Kevin Butler (character)
Encyclopedia
Kevin Butler is a marketing character used by Sony Computer Entertainment America as part of their It Only Does Everything (2009-2011) and Long Live Play (2011-present) advertising campaigns for the PlayStation 3
in North America. He stars as the Vice President of various fictitious departments within the PlayStation division of Sony, responding to "Dear PlayStation" queries. Due to the positive reception of the commercials, Sony extended them throughout the remainder of 2010 as well as into 2011. The character was created by Deutsch/LA
, the advertising agency responsible for the campaign. Deutsch/LA also manages Kevin Butler's Twitter
account and wrote his E3 2010 speech. Creative Circus graduates Will Lindberg and Mark Adler are responsible for creating the "Hall of Play" Facebook
app
to induct PlayStation gamers into the Hall of Play by Kevin Butler.
called "Dustin vs. PlayStation" where he, the "Director of Game Accuracy", was debating the in-game abilities of Dustin Pedroia
, 2008 AL MVP. He then appeared in another ad for the game called "Joe the Fan" discussing Pedroia's abilities with a fan named Joe Biancanellio, a Baseball Connoisseur. These are the only two commercials not part of the It Only Does Everything campaign and featured the original model PS3 due to these two commercials being made before the slim model was released. The original PS3 model can also be seen in Kevin Butler's "Artist Spotlight" for ModNation Racers
.
The first commerical in the It Only Does Everything campaign began with the price drop and rebranding of the PS3 where the "Director of Rumor Confirmation", Kevin Butler, responded to a call in regards to a rumor about the PS3 price drop. Kevin Butler has since appeared in many additional commercials. On June 15, 2010, he made a live appearance at Sony's E3 press conference promoting the PlayStation Move and gaming in general. He revealed on his Twitter account that he has a college degree in M.B.A., Master of Being Awesome. In the "What Are You Waiting For?" commercial, it is shown that Kevin Butler has his own RV called "The PlayStation VP-ehicle" and he put the PlayStation Move to the ultimate test by spending 90 days in the Maguire family's house.
For the 2009 holiday season, Kevin Butler teamed up with Best Buy
employee Nick DeVita from New York to promote a PS3 Best Buy bundle. They have since teamed up to promote PS3 Best Buy bundles for the consequent holiday seasons in 2010 and 2011.
On August 26, 2011, Butler told his Twitter followers "KB's off to be PRESIDENT of my uncle's new upstart company" which was later revealed to be fictional "Economy Flooring". This led to the launch of a new marketing campaign, Long Live Play, to succeed the It Only Does Everything marketing campaign. The first commercial in the Long Live Play campaign began with Butler as President, Economic Flooring, until he receives a call from Jack Tretton
, President of Sony Computer Entertainment America, to return to PlayStation.
On October 27, 2011 (until Thanksgiving 2011), as part of the Long Live Play campaign, Kevin Butler opened the "Hall of Play" inducting PlayStation gamers into the Hall of Play through Facebook
.
commercials, the Resistance 3
and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
commercials), such as "Director of Rumor Confirmation" or "VP of First Person Shooter Relations". In his YouTube
Channel, he notes that he is "PlayStation VP of... Lots of Stuff." In the PlayStation Move commercials, instead of responding to "Dear PlayStation" queries, Kevin Butler has "Dear World" queries about motion gaming. In the "EyePet, There's a New Pet in Town" commercial, he has a "Dear Puppies" query for puppies. In the video announcing the launch of video streaming on PlayStation 3
in Canada, he referred to Canadians as "Canadese".
There have also been some unofficial titles given to him. At E3 2010, for example, when Gabe Newell
came out to present Portal 2
on the PlayStation 3, Gabe made a joke stating that Kevin Butler had introduced himself backstage as the "VP of Sharpening Things" which is why Gabe seemed nervous.
that honors PlayStation gamers as part of Sony's Long Live Play campaign. The Hall of Play opened on October 27, 2011 with a Kevin Butler version of PlayStation's "To Michael" commercial (Kevin Butler was praised and his picture was shown at the end instead of Michael's). Kevin Butler began inducting various gamers every week day into the Hall of Play on November 1, 2011 until Thanksgiving (November 24, 2011). Though Kevin Butler won't personally be inducting gamers with their own induction video after Thanksgiving, PlayStation gamers can still be inducted by Butler through PlayStation's Facebook
page (hallofplay.com) and are treated to their own version of the "To Michael" commercial, with their name being praised and a picture of themselves in the place of Michael's picture.
's Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili
, to demand an apology from Sony, calling the commercial an "unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country." In response, Sony promptly issued an apology to the Nigerian government and immediately pulled the commercial from the air. A few days later, Sony replaced the commercial with an edited version, changing the original line to, "You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. That's how World War I
got started."
In July 2010, New Zealand television station TV3
ran an advertisement for "Something big on Monday nights". Gaming website ButtonMasher accused TV3 of directly ripping off the "Mon-Tage, It Only Does All-Nighters/Blu-ray Games" commercial. Kevin Butler replied via Twitter
: "Dear TV3: You could have at least put my photo on top of the amp. Sheesh."
In January, 2011, Sony sued George Hotz
and others, in part for publishing PS3's private key
s (which allows users to modify the system to run customized or unofficial software). On 9 February 2011, a post was published on Kevin Butler's Twitter account containing an earlier dongle key. The post was made in reply to another user who tweeted the code to @TheKevinButler in an attempt to mock Sony's threat that they'd prosecute anyone who "posts the PlayStation 3 private key" Kevin Butler replied, appearing to mistake the code for a series of Battleships
co-ordinates, joking "Lemme guess... you sank my Battleship?" and copying the original message in his reply. The post was later deleted from the @TheKevinButler Twitter account.
commented on the first two commercials that were released, "What we didn't mention is how funny they are." Sony Computer Entertainment America Senior Vice President Peter Dille said that the commercials have "been tremendously successful. Consumers love it. It's great to hear people like you guys love it. And the results are really in the sales because it's really been flying since this coincided in September with the launch of the new PS3." Engadget
also loved the commercials saying, "We have to hand it to Sony, they've followed up nicely on their "worst kept secret" trade show jokes with an ad campaign that is fittingly self aware". Destructoid
praised the commercials, saying that they were much better than Sony's previous White Room series of ads, which was met with mostly negative reception, with most calling it "creepy." When Butler appeared at E3 2010, he was met with large praise from the audience.
Peter Dille, (real) VP of Marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America, stated that they have received contacts from media, requesting an interview with Butler, not realizing he isn't a real person.
NPR
has named a sandwich
in his honor.
The sandwich, a double bacon cheeseburger
sandwiched in between two Monte Cristos
was based on a remark that was made by the fictional executive.
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in North America. He stars as the Vice President of various fictitious departments within the PlayStation division of Sony, responding to "Dear PlayStation" queries. Due to the positive reception of the commercials, Sony extended them throughout the remainder of 2010 as well as into 2011. The character was created by Deutsch/LA
Deutsch Inc.
Deutsch Inc. is a notable American advertising agency.Founded in 1969 as David Deutsch Associates, Inc., in 1989 the founder's son Donny Deutsch took over the agency and led it through a period of growth and creative accolades, including:...
, the advertising agency responsible for the campaign. Deutsch/LA also manages Kevin Butler's Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account and wrote his E3 2010 speech. Creative Circus graduates Will Lindberg and Mark Adler are responsible for creating the "Hall of Play" Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
app
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
to induct PlayStation gamers into the Hall of Play by Kevin Butler.
Appearances
Kevin Butler first appeared in a 2009 ad for MLB 09: The ShowMLB 09: The Show
MLB 09: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It belongs to the Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation systems...
called "Dustin vs. PlayStation" where he, the "Director of Game Accuracy", was debating the in-game abilities of Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Pedroia
Dustin Luis Pedroia is an American professional baseball second baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Pedroia has won several awards in Major League Baseball, including the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year and the 2008 AL MVP award...
, 2008 AL MVP. He then appeared in another ad for the game called "Joe the Fan" discussing Pedroia's abilities with a fan named Joe Biancanellio, a Baseball Connoisseur. These are the only two commercials not part of the It Only Does Everything campaign and featured the original model PS3 due to these two commercials being made before the slim model was released. The original PS3 model can also be seen in Kevin Butler's "Artist Spotlight" for ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers
ModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated...
.
