In-Game Advertisement Report Released

[fitbabits]

Thanks to Gamasutra (http://www.gamasutra.com) for this news item (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=7393).

"All media can claim to drive some level of awareness, but until now, no other media type has been able to reliably prove its ability to change consumer opinion," said Robert A. Kotick, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Activision. "As this study shows, video games are a powerful ad delivery medium. But the challenge for the industry has been to develop a pervasive unit of measurement that will enable advertisers to accurately gauge the effectiveness of in-game ads. With this research, we have taken a major step in that direction."
Yahoo News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051205/ap_on_bi_ge/ads_in_games) has a similar story that condenses it down.

But a new study released Monday shows that when ads are on screen long enough and are highly integrated in the game, they can make players feel more positive about a product.
Which is simply a roundabout way of saying, "look for in-game advertisements to feature even more prominently in future Activision games."

[Atepsflame]

More power to them. I hardly expect in game advertising, provided it's appropriately subtle, such as product placement and so forth, to really affect the games at all and with any luck, it'll help possibly drive down the costs. Of course, if they start tossing commercials or still adds into loading screens and such, well, fuck that.

[bKangy]

What? I'm not paying to be advertised to, I'm playing to have fun. They can fuck off, to be frank, unless the games will suddenly cost a lot less or heck, even be free.

[Royal Fool]

Cost a lot less? Not with the supposedly gigantic development costs of "next-gen" on the horizon...

Remember the product placement in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory? Mmmm, chewing gum.

[KarmaGhost]

I can deal with advertising as long as it's not invasive, like, say, where it would be part of a mission of some sort (Objective: Drive to Burger King, order a Whopper with cheese) or part of a load screen.

Typically, I'm not a big fan of EA in the least, but they seemed to deal with advertizing in NFS: Most Wanted pretty well. They had some bilboards and their cell phone and SMS message system used the Cingulair logo. It wasn't too bad, I guess.

But if we're going to have to put up with it in all different forms, let's see some lower game prices or, at least, no increases in prices.

[MaiXu]

Cost a lot less? Not with the supposedly gigantic development costs of "next-gen" on the horizon...

Remember the product placement in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory? Mmmm, chewing gum.

I don't, actaully. Well, I remember the giant neon sign for Axe, or whatever that soap is called. That was a sublte and none-too-annoying use of in-game ads, in that it seemed like a very natural part of the game's environment. EA's in-game ads suck, though: shitty music for shitty bands, and while I've never played NFS Underground, the screens I've seen make it seem like every block is a Burger King or some garbage.

So long as the ads aren't intrusive, I don't really care. I don't think in-game ads really work, since they often advertise for shit I have no interest in (like that soap). But as others have said, it could easily become very annoying, and when an in-game ad gets in the way of my enjoyment of that game, that's when I return it and stop supporting that publisher with my money.

[fitbabits]

I'm fine with in-game ads until I see something like Pepsi or McDonalds in a game like Kameo or an ad for Intel in Brothers in Arms.

[KarmaGhost]

I'm fine with in-game ads until I see something like Pepsi or McDonalds in a game like Kameo or an ad for Intel in Brothers in Arms.Good point! If advertizing becomes more popular, what will they do with games that don't take place in a modern setting?

[DoubleUranium]

I can't believe how many of you are willing to give up so easily. Are you really happy being advertised to all of the time? You can't even escape being told to buy a product even when you're playing a game now? You're kidding yourself if you think your game is going to cost less because there's advertising in it. Have you noticed concession stand or ticket prices going down at movie theaters because they're running commercials now? If you don't take a stand now it's only going to get worse. I'm not interested in paying to be advertised to, especially when I'm playing a game, an ESCAPIST activity.

[Rakael]

Ye ole Micky'D's!

[Varsity]

Good point! If advertizing becomes more popular, what will they do with games that don't take place in a modern setting?
Make less of them? Now that would be bad.

[fitbabits]

I can't believe how many of you are willing to give up so easily. Are you really happy being advertised to all of the time? You can't even escape being told to buy a product even when you're playing a game now? You're kidding yourself if you think your game is going to cost less because there's advertising in it. Have you noticed concession stand or ticket prices going down at movie theaters because they're running commercials now? If you don't take a stand now it's only going to get worse. I'm not interested in paying to be advertised to, especially when I'm playing a game, an ESCAPIST activity.
I don't consider it giving up at all. Whether we like it or not, in-game ads will happen (in fact, they are already happening). That being said, we gamers have two choices - we can...

1. Get mad, sulk in the corner and don't buy the games that have ads.
2. Speak out as one voice on how and where these ads are displayed. Open a dialog with the publishers and advertisers, in essence.

