Microsoft's giant Xbox One

The secret behind Microsoft's bizarre Xbox One promo, which saw an enormous Xbox One installed in downtown Vancouver, Canada, has been revealed. As Kotaku reports, the giant next-gen console opened up yesterday, exposing Vancouverites to a horde of zombies promoting the Xbox-exclusive launch title Dead Rising 3. The stunt was widely covered by public videos, photos, and Vines hitting the internet shortly after.

Inside the zombies' former home, a bank of Xbox One demo units was awaiting passers by, offering an early chance to play Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct, Ryse and Forza 5. There were also make-up artists on standby to transform people into zombies, and photographers providing the opportunity to receive a custom-made Dead Rising 3 print starring themselves.

The Vancouver event was perhaps the most high-impact marketing stunt attempted so far in the lead-up to the Xbox One launch on November 22nd. Expect advertising efforts to ramp up significantly in the coming weeks, especially on November 15th, when Sony's rival console PlayStation 4 is due to be released.

• VIAKOTAKU

• SOURCEBRIAN DAVIS (VINE)ELLIOT CHUN (TWITTER)

• NEOGAF FORUMS