New in-game Ads, what do they mean for you?

We are seeing more deals involving different dynamic ad agencies and video game developers popping up with the biggest one involving EA and Microsoft. These in game ads are billed as great things and from an advertisers perspective that is getting in product placement opportunities across a widespread demographic they are fantastic, but what do they mean to us the consumer?

[MyNutsYourChin]

Why, why, why? What is the point?

I see the relationship between funding for a game and advertising in a game but is that really necessary? There is no reason why we as gamers need to put up with such an exploitation of our entertainment. I want to play a game without the distraction of an in-game commercial for Pepsi or Coke.

I want to look at the billboards in GTA IV and read something that mocks a conglomerate company like Pepsi with the label "Epipepsi" and a motto that says "Seizure Cola" (Seize Your Cola). Or come across a plastic surgery office that claims "You too can have more plastic than your Honda."

Then again, this might turn out to be an excellent way to get more financial support and thus increase the resources and qulity of the game. I know one thing, if I was a developer that allowed in-game marketing/advertising, I would charge a hell of a lot of money.

[taz8080]

First let me say...

LOL @ I want to look at the billboards in GTA IV and read something that mocks a conglomerate company like Pepsi with the label "Epipepsi" and a motto that says "Seizure Cola" (Seize Your Cola). Or come across a plastic surgery office that claims "You too can have more plastic than your Honda."

The sad part is these deals I think will have no impact on quality of games, just an extra source of money for those involved, gamers wont benefit one bit!

[Syko]

The biggest draw to video games is the demographic 90+% Male 18-35. This is the most desirable market for big companies. Unfortunately they have found our happy place and want to slap logos all over it. It can be good and bad, It is definitely a slippery slope for us gamers.

[ArduousAndy]

If it increases revenue to make a game better I am all for it.

Plus I always liked the real world feel. Think Left for Dead. Your running around being chased by zombies. The whole time your in new york you come across time square and you see the famous adds destroyed through time and rioting. It hads to the feel of realism.

Now on the other hand. If im running from a zombie holding out a whopper saying available now as hes trying to eat my brains. Then yes thats kinda crappy.

So I am rather ifie on this I guess its a case by case situation for right now.

[taz8080]

I have to say that I am surprised that more people dont have an opinion on in game ads. The way I think of them is like having junk mail or spam sent to you but you are paying for it! Funny how gamers take what htey are givena nd dont buck back. This is a billion dollar industry that needs to listen to the wishes of its clients.

[MyNutsYourChin]

Great insight my friend, have a bubble.

[Dr Pepper]

I actually think that in-game ads help bring more realism into a game, or at least can help. However, there is a point at which the amount can become ridiculous (unfortunately, there is some examples of this). But overall, I believe that it can help further immerse you into the videogame and make the whole situation more believable. However, I believe that it will get out of hand pretty soon. So, I guess I'm sort of split on the issue.

[MyNutsYourChin]

While I agree with you that it could bring more realism to the game, I think this can be accomplished without actual real life companies invading our gaming community.

How much of a difference will it be to include fake advertising as compared to real advertising? Will a UK/Japanese/US/Chinese based company you never heard of make the game more realistic to you?

I think we're better off leaving real advertising out of our games. What happens when the advertising saturates the gaming community and then bam, McDonalds owns EA?

[taz8080]

I agree that it can add a level of realism in certain instances but I think the line between subtle and ridiculous is very slim. When I first saw in ad stuff I think I was playing Burnout and I thought it was pretty interesting but then I started seeing more of it in other titles. Now we even see it in games like Splinter Cell, why do we need a Best Buy ad in Splinter Cell? It can lead the way to a dark road where games get whored out completely in oredr to make more money. Will we see in game ads in RPG games? I good example of how advertising and product placement changes the identity of things is the Transformers movie, why make Bumble Bee a Cehvy other than Chevy dropped bags of money off in fornt of the producers door? Will we see this happen in games also? Will Dante carry a Glock instead of his trademark guns?

[Dr Pepper]

@ Omnihilum

"What happens when the advertising saturates the gaming community and then bam, McDonalds owns EA?"

Well, if McDonalds owned EA everything would be very cheap and come in huge portions...but that's beside the point.

I do understand your concern. In games such as Ghost Recon AW 2 there is ads for a game website (or something like it) on every billboard and it gets very creepy and annoying. And as long as I understand what the product is (if the game were to use a fake company) then it wouldn't be that unrealistic. So I understand where your coming from, but I don't think you need to worry about a gaming industry where fast food giants own the gaming companies (at least not for a while).

I also like what you mentioned in your first comment about in-game ads that make fun of real companies (like in GTA). I greatly prefer those, as it always gives a good laugh and humor to the game. This is a good conversation, so have a bubble.

@ Taz8080

This is a good article, so you can have a bubble as well for your find and interesting comments. I agree with some of your points (there definitely is a very slim line between subtle and ridiculous) but I trust that the developers will know when to stop and how much is too much. However, it may be a little late, as some have gone over the top. But as long as it is just a can of Dr Pepper sitting on the table (and not a huge sign saying: DRINK DR PEPPER), I think we'll be alright. Hopefully, like I said, devs will realize the line between subtle and ridiculous and not cross it Ghost Recon style (blatant ads that are just annoying).

