Ads moving from TV to video games

[Adagio]

I like product placement in movies as it helps to lower the cost on the production and hopefully in the end will help make a better movie. Though as any other advertising it doesn't work on me

If they added ads to games in a form so it doesn't interrupt the gameplay then I'm all for it, it can only help making a better game
Though if they do include ads in games they should still keep the style of the game in mind when making them so you don't end up seing a normal movie poster on a wall in a game with cartoonish graphics

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker


And getting inanely stupid. At some point people are sure to just completely tune them out.

Eh, I kind of like it. You're too young to remember when movie/TV props of everyday goods were often black-and-white cans that said "Peas" or "Green Beans". It pretty much destroyed the verisimilitude of the entire experience.

Oh, it can be bad when, say, the Coke can is handled so that "Coca-Cola" always faces the screen, but its still far better that than a red can that says "Soda."

[Az]

JohnT

[JohnT]

And it's not like this is a new concept. I was watching an old Van Heflin movie the other day, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) where he and Barbara Stanwyck checked into a motel (but separate rooms!) Anyway, she was feeling upset in regards to her role in a murder and the following exchange (paraphrased) occurred:

"Look what I found in my dresser" Holds up a Gideon Bible, face outward "Could it be a sign?"
"No, baby, they put Bibles in every hotel room." Van goes to his room, opens the drawer, pulls out his rooms' copy "See?"
"Why do they do that?"
"The Gideons put Bibles in hotels all across the country, all across the world. Why, there's probably not a single hotel room anywhere without a Gideons Bible!"
"They do good work, don't they?"

Now that was blatant!

[Frankychan]

Coca-Cola gives me foamy burps.

But it's good with Mr. Jack.

Don't tell me you've never seen an advert in a game, had the option to blow it up, and have NEVER tried to do so...

Yes, I've tried C4 or other types of explosives in multiple games just to see if that sorry attempt at advertising would turn itself into slag...

[Provost Harrison]

Mmmm, foamyburps

[Frankychan]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
Mmmm, foamyburps

You, sir, are very kinky.

Foamy burps are teh s_uck. Unless you miss drinking all your Cola and don't have anymore..

[child of Thor]

Are we looking forward to it in Civ4?

in the old game 'Mercenry' http://www.mobygames.com/game/mercenary , you had what i think were the first in-game advertisments i can remember.
In the Atari version you had C64 signs you could destroy in the game, and the other way around for the C64 version. It was fine in the context.

[Ming]

I wouldn't be surprised if the next step was to attach some kind of sponsored advertising game within the game... Blowing up all the Coke signs gives you a promotional code that enters you in a contest for prizes... or some such thing.

[Bereta_Eder]

He's good!

[Ming]

Wel... I am in the advertising business

[mactbone]

I railed against this in a Madden forum. Madden games include an Old Spice "red zone" and the Pontiac Drive summary or something. These are utterly pointless and don't reduce the cost of a game that is basically the same from year to year. So I don't understand why we as consumers should put up with this and why more people don't think about this and realize how jipped we are. I don't buy that those advertisements make the game more realistic. Sports label brands and licensing on stadiums make the games more realistic, Old Spice and Pontiac don't.

As to advertising in general. I'm OK with it but too many times a company will get one advertiser and use it so many times where it isn't even appropriate.

[Adagio]

I doubt this will reduce the cost of games (all games costs basicly the same always anyway), but I do believe that in many cases it could increase the quality of the game because with advertising they might be able to afford a few more programmers or they might be able to push the release date

Of course there'll also happen cases where the extra money just goes into the producers pocket instead

[Ming]

I'm sure the producers will generally just pocket the money...

But it might mean more available games... Having a guaranteed source of revenue before even selling the first game might make it more likely that some more risky games get produced.

[Adagio]

That's also an option

So in the end almost nomatter what they do there's a high chance that it might help the customers in one way or another
Well... high as in at least higher than without this new income