using the remote play feature in combination with the PS4. Oh, that saucy wordplay... how it tricks the heart into beating for unrelated things.

As noted in the Shacknews article, the ad didn't stay up for very long before Sony pulled it off their channel. Luckily, another YouTuber managed to save the video and re-upload for all the world to see.

The ad being pulled has become a bit of news all its own, getting some people to hammer down on Sony for going “too far” while others thought it was a bit of fun.

I think the commercial pales in absolute comparison to some of Sony's other European ads for the PS3 that didn't seem to catch half as much flak. In fact, you might remember that way back in 2006 and 2007 Sony had some pretty out-there ads. A masturbating soccer fan, a nude model, and a tap-dancing concierge were just some of the oddities that appeared in a series of commercials for the PS3. A Doc making some perceived lewd insinuations seems kind of... tame.

Anyway, if people are righteously outraged about the ad then oh well. We've seen a shift lately in gaming as a more critical eye has been laid upon the industry and some of the stuff that used to fly is no longer acceptable. I guess that's what some critics meant when gaming had to “grow up”?

Usually Europeans are a lot more lax with what they allow in their ads, but not-so-much with Sony's latest offerings. Anyway, the PlayStation Vita is available right now, in case you didn't know. The remote play feature shared between the PS Vita and the PS4 is also available right now, in case you didn't know.

If you needed a bit of help figuring out what to purchase this holiday season, feel free to check out Gaming Blend's buyer's guide to help find the right accessories and games to fit your gaming habits.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.