Now showing: Microsoft’s “Dangerous Descent”, an animated thriller about counterfeiting airline pilots

You’ve got to give credit to Microsoft for at least coming up with new ways to communicate the effects of counterfeit software, if not, producing these wicked illustrated short movies. For just under a year now, Microsoft has been producing a series of these animated movies, “Genuine Fact Files“, aimed at demonstrating how counterfeit software can have devastating effects on the life of those who purchase them.

Dangerous Descent

The latest of these comic-style movies is called “Dangerous Descent”. It features the story of a pilot who has been pressured by a friend to purchase some Microsoft software from street shops in Shanghai – a story most of us can relate to. Unknowingly, he puts himself, his friends and even his marriage on the line. This suspense thriller will put you on the edge of your seat until the very last second. Rated M for mature.

[flv:dangerous_descent.flv 670 376]

In case you were wondering, this is the wonderful of creative agency DDB Seattle and illustrator Charlie Griak. Charlie’s work has been officially selected in two international film festivals and featured in many animated commercial. He’s also worked on one other movie in the Microsoft campaign called “Suspicious Cargo” and features a similar tone and illustration style. You can view that on YouTube here.

You can find wallpapers and videos for more of these “Genuine Fact Files” at the Microsoft website.

19 insightful thoughts

  1. Oh yeah, I can certainly relate to shelling out hard earned cash to street vendors for bootlegged software… *snicker*…

    Seriously – I think the guys that come up with this stuff have no idea how the real world operates.

  2. I have done that….

    well….. not 10 copies of the same software tho

    that would be really hard to explain if someone sees that in your luggage…..

  3. Ah yes, the old “I’ll buy 200 copies and sell them to my mates” scam. I’m sure we’ve all done it…

    Seriously though, all of my software is currently legal *and* free. Microsoft have given away plenty of copies of Vista, Office, Visual Studio 2005 and come the 19th March (in the UK), Visual Studio 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008. It’s just a matter of finding the time to attend the launch events…

  4. This video is really ace this advertising is ace and it makes me scared tu use counterfeit :p dont use it anyway but im defo not going to now lol feel like a criminal if i did 😀

  5. That was….. really convincing (that scared the guts out of me). Good job Microsoft. And Long Zheng, how is that rated M, mature. If I were to rate, it would be E10+ or Teen (Everyone 10 +). In reply to BenN “I’m sure we’ve all done it”, that is one thing I never did and would never do. These collection of videos should be in the theater as Exceedingly Cruel. Long, keep updating your blog 1-2 times each day as usual, so the news/info comes ffffaaasssttt.

  6. Surprise to see those junk boats against Shanghai backdrop. That’s so HK. Plus the Chinese gangster with a scarfare. Grin.

  7. That was a pretty good convincing video. If Microsoft really wants to get that out, they should put it throw that on their homepage, or advertise on TV, or throw them in popular video sites.

    I liked the animation in it. Very nice.

  8. I hoped and hoped that when he descended the stairs in the shady warehouse….
    Bill Gates would be waiting for him, wearing a muscle shirt and an eye-patch.
    That would’ve been so freaking great!

  9. Who use the counterfeit softwares?
    The people who can’t buy the legal/orginal version. Especially the people from the Asian and African countries use pirated/illegal softwares.
    Why?
    Because the orginal softwares are very costly in their country and may require a person to pay every year for updates (for e.g antivirus softwares). A child in America/Europe/Australia can save $40 or $50 and buy a legal version of the game but a child in my place (i.e where I currently reside, Qatar)has to pay Qr.200. Now which parent will give his son/daughter that much money to buy a game and play. In my native place (i.e Bangladesh) an orginal game cost around Taka 2000 same thing in India also. A counterfeit game cost just as low as Taka 100 or Qr. 10. Now you tell me which one will you buy? a counterfeit or orginal?
    Solution:
    If the software companies don’t use a good pricing policy for different countries these people will not grab hold of the orginal versions of softwares.

  10. Hasn’t Microsoft heard of BitTorrent?

    Sheesh, the pilot could have just logged onto the airport’s wifi and downloaded an ISO there and then.

    And actually those street vendors in the Far east with the copies usually aren’t backed by massivly evil criminal gangs. I should know, I’ve been there 🙂

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  12. 🙂 did someone really buy software on street in our days?:) I fot It’s was only me, 7 or 8 years earler in hunt for pirated games at street market 🙂

  13. I relly dont know, why should I fly to Shangai to get a illegal copy of software. Its not more comfortable and quicker to download it from home ?
    Stupid ad…

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