In-Game ads...

[Brandon]

So after going over my friends house this weekend to play NBA 2k7 it was brought to my attention of all of the advertisements in the game. What sticks out the most was the "Toyota Half Time Show"

Another example was in Need for Speed: Most Wanted you had the Cingular GPS along with a bunch of other advertisements in-game.

I'm thinking - wait - I paid $60 for this game and I am getting shown advertisements. Ive been seeing more and more of these in the more recent games (racing and sports) and when are consumers going to say its enough - either lower the price or we won't buy?

[PixilEyes]

So after going over my friends house this weekend to play NBA 2k7 it was brought to my attention of all of the advertisements in the game. What sticks out the most was the "Toyota Half Time Show"

Another example was in Need for Speed: Most Wanted you had the Cingular GPS along with a bunch of other advertisements in-game.

I'm thinking - wait - I paid $60 for this game and I am getting shown advertisements. Ive been seeing more and more of these in the more recent games (racing and sports) and when are consumers going to say its enough - either lower the price or we won't buy?

You pay for cable and you have commerials, which makes no damn sense. Now that gaming is so mainstream it was bound to happen. :( Yeah I'm not fond of it.

[TDQuiksilver]

It's going to happen even if you don't like it. Developers being paid by corporations for ad placement will mean more money in their pockets. All entertainment has gone this route... video games were about the last to catch on.

[L3thal Veteran]

So after going over my friends house this weekend to play NBA 2k7 it was brought to my attention of all of the advertisements in the game. What sticks out the most was the "Toyota Half Time Show"

Another example was in Need for Speed: Most Wanted you had the Cingular GPS along with a bunch of other advertisements in-game.

I'm thinking - wait - I paid $60 for this game and I am getting shown advertisements. Ive been seeing more and more of these in the more recent games (racing and sports) and when are consumers going to say its enough - either lower the price or we won't buy?

Honestly, I don't mind it in sports games or racing games. I'd rather it say Toyota Half Time show than Loyola Half Time Show and an upside down logo of Toyota. It adds more realism to the game, especially when it comes to sports games.

[Tzimisce]

Yes, advertisements on cable/sat are horrible, sometimes taking up 1/4 of a shows airtime. Shows are getting shorter because of it etc. The fact that advertising has ANY role whatsoever in my games makes me angry. I could understand the developer showing themselves off as is common "eastereggs" in counter-strike and half-life custom maps but i dont want to see a coke ad in Battlefield 4.

[User6060]

Atleast Mario Galaxy is clean :D

[qdave]

its only a natural evolution.

they dont quite anoy me though. in the games i played, like nfs, or battlefield2, they werent very intrusive.

[goji]

Brandon you realize that this is nothing new? Ads in games have been around for quite a few years now. Ubisoft has been doing this since Pandora Tomorrow if I'm not mistaken.

The only thing changing is the technology in providing dynamic content tailored to your demographics.

[Huleboeren]

I have nothing against these ads if the revenue is used for good things like, continued development of the game and so on..

[GreatStalin]

I'm pretty sure adverts in games have been around for years! Theme Hospital had at least one that I can remember, for KitKat, right?

[+.Vamp Subscriber²]

They don't bother me atm. Fight Night Round 3 had a lot of it with Everlast and Burger King (You actually unlock 'The King' as a trainer!) but that all added realism to the game for me... apart from burger king :p

Just so long as they don't implement them in the middle of film dvds as they are discussing im ok!

[)-(orus]

As long as it doesn't detract from the game itself I genuinely do not see an issue...We have it in movies.

I wouldn't expect to see an advert for Addidas (or whoever) planted in the middle of a jungle scene, but I would be equally dissapointed to see a Marddias billboard in a city scape.

I'm pretty sure adverts in games have been around for years! Theme Hospital had at least one that I can remember, for KitKat, right?

Wasn't Cool Spot used as an advertising platform for 7up?

[Konstanov]

It's not that bad from what I've seen in most Ubisoft games. Ads placed on billboards and street signs where it's appropriate and you don't really notice them most of the times. Especially in Rainbow Six Vegas and Splinter Cel Double Agent.

And these ads reduce the price of development and reduce the price for the game, allowing games to always be $60 or $70 depending on the editions.

[Takhisis]

Wasn't Cool Spot used as an advertising platform for 7up?

Yep, and Zool for Chuppa Chups.

Link

[maeby]

yeah as long as there not intrusive, i dont give a ****, almost adds a bit more realism into some games. like R6:vegas had advertisments that always changed on the casino walls, i actually thought it was kinda cool.

[CelticWhisper]

I tend to shy away from "real-world" games, opting instead for sci-fi/fantasy settings where adverts for real products would be horribly out-of-place. If ever ads do make it into the next Shin Megami Tensei, or the next "Tales Of," or whatever succeeds Shadow of the Colossus, I'm giving up gaming.

[QuarterSwede]

Now that gaming is so mainstream it was bound to happen. :( Yeah I'm not fond of it.

More like, now that it costs so much money and takes a lot more time to make a game it was bound to happen.

[OblivionStalker]

It is all because of EA. They started this ads-in-game thing.

[nexx]

I'm generally against them. As long as people sit around saying 'it's no big deal', sooner or later we'll be needing popup blockers for our games. :angry:

[The Gunslinger]

I'm generally against them. As long as people sit around saying 'it's no big deal', sooner or later we'll be needing popup blockers for our games. :angry:

I agree...UNLESS it relates to a marked decrease in game prices.

[williamhook]

I don't mind them all that much really - the "Cingular GPS" in NFSMW for example wasn't intrusive at all. Hell, if Rockstar put billboards into GTA4 and have them get ads off the net, I won't mind. :D

[SirEvan]

You pay for cable and you have commerials, which makes no damn sense. Now that gaming is so mainstream it was bound to happen. :( Yeah I'm not fond of it.

Yes, because cable tv shows cost 60$ a month to develop, write, script, produce, air...etc.....right?

TV costs MILLIONS and MILLIONS of dollars, so unless you'd like your cable bill to be 1000$ a month, you're going to have commercials to pay for all that programming.