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Product Placement in Video Games

Posted by timothy on from the marketing-devilry dept.

klaun writes: "Yahoo has a Reuters article about product placement in games. Seems that paid placements are no longer that popular because they don't work. The audience is to sensitive to advertisement being 'crammed down their throat.' Wonder what slashdot thinks of product placement." I actually like ads in games, whether they're spoofs or real, so long as they fit the context of the game.

8 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. Super Monkey Ball by Calle+Ballz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was playing Super Monkey Ball (extremely fun) for the GameCube the other day...

    and I got this strange desire for a Dole Banana. Wonder if it was something subliminal thrown in...

  2. Finally by crandall · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's about time that ad companies start realizing that they are forcing so much at us, that it doesn't work anymore. (Redundant, I know).

    Still though, maybe they'll start finding better ways. First of all, the product really does have to appeal to the target audience. It has to make sense. I don't even notice ads anymore, they are just automatically blocked out of my vision.

    Occasionally, one that appeals to me in some way will surface. Like one I saw on slashdot a while back that asked what the smallest positive integer you could make with 9 9s and + - / * ( ) was. That grabbed my attention right there, but hey, I'm a programmer.

    On the other hand, most ads (read: X10) are totally ignored by me, and I don't even give it a second thought when my mouse automatically moves over and closes the window.

  3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II by Apreche · · Score: 5, Interesting

    and Pizza Hut. I still have the instruction book with the coupon on it. I challenge anyone to find a video game with advertisements in it older than that. I'm not sure if the ads worked then or not, but it was a wildly popular game.

    --
    The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
    1. Re:Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II by Howie · · Score: 4, Informative

      I challenge anyone to find a video game with advertisements in it older than that.

      Tapper (1983) has you serving Budweiser to fickle customers. From memory, the C64 port did not have the tie-in, even though it was also made by Bally.

      --
      "don't fall into the fallacy of believing that Perl can solve social problems. Maybe Perl 6 can, but that's a ways off"
  4. Product placement by Have+Blue · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Product placement is usually accepted where it doesn't interfere with the product in which it is placed. James Bond driving a BMW is fine, and might even boost BMW's image. The camera focusing on the BMW logo on James' car is not.

    So, for example, if there were going to be cans of soda int he game anyway, like in Deus Ex, there shouldn't be any objection to putting a real-world brand name on them.

  5. PetsOverNight.com by HiredMan · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The radio stations in Grand Theft Auto III really help make the game and the ads really help make the radio stations work. They add to the "texture" of the game and give the game makers the ability to make subtle (and funny) commentaries on society.

    The wierd thing is that MOST of the ads are fake... but some of the personal promotions stuff (Game Radio) are real or are they... the bleed over between the fake ads and reality adds another dimension to the game.

    This article also shows that if you ignore ads THEY WILL STOP. If you don't like ads complain and specifically do not buy those products.

    =tkk

    --
    Bill Gates - Creationist?!?
  6. Re:Oh, that's why by White+Shadow · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ah yes, and after playing or watching Grand Theft Auto 3, I always have an urge to drive on the sidewalk, beat up police officers and drive around a firetruck.

    Oh wait, I had that urge before playing the game. Maybe that's why I played the game in the first place.

  7. Re:Paid placement doesn't work... by iso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It does help to make movies and games more realistic..

    Y'know, what's really frightening is that we feel we need to see ads for a scene to be "real." That just goes to show you how many ads we're subjected to each day.

    - j