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Advergames
Anne_Nonymous writes "Here's an interesting story on the use of video games as advertising. They claim 'advergames could be a $1 billion industry by 2005'."
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hell it might bring the prices of games down to a more reasonable $20-$30 per game. I like it. I know we're already innundated with advertising everywhere, but this could save you money.
But don't the gunmakers already get free advertising from video games?
There's a growing sense that even if The Future comes,
most of us won't be able to afford it.
-- Lemmy
My favorite game has already big advertisements all over it. I won't tell you what game it is, just that it's *very* addictive and I have quite a good score (Karma: excellent).
The article failed to mention the pretty decent video game put out by (I believe) the US Army call "America's Army".
As the Coke Human tribe slaughters the evil Pepsi Ogres.
We prefer the term ADVERTAINMENT.
Seriously, these "market analysts" are such one-trick ponies. I bet if I paid them enough they would say my penis will be a $1 billion industry by 2005.
Didn't the Sims Online do this by including a McDonald's kiosk? By eating at the McDonalds, your happiness goes up, or something like that.
As I recall, having the advertising in the game certainly didn't make it any cheaper. Having the movies full of advertisements doesn't make them any cheaper for me to see either.
So while this might not really be a bad thing, I don't see how it could be that good of a thing either.
I once downloaded an advergame for a Willy Wonka candy of some sort. It was a LodeRunner-like game where you had to run around and grab pieces of candy.
The one drawback to it was that every time you grabbed a piece of candy, a half-screen ad would pop up and the game would halt for a few seconds. I wasn't expecting much (you have to be bored to download such a thing in the first place), but I ditched it after five minutes because the halting was so darn annoying.
If they want to make an industry of this, they'll have to get it through their heads that people won't put up with that. Especially not kids, with their shorter attention spans.
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A great game in store for us now: A fully realized virtual environment in which you sit at a table and eat a bowl of Macaroni 'n' Cheese. You can even wash out the bowl and put it in the dishwasher when you're done!
+ G to tha Izzo, A to tha Tizee, Talking Giz-oat, Ya'll Bettah Feel Me... +
Although the idea of simulated cars doesn't quite seem right to me (do they similate when your Ford truck goes haywire because the steering box gets loose), it sounds like not such a bad idea... and not really a new one either.
A lot of games use realistic/lifelike locations, etc. Movies incorporate subliminal advertising, so why not do this to game. Example, Duke Nukum Never finally comes out, due to being funded by advertisers. Throughout the game, virtual billboards have advertisments for Coke or Pepsi (there's already game billboard anyways). This could apply to any shooter game, or a racing game etc.
Next, we step on to the simulations/etc. The Sims already has a MacDonalds... so it's been done.
I can't really see a use for this in Strategy games though, unless perhaps Starcraft 2 has a few shelled out Macdonalds buildings (hey, they're going to be everywhere in the universe in the future, you know it).
It could be a good thing, if slapping a few pepsi-like billboards in doom3 makes it come out under $50, I'd have no problem. Such subliminal messaging often works best, so they're not a need for huge and obvious advertising (you'll just get a craving for a nice cold drink whilst next fragging Cacodemons).
...for every time I head about the next "billion-dollar industry", I'd have a shit-ton of nickels.
This sounds vaugely familliar to something 20 years ago. Granted, we have shifted to advertisements IN games, instead of advertisements AS games.
- Remember the Kool-Aid man video game for Atari?
- Anyone else have that CGA Avoid the Noid game from Domino's Pizza for the IBM PC?
I'm sure there are other gems out there as well.Anyone with small children and a computer is probably familiar with the either free or nominally-priced games featuring Hot Wheels, Barbie, Buzz Lightyear, Tonka Trucks, and other well-recognized properties. These are games that are fairly fun for the kids to play, where the product is a major component of the game, and there are sometimes links to the websites of the products.
The games I have seen in the genre tend to be lightweight, but get the kids excited enough about it to want to go home, install it, and play it.
I believe that the market size of 1 billion would be primarily bourne by the companies who want to place their products as part of their promotions budgets, and not on the end-consumer.
Hey, Windows users, there is no such thing as "forward" slash, there is only slash and backslash.
