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In game ads are the future of games industry?

15 April 2005 7:52 by James "Dela" Delahunty | 6 comments

It looks like the Gaming Industry is finally started to realise that more young people are spending their time playing games than watching TV. The gaming market just keeps growing and growing and now corporations are looking for more ways to cash in off this addiction that has a global reach to people of all ages. Massive Incorporated thinks that the future of the games industry will be in-game advertisements and has managed to attract attention from companies like Coca Cola, Intel, Honda, Nestle, T-Mobile, Universal, Verizon, Dunkin� Donuts and others.

While games do already have advertisements, maybe these new ads may be a little bit more intrusive, making sure they catch our eye, just coming along while we are playing our game. Here's a quote from Massive: "By delivering ads seamlessly to fit the context of the game environment, Massive has created the most effective model for reaching young men. Gamers are completely engaged in their play�they are not multi-tasking or fast forwarding ads. Unlike their consumption of television and other media, gamers are 100% focused on the game."

While they do have a point that not many people actually focus on the advertisements on TV, no gamers want to see stupid ads appearing on all their games and still have to pay full price for the game. It also now looks like fast-forwarding past advertisements you have recorded from TV with PVR devices and similar will not be tolerated much longer. If a game were to be separated into different levels or missions, let�s hope the future games will not have 2 minutes of video advertisements between them. Massive plans to have their in-game ads incorporated into at least 40 titles from over 10 different publishers by the end of the year.

Sources:
Joystiq
Massive Incorporated

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Toiletman (Senior Member) 15 April 2005 10:25
Well, a couple of months ago many companies such as NCSoft (Anyone who's played City of Heroes will have noticed the Billboards), were thinking of hiring out their "gamespace" and replacing their billboards with real life ads like Coca Cola etc. I wouldn't actually mind if it were just like that, it would be rather fun and "realistic" really. Heh, realistic in a world where everyone can fly around in customs, but gamers know what I mean. =D But loading screens are a definite no no. I don't want to spend an extra 10 seconds looking at some crappy ad while waiting for my Halo 5 to load. [ + quote]
Weirdo007 (Member) 15 April 2005 12:07
WTF?! Are we gamers safe NOWHERE from these annoying pesky adverts?? I have a real problem with this. Mainly because when I buy a game, I expect to spend my $50 on the GAME.... not some stupid advertisement that pops-up WHILE you're playing. Now if they want an ad in a a unobtrusive place, like a billboard in a background environment, or something like that, cool. BUT NO POP UPS!!!! We get enough of this crap on the net. Heed this warning Game makers, you start doing this and you'll lose a lot of people who will be very annoyed by this, myself included. >:( [ + quote]
diabolos (Senior Member) 15 April 2005 13:13
Yea background ads whould be ok but pop-ups would just be suicide. I think a better bis model would be to offer games for free (like a lot of free software) that have ads in them. If you don't what the ads then buy or rent the game as usual. You could also do this with game downloads. If you like the sample of first level then (with pop-up ads) then go out nad by the ad-less game in stores. I think that if they do it right adding ads to video games could be a fun and interactive change. It could also have the effect of lower game prices with expensive Blue Ray and HD-DVD media being the next-gen optical discs of choice. Just think about the things advertisers would do without the conservitive gidelines of mainstream media and a mature or adult rating on a game! Ced [ + quote]
diabolos (Senior Member) 15 April 2005 19:23
Quote: I think that if they do it right adding ads to video games could be a fun and interactive change. I ment to say "... a fun and entertaining change." Sorry, Ced [ + quote]
Toiletman (Senior Member) 15 April 2005 20:28
Not to be off-topic, but you're a senior member and you don't know how to use the edit button? 0_0 Everyone is entitled to their own true opinion. Either respect that or don't. [ + quote]
doriany (Inactive) 21 April 2005 0:54
okay I've worked in the gaming industry for about 2 years now. Thats not long I know but it makes me wonder about something. When we want to use a certain car in our game we have to pay a license fee, is this not us paying to advertise their cars? Could we know ask for money since we're soon going to become just another way of transporting ads to people. Personally, and those around my office agree, I think it's going to cause a major drop in the consumer respect. Simple billboards may be ok, but I seem to remember a certain game (Ridge Racer, can't remeber wich edition) that got slaughtered by the critics because it had way to much advertising. It may look good on paper but trust me in real life (no pun intended) people would be screaming for blood. I mean it's bad enough that a certain site try and sell me CloneDVD on every newsletter, and takes me to a sponsor site when i want to post a comment... Games are the one place that I would like to be free from ads!! [ + quote]