Midway Pushes MTV Game Advertising

[Evil Avatar]

In the category of "Things that make you cringe." MTV and Midway send along a Press Release announcing that MTV has partnered up with Midway in an attempt to splash MTV branded advertising across future Midway video games.

MTV, a division of Viacom Inc., today announced a strategic relationship with Midway Games Inc., a leading interactive entertainment publisher and developer, to market, jointly sell in-game advertising and collaborate on soundtrack development for three upcoming games. Under the deal, MTV is able to participate in a royalty sharing structure.

The first title shipping under this deal is expected to debut this holiday season with Midway's upcoming high-octane arcade racing video game, L.A. RUSH. In addition to the innovative marketing alliance to launch the game, LA RUSH will feature MTV branding throughout the game world with the crew from the hit MTV show, "Pimp My Ride," West Coast Customs. The soundtrack contains over 75 songs from over 20 artists including Twista, Lil' Kim, Big Boi and DJ Rap. The other two games under this deal will be announced at a later date.

"Gaming is an essential part of the every day lives of our audience and MTV is where game publishers turn to launch their biggest titles," stated Jeff Yapp, EVP, MTV Networks Music and LOGO Enterprise Group. "This unique alliance with Midway allows us to move beyond a traditional advertising relationship and become true partners in the success of these titles. We will integrate our expertise in music, television, and online media to help one of the video game industry's top publishers deliver exciting, new, culturally resonant games."I did have just the one question. What is this emm tea vee of which they speak?

[Savok]

Fantastic, I never have to buy a Midway product ever again.

[Heretic Machine]

I don't think I needed another reason not to buy Midway games, but if I did, this would be it.

[EL CABONG]

I don't mind if compaines start put ads in games if its not overdone and done with some class.

Mtv is crap and a bunch of "xtreme" ads or tons of "realaity shows" ads would most likely be very annoying.

[DevDict]

I guess that makes me the only person who likes Midway here? I still consider Psi-Ops the best action game on Xbox.

EDIT: You can't blame Midway to attempt to go Electronic Arts, can you? Companies which try to be different do not last long.

[Abash Alarmist]

Oh...wow...

hmmm. This actually will make me not want to buy UT2k7....fuck.

[Jetherik]

Another reason to avoid Midway. Or, at least avoid those games. With development cost skyrocketing, I understand why they are doing this.

[KarmaGhost]

The last thing I need is to be playing the next "Need For Speed" game (not Midway, I know, just an example) and come across an ad for "Pimp My Ride," or to be playing an MMO and see an ad for the "10 Spot" or "The Real World."

[if76]

I agree about Psi Ops being severely underratted. I'd take it over Halo 2 any day.

[IagoTheHunted]

Is it just me or is advertizing totally out of control? This is complete bullshit. Last time I checked advertizing was an ALTERNATIVE funding method for things like TV and newpapers. FREE media. When I pay $50 I do not want advertizing, in fact I'm totally outraged when I see it. . . if video games go the same rout as movies and cable TV (IE, charging tons of money to stare at advertizments which insult my intelligence) then screw 'em, I'll just donate my money to hong kong warez groups instead.

[Ailer]

and that, good sir, is why the entertainment industries have put ads even there, because remember, although cost may skyrocket, so do profits. And every little ad you can stuff into anything is money made.

I actually wonder about the cost skyrocketing comments that pop up on a consistent basis... wasn't making games supposed to get easier with this generation? Wasn't there supposed to be a couple ultiimate game engines that could be used for anything? And my god, how is an idea supposed to NOT be convoluted if almost 200 people are tweaking it on a consistent basis. I miss the old days when good old lord british could make me a game with just a few friends....

[Royal Fool]

Wow! Pimp My Ride driving game! MTV Cribs! OHHHHH MAN!!!!!!

[/self]

[IagoTheHunted]

I actually wonder about the cost skyrocketing comments that pop up on a consistent basis... wasn't making games supposed to get easier with this generation? Wasn't there supposed to be a couple ultiimate game engines that could be used for anything? And my god, how is an idea supposed to NOT be convoluted if almost 200 people are tweaking it on a consistent basis. I miss the old days when good old lord british could make me a game with just a few friends....

No matter how good the development tools get, doing good artwork is always slow, and the more each engine can do, the longer it takes to build all the assets and get everything looking good. So even though it might be "easier" now to make fully 3D normal mapped dynamically shadded game art, it will always be 3,000 times harder than doing tiny sprites ala the old garage-game days.

[Ailer]

No matter how good the development tools get, doing good artwork is always slow, and the more each engine can do, the longer it takes to build all the assets and get everything looking good. So even though it might be "easier" now to make fully 3D normal mapped dynamically shadded game art, it will always be 3,000 times harder than doing tiny sprites ala the old garage-game days.
But i miss those sprites!

[Heretic Machine]

Luckily, those sprites are still available, and at little or no cost to you! :)

[Ailer]

I know. I was overjoyed when i found abandonia, it just filled me with so much bliss to go back and play simon the sorcerer again.

[mister_slim]

I guess I don't really care, at this point. There is no way that MTV's music choices could be worse than EA's. Why is there so much whiny crap in Burnout 3? Thank god for that Xbox hard drive. How they managed to get rid of the nice Burnout 1 & 2 music and ruin the music browser is beyond me.

[Savok]

Tragic part about all this is that with the money they'll make off ads, they'll do ads of their own, which will pay for ads, which pays for other ads. Then they run out places to put ads, so they go to something like games and chart new territory in pissing me off.