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- RichPowers, on 10/12/2007, -1/+27"maybe it saved me a few bucks in buying the game"
you really think they're gonna reduce costs and make up for it with ads? I say B.S. They'll just bank the extra money.
PlanetSide (crappy Sony MMO) introduced in-game ads a while ago. Nothing like seeing an ad for Deuce Biggalo: European Jiggalo while fighting a war on some distant planet in the future. Totally ruined whatever immersion there was.
I don't trust most game devs to introduce ads tastefully. - RandomSkratch, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18Telemarketer: Snake
Snake: Yes, what do you want?
Telemarketer: I was wondering if you would like to switch to Sprint to save up to 15% on your long distance charges?
Snake: Does it include cal...*headshot*
Telemarketer: Snake? - superal1394, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11telemarketer: SNAAAAAAAAAAKKEEEEE!!!!!!
- Railer, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15I personally think this form of advertising is great. Look everyone needs to make a buck, even video game developers, and if selling ads in a video game allows them to do this great.
All I ask is 1. don't wreak the game play, and ... actually that's it.
Look I'm in the middle of blowing up a tank or flying through space and see a Coke ad, no harm done and maybe it saved me a few bucks in buying the game. I would much rather see a Audi ad in Spider-man, then sit through 20 minutes of ads at the beginning of a movie after spending 15 bucks just to get in. I personally find real ads, add to the realism of the game. Just please don't make ad priority more important than the game. - SoulMaster2, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9If they're something like billboard ads in a racing game I just find it ads more to the realism
- moges, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I hate this idea. It really pisses me off to spend so much on a game, to have ads in it. The same applies for DVDs. I'm not sure how bad it is in other countries, but we have ads for theme parks that aren't easily skipped at the start of our DVD movies. I brought the DVD legitimately and now I'm getting screwed over by the company. Its things like this that make you wonder whether its worth supporting these guys by buying their products, rather then pirating.
That said, ads in video games aren't as BAD, because they don't make you watch them. If they started to, then I'm taking the game back and getting a refund. - Chewie67, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That's my point exactly. If you want to sell advertising, make it worth my while. Drop the price of the game, and make up the loss (and potentially more profit) from the advertiser.
That said, make it appropriate and don't go hog wild. I shouldn't see a Burger King ad in Unreal Tournament. I also shouldn't see 50 McDonalds ads in GTA. Put a McDonalds in - sure, but not everywhere.
One of the best product placements I ever saw was in the movie Total Recal. As Arnold was walking around Mars there was a vending machine for Mars Today. It was an obvious reference to the USA Today newspaper, but it fit the context. Brilliant idea! Everyone knew it was a reference to USA Today, so they got their customer awareness and it didn't detract from the theme of the movie.
That's how it should be done. - Chewie67, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4In general, I don't like Ads.
If, however, that $60 game becomes a $5 game with a purchase of a six pack of Coke, and then there are Coke ads in the game, I may change my mind.
Paying $60 AND getting bombarded with Ads isn't acceptable, however. - schleppo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5The ONLY way I would not go completely ballistic being subject to adverts in-game would be if the game didn't cost $50+ to purchase. Sell it for $10 with adverts and I MIGHT take a sniff at it. Anything more than that and you can count me out of buying anything from that developer again.
- rasterbator, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I am too focused on my weapons, HUD and killing my opponent at all costs to notice any advertising.
- AeroSquid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I hope these game delevopers don't expect me to actually pay money for ad infested games. Pirate crew sign in =)
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3the unit cost has stayed the same because the number of units shipped is 100 times what they used to sell.
10 years ago a game was a raging success if it sold 25,000 copies, how they sell millions of copies, so don't give me that developers cry poor *****. - mliving, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3No worries. Microsoft bought Massive Advertising so you can pretty much kiss off the idea that in-game ads will not get intrusive. Microsoft see the 260 and a launchpad for their next home invasion and once you start linking your 360 to your PC's desktop... lookout!
But WTF here folks. Its a *****' game. A place to loose yourself and role play and NOT have to deal with the constant barrage for advertising, telemarketers etc.
I mean if there is one surefire way to kill off gaming on line or off is to let advertising intrude. If I paid for a game then I should have the ability to turn off the ads. Just like FireFox lets me do with those *****' annoying Flash ads that pop up and float around the god damn screen like I'm Homer Simpson and will spend hours trying to catch it with my mouse. And what about MY BANDWIDTH if we're talking about an on line game. Screw that. My bandwidth is too expensive to allow advertisers a free ride to my gaming experience.
Now if we're talking about a completely FREE gaming experience thats supported by ads then sure. I'm all for that. But I don't think GAMERS of any age will tolerate in game advertising for too long.
