On the fictional world depicted in the album and promotional campaign, the "Cleveland Free Times" commented that the album's fictionalized world and characters "often seemed heavy-handed and forced", but also conceded that "its clotted claustrophobia suited its subject matter". Ann Powers added, "The songs on 'Year Zero,' each from the perspective of a character or characters already existent in the ARG, draw a connection between the music fan's passionate identification with songs and the gamer's experience of becoming someone else online." In 2008, 42 Entertainment won two Webby Awards for its work on the "Year Zero" game, in the categories of "Integrated Campaigns" and "Other Advertising: Branded Content".