The first commerical in the It Only Does Everything campaign began with the price drop and rebranding of the PS3 where the "Director of Rumor Confirmation", Kevin Butler, responded to a call in regards to a rumor about the PS3 price drop. Kevin Butler has since appeared in many additional commercials. On June 15, 2010, he made a live appearance at Sony's E3 press conference promoting the PlayStation Move and gaming in general. He revealed on his Twitter account that he has a college degree in M.B.A., Master of Being Awesome. In the "What Are You Waiting For?" commercial, it is shown that Kevin Butler has his own RV called "The PlayStation VP-ehicle" and he put the PlayStation Move to the ultimate test by spending 90 days in the Maguire family's house.
For the 2009 holiday season, Kevin Butler teamed up with Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
employee Nick DeVita from New York to promote a PS3 Best Buy bundle. They have since teamed up to promote PS3 Best Buy bundles for the consequent holiday seasons in 2010 and 2011.
On August 26, 2011, Butler told his Twitter followers "KB's off to be PRESIDENT of my uncle's new upstart company" which was later revealed to be fictional "Economy Flooring". This led to the launch of a new marketing campaign, Long Live Play, to succeed the It Only Does Everything marketing campaign. The first commercial in the Long Live Play campaign began with Butler as President, Economic Flooring, until he receives a call from Jack Tretton
Jack Tretton
Jack Tretton is the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America , a division of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation...
, President of Sony Computer Entertainment America, to return to PlayStation.
On October 27, 2011 (until Thanksgiving 2011), as part of the Long Live Play campaign, Kevin Butler opened the "Hall of Play" inducting PlayStation gamers into the Hall of Play through Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
Titles
He has a different title in each commercial (except the two MLB 11: The ShowMLB 11: The Show
MLB 11: The Show is a Major League Baseball video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Sony San Diego. The game was released on March 8, 2011 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2...
commercials, the Resistance 3
Resistance 3
Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title...
and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It was...
commercials), such as "Director of Rumor Confirmation" or "VP of First Person Shooter Relations". In his YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
Channel, he notes that he is "PlayStation VP of... Lots of Stuff." In the PlayStation Move commercials, instead of responding to "Dear PlayStation" queries, Kevin Butler has "Dear World" queries about motion gaming. In the "EyePet, There's a New Pet in Town" commercial, he has a "Dear Puppies" query for puppies. In the video announcing the launch of video streaming on PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
in Canada, he referred to Canadians as "Canadese".
There have also been some unofficial titles given to him. At E3 2010, for example, when Gabe Newell
Gabe Newell
Gabe Logan Newell is the co-founder and managing director of video game development and online distribution company Valve Corporation.-Work:...
came out to present Portal 2
Portal 2
Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game...
on the PlayStation 3, Gabe made a joke stating that Kevin Butler had introduced himself backstage as the "VP of Sharpening Things" which is why Gabe seemed nervous.
| Game promotions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Game | Tagline |
| 2009 | Director of Game Accuracy | MLB 09: The Show MLB 09: The Show MLB 09: The Show is a baseball simulation video game developed by SCE San Diego Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable systems. It belongs to the Major League Baseball game series on the PlayStation systems... |
"Dustin vs. PlayStation" |
| "Joe the Fan" | |||
| VP of Big Action Moments | Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is an action-adventure platform third-person shooter video game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. It is the sequel to the 2007 game Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. It was first shown and announced on December 1, 2008... |
It Only Does Action/Multi-Player | |
| Chief Weaponologist | Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console... |
It Only Does Time Travel/Crazy Weapons | |
| 2010 | VP of First Person Shooter Relations | MAG | It Only Does 256 Players/Relentless War |
| VP of PS3 Softball Team | MLB 10: The Show MLB 10: The Show MLB 10: The Show is a baseball simulation video game created by Sony Computer Entertainment's San Diego division. The MLB: The Show series of video games is the longest officially licensed baseball simulation game on the PlayStation. The game is made for Sony's own PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and... |
It Only Does The Show/Realism/Walk-Offs | |