You know consumers should realize that advertisers and marketers need your eyeballs and we should should start demanding something of value in the exchange for viewing their ads. Like Google for example. I do a search and find something I value and Google gets to present ads. Simple. But ask yourself what's in it for the gamer with respect to in game advertising. NOTHING! Free eyeballs and just one more annoying way to degrade your PURCHASED GAME EXPERIENCE. - CombatWombat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Exactly what our society needs. More ads. God knows I don't get enough companies telling me what to do, what to buy, where to buy it, in my newspaper, my television shows, my movies, and my radio. I could certainly use another way for the corporations to communicate to me that I desperately need to buy their stuff.
No. I don't think so. I don't care if "hey, it makes the game developers an extra buck", a game is about fun. It isn't about buoying someone's paycheck. They want more money? Make better, simpler games which cost less and provide easier pleasure than "THE NEXT GTA!" and "THE NEXT HALO KILLER!". Make them actually work for a living. And if the corporation they're at controls what they make, too bad. That was their career choice. If they don't like it, they can quit!
As I said before, when I play a game, it's about fun, not buoying someone's paycheck. I don't feel so bad for some loser umpteen states away that I'm just going to turn on the screen and stare at ads for five minutes just to help those *poor, poor developers*. Oh, poor them. Why don't we start a charity. Everyone donate to DevAID. Please do. Those coders need cash, people! They continue to make bad career choices and now we should waste our time and money on them because of it!
Better yet, donate your money to people in Africa. They actually need it; and at least they're trying to make an honest living. - MetalRemains, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I get enough ads beamed to my house via radio and tv which is why I took up gaming in the first place. I don't want ads in the $60 games I buy. Time to start being more selective I guess.
And on another note, why the hell are games with ads in them STILL $60?
Shouldn't the ads offset development costs and drop the price for the consumers?
This rant brought to you buy [BUY AD SPACE HERE] and [$100 GETS YOUR NAME HERE]. - PathDaemon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'll agree with the realism comment. If the soda machine I see in a hallway is selling PowerAide (like in Enter the Matrix :-), it will certainly seem more realistic and interesting than a machine selling OMG Cola.
Likewise, I'd love to see a Mac rather than a no-name, black, ThinkPadish chunk. - superal1394, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What I really want to see is for games that use xBox live to go out and download textures for the ad spaces. So like for example, in Need For Speed, the billboards change, that would be awesome. Also, using ad's makes the games more realistic, am I the only one who would get a kick out of Tommy Vercetti hearing the Verizon "try again later" thing? or Sam Fisher gettin screwed over when he turns on a computer, and it makes the Windows XP login jingle thing?
Its those little touches of realism that seperates good games from the great. - ronjohnson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I support in game adds if the game is free. I am not dishing out $60 for a game only to be slammed with advertising.
- DiggerT, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5personally i hate ad's, i don't want them!
- TheGuy20, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If they can keep it with the game theme and not intrusive, why not? But they have to learn from annoying ads like in Need for Speed Underground 2 where you see the damn Cingular logo 98% of the game. It would be a welcome change from seeing generic products in games.
- superal1394, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"I'll give you the armor in exchange for a budwieser"
- saftaplan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hello, Squid and Adzapper.
- MetalRemains, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Pepsi ammo pack! Click here to purchese! Only 200 Microsoft Points.
- aguita, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It depends on the game and setting whether this would make sense. Games like simcity, sims, racing games, GTA, etc would be just fine.
Ads in any fantasy setting, or even any sci-fi setting have a high chance of ruining the atmosphere. If I'm wandering around in oblivion and see a coke ad, that would totally destroy the immersion. - PathDaemon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"So you mean having a pepsi machine in the middle of the wild west is ruining gameplay? I bet the wild westerners would have loved a pepsi machine, we're IMPROVING the gameplay!"
I hope you're joking. Game devs can't be that stupid... can they? - quinnk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Better yet, donate your money to people in Africa. They actually need it; and at least they're trying to make an honest living."
At least, everywhere but Nigeria ;) - Filoviridae, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1That would only be fair. Which is why it won't happen. They'll screw us and tell us to like it because they know gamers won't boycott a successful game franchise.
- JangoFett, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2How long will it be before you get ads on the loading screens?
"Feeling hungry? Dominoes delivers!" - Kitsune818, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2If you don't think it will get in the way, go play a Fight Night game.. bloody annoying BK or deodorant adds everywhere.. although, if they changed occasionally, maybe I wouldn't have noticed in the first place.