This seems to be the key difference to me. If an advertisement uses a interactive means to get me interesting (keep me oocupied?) to learn about their product, then I dont expect to pay anything for it. Why? Because I'll be damned if I have to start paying twice to buy something (once to learn about it, and once to buy it).
Product placement in videogames has been around for a while, the most recent example I'm framiliar with is Tony Hawk 4. Ads dont dominate and they are just billboards. I dont get extra points for completing a 900 while drinking my mountain dew.
Then there is the middle ground. This is where game companies whore out themselves to advertisers, a la Sims Online, where eating at McDonalds increases your happiness (which is an absolutely horrible message to send to youth). I hope the gaming community doesnt support these titles.
The Doormat
If you're not outraged, then you're not paying attention.
7-UP had their "Cool Spot" game for Genesis(?) back then. It essentially was one big advertisement for 7-UP. There a small sub-industry that caters to building niche games for companies who want their products placed in them, from the online based Flash games to full CD based installed versions.
Of course you also have my favorite gaming genre, racing simulations From open wheel (F1, CART, IRL) to fendered cars (NASCAR, Trans-Am, etc). the entire foundation of the real sport depends on advertising, from the car textures to the track graphics. The players of these games go to great lengths to make sure the correct advertising in in the game. There is almost no other genre where having advertising as part of the experience is important.
The Getaway (PS2) is already doing this kind of thing. They got licenses to use brand names for cars (BMW, etc). and there's a billboard type thing in the game that has Samsung, McDonalds, Sanyo, TDX, and Coca Cola plastered all over it.
Screenshot can be viewed here
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"Heh heh, what...a...mess.... good thing *I* have Mop n' Glow."
"Go ahead, make my day...with a refreshing Vanilla Coke!"
"Pizza Hut...Who doesn't want some?"
"D***... I forgot to use 10-10-220."
"Nobody steals our Eggos...and lives."
"D***, I'm lookin good... with LA Looks Hair Care Products!"
The bitter wind plastered the snow to the asphalt, turning blacktop into white death for joyriders. I had a hole in my arm, a half-empty ammo clip, and three thugs waiting within open arms and loaded weapons around the corner. It's at times like these I wondered when this crazy ride started. Good thing I had Advil. *Max holding a box with a wry grin* "Advil: The Pills That Ease the Payne!" (Recommended by 9 out of 10 ex-cops seeking vigilante justice!)
Americas army is not necesarily a great recruting tool. It is wonderful in terms of public exposure but I still doubt many of those in the Army would have signed up based on the game. For example, the game is all based on missions taken by infantrymen. Even infantry do not go on missions much. Much much more of the Army is spent on mindless detail or KP or barraks maintence. Not to mention lots of crap from your superiors. Also those that are playing this game probably have a higher GT score (110 or higher). Most high GT scores dont want to be 11B. This might help our IT problems, but it wont help much for 11B.
For our 11B however, we do give out alot of bonus money. $20,000 for the most Hooah airborne ranger special forces guy. Id say thats much more apealing to 11 series rather than a cool game.
PFC Gruhn
MOS 74B (Computer Tech)
U.S. Army, Fort Lewis, 1st Personnel Group
Serve and Sustain
I found it! Along with a treasure trove of old DOS games:
: http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/pub/ibm/GAMES/ANOID.ZIP
List: http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/files/games.htm
Direct
After playing the origninal Gran Turismo, I became fixated on the Mitsubishi Eclipse as a relatively affordable performance car that matched my driving and personal style. Enough so that a year out of college (when I had the $$) I dropped it on one of them (0%/$0 down/$0 for a year helped as well). And anyone who knows me knows I drive it just like the video game - I can't imagine driving anything else in it's price range.
Right now, I'd say it's the best way (for manufacturers or consumers) to compare head-to-head dozens (hundreds) of cars in different conditions (and not get kicked out by the dealer) - given that the game does not falsely favor one car over others. Hey, if they make it real enough, it might replace illegal street racing (big problem here in San Diego) to an extent. I know among my friends we've settled whose car is better with a few sessions of GT. Needless to say, I am not happy to see that the Eclipse was left out of GT3.