| Regional Manager of War | God of War III God of War III God of War III is an action-adventure video game released by Sony Computer Entertainment's Santa Monica division for the PlayStation 3 in March 2010... |
It Only Does Epic Trilogies/Vengeance/Rage | |
| VP of Inspiration & Perspiration | ModNation Racers ModNation Racers ModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated... |
It Only Does Race, Create, Share/Track Creations/Parties | |
| VP of Virtual Pet Relations | EyePet EyePet EyePet is a game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, developed by London Studio and Playlogic Game Factory. The original PlayStation 3 version was released in Europe on 23 October 2009 and in Australia on 27 October 2009. This version of EyePet was originally scheduled to be released in... |
"There's a New Pet in Town" | |
| VP of Family Showdowns | Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is a golfing simulation video game in the Tiger Woods PGA Tour series developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts. It was released in North America on June 8, 2010 for the PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360 and iOS. The game is the first in the series to support the... |
"Distractions"; It Only Does Family Showdowns | |
| VP of Add More Awesome | Gran Turismo 5 Gran Turismo 5 is the fifth edition of the Gran Turismo racing video game series. Developed by Polyphony Digital and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, it was released for PlayStation 3 on November 24, 2010... |
It Only Does Revolutionary Racing Experiences/1000+ Cars | |
| 2011 | VP of Infinite Infinity | LittleBigPlanet 2 LittleBigPlanet 2 LittleBigPlanet 2 is a puzzle platformer video game, centred around user-generated content. The game is developed by Media Molecule, published by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for PlayStation 3 and was originally scheduled for release in November 2010 but was delayed until January 2011... |
It Only Does Endless Fun |
| VP of The Cold Hard Truth | Killzone 3 Killzone 3 Killzone 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the Killzone series, the first game in the series to be presented in 3D and the first to include motion controls using the... |
It Only Does Multiplayer | |
| No VP title for this ad Joe Mauer vs. Kevin Butler: MLB 11 The Show-down |
MLB 11: The Show MLB 11: The Show MLB 11: The Show is a Major League Baseball video game published by Sony Computer Entertainment and developed by Sony San Diego. The game was released on March 8, 2011 for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2... |
It Only Does Pure Controls | |
| No VP title for this ad Kevin Butler Trashes Your Talk |
Kevin Butler's S.H.A.F.T. Method (Specific, Hurtful, Accents, Frequency, Tijuana) | ||
| VP of Silent But Deadly | SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs | It Only Does Tactical Strategy/Teamwork | |
| VP of Heroic Actions | inFamous 2 Infamous 2 Infamous 2, stylized as inFAMOUS 2, is a 2011 open world video game for the PlayStation 3 video game console developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment... |
It Only Does New Heroes | |
| No VP title for this ad Parody of Mel Gibson Mel Gibson Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in... in Braveheart Braveheart Braveheart is a 1995 epic historical drama war film directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The film was written for the screen and then novelized by Randall Wallace... |
Resistance 3 Resistance 3 Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title... |
First Long Live Play commercial for a PS3 game | |
| No VP title for this ad Grab The Ring |
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It was... |
Second Long Live Play commercial for a PS3 game | |
| TV promotions | |||
| Year | Title | TV promotion | Tagline/Notes |
| 2009 | Director of Rumor Confirmation | PlayStation 3 PlayStation 3 The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles... Price drop to $299 USD |
It Only Does Games/Blu-ray/Everything |
| VP of Enough is Enough | "Candle" | It Only Does PlayStation Home PlayStation Home PlayStation Home is a virtual 3D social gaming network developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's London Studio for the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network . It is available directly from the PlayStation 3 XrossMediaBar under PlayStation Network. Membership is free, and only requires a PSN... /Movie Downloads/Epic Fun |
|
| Family Activities Director | "Desperate Dad" | It Only Does Family Togetherness/Family Games/Blu-ray | |
| VP of Epic Footage | "Mon Tage" | It Only Does Great Games/All-Nighters/Blu-ray Games | |
| VP of Blu-ray Superiority | "Grandma" | It Only Does Blu-ray Movies/Wi-Fi | |
| VP of Big Deal Deal Making | 2009 Best Buy Best Buy Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates... Bundle - a PS3, a select PS3 game, and a select Blu-ray movie |
"BOOM!"; It Only Does Unbelievable HD Entertainment Bundles | |
