The Rise Of Adverts In Videogames

Thanks to Evil Avatar for pointing to a brief Fortune article discussing the rise of advertising placement in videogames. A particular example discussed - Intel have struck a deal with EA so that "..when characters on The Sims Online use their PCs, players see the Intel logo and hear the company's signature musical bong." How insidious is too insidious? Mind you, advertisers would have to push to find licensing as plain bizarre as Skittles' product placement in Darkened Skye.

Comments

Flashback

[IceFreak2000]

Back in 1992, Ocean Software released a game on the Amiga and PC in conjunction with Smiths Crisps in the UK to promote Quavers, that tied in with their current Lenny Henry voiced mascot Colin Curly. The game wasn't a half bad puzzler either.

ET anyone?

[mezo]

whoa whoa whoa... i cant believe no one has mentioned the unholy ET and M&M atari game. not only was it blatant advertising, but the damned game was imposssible to play

Two observations.

[NetDanzr]

1. Unlike the TV, which is virtually free, people pay for PC games. The advertisers' argument against TiVo or skipping commercials in general is that watching commercials is a way to pay for the free programing. With advertisments in games, will we get the games for free or at least cheaper?

2. What will prevent rogue advertisers to advertise in on-line games? For example, a spammer in The Sims Online can create a character and simply walk around, telling users about the product he advertises. Or, if you can create your own house in the game (don't know whether that's possible; never played it), what prevents you to build a non-sanctioned Burger King right next to a McDonald's, which paid for product placement?