Advertizing in video games

[stalepie]

After leaving a comment here about advertizing, and video games, I wondered just to what extent of an asshole I was being.

 

 

 

 

So I decided to come here to the Atari Age forums to ask for yall's opinion(s) on the matter.

 

But I was thinking (while laughing to myself) just how AWFUl it would be to have intrusive advertizing in a game like Demon's Souls or Etrian Odyssey, or some other game where the heavy mood kind of carries the experience.

 

I mean, say you're down in the labyrinths of Etrian Odyssey 4 (if they make a fourth) and you see a McDonalds! Lol, come on you know that'd be great. You could go get an Egg McMuffin (the game always feels like morning to me) and it'd raise your hitpoints 40 each time!

[HatefulGravey]

If the ads fit in the game I don't mind them. For example when I'm playing a racing game its nice to notice an ad on the track were one would normally be, or to have the cars done up with sponsers and such. If I'm playing in a Mall I like to see stores that I know. Sure, killing zombies in a mall is fun, killing zombies in GAP just adds a little something extra.

 

However, when I'm playing Fight Night and king from Burger King enters the ring I want to smash things.

 

There is a way to put ads into games without making it a focal point. I have read studies that showed placing them in more natural places and not in the center of the screen actaully makes them more effective anyway.

 

The the thing is ads are how you pay for something without actually paying for something. Instead of paying $5 to watch Sons of Anarchy I watch an ad for Vagisil. It sucks while that ad is on the tv, but not having to spend real money to watch the show I like is pretty freaking cool. If I pay $60 for a game, I shouldn't also have to be attacked by ads while I play it. That said movies have the same problem, you spend the crazy ticket price, pick up some gold plated pop-corn and get ready to watch 15 min of commercials before your 15 min of ads for the next movie to come out and then everyone in the movie just happens to be drinking Moutain Dew for the entire movie.

[Tr3vor]

one game with ads wrong: Wipout HD. I got it for free, so I can't complain, but the ad videos sometimes prolong the load times untill the video finishes.

 

one game with ads right: Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. The billboards in the game changes texutures to ads when connected to the internet, so you're just thinking, oh thats a billboard from before the strogg invaded...

 

thier ok if thier done right. The billboard thing is ok if your going for realistic games. maybe if there was a gunfight in COD on a raised highway or something and a few ads were on billboards.

[Jifremok]

If I wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland with an old Coca-Cola billboard ad, I'll wonder where the damn Pepsi ads are.

[Skarrj]

Ill be honest, I get pissed when I play connect bowling and I get that stupid pink T-mobile bowling ball.

[Skarrj]

invaded...

 

thier ok if thier done right. The billboard thing is ok if your going for realistic games. maybe if there was a gunfight in COD on a raised highway or something and a few ads were on billboards.

 

GRAW GRAW2 had dodge ads all through the game

[nvrmndtheruins]

If its a free game I don't care. The creator should get some money in some way.

If I paid for the game blatant ads would piss me off. Billboards on a highway or something is fine, sometimes it adds to the reality of the game.

 

But to me its one of the other free and ads or paid and ad-free

[HammR25]

NBA Jam has dynamic ads in it if you're connected to the net. Well it used to have them. It doesn't now. The game must have bombed enough that advertisers thought they were wasting their money.

[Reaperman]

Like everything else, it's good in moderation. My favorite ads are the 'Days of Thunder' style fictional race car liveries. For example the Gamestop NASCAR in GT5. Sure it's a rolling ad, but it looks good and slightly increases variety.

 

one game with ads wrong: Wipout HD. I got it for free, so I can't complain, but the ad videos sometimes prolong the load times untill the video finishes.

Wipout games have frequently featured obvious ads, all the way back to the ps1 days--it's practically tradition now.

Edited June 15, 2011 by Reaperman

[HammR25]

Wipout games have frequently featured obvious ads, all the way back to the ps1 days--it's practically tradition now.

That reminds me of Pole Position.

[hobojoe44]

The fake ads in Deaththrow are pretty good. They make the televised futuristic sport more organic.

 

RentaMech.com

 

Got riot problems?

Call 1-800-WE-NUKE

 

It's not slavery!, buy Android workers today!

 

They only real ads in the game is for Rockstar energy drinks, but they are rarely on the loading screens only on some of the arena billboards.

[Video]

In billboards or signs on a wall, that's one thing. Same with dispensers like a coke machine in a game, I'd have no problems with that (after all, after getting all shot up and stuff, shouldn't NPC's be able to get a cold one too?) But it should never hinder the game in any way. Adds while loading? Hell no, that's bullshit, and if it's any kind of animated add, it could actually slow down your loading time.

 

Personally, if I buy it, as in money changes hands, then I shouldn't be subjected to adds and stuff, that, or the game should be a hell of a lot cheaper, or free. After all, the only reason to have the add in there to begin with is the game maker is getting money from whoever wanted the adds in there in the first place, right?

[hobojoe44]

I should elaborate on Deathtrow. In the loading screen ads they are just static images that change every few seconds in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. Like of those you may see in replays in televised sporting event.