| 2010 | VP of Fanboy Relations | New PSP campaign | Kevin Butler interviews Marcus Rivers Marcus Rivers Marcus Rivers is a fictional 12 year-old character used by Sony Computer Entertainment America as part of their Step Your Game Up advertising campaign for the PlayStation Portable and PSPgo consoles in North America, much like the PlayStation 3's "It Only Does Everything" advertising campaign... for Step Your Game Up PSP PSP PSP most commonly refers to the PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment.PSP may also refer to:-Computing and programming:*Corel Paint Shop Pro, a graphics editor... campaign |
| VP of Epic Gaming for All | "Epic" | PlayStation Move promo | |
| VP of Family Funterventions | "What Are You Waiting For?" | PlayStation Move promo | |
| Gift Giving Guru | "Conundrum" | It Only Does Gifts for the Whole Family/Blu-ray | |
| Family Whisperer | "Fake TV Family" | It Only Does Gifts for the Whole Family/Free Access | |
| Boombassador of Deals | 2010 BestBuy Bundle - a PS3, Gran Turismo 5, Grown Ups on Blu-ray, and a select BRAVIA BRAVIA BRAVIA is a Sony brand used to market its high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors and for the PlayStation 3 , along with its home cinema range under the sub-brand BRAVIA Theatre. The BRAVIA name is an acronym of "Best Resolution Audio Visual Integrated Architecture"... HDTV |
It Only Does Unstoppable Deals | |
| 2011 | First Person Sensei | PlayStation Move Sharp Shooter | It Only Does Sharp Shooter |
| President, Economic Flooring | PlayStation 3 Price Drop to $249 USD | First Long Live Play commercial | |
| VP of Bringin' It in 3D | 2011 Best Buy Bundle - PlayStation 3D Display and a PS3 | Players can get a PS3 for $100 USD when they purchase a PlayStation 3D Display | |
| Web (Twitter, PlayStation.Blog, Youtube, etc.) | |||
| Year | Title | Web | Notes |
| 2010 | VP of Apologetic Apologies | Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... |
Via a Twitter tweet on the PSN being down for 24 hours. |
| VP of Realistic Movements | Youtube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... |
Promo for the PlayStation Move; It Only Does Fun/Immersion | |
| VP of Artistic Modification | PlayStation.Blog PlayStation.Blog The PlayStation Blog, also styled as PlayStation.Blog, is a PlayStation focused blog. It is a part of the PlayStation Network and was launched on June 11, 2007... |
Artist Spotlight for ModNation Racers ModNation Racers ModNation Racers is a kart racing game developed by United Front Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. User generated content will be a central aspect of the game, such that it uses the same "Play, Create, Share." adage as LittleBigPlanet to convey its basis in online user-generated... , stars alongside Jack Tretton Jack Tretton Jack Tretton is the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America , a division of Sony Computer Entertainment, which is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation... , CEO of SCEA |
|
| VP of Soiling Oneself in Excitement | Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... |
Via a Twitter tweet about Killzone 3 Killzone 3 Killzone 3 is a 2011 first-person shooter for the PlayStation 3, developed by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the fourth installment in the Killzone series, the first game in the series to be presented in 3D and the first to include motion controls using the... |
|
| VP of Still Got It | Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... |
Via a Twitter tweet | |
| VP of International Diplomacy | PlayStation.Blog PlayStation.Blog The PlayStation Blog, also styled as PlayStation.Blog, is a PlayStation focused blog. It is a part of the PlayStation Network and was launched on June 11, 2007... |
Kevin Butler's response to New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... 's TV3 TV3 (New Zealand) TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand... montage TV promo |
|
| VP of Being Teased | Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... |
Via a Twitter tweet about Resistance 3 Resistance 3 Resistance 3 is a 2011 science fiction post-apocalyptic first person shooter developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3. The game is the third title in the Resistance series and is the sequel to the best-selling PlayStation 3 launch title... |
|
| VP of Shaking What His Mother Gave Him | Twitter Twitter Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July... |
Via a Twitter tweet about SingStar Dance SingStar Dance SingStar Dance is a 2010 competitive karaoke and dance game for the PlayStation 3, and is a spin-off of the karaoke-only SingStar series. SingStar Dance is developed by SCE London Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment... |
|
| VP of Yes We Canada | PlayStation.Blog PlayStation.Blog The PlayStation Blog, also styled as PlayStation.Blog, is a PlayStation focused blog. It is a part of the PlayStation Network and was launched on June 11, 2007... |
It Only Does Movies; Kevin Butler announces Video Streaming in Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
|
| VP of Auditory Opinions | PlayStation Yay Buttons | PlayStation Move website | |
| 2011 | No VP Title Kevin Butler Comes to Facebook Facebook Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as... |
Youtube YouTube YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos.... |