[MyNutsYourChin]

Your comment, "Well, if McDonalds owned EA everything would be very cheap and come in huge portions..." had me laughing. I agree, good conversation. Bubbles to you as well, sir.

[InMyOpinion]

Movies have had them for years. I still enjoy movies...

[MyNutsYourChin]

But it also costs less to actually use a real life product than to create a special model for the film. Instead of making a bunch of cans that look like name brand cola cans why not have a cola company sponsor the film and thus gain more funding and not use the time and effort in making such props.

In games, the dev team needs to create it either way.

[marioporter]

As long as I'm not forced to sit through a full on commercial, I'm ok. A little add placement here and there doens't hurt. It helps, actually. You think 60 bucks is bad for a game now? If there weren't sponsors, then you can bet that the price of games would still be on the rise.

[taz8080]

You think that game pries are proportional to sponsors, man are you wrong. Just think how much games costed in cart form, in CD form and now in DVD form, interesting how htey always were at least $50, that seems to be the magic number that gamers will pay, how come PS3 and Xbox games cost the same... do you think the costs are exactly the same? The market price is made up by the industry, how come Wii games are cheaper or why is it that the same game in a few weeks can be sold for $20 cheaper at Best Buy, do you think the game companies are taing a hit on profit... no way! The game are where everyone makes money, they are mass produced ina warehouse and costs are very low, this has no bearing on game prices and neither will sponsors and ads, as long as gamers pay $60 they will ocntinue to sell for $60 and will go up wiht hte next generation as the perception that htese games are higher quality and should be increased.

[MyNutsYourChin]

The inclusion of in-game advertising may help decrease the price point of games, which is talked about in the following feed:

http://www.n4g.com/industry...

If the result of in-game advertising brings the retail price of games down, then hell yea, I'm all for it. But I think we should be weary of this kind of stuff getting out of hand, as taz8080 seems to be proposing.

[razer]

Stuff like all the cars in Vegas being crappy Dodge's that was bordering on lame but a billboard here or there isn't bad. I make it a point that whenever I see a product in the game I make a mental note to never purchase that product.

In game ad's were something that the consumer was told it would lower the price of games.. Instead we are paying higher game prices than ever with or without the ad's.

PS - Love the picture on this article.. Reminds me of the 360 dashboard. I got McDonalds and Sprite ad's all over it and I'm still paying $50 a year..

[Bloodmask]

can lead to better games in the future. Companies probably pay big bucks to put adds in video games.

This will give game producers more revenue for new IPs and hopefully better gaming experiences in the future.

This increased revenue could be especially beneficial to smaller companies that don't have huge budgets.

[Dr Pepper]

"This increased revenue could be especially beneficial to smaller companies that don't have huge budgets."

That is true, and we need more variation in the dev community (like smaller companies joining the industry).

[LeShin]

In-game ads don't bother me yet and I reckon it could be good for developers to ofset some costs. But what I don't get do the advertisers actually think this is going to work?? I can't imagine me doing a 360 degree crescent moon lightning kick into some big ass demon, who falls through a Burger king billboard then thinking to myself: "You know what, I feel like a whopper right about now"

[taz8080]

I actually took part in what I thought was a demo for a Splinter Cell game and played through the game for about fifteen minutes, then I got pulled into a room and they asked me about it. I thought it was going to be about what glitches I saw or what I liked about the controls but it turned out to be a Q&A about what ads I had seeen in the game. THe demo was not sponsored by a game manufacturer but an ad agency a few years back and they were interested in gettig feedback about the ads int he game and which ones i saw as i was playing. I actually told the lady that I thought they were un-necessary and they didnt make me want to buy any of the products. I felt kinda cheap and used afterwards, i got donuts and twenty bucks to be tricked!

[Daxx]

I was just playing Splinter Cell: DA for the first time in a couple of months and I was playing the multiplayer and when I was on one of the maps it had a 300 ad saying buy the DVD today, I lol'd a bit. And thanks to that it reminded me that I needed to buy that kick ass movie.

But I don't really mind if there's in game adds, unless they are in games like Halo. Sh*t would hit the fan if that happened.

[nirwanda]

with the whole burger king thing but I've not really been bothered by anything else if it makes more money for the devs then great I wish MS or even sony carried on trying to get the live arcade game free the ads like they tried to do with poker it should be 400 point for a game with a 10 second ad at the start or 880 without.

[M1am1U]

that companies will start sponsoring game development in exchange for in-game ad space. It's already happening in movies and television. Games are the next logical step. As production costs increase, devs will start looking for funding from non-traditional sources. As long as it's done creatively, I don't think I'd mind. It's the blatant, in-your-face [email protected] that would bother me.

[Keyser]

It doesn't bother me. They do it in movies all the time and I barely notice and most importantly, I don't remember any of their advertisments.

I've got Fight Night 3 and I still don't plan on eating at Burger King. Fun game though!!

[Salvadore]

It isn't like I will be running to Burger Kings or Tacho Bell because I saw their ad in a game.

[taz8080]

I agree with you but the fact htey are there and we as a consumer dont get anyhting out of it, is the upsetting part. Just htink of buying a Harry Potter book and seeing Taco Bell ads in the center or buying some sneakers to find advertisemnts in the box or in your shoes?

[SKUD]

There are NO and i mean NO positives about in-game adds. Phaking pisses me off when i play crackdown and see a phaking add for dodge. GET THE PHUK OUT OF MY GAME!!!!.