You have to admit, when Sony spends lots of time on something, they're more than eager to make sure everyone knows about it. Take, for instance, The Getaway, the three-plus year project that some said was too ambitious to happen on the PS2. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's Team SOHO worked their asses off to get the game out within a reasonable scope of time, destroying countless digital cameras and slaving away on what they hope will be the biggest crime epic ever to hit games.



"The Getaway is pushing the envelope as one of the most ambitious titles ever developed on PlayStation 2," exclaimed Ami Blaire, director of product marketing at SCEA, apparently agreeing with our utterly flattering earlier statement. "As one of the most anticipated titles to come out in 2003, The Getaway is receiving widespread marketing support to generate consumer awareness for this groundbreaking release."



To make sure you're completely aware of this fact, SCEA has pulled the wraps off their massive marketing campaign, and we've got the skinny on exactly what to look for (or avoid) when dealing with The Getaway.



-THE GIVAWAYS-

For those that are willing to plop down cash at Circuit City, you'll get a t-shirt along with the game.

If you just can't get enough Getaway, you can view it year-round with a calendar given away at EB's all over the U.S. when you order the game.

Ah, but the big payoff is in the contest being thrown my SCEA. A whopping 15 trips to London are being offered to winners who either sign up online at The Getaway's official site or happen to be living in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, Washington D.C., Boston, Houston or Detroit. 5 trips will be given away online (along with 100 t-shirts as second prizes), and 10 will be doled out via radio stations in the aforementioned cities.



-THE MAGAZINES-

Print mags have space for ads, and Sony apparently wants to fill a whole buncha that space. You'll see ads for The Getaway in the pages of consumer pubs like Maxim, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Spin, Stuff, Complex, FHM, Gear, Blender, The Source, BPM Culture, URB, XXL, Vice and TransWorld Snowboarding; gaming mags like Electronic Gaming Monthly, The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine, GameNow, Game Informer, PSM, Game Pro, PLAY, PSE2 and Silicon Magazine; and even in select comics from DC Comics' adult Vertigo sublabel, Marvel Comics and Top Cow.

Billboards in cities and subways across the U.S. will also carry The Getaway adverts.



-THE BOOB TUBE-

TV will probably be the first place you'll see an ad (y'know, if you're not the reading type). Multiple TV spots have been created, and will run on "Cops," "World's Wildest Police Videos," "South Park," "Fast Lane," "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Shield," "Smallville," "Mad TV," "Friends," "Saturday Night Live" and "WWE Smackdown." Late Night shows on FOX, NBC, UPN and WBN for network TV and BET, Comedy Central, E!, ESPN, ESPN2, FoxFX, MTV2, Speedvision, TBS, TNN, VH1, WGN and USA Network will all be deluged with commercials.



It's fairly safe to say that you won't be able to steer clear of the game - whether you want to get it or not. If you're curious, check back here in a few days, and we'll have a full, tasty review of the good and bad of London's crime underbelly.