A few of the unusual promo items for the new retro mystery game L.A. Noire.
Dan Ackerman
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications.
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This slideshow shows off some of the unusual promo items used to promote the new video game L.A. Noire.
First up, a T-shirt wrapped in a plain brown envelope sealed with official-looking red "evidence" tape.
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1940s-style flashlight
A classic vintage-looking flashlight, similar to one used in the game, with a small game logo etched into it.
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Can of vintage soup
If this can of potato leek soup pertains to a case in the game, we haven't gotten that far yet. Packed inside, instead of delicious soup, was a vacuum-packed T-shirt.
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Black notebook
A real-world version of the detective's notebook used in the game.
5 of 5Sarah Tew/CNET
Magnetic serial killer letters
Good for leaving an anonymous ransom note on your refrigerator.