Nobody wants their games to be over-stuffed with ads, especially ads that are not pertinent, but this technology is in its infancy and there is still time for gamers to have their say.

[TheKeck]

I don't consider it giving up at all. Whether we like it or not, in-game ads will happen (in fact, they are already happening). That being said, we gamers have two choices - we can...

1. Get mad, sulk in the corner and don't buy the games that have ads.
2. Speak out as one voice on how and where these ads are displayed. Open a dialog with the publishers and advertisers, in essence.

Nobody wants their games to be over-stuffed with ads, especially ads that are not pertinent, but this technology is in its infancy and there is still time for gamers to have their say.

3. Not purchase games with this content.

Now, I'm not naive. The chances of an otherwise popular game being snubbed because of this extremely low, BUT, if games with advertising all flop, you can bet the farm that they'll stop putting it in.

[fitbabits]

3. Not purchase games with this content.
Already covered by:

1. Get mad, sulk in the corner and don't buy the games that have ads.

[Knite]

personally, I LIKE there being ads in my game to a point....

Example.. the original splinter cell had a "Palm" as the main information device, complete with puke green background and black lettering. I really liked that. Or in a game like Half Life, and you smash soda machines, I'd be A-ok if those were Pepsi or Mountain Dew machines.

However, I think it's crap that the extra profits don't get kicked back somewhere, like a lower price, or perhaps more inventive games. And as someone stated before I AM a little fearful that the more prevalent this becomes the more intrusive it will be, and the less likely something absolutely original will come along because of revenue lost to lack of time appropriate advertising =(

[Zurik]

I predict, in the next Fallout, Nukacola will be replaced with Mountain Dew.

[zipR]

Say in-game ads become prevalent. What happens then, when advertisers start making suggestions on content?

I'll give you a shitload of money for an in-game ad in Quake IX, but only if you tone down the violence...

[Royal Fool]

They should have stickers on the boxes that tell you which corporate entities have claimed their stake in the game you're about to purchase.

I'm serious. I feel I have the right to know what advertisements I am being subjected to when I play the game.

[fitbabits]

They should have stickers on the boxes that tell you which corporate entities have claimed their stake in the game you're about to purchase.
Strangely enough, that's where I would draw the line! If I wanted a McDonalds sticker I'd kick Ronald's balls and make hime give me one.

[TheKeck]

Already covered by:

1. Get mad, sulk in the corner and don't buy the games that have ads.

Now, I feel sheepish. :o

(You did downplay the possible effectiveness of this option, though.)

[fitbabits]

Now, I feel sheepish. :o

(You did downplay the possible effectiveness of this option, though.)
True. And leave that damn sheep alone... :)

[IagoTheHunted]

advertising in games makes me want to puke

[doyama]

Product placement already happens in movies with certain levels of annoyance. So I think the advent of product placement in gaming was inevitable.

I can see product placements working well in EA Sports games. Indeed in televised games sideline advertising is already a standard, or even as advanced as the 'rotating' advertisiment behind homeplate in baseball. In these scenarios you're already used to the concept of these being there so I think people might not be too pissed about these. Again it's an appropriate use of advertisment in an environment where the person is familar with.

I don't want to see a Pepsi ad in like a fantasy game obviously.

Product placement is a tricky business. It can be done tastefully. For example the Starbucks scene from Austin Powers is the funniest thing in the world. There's a certain amount of logic to the scene and the use of Starbucks in it. Here the product and the movie are intertwined and thus you don't feel 'jarred' out of the movie because of it. In this case the product placement was well executed and positive memorable experience which in the future might influence my buying decision.

Bad examples: Mission to Mars was SWARMING with product placement. So much so that I didn't feel like I was watching a movie, as a 2 hour long really crappy commercial (the movie was really bad). Dr Pepper, M&Ms, Penzoil, and more than you could shake a stick at. In this instance the product placement seemed artificial and not relevant to the movie. In this scenario, I won't remember the products because you eventually just 'filter' them out because they're so annoying. I was just keeping track mentally because I was shocked at how blatant it was.

