Virtual World Targets Teens

[Johan]

Business Week Online (http://www.businessweek.com/) has an article (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2006/tc20060515_945235.htm?campaign_id=search) on a San Francisco based startup, Doppleganger, and its plans to tap the virtually unlimited possibilities for advertising aimed at teenagers within virtual worlds.

"Doppelganger has so far proven popular with venture capitalists, having last year raised $11 million from investors...(a) Doppelganger board member, says the site has the potential to make "relationships in the real world spill over to take on meaning or substance in the virtual world as well."

I wonder...with in-game advertising and product promotional tie-ins apparently limited only by the creativity of developers and advertisers, when does the gamer's participation become less a game and more like watching advertisements all day long? Does it really matter, if the gamer chooses to participate? And how will they actually keep the environment suitable for teens (i.e...clean...which they state is a goal) if they actually have teens in their virtual world ? ;)

[askheaves]

Targets teens, attracts creepy old guys in clown outfits typing with one hand.

[IagoTheHunted]

I usually try to be fairminded in these posts but seriously... fuck ads in games. Its like putting ads on DVDs. If its free than fine, if not than it's sick to put ads in it.

[Smithersnz]

Agreed. If I start seeing the price go down then that's fine, otherwise forget it.

[Johan]

I agree...it would be quite ironic (and a real shaft) if you had to pay a monthly fee in order to watch a bunch of ads and buy virtual products that advertise brands...it would be like paying to watch ads on tv (kinda like when cable went to ads...they didn't have them to begin with, and it sucked when they started cropping up).

Targets teens, attracts creepy old guys in clown outfits typing with one hand.

I hadn't thought of that, but that's a potential problem, just as it is with MySpace. I don't know how Doppleganger, or any company, can hope to police moral behavior in MMOs and such, either...how would you keep it clean like they said they wanted to? "Virtually" impossible (a little play on words there ;) )

[Subbacultcha]

Targets teens, attracts creepy old guys in clown outfits typing with one hand.

Ah the internet, where men are men and 12 year old girls are FBI agents.

[Zeal]

So this is basically a virtual nightclub for geeks, right.