Kevin Butler announces he's now on Facebook and has something big planned (the "Hall of Play") |
| Unofficial titles | |||
| Year | Title | Source | Notes |
| 2010 | VP of Micro-Minigames | LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California... |
"Kevin Butler Ware" LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet LittleBigPlanet, commonly abbreviated LBP, is a puzzle platformer video game, based on user-generated content, for the PlayStation 3 first announced on 7 March 2007, by Phil Harrison at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California... level |
| VP of Sharpening Things | E3 2010 | Gabe Newell Gabe Newell Gabe Logan Newell is the co-founder and managing director of video game development and online distribution company Valve Corporation.-Work:... 's E3 2010 presentation of Portal 2 Portal 2 Portal 2 is a first-person puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. The sequel to the 2007 video game Portal, it was announced on March 5, 2010, following a week-long alternate reality game based on new patches to the original game... |
|
| VP of Tweeting | New PSP PSP PSP most commonly refers to the PlayStation Portable, a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment.PSP may also refer to:-Computing and programming:*Corel Paint Shop Pro, a graphics editor... campaign |
Huge Gamer's article on Kevin Butler hiring Marcus Rivers as PSP publicist | |
| VP of Gamer Inspiration | E3 2010 | Kotaku Kotaku Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100... Australia's article about Kevin Butler's E3 2010 appearance |
|
| VP of Explosions | PlayStation Move | Game Rant's article about Kevin Butler's PlayStation Move "Epic" commercial | |
| 2011 | VP of Fucking Bullshit | Penny Arcade Penny Arcade Penny Arcade may refer to:* Penny arcade, a venue for coin-operated devices* Penny Arcade ** Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, a series of video games based on the webcomic... |
Penny Arcade Penny Arcade Penny Arcade may refer to:* Penny arcade, a venue for coin-operated devices* Penny Arcade ** Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, a series of video games based on the webcomic... 's comic on the PlayStation Network service outage of 2011. |
| VP of Guest Characters | Capcom Unity Capcom is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its... |
Capcom Capcom is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its... Senior VP Christian Svensson on whether or not Kevin would appear as a guest character on Street Fighter X Tekken Street Fighter X Tekken is an upcoming crossover fighting game being developed by Capcom. The game was announced at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International by Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono. The game is set to release on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows and PlayStation Vita sometime in March 2012. The game... . |
|
Hall of Play
The Hall of Play is a fictional Hall of FameHall of Fame
A hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
that honors PlayStation gamers as part of Sony's Long Live Play campaign. The Hall of Play opened on October 27, 2011 with a Kevin Butler version of PlayStation's "To Michael" commercial (Kevin Butler was praised and his picture was shown at the end instead of Michael's). Kevin Butler began inducting various gamers every week day into the Hall of Play on November 1, 2011 until Thanksgiving (November 24, 2011). Though Kevin Butler won't personally be inducting gamers with their own induction video after Thanksgiving, PlayStation gamers can still be inducted by Butler through PlayStation's Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page (hallofplay.com) and are treated to their own version of the "To Michael" commercial, with their name being praised and a picture of themselves in the place of Michael's picture.
| Kevin Butler's Induction video | PlayStation gamer(s) |
|---|---|
| PlayStation "To Michael" Kevin Butler version | Kevin Butler |
| Adoption | Nychus13 |
| Manp-stamp | MotherBoop |
| Platinum | Legion_Dragon |
| Teamwork | DirkTheDaring |
| Butler Time | Legit_Btness |
| The Ballad of GraveyardBoots | GraveyardBoots |
| Party | DKLincol |
| Blood, Sweat, and Tears | KChow23 |
| Jersey | APickledEgg |
| Heroes | TheBigIrish1138 |
| Toast | Siloeyes and Okeneko |
| Sidekick | Frometheus |
| Marmalade | Himeshinra |
| Blades | WithoutAFace |
| Father and Son | Vurma and Yutlord22 |
| Cake | Kailsen |
| Future President | IDoGigs |
| Fireworks | BRWCRW19 |
| Thanksgiving | gamers everywhere |
Controversies
In one of his first commercials, in response to a rumor monger questioning a then-confirmed price drop for the PlayStation 3, he says, "You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. Otherwise, I'd be a Nigerian millionaire by now." This prompted NigeriaNigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
's Minister of Information and Communication, Professor Dora Akunyili
Dora Akunyili
Dora Nkem Akunyili is the former Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria and former Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications...