I can't think of the movie but there's another example where an actress is looking into a mirror talking to someone. There's this huge box of doughnuts in the foreground frame taking up lke 30%! Its there for like 1-2 minutes. Again it seems so weird to see it there :P

[XxSATANxX]

If game ads had something in them for me I'd be aight with it. I stopped going to movies cause the ads just suck. Seems many Gamers have walked away from movies as well. 10 bucks for a ticket 10 bucks for popcorn or whatever. Then sit through 20 minutes of coke ads. I'm playing Most Wanted right now and they stuck a few brand ads in the game. They don't stick out and my understanding is that somehwere in this game is going to be a "Burger King" mission. Do I like it? No! But what if I got a free something after finishing the mission? Mostly, these guys are just shelfish and want to make more money. Nothing for the consume except a free rootkit. Gee thanks };->

[TheKeck]

Product placement is a tricky business. It can be done tastefully. For example the Starbucks scene from Austin Powers is the funniest thing in the world. There's a certain amount of logic to the scene and the use of Starbucks in it. Here the product and the movie are intertwined and thus you don't feel 'jarred' out of the movie because of it. In this case the product placement was well executed and positive memorable experience which in the future might influence my buying decision.

I think this is the key. There are CERTAIN cases where product placement can actually add to the experience. Other people mentioned vending machines. Having Coke and Pepsi machines would actually make the experience MORE immersive than whatever made up brand they stick on there.

I think in certain cases, product placement done correctly could leave the viewer wondering if the developers actually had to pay a company for the rights to use their product in game because it's central to the experience. Maybe I'm just dreaming.

[AntB]

NO FREAKIN ADVERTISEMENTS ON ANY GAMES NOT IN MODERN TIMES. IF IM BEATING DOWN AN ORC, AND IM IN SOME JUNGLE OR SOMETHING I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY FREAKIN ADVERTS. Stupid people. Stupid ads. I never buy anything based on advertising, I buy it based on word of mouth. I hate marketing.

[The Letter 3]

NO FREAKIN ADVERTISEMENTS ON ANY GAMES NOT IN MODERN TIMES. IF IM BEATING DOWN AN ORC, AND IM IN SOME JUNGLE OR SOMETHING I DO NOT WANT TO SEE ANY FREAKIN ADVERTS. Stupid people. Stupid ads. I never buy anything based on advertising, I buy it based on word of mouth. I hate marketing.
Not that I don't understand your anger, but word of mouth is marketing. In fact, marketers work harder to achieve word of mouth advertising over any other possible form. This makes sense because who do you trust, that commercial or your friend's recommendation? Whether you like it or not, I'm sure you make product decisions based off of the work of marketers and advertising.

Advertising, in fact, can be a good thing. Beyond skillful product placement, advertising helps reveal to us the existence of products or services that we may not be aware existed. It's a tricky situation to hate or love advertising. That's why I sit on my nice white fence that I bought from the friendly people at Menards for a super low price and avoid taking sides! :D

[Magnanimous Gnome]

Count me in the camp that is firmly against advertising in games. I'm sick to death of ads being everywhere - literally even painted on the sidewalks at times. I don't give a shit what setting the game is in - I don't want to see some companies logo. Pop machine? Make up a funny name or just have it say "Cola" on it. How does that damage the experience at all? I really don't feel less immersed. However, put Pepsi or something on enough of them and I start to roll my eyes. I see the Pepsi logo everywhere these days - I don't need to see it when I am trying to escape the overly-ad filled world that I live in.

As for what would happen to games that take place in a fantasy or non-realistic setting, simple - they'd either make less of them or stick in ads somewhere anyway. Hell, there are already less fantasy games being released versus "realistic" games than there were ten years ago. I only see this trend continuing, and advertising will fuel this along.

If a game contains ads for products I want to know. It better be on the box or in reviews for the game. I'm not going to buy a game that I know has ads in it, and if I do get one and the ads are obvious and annoying (as they almost always are), then I'm returning the game and ditching that publisher.

It amazes me how much people put up with. "Oh well, there's advertising everywhere else anyway, why bother fighting it??"

[AntB]

Keep our Art sacred. Someone start a petition.

[The Letter 3]

Keep our Art sacred. Someone start a petition.
Don't you remember? Roger Ebert said that video games aren't art. So that means the dirty marketing infidels can pollute our eyes with garish logos.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

I like it if it fits the situation. Driving around in NFSMW and seeing a Burger King or a billboard for Axe, thats ok, to me it adds a bit more realism. But seeing twenty posters for crappy shows on the WB which have already aired according to the date on the poster copied a million times in each room like in SWAT 4 is annoying.

[Savok]

Open a dialog with the publishers and advertisers
My god, that's the most wankerish thing ever said on this site.

If say a can of Pepsi would have been there anyway, then go ahead, make it a can of Pepsi. Billboards in cityscapes, anywhere in sports games (because honestly, who cares?) any place it's natural. You could even pull off a forced one as a joke, imagine Sam grabbing some guard in god knows where and they suddenly start talking about shampoo or something, it'd be hilarious, though only once a game at most.

