BK: The Video Game

Burger King plans to make another unconventional lunge for young male knuckleheads by introducing a series of Xbox video games starring the chain’s wooden-faced regal mascot, according to the website Kotaku . The cyber-center for young game afficionados said a three-game compilation will be produced by Microsoft for sale within BK units. It cites a price of just $3.99 for the three-in-one set, though you apparently have to buy a packaged meal to get that bargain rate. But even with that low charge, according to Kotaku, franchisees will break even when they liquidate 73% of their game allotments.

Stores can each expect to move about 900 of the game cartridges, and the chain expects to sell 6.8 million in total, according to what Kotaku said were excerpts from a BK Q&A that a regular visitor found somewhere. The information appears to be a tutorial for franchisees, presented in a FAQ form.

Kotaku takes apparent delight in noting that it’s caught heat from BK for posting images from the game on the site. But it pledged defiance. “We’re not taking down the post, but we will take some of those scrumptious breakfast sandwiches the King has been peddling,” it assured visitors, or at least it did in a post that was still up as of tonight. “We’ll gladly trade in our claim of Fair Use for a bag full of delicious sausage Croissan’wiches.”

Much has been written and said about BK’s over-the-edge marketing campaign. But if its objective was buzz among the skateboard-and-baggy-pants set, the chain is scoring, quite royally.