Funcom, Massive Announce Interactive Ads for Anarchy Online

[fitbabits]

Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) is reporting that Funcom and Massive Incorporated have announced plans to integrate interactive ads in Anarchy Online.

You can read the full article here (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=10137).

The first confirmed campaign to utilize the new technology will feature vehicle manufacturer Toyota. The new Toyota campaign will allow players to walk up to in-game billboards and interact with them to unveil more information on the new Toyota Yaris. Funcom expects this new move in interactive advertisement to pave the way for future endeavors between both the video game and advertising industries.

"In Funcom we are always trying to push the envelope in innovation and technology, and this recent move with Funcom, Massive and Toyota is a perfect example," said Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. "Our primary goal is always to deliver the best possible entertainment, but to offset the high development costs in today's gaming landscape we need to look at additional forms of income. What Massive is offering us is exactly that, and we are therefore very pleased to continue working with them to introduce new technologies that give us a competitive edge."
Helloooooo nurse! I'll wait to see an Animaniacs interactive ad in something before I'm sold.

[holysin]

Oh... An ad for an ugly car on a sci-fi game...
Ah well. Do people still play Anarchy Online?

[SexualChoc]

Helloooooo nurse! I'll wait to see an Animaniacs interactive ad in something before I'm sold.

You've been hooked on Animaniacs lately since they put out the DVD's. But what shocks me is that the majority of online MMO'ers can afford a Yaris. Either that, so marketing sucks.

[Royal Fool]

How the fuck does Toyota fit in with Anarchy Online's world?

I guess the same way that Airwaves chewing gum fit into international espionage thrillers and deodorant fits into illegal street racing.

GTFO, advertisement asshats.

[Pluvious]

The best part about these 'announcements' is that you now know which game NOT to buy. Idiots. Toyota ads in Anarchy?.. riiiight.

[Maskatron]

The best part about these 'announcements' is that you now know which game NOT to buy. Idiots. Toyota ads in Anarchy?.. riiiight.

Anarchy Online is free now. Well, I guess they charge for expansions still. But no monthly fee. Kind of a moot point since the game sucks and no one plays anymore.

[Pluvious]

Even at free I wouldn't support this nonsense. But I'm sure you understood my point before.. when they release info like this.. its a great service to me so I don't accidently buy a game that has MASSIVE tech in it. Pray STEAM doesn't pick up Massive.. >shudder<

[Paranoia]

Screw Anarchy! Funcom, give me the next Longest Journey game!

[Dabombpizza]

Anarchy Online is free now? Well, I wouldn't mind going back and playing it. I'm all for advirtisements in games, if it cuts down on my cost. The problem I have is when a game costs $60 and there are ads in it (Left Behind).

Valve will never pick up massive. At least I hope they have that much integrity, they sure do act like it.

[sir feces face]

I didn't mind it when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 for NES had Pizza Hut all over it. It was still better than Yo Noid.

[Sl1pstream]

Even at free I wouldn't support this nonsense.

Why? You don't pay them, so how exactly are you supporting them, except for looking at the ads. They're offering the game totally free, what's wrong if they implement some ads to keep up with the server costs.

If you actually had to pay to play the game, I would agree, but this is free.

[Orosco]

When I was playing this for free like 2 months ago, there was already "interactive" billboards for the Yaris in AO. You clicked on it and the picture changed to show the car. You sure this is new?

[devicelimit]

This is the type of in-game advertising that I don't like. Ads that totally break the escapism that a game brings.

[niakori]

Doesn't this only apply to the *Free* version? What's with all the bitching?

For the people above that says no one plays AO, a good ha-ha to you, maybe you aren't sure what free means to people, or that people still pay for it because it's still the only sci fi non-space mmorpg worth a shizna.

Adverts in Free games aren't worth bitching over, paid games and game services are a different story.

[Liquidize105]

Interactive is cool, imagine futuristic ads that shape shift.

Not a bad idea if done tastfully.

[Sensei-X]

The only way I would like to interact with any in-game ad is with my rocket launcher.

[Deadend]

I think the best in-game ads are the free cars in PGR3. I could even see some games getting evil and letting you watch a 2 minute ad, where you get a item at the end of it.

Shit, I should not have said it, I could have given someone an idea.

[miah]

I dont have a problem with the ads in the games.. Well I do. The way they're implemented. I've been playing AO lately, and sometimes when Im in a city, in a shop usually I'll see an ad. The ad itself doesn't bother me because i just ignore it, what bugs me is when they play the same ad over and over and over for 30 minutes. They have a few short ads for some ARMY stuff that are around 10 seconds, and it just loops forever. There were also some for Comedy Central's Chappells Show, which at first I was like "oh cool, new stuff" but then they played the ad over and over and it annoyed me even more. Funcom, if you're going to play ads, can you learn to not play the same ad over and over and drive us fucking insane?

[MrWonderstuff]

Clearly if advertising has to be used then at least make it relevant. Now a futuristic concept car from Toyota would be the way (wouldnt exist of course but the Toyota name would be there).

[alienchild]

Haha oh my fucking god, that there are asshats at Evil Avatar are nothing new (hey, I'm one of'em) but that you are this fucking hypocritical is insane.

Fact: several people have been bitching about games being too expensive.
Solution: Get the ads in AO, and the game is free.
Result: You start bitching over the ads. Fucking pathetic loosers. Pay a monthly fee then and turn'em off!

And read the Funcom stock reports: after WoW was released, when games experienced a major loss of players, AO got almost HALF A MILLION NEW ACCOUNTS. That's a huge fucking load of players.

Fact: AO is better off than it ever has been. Most of the teenagers get put off by its complexity and the result is a lot more mature playerbase.
Result: Asshats age 10-19 fuck around on forums like this because all the players they know around their own age stopped playing, caliming the game is dead.