- sinfree, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Need For Speed: Most Wanted is an excellent example of how to integrate ads into a game nicely. The GPS and call interface had a Cingular theme, while you would see a Burger King or a billboard for Axe body spray while driving around. It was pretty much seamless and actually made the game feel more realistic to me.
- fino35, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1C'mon, you know having the King as you corner man is awesome. But I like how they took out the ranking system just to put a meter that leads to a sponsored event. also the boxing gloves/trunks with the dodge ram on them.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4So you mean having a pepsi machine in the middle of the wild west is ruining gameplay? I bet the wild westerners would have loved a pepsi machine, we're IMPROVING the gameplay!
- pronto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1yeah, need for speed most wanted does that to , they also got Axe ads ands some others.
oh yeah they have burger kings in the game to, witch is a great way to advertise your stuff, have stores in the game :P
its quite funny - AKX1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2SWAT 4, introduced in a recent patch.
See http://nationalcheeseemporium.org/ - JoeDonH, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2My first digg submission was about this:
http://digg.com/gaming/Online_In-Game_Marketing_-_The_Target_Is_You.
It's already happened in SOE's MMOFPS Planetside. Altering your Hosts file will block the Massive ads, but for those that can't figure out how to do it they have to see them in each spawn room, and outside of bases. There was one ad for the Air Force that had looped audio in it that was apparently very distracting. Since Planetside is dying a slow death, I always felt like us paying subscribers were guinea pigs to see if this will fly with a larger market game. - Nidis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1See, this is why I like Nintendo... they have nuts. You wont EVER see an ad in a Nintendo game, I swear to god. If even they do, well, we're screwed.
- BBad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's not a bad thing as long as it doesn't affect the game, they'll been doing it on TV and in movies for years. Now that games are growing and millions of people are playing them it only seem likely real world ads were going to make there way into games. Hell the Burger King guy in Fight Night Round was funny as hell!
- hazmat007, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i really don't mind ads in games. like everyone else said, it adds a degree of realism to the whole experience. as long as they don't start replacing load screens with commericals it'll be all good.
- quinnk, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Or lead to open-source games, on any platform. Hmm....
- kwoff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1When this happens, I won't buy games from the companies that do it.
I'll become very aggravated by the ad and have a negative association with
the company featured in the ad, and probably with the company that made
the game. This will not translate into increased revenues from me. - gfast1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It seems like this could lead to games being written for Linux.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I like in-game and in-movie ads that are unobtrusive. The character may be wearing certain shoes and drinking a certain drink. It not only adds realism, but also allows developers and film makers the freedom to create things people can relate to but at the same time not having to make up generic names nor worry about lawsuits because your object looks like a company's object.
While these things not only make lives easier, they also generate revenue for the game and the advertiser. - analdisco, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Clearly you have not seen the horror that awaits Mexico in 2013. Apparently Axe body spray has created some sort of huge empire rich enough to buy every billboard in Mexico city. I haven't finished Advanced Warfighter yet, but I'm SURE you have to topple that smelly empire in the end. Sorry for the spoilers.
- pegisys, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree I don't see adds in games as a bad thing if the are properly placed.
for example in half life 2 they have pop cans and bottles laying around, it would be ok if they had real labels on them, or if a billboard had a real add on it
but I would hate adds on loading screens or something that pops up while I'm playing - converge, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Do ads actually work? I can't remember the last time I saw an ad and was like, "ZOMG, i must buy this now!11!".
- Filoviridae, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Agree 100%. I'm completely against this crap. I already paid for the game once. As posted above, it's not like they're going to lower the prices of the games because of th advertising. We shouldn't be forced to pay for games twice.
- bfdhud, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't really know why we're debating this. Developers / Publishers are going to do it regardless.
It's a way to increase revenue, thats the primary concern. It is a shame though. I always thought in game ads were a bad idea.
Kind of like going to your sisters wedding in shorts and a wife-beater. - chaosmachine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13Dmark (a popular gaming benchmark package) has ads on the loading screen.. says something like "if you had a [brandx] computer, this would already be loaded"
- richarddavey, on 07/21/2008, -0/+0I for one think it's a good idea as long as it's relevant and doesn't look out of place. There was all that fuss a while back for those who remember the Subway Ads in Counter Strike! But even then it was forced into the game via a mod which didn't impress Valve much. I'm not sure how much of this is true, (such as the old April fool of subliminal messaging of anti-hacks in counter strike textures) but you can read about it yourself in the digg link:
http://digg.com/gaming/Following_the_money:_how_Subway_ads_ended_up_in_Counter-Strike - Gyga, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1All you have to do is buy the right DVD player, mine lets me press "next" to get to the menu.
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