Kurdt
I'm not anti-social. Just pro-technology.
Look at companies like NStorm, who offer freely downloadable Macromedia games that are 100% advertainment (i.e. Elf Bowling 2 for CDNOW, Elf Bowling 3 for TechTV).
... all forgettable titles that were relatively uninspiring and far from groundbreaking.
Instead of having the end user pay for the game, the advertiser ponies up and their name is attached to what can be a fiendishly addictive little pastime. The end user gets something for essentially nothing, and may or may not notice the corporate name attached to the game.
I would expect that the population will have to be slowly weaned into seeing advertising in 'commercial' games, much like how TV producers and filmmakers have been slowly weaning product placements into their products. Too much at once would promote a backlash.
Striking a balance between the advertising content and the 'game' content will prove tricky as well. It seems to me that video games that have been 100% advertiser-based have been niche titles at best, and certainly not at the top of anyone's best game list. Games like 7UP Cool Spot, the old Chuck Wagon game for the 2600 VCS, McKids
Okay, every comment I've read so far is talking about product placement in videogames. A fun topic, sure, and I like talking about it, but I would those who haven't done so to just skim the short article. It talks about entire games whose primary aim is to sell a product. So, instead of having McD's in The Sims, we're talking about car companies putting out games (often for free) that let you drive around in their new cars. A nifty little article, and I'm wondering if people think this will take off...
I don't see how playing McQuake IV and blasting away the Hamburgler or helpless French fries could be considered fun.
Hey, this would be a great opportunity to put retired mascots back to work -- like the Hammurderer or Shakes McJunkie. Parents can't complain if they're in an M-rated game! (Well, they 'll complain anyway, but it gives a good legal cover.)
And besides, those little "Fry Guy" bastards have it coming.
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
I don't mind if they put ads IN the game. If I'm driving on the highway in a new racing game I'd rather see McDonalds bulleting boards that "burger co." It makes the game feel more like I'm on earth and not in a weird video game world.
It's a different story if the ads effect gameplay negatively. Like if I have to stop, watch an ad, then return to play.
As for games that ARE advertisements themselves. Like that Ford racing game. If the games are good, then it will be a good ad, and I wont mind. As long as it doesn't have ads that effect gameplay. If coke makes a coke game that sucks, they're just paying for negative advertising against themselves.
It's the same as movies. If you buy product placement in a shitty movie it sucks for you. Imagine a really crappy movie about a guy who works in a Coke factory. Not going to go well for the soda man.
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from the article:
For Pert, the demands of caring for two preschoolers often means he only has time to go four-wheeling via computer while his $25,000 Rubicon sits in the driveway.
``Sometimes when the girls are asleep I sneak off to play,'' he said.
This, from an owner in Kansas. Kansas which is flat as a pancake. If he's not going offroading, why shell out $25k for a Jeep , when any number of regular cars would better suit a family with 2 little kids.
And they say advertising does not work.
Does it have a cell phone that you can talk on while you are driving on the freeway.
Hey that might be kind of fun having a networked game with a cell phone in the car that you can talk on it will make you feel just like you are driving down the road in an SUV.
For those that don't know, Snowcraft was a really cute little Shockwave game that came out around 1997, I believe. The object was, simply, to win a snowball fight against the opposing team. The game was distributed as a standalone app, and was emailed EVERYWHERE. When you lost the game, a message came up that said, "Merry Christmas from..." (sorry, forgot the name of the web design company that produced it), along with an email link.
That design firm got swallowed up by a bigger web design firm less than a year later. I've tried to guess at what they spent to produce the game ($15k, maybe?), and this was right at the time that Shockwave and Flash were becoming hot properties, but the talent was in short supply. No doubt they recovered their investment many times over, especially when they principals sold out the business.
Online advertainment has been around for a long time, it's funny that it's just now getting recognition.
Crazy Taxi is full of advertisements but it actually helps game play. A Pizza Hut building is easier to spot than Joe's Pizza Place would be. As long as advertising doesn't hurt the game I really don't care if they include it. The same rules as with movies, tv, and magazines really.
Example of advertising that was to much: Inspector Gadget the movie. The movie was already pretty bad and the advertising just broke the camels back.
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