, to demand an apology from Sony, calling the commercial an "unwarranted attack on the reputation and image of the country." In response, Sony promptly issued an apology to the Nigerian government and immediately pulled the commercial from the air. A few days later, Sony replaced the commercial with an edited version, changing the original line to, "You can't believe everything you read on the Internet. That's how World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
got started."
In July 2010, New Zealand television station TV3
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
ran an advertisement for "Something big on Monday nights". Gaming website ButtonMasher accused TV3 of directly ripping off the "Mon-Tage, It Only Does All-Nighters/Blu-ray Games" commercial. Kevin Butler replied via Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
: "Dear TV3: You could have at least put my photo on top of the amp. Sheesh."
In January, 2011, Sony sued George Hotz
George Hotz
George Francis Hotz , alias geohot, million75 or simply mil, is an American hacker known for unlocking the iPhone, allowing the phone to be used with other wireless carriers, contrary to AT&T and Apple's intent...
and others, in part for publishing PS3's private key
Illegal number
An illegal number is a number that represents information which is illegal to possess, utter or propagate. Any information that can be represented in binary format is representable as a number, and therefore if the information itself is illegal in some way, the pure number itself may be...
s (which allows users to modify the system to run customized or unofficial software). On 9 February 2011, a post was published on Kevin Butler's Twitter account containing an earlier dongle key. The post was made in reply to another user who tweeted the code to @TheKevinButler in an attempt to mock Sony's threat that they'd prosecute anyone who "posts the PlayStation 3 private key" Kevin Butler replied, appearing to mistake the code for a series of Battleships
Battleship (game)
The game Battleship is a guessing game played by two people. It is known throughout the world as a pencil and paper game which predates World War I. It was published by Milton Bradley Company in 1931 as the pad-and-pencil game "Broadsides, the Game of Naval Strategy".-Description:The game is...
co-ordinates, joking "Lemme guess... you sank my Battleship?" and copying the original message in his reply. The post was later deleted from the @TheKevinButler Twitter account.
Reception
The string of commercials starring Kevin Butler has been met with positive acclaim due to its humorous and lively tone. Gaming site KotakuKotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
commented on the first two commercials that were released, "What we didn't mention is how funny they are." Sony Computer Entertainment America Senior Vice President Peter Dille said that the commercials have "been tremendously successful. Consumers love it. It's great to hear people like you guys love it. And the results are really in the sales because it's really been flying since this coincided in September with the launch of the new PS3." Engadget
Engadget
Engadget is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. Though on appearance Engadget functions much like a blog and may be defined as such, much of its editorial content takes the form of an online magazine...
also loved the commercials saying, "We have to hand it to Sony, they've followed up nicely on their "worst kept secret" trade show jokes with an ad campaign that is fittingly self aware". Destructoid
Destructoid
Destructoid is an independent video game-focused blog based in San Francisco, California that was founded in March 2006. It has since grown into one of the most widely read video game sites on the Internet, reaching more than 3 million unique visitors per month...
praised the commercials, saying that they were much better than Sony's previous White Room series of ads, which was met with mostly negative reception, with most calling it "creepy." When Butler appeared at E3 2010, he was met with large praise from the audience.
Peter Dille, (real) VP of Marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America, stated that they have received contacts from media, requesting an interview with Butler, not realizing he isn't a real person.
NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
has named a sandwich
Sandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
in his honor.
The sandwich, a double bacon cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
A cheeseburger is a hamburger with cheese that has been added to it. Traditionally, the cheese is placed on top of the patty, but the burger can include many variations in structure, ingredients, and composition...
sandwiched in between two Monte Cristos
Monte Cristo sandwich
A Monte Cristo is a fried ham and cheese sandwich. The cheese used is Emmental or Gruyère.-Description:The sandwich can differ regionally. Regional variations may include sliced turkey along with the ham and cheese. Traditionally, the sandwich is dipped in its entirety in egg batter and fried...
was based on a remark that was made by the fictional executive.