Cut the shit! – Product placement in Video games?

NoobTalk: What are really the negatives about this? Developers get a bigger budget for better tools, more staff or just more time to polish and improve on the game. However, the risks are that the game in question could become a joke, with advertisement on EVERYTHING, maybe even having the main character dress up to look like Ronald McFuckingDonald… Oh the awful thought!

[FishCake9T4]

Advertisements make a game more realistic. I cant imagine racing around Daytona with NASCARs in GT5 with without advertisements everywhere, it just would not be like the real thing.

[ABizzel1]

As long as they don't interfere with my game it's ok. When you play a game, then it breaks to a commercial of a product then we have a problem.

[ThatArtGuy]

but in others it sticks out like a major sore thumb. When I played the first NFS: Underground it made me roll my eyes *every* time I raced by the Best Buy. I instantly spot it in movies too. When Peter Parker is trying his web shooters for the first time in his room in Spider-Man, he webs up a Dr. Pepper can, specifically. It could have been a lamp, or a clock radio, but him shooting the Dr. Pepper can *instantly* took me out of the movie. It made me specifically think "I'm being advertised to."

That's just not cool.

[dgroundwater]

As long as the game takes place in the "real world" it is fine by me. Sports games, or even the Tom Clancy games are good examples of where it is appropriate to place real ads.

THIS AD however crossed the line. I can see a Coca Cola machine here or there, but come on!

[ReservoirDog316]

Yeah this guy's addicted to cigarettes first of all. Second, I don't think GTA will ever have product placement cause companies want to be family friendly and GTA is far from family friendly. But I'm taking it too literally with that one.

Product placement is cool if used right. As in the old Splinter Cell games. Had some product placement but it made it feel more real and wasn't very obtrusive.

Also if it let's the developer lower the price (did NFL 2K6 do this to only charge $20 a few years ago, before the EA monopolization of NFL games?).

But regardless, unless it has an annoying commercial feeling to it, in game advertisements are really nothing to whine about.

edit: @above

Haha, call me weak minded but I actually started buying Axe after that.

[Ravage27]

it is used in games like Heavy Rain. It will add to the realism, not to mention that i've always felt that risky/niche games like HR should get a free pass when it comes to product endorsements, it will help to recoup the dev cost

[jadenkorri]

obvious a game like fable2, or Demons souls ads would not be appropriate, products like axe and coca cola would not or should not be there, but a fps like tom Clancy its ok.

[TapiocaMilkTea]

Yeah...big deal....games in a modern setting with ads are fine, it's more realistic anyways.
I mean...do you roll your eyes everytime you see your own can of coke sitting on your table?

[ThanatosDMC]

I dont mind brand names on console games. As long as they're not installing crap on my PC. Remember BF:2142?

Besides, it just makes it look more "realistic".

[cmacdonald]

I don't mind it. If it's realistic who cares.

[Shotgun_Roamer]

It doesn't REALLY bother me to see a coke machine, visa credit card, or smith and wesson gun, seeing i never really pay attention, and because it's not over-kill. It's subtle enought to be present without feeling intrusive. However, the first time i here a character say " hop in my new 450 hp ford mustang, and i'll show you the american advantage" then the line has been crossed.

[El_Colombiano]

Haha I agree.

[Timesplitter14]

It's not like it's stopping you from playing or anything. It doesn't bother me at all.

[OrganicMachine]

I don't mind for advertisement as long as they fit the settings..

who would want a coca-cola/pepsi billboard on a steam-punk game? it would ruin the atmosphere and the immersion.. Grandturismo fits the criteria for a game that can be flooded with billboards that has SPRITE or Burger king.. etc..

[HDgamer]

or cocoa cola ad in Dragon Age origins

[Xlll]

I don't mind it at all, but i will say that i did always enjoy checking out fake ads in games. Shows some creativity.

[n to the b]

haha I was just rewatching the Cowboy Bebop movie yesterday and they had to have FAKE ads to create more realism. I noticed WcDonald's and then later on Pudweiser signs in the background lol.

[qwertyuiopasdfghjkl]

In-game advertising. The more popular video games become, the more ads make it into each game.

Get used to it. This medium is fueled by buyers. $60+ for a game, 100+ limited editions, DLC and other add ons, peripherals, the list goes on...

I foresee video games taking a similar route movies have taken, with big budget titles being nothing more than an explosion filled, special effects induced car commercial, (Transformers). The scary thing is, most video games nowadays fit the criteria for mass in-game marketing, that criteria of course, meaning millions of people will buy said game. 100% Guaranteed.

[Megaton]

It would ruin some of the humor in the GTA series if they used real products. They create an entirely fictional set of consumer products for their games, usually poking fun at their real life counterparts.

[CobraKai]

I'm all for it. As long as it keeps the cost of games down. I don't wanna end up paying $80 and up in the next generation of videogames.