[fitbabits]

My god, that's the most wankerish thing ever said on this site.
It was 'wankerish' for a reason, you pompous arse! And if you can't figure out why I said it in such language then you're totally missing the point.

Which is, that the very language I choose for that sentence appeals to the people who are ultimately in control.

Read my other posts and you'll see that I do not post using that type of language.

[Paltry]

In game product placement can only help build more immersive and realistic worlds. But, only when used appropriately of course. This will boil down to developers integrity vs. publishers demand.

[Savok]

It was 'wankerish' for a reason, you pompous arse! And if you can't figure out why I said it in such language then you're totally missing the point.

Which is, that the very language I choose for that sentence appeals to the people who are ultimately in control.
I'm saying you succeded.

[DoubleUranium]

I don't consider it giving up at all. Whether we like it or not, in-game ads will happen (in fact, they are already happening). That being said, we gamers have two choices - we can...

1. Get mad, sulk in the corner and don't buy the games that have ads.
2. Speak out as one voice on how and where these ads are displayed. Open a dialog with the publishers and advertisers, in essence.

Nobody wants their games to be over-stuffed with ads, especially ads that are not pertinent, but this technology is in its infancy and there is still time for gamers to have their say.

If everyone gives up so easily, then sure. I'm perfectly content with option #1. I choose not to be marketed to 24/7, and choices have consequences. It's more important to me to have my recreational time be an ad free escape than to have the latest greatest game 90% of the time. I don't see how making informed choices on how I spend my entertainment dollars is sulking. Your purchasing power is the only influence you have left in a capitalist market.

To the people who think that non modern genre games are going to be ad free - you're dreaming. This is going to slowly change the business model of gaming. If a company can get $500,000 for putting ads in their game, they're either going to make non modern genre games, or they're going to put ads in their fantasy game. The next step, as mentioned, is the regulation of content to please the advertisers. There will be holdouts of course, and games without ads, but get used to seeing them in your games.

Remember, they're not putting ads in the game to make them more realistic, or to lower the retail prices of games. They're putting them in to make more money.

[Magnanimous Gnome]

DoubleUranium hit the nail on the head.

How do ads for real products make games more immersive anyway? When you walk by a soda machine in Max Payne 3 and it says "Cola" on it, are you honestly going to be pulled out of the experience? The machines in Half-Life didn't have real product names on them, and I didn't notice at all. However, if I walk by a machine in game and it has Pepsi plastered on it, I'm going to notice. Suddenly the real world is right there in my play time, where it isn't supposed to be.

The game developers could actually be CREATIVE with those billboards and do something unique or funny on them as well - made up products in games that are humorous are great.

[fitbabits]

I'm saying you succeded.
Ah, sorry about that then!

Not to self - don't post when in a pissy mood!

[Deadend]

DoubleUranium hit the nail on the head.

The game developers could actually be CREATIVE with those billboards and do something unique or funny on them as well - made up products in games that are humorous are great.

I am going to point out the GTA games. They all feature fake ads all over the city. Those fake ads are great as they parody the real ads. If Take-Two holds off putting ads into their game, which is the hottest game out there, and a perfect vehicle for ads, then everyone else should be able to.

I would not mind seeing smaller studios use ads to gain funding for their games, as it will allow more obscure games to get made. So what if the high fantasy game needs to have ads on a loading screen, without the ads, it might not get made.

[Savok]

So what if the high fantasy game needs to have ads on a loading screen, without the ads, it might not get made.
That is an incredibly dangerous and stupid thing to say. You do realize that'd open the floodgates?

[ElectricMonk]

I would expect the advertising to mirror product placement in movies exactly.

[chrisg]

I am going to point out the GTA games. They all feature fake ads all over the city. Those fake ads are great as they parody the real ads.

The fake ads in Deathrow on the loading screen are hilarious as well :). Btt I don't like seeing ads in games at all, and will not buy a game if I know beforehand it contains ads. Like with movies, I am not going to pony up 30 bucks (2 tickets for me and the gf, parking + popcorn) to be forced through 30-45 minutes of advertisement before the actual film starts. Combine that with the sticky floor, because a thorough cleaning of the cinema would be too expensive each evening, the old seats who only rarely will be replaced becaust its too expensive as well. On top you have the constant chatter throughout a movie these days and cellphones ringing. One no longer needs to wonder why movie enthusiasts switch to setting up their home cinemas.

And like cinemas are facing loss after loss the same fate will sooner or later catch up to games featuring heavy advertising. The customer DOES express his will with his money, it just takes a little more time until the corporate execs get this fact into their heads

[Savok]

Yeah it's kinda the final insult, you brave theater's normal shit of other people being assholes and then you get hit with ads.