[duplissi]

i wonder if the author knows that the king from burger king is in fight night round 3?

[FantasyStar]

I'm paying to play a game, I'm not paying to look at advertisements. It's a slippery slope.

First, it's subtle hints like a character sporting a Sony Ericsson. Then it's a poster that a character conveniently "passes by" on a locked path. Then it's blatantly in your face like a commercial break. But there's something far worse than looking at a coke bottle.

Political ads.

[TheTeam06]

I really don't care if there is a Coke vending machine in my GTA games. I'm not gonna look at it and say "ooh, the agony!! Ahh, I can't play this game now?!!"

I can understand if it's getting in my way, but seeing Burger King billboards and Mountain Dew vending machines all make my gaming experience much more realistic and familiar.

How many times have you seen a Burger Shot in Grand Theft Auto and thought "haha, it's a Burger King parody!"

And plus, how else are they gonna recoup? Nowadays games don't sell too well unless they appeal to our mothers...

[Advari]

Coke, Pepsi, hell even Tide pay cash to these developers to advertise in a game plus the cash helps out the developers aswell. And it makes the game look more real like NHL 2010 the boards would look boring with out advertisement same with racing games. You won't see Coors Light or Camels advertised in a game thats regulated by the goverment on where they can advertise.

[Xpandemic]

ok whats with all these no name sites using the same wordpress theme?

[Imallvol7]

I don't see whats wrong with it. I think that Coca-Cola can dispenser makes the game more real. As long as its not overwhelming and unrealistic (for example, if the Coca-Cola advertisement was the shirt I was wearing or written on the top of my gun), then it would be annoying.

[shutupandplay]

I don`t really care either way, but let me ask you this: What if in MW2 you defended "McDonalds" instead of "Burger Town"?

[TheTeam06]

.... what if?

[lh_swe]

Why? Because it really doesn't matter to me, I might wanna buy a burger after tho :)

[knifefight]

If it's set in the real world, who cares?
I have Coke machnes outside my house. If I see a Coke machine in a video game taking place on planet Earth, during any period within the last few/next few decades, I really don't care.

If it's blatant and ridiculous, that's one thing, but if it's not forced in, there's no reason to get all flustered.

[Hate_my_neighbors]

was in parasite eve i thought it was the coolest thing. Heck im drinking it right, that ad must of worked.

[Bigpappy]

You guys approve every little cry-baby add. I have a felling these bloggers have enough accounts to approve they own blogs on N4G. Stop these stupid blogs mods.

[Oztheboss]

Oh don't be an idiot. Just because people have opinions to express - opinions that brings up an issue with something that many people can relate to, you shouldn't facking whine.

It's an article, try writing one yourself.

[Setekh]

I don't mind product placement in games as long as it isn't overdone.
Some games it works well in, Take 'Crazy Taxi' for example.

[Blow Out Your Brains]

nuka cola machines FTW

[Nihilism]

Putting ads in games is another thing that would make me quit gaming, I hate all thigns comercial, I don't watch TV for good reason. I have no problem with sponsor signs in racing games, but that's it, in any other circumstance it would seem forced.

[Viatrophy]

Can't say that ad's in games have ever bothered me because the majority of the time I don't even notice that they're there.

As another user on N4G has already said, as long as it doesn't cut to a commercial break during a load screen, I see no problem with it. It also does depend on the type of game being played, if it fits in to the 'real world' scenario that is being set during the game (sports games, racing games etc.) you'd expect to see advertisements all over the place anyway.

If I was playing Super Mario Bros and all of a sudden Mario started wearing Nike branded shoes and Luigi starts to talk about getting a mortgage with Ocean Finance, then I'd be pissed.

[peeps]

if used correctly they're fine. i mean mw2 is trying to be a realistic game. when i see a coke vending machine, it doesn't look out of place. i'm not there going 'wow wasn't expecting to see a coke vending machine in an airport :o'

[teto83]

just look at any EA game.

[DreamcastFanboy]

Who cares as long as you don't have to use a Coke Cola to kill a boss then no one should b*tch about.

[Bullseye]

WOHD has now been ruined through advertising on the load screens !! As much as I miss the game, I simply won't play it anymore due to this unethical action. If they had told me upfront, that later on down the line I would have to put up with advertising that I didn't request OR want - in other words - unsolicited, I wouldn't have purchased the game in the first place. In fact, I'm considering requesting my money back! Now I'm sure their answer would be 'Yes, but it's in the EULA' . However,don't you think this idea of selling you a game or other software - Windows anybody -on the basis you must except EVERY and ANY terms these companies choose to impose on us, is getting out of hand? Basically, it's like a car company selling you a car, but saying you can't sell it on , you can't let anyone else drive it and we'll sue if you spray it a different colour! Yes, I'm ranting, but with good cause. I'll guarantee you this much, the European union will put a stop to this in the pretty near future,mark my words!- Done.

[BaSeBaLlKiD721]

Dude, its on the loading screen. Its not like the ads are on the tracks so quit b*tching.

[Excalibur]

That doesn't mind as long as it's in a setting that is realistic.

Take for example Modern Warfare 2, in the mission where you have to defend the Burger town, I would not have minded at all if the Gas station was a Shell station (or whatever) and instead of Burger Town it was Burger King (or whatever)and in the gas station you saw real named products on the shelves.

I would have a problem if the Achievement was called "Defend the Burger King".

I also have no problem with little advert pages packaged with my game...as long as the DVD case doesn't weigh 2lbs.

I would have a major , MAJOR problem with having to watch a commercial before my game loaded or during load screens or whatever.

NO ADVERTS ON MY DISK!! PERIOD!!!
I don't even want a section where you have to specifically go to a menu to load them, game trailers is my limit.

I would also have a problem if the video game characters pimp said product.

That said if said advert lowered the cost of games or allowed developers the cash flow to make better games then hurray for us.

If I read before hand if any developer/any game abuses advertising in any way I will boycott said product and the game, I don't care if it was something I was dying to play, that is where I'll draw the line.

[rob6021]

making something 'realistic' doesn't make it a good thing always. Just because we see billboards plastered all over the city in real life, doesn't mean we have to swallow all that consumerist bull**** in our videogames too. You know we might be better off if we weren't conditioned into thinking buying things was the way to be happy or accepted. That's what marketing will do to ya.

That's even part of the humor in GTA, they used to make fun of marketing and how it's in all aspects of our lives. I can't imagine GTA using real product placement in order to make a few extra bucks, the whole game makes fun of our consumerist culture.

[gumgum99]

I like product placement in video games. It makes everything seem more down to earth...right guys?

[PirateThom]

I like RELEVENT product placement, it makes everything seem more realistic.

The iPod or Macs in MGS4 being a prime example of good product placement, the iPod was actually usable and the Macs were barely noticeable. MGS4 is set in the near future, so it's not unlikely iPods and Macs will still exist.

Racing games with real world billboards make it more immersive.

What is an issue, is product placement that is way out of place. Can you imagine if, in Assassin's Creed, they took Desmond out of the Anumius every couple of missions and asked him if he wanted a cool can of Coca-Cola? Or Master Chief jumping into a Jaguar instead of a Warthog? Or Kratos killing everything in sight and downing a Budweiser?

The best product placement is the ones you notice, but only just, because they fit into the world.

[chewmandinga]

...is all the Sony gear in Terminator Salvation. Keep your eyes peeled for little hints that the PS3 really did take over the world.

[thehitman]

Dumb article I have yet to play a game with ads that get in the way. It's better than blurred images.

[Dorwrath]

I don't think its an issue. So what if you walk past a coca cola vending machine in a game. I don't think those are an issue.

Where I'll draw the line is when it says for example Level 5 is brought to you by Trojan Condoms" or something along those lines.

I think advertising should be used to keep game prices down. For example in MW2 there was a Taco place. Infinity Ward/Activision should have asked Taco Bell if they wanted to advertise their store by having it be a Taco Bell.

[jeseth]

Who Cares?

[VladimirK]

I feel wierd after reading the comments.

It actually does bother me a little.

I think to me it's because it's a case of when I sit to to play a game I intend to get sucked in and just forget everything around me. So I don't want to really see anything that's from the real world, somehow I can't help but feel it cheapens the experience.
(Plus the fact that it always annoys me to think of them looking for more money on top of what they'll make from us).
(Unless it's cars, I don't mind that, and obviously if it's in a racing game).
But at the mention of racing games, it's odd. I do like as much of them as possible to be real.

Just a last point.
One that really did get me quite angry tbh was in Star Trek. (The new movie, sucked anyway compared to the rest, but that's not the point).
The bit in the car where you see the Nokia phone.
Just made me think, "Wtf is that there for? That shouldn't be there ffs."
I know it sounds like I'm overreacting to most people, but small details matter a lot to me in things.

[Matt0611]

"What are really the negatives about this? Developers get a bigger budget for better tools, more staff or just more time to polish and improve on the game."

You're right. I want bug filled unpolished games as long as there isn't a coke advertisement that doesn't even affect the game at all.

Let's look at it this way. People want games to be more realistic, right? Well, the real world is plastered with advertisements here in there, so wouldn't it make it more realistic?

Developers make games to make money. Sure they want to make good games for people to enjoy, but would they do it if they didn't make a profit off it? Probably not.

If a couple of billboards or vending machines can help improve a game, fix bugs and polish things up then put whatever you want in the game. If you are a real gamer, then you will play games for fun, and not care about what a developer is doing to make money.

And do you think you're cool for dropping f bombs and cursing as